Eastern Chicken

We are always trying to find new flavours for our chicken.  Change is good!  This time, I found a recipe in my "Company's Coming - Barbeques" cookbook that I thought we should try.  It has grapefruit juice in it, and we happened to have grapefruit juice in the fridge...perfect timing!  It also seemed like a fresh flavour to try...grapefruit juice and chicken...we'll see! 

Here is the recipe:

1 1/2 cups grapefruit juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard
2 teaspoons onion flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon thyme
3 lbs chicken (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

In a large bowl, combine the first 11 ingredients.  I like to marinate my meat in ziploc bags, so I then put the chicken into a large ziploc bag and then poured the marinade into the bag.  Do this in the morning (or the night before) and allow the chicken to marinade all day (or overnight).

Preheat your grill to medium.  Place your chicken on the grill, baste with the marinade and turn often.  Grill for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly.

VERDICT
This was a nice change for us for the chicken.  We don't often have grapefruit juice in the house, but next time we do and have some "extra" then we would likely make this again!

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Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes - Slow Cooker Thursday

Well, it's upon us!  Hockey season that is.  I know, not the NHL (yet!?)...but this year is the first of what could be many years of minor hockey in our home.  Our 5 year old started playing this season...and so far so good!  We are happy that he is active and wants to try new sports, and we will see if he enjoys hockey (it won't be forced upon him though!).  So...with hockey season here, that means practices and games each week.  He has a practice every Thursday after school, which makes things just a little crazier for us come dinnertime.  So...I've decided to make Thursdays "Slow Cooker Thursdays".  Makes perfect sense to me, to get our dinner started before I leave for work, so that everything is ready once we get home from work/school/daycare/hockey. This week is our first installment!

I was ever SO lucky to receive a copy of the new "Best of Bridge Slow Cookers" cookbook...ummm, hello...soooooo excited...not only is it a cookbook (love!) it's also Best of Bridge (classic!).  I'll have a review up on the blog very soon, but in the meantime I just had to start trying new recipes!  For our first "Slow Cooker Thursday" I decided to make the "Saturday Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes" - here is the recipe and what I did (very slightly amended from the original Best of Bridge recipe):

1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 bay leaves
6 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (note, as per the Best of Bridge suggestion, you will more likely find the chicken thighs with skin on...just remove the skin using a piece of paper towel to grab the skin at one end and pull off firmly - it worked well!)
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
1 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon pepper (I used a little more)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup unsweetened apple juice (I used Sun-Rype)
1 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Wash and prepare your vegetables.  Add the sweet potatoes, carrots, celery and bay leaves to your slow cooker.  Place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables.  Next, heat oil over medium in a skillet.  Add your onions, garlic, thyme or oregano, salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Mix in the flour, then add the chicken broth and apple juice.  Bring to a boil (approximately 5 minutes).  Pour over the chicken and vegetables.  Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours on low (which is what I did) or for 2.5 - 3 hours on high.  Juice will run clear when the chicken in pierced.  15 minutes prior to serving, turn crock pot to high.  Add in the peas and vinegar.  I also added in a little roux at this time.  Add more salt and/or pepper if needed.  Cover and cook (on high) for 15 minutes or unti the peas are hot.  Remove bay leaves, stir in parsley.

VERDICT:
My husband said that (besides chili), this was one of the best slow cooker recipes he's had.  We both agreed it could have used a little more seasoning to kick it up a bit, but we all enjoyed the meal.  Our 5 year old LOVED it.  He also really loved the tea biscuits that I made to go with the stew.  And the sweet potatoes were a nice change of pace for us.  This is one that we would make again!

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Excerpted from Best of Bridge Slow Cooker Cookbook by Sally Vaughan-Johnston & The Best of Bridge Publishing Ltd. © 2012 www.robertrose.ca All rights reserved: May not be reprinted without publisher permission.

Club House Hickory BBQ Ribs & Giveaway!

I just HAVE to tell you how darn excited I am...I got home from work a few days ago and found a box on my front door step containing Club House seasoning packages for me to try!  I knew that I was getting a package, but I had no idea how much fun was going to be inside that box!  My husband was super excited too...he got into the box before I even had a chance!  LOL...good thing he's cute :-)

Having recently returned back to work after my maternity leave, juggling that full-time job, husband, two kids, school, daycare, hockey, swimming, laundry, eating, blogging, sleeping...you get the picture...I am looking to find some easy weekday meal solutions for our family (and still keep my resolution to try new recipes).  This box of seasoning packs couldn't have arrived at a better time, and the packs have provided us with some inspiration to shake up our Monday-Friday dinners with new flavours and ideas without taking a lot of prep time.  Of course, this package immediately raised a little dilemma for me...what to make first?! 

Well, because my boys are BIG TIME meat eaters, and because I hadn't made ribs for them in a while, the "Hickory BBQ Ribs" Flavourful Recipe Mix caught my eye.  As the ribs do take time to cook (and because we eat dinner pretty early in the evening) I opted to wait until the weekend to try out the seasoning.  Boy were my boys excited when they learned that ribs were on the menu!  I stuck true to the recipe on the package as when it is my first time trying a new recipe I usually do.  Here is the recipe:

2 lbs pork ribs (thawed)
1 package Club House Hickory BBQ Ribs Flavourful Recipe Mix
1 cup ketchup
Water

Make BBQ sauce by mixing the ketchup and seasoning pack together.  Allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F.

Prepare a roasting pan, with a wire rack on the bottom, by filling with 1/4 inch of water.

Spread 2/3 cup of the BBQ sauce on all sides of the ribs.  I put a little more on the meat side (makes more sense to me!).  Place the ribs meat side up on the rack in the roasting pan.  Cover (with lid or foil - I opted for foil), and bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours (depending on your ribs).  Turn the ribs about halfway through.  After baking, remove the roasting pan from the oven, flips the ribs again so that they are meat side up again, and baste with the remaining BBQ sauce.  Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, uncovered.

Really, that's it.  A few key ingredients, and put the meat in the oven.  How much easier can it get?  Then all I had to "worry" about was the sides to go with the meat (which were potatoes and fresh picked green beans). 

VERDICT:
As I suspected, my boys REALLY liked the ribs.  Even the baby was chowing down! (and he's usually on the fussy side).  It was a finger-licking saucy goodness for them!  I enjoyed the flavours - I must admit, I thought that these mght taste rather "ketchup-ey" but they did not, not at all.  I was pleasantly surprised! There was a nice, smoky flavour about them that I enoyed.  Thanks Club House for making my meal prep so easy!

And now...the best part (for you)!  I have for one lucky winner a FANTASTIC PRIZE PACKAGE from Club House!  Seriously...amazing.  The winner will receive a Club House Prize Pack AND a $50 Gift Card!  How AWESOME is this prize?!  The Fine Print:  THIS GIVEAWAY IS OPEN TO RESIDENTS OF CANADA ONLY (sorry friends!).  I will contact the winner by email, and the winner will have 24 hours to claim the prize.  If the winner does not reply within 24 hours, a new winner will be drawn.  The winner will receive their prize pack approximately 4-6 weeks after the draw is made.  Other blogs will be running giveaways as well, you may enter on all the other sites, but you may only win one prize pack.  Now for the FUN!  Here's the Rafflecopter to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Disclosure - I am participating in the Club House Flavourful Recipes Mixes Blog Tour by Mom Central Canada on behalf of McCormick.  I received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion.  The opinions on this blog are my own.**

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Baked Chicken Fingers

Chicken fingers...what kid doesn't love them?  I think we've all had our "love" of chicken fingers at one time or another in our lives.  And so often they come to us processed and frozen.  I thought it was time to give it a go to make my own at home.  I did a little searching online and found lots of recipes, and the recipes all called for items that pretty much already had on hand.  Duh! Had I thought about it sooner, then maybe I would have figured it out sooner :-)  I based what I did on the recipe I found over at Smells Like Home .  Here is my version:

1 1/2 cups Panko
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Pepper (to taste)
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Dijon or whole-grain mustard
1/4 teaspoon thyme
Cooking spray
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 425F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

In a shallow dish (I used a pie plate), mix together the flour, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg whites, water, mustard and thyme.

Put the panko into a second shallow dish.

Line up your dishes: 1) Flour mixture, 2) Egg mixture, 3) Panko 4) Cooking sheet.  Working in order, piece by peice (or whatever methods works for you), dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, dip in the egg mixture, coat in the panko, put on the cooking sheet.  Repeat the process until all the chicken is done.  Spray the coated chicken (lightly) with cooking spray.

Bake for 15 minutes, remove the cooking sheet, flip the chicken fingers, and cook for another 10 minutes (or until the chicken is cooked through).

VERDICT:
These were a huge hit, as expected.  And much easier to make than I thought!  Yay!  I did cut the pieces of chicken a little too big for my first try, so next time I will make smaller pieces.  But these were well received by my boys (young and old!). Woohoo!

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Homemade Hamburger Helper

Last month I wrote a guest post over at Everyday Mom's Meals.  Krista was so kind to host me as part of her Weekend Company series.  If you happened to miss my post, I wanted to share it with you here today!  Here it is:

----------

Today I had my LAST duty day of the school year at preschool.  I cannot believe that the school year is nearly OVER.  Where did that year go?  Our oldest will be starting KINDERGARTEN in September!  Didn't I just have him?  Seems like yesterday, not 5 years ago!

Today also happened to be a dreadfully dreary day.  We're caught in some wicked weather system that is dumping rain, rain, rain on us.  It was a homemade chicken noodle soup kind of day, but with my necessity to be at school, I didn't have the time to put it together.  So it became spaghetti night, or so I thought.

Once school was over, I had NO DESIRE to make spaghetti.  But what could I do with the ground beef that I had laid out?  Meatloaf? My boys would LOVE that...me, not so much.  What to do, what to do.  I thought about my Dad's "Hash" recipe (which essentially is a whole bunch of stuff hashed together...with a ground beef base and add in all the leftovers from the fridge) - but we are all out of leftovers.  So then I thought about Hamburger Helper.  I've seen it on TV many times, never tried making it on my own.  A quick little google search, read through some recipes, and found one to base dinner on.  The recipe I used was found at Food.com, and modified to include more vegetables.  Here is the recipe:

Homemade Hamburger Helper

1/2 lb ground beef
1 lb macaroni
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook the pasta according to the box directions.  Drain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, cook the ground beef over medium in a large skillet.  Cook until the meat is browned.  Add in all the dry seasonings (including the flour) and stir until combined.

Add in the milk, tomato sauce and peas.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 minutes.

Add in the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, stir until melted.  Add in the macaroni, stir to combine.  Serve immediately.

VERDICT:
This was an absolute HIT.  Our five year old had THREE helpings.  And my husband loved it too.  he didn't want to share the leftovers for tomorrow's lunch, he wanted them all to himself. This could easily be a new go-to recpe for us in place of spaghetti!  Yay!!

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Asian Noodle Salad

Last week, I told you about the Spicy Charred Calamari that I made....this is the accompanying salad!

Asian Noodle Salad (Source: Chatelaine, June 2012)


Fine rice-vermicelli noodles
2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

In a large bowl, cover noodles completely with boiling water.  Let stand, stirring regularly until the noodles are your desired tenderness, approximately 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, fish sauce and sugar.  This will be your dressing.

Drain your noodles and rinse in cold water (very important to do this!).  Squeeze the excess water from the noodles (also very important!).  Put the noodles back in the bowl, and add your dressing and cilantro.  Mix well.

Serve the noodles, top with the Spicy Charred Calamari, and enjoy!

VERDICT:
I really enjoyed the noodles, so nice, light and FRESH tasting.  We love cilantro (which is a GOOD thing since it is growing wild in our back yard this year!) so I am always happy to find recipes that call for cilantro (hint...when you make tacos, if you mix onion, lime and cilantro together, it makes the onions OH so so so good, we always have to have our taco onions prepared that way!).

Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Cream

Do you love Avocados?  I sure do!  And how happy was I to discover the new Avocados From Mexico recipe website "Recipes From Avocado Lovers"!!  It is a great site for recipe lovers like me to find new recipes to try.  Not only that, the website also allows us to share our favourite avocado recipes, download ringtones, wallpapers and other fun items to show avocado love!

There are so many great recipes on the site, so I had a hard time picking just one to try.  I found a recipe for Blackened Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Cream that I amended so that I could use groceries that I already had on hand.  Here is what I did:

1/2 cup of white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 onion, julienned

2 avocados from Mexico, halved, pitted and peeled
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 limes, juiced

2 cups coleslaw (I used the pre-packaged coleslaw)
2 tablespoons canola oil

1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1 tablespoon taco seasoning

Whole wheat tortillas
Fresh cilantro                       

Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan, boil for 1 minute. Julienne the onions and put into a bowl.  Pour the vinegar mixture over onions; chill until ready to serve. You can make this in advance if needed (and will allow for the mixture to cool more).

Using a blender or bullet, puree avocados, sour cream and half of the lime juice. Scoop into a small bowl. 

In another bowl, combine the coleslaw, half of the oil, the remaining lime juice and a pinch of salt.  Mix well.
Season shrimp with taco seasoning (I used my homemade seasoning). Use remaining oil for a skillet, heat skillet, add shrimp and sauté for no more than 2-3 minutes.

Prepare your tacos using a tortilla, coleslaw mixture, avocado cream, onions and garnish with fresh cilantro. 

VERDICT:
We had these for lunch, and they were a perfect summer lunch!  We all enjoyed them, and the baby was eating the avocado cream straight!  I think that my husband and oldest son re-discovered that they do like avocados, which is good, since the baby and I both love them!  These are tacos that we will make again, especially with the hot days of summer upon us.  They were so fresh tasting!

This sponsorship is brought to you by Recipes from Avocados From Mexico who we have partnered with for this promotion.

Spicy Charred Calamari

You know me, I'm always on the lookout for great new recipes.  I found yet another appealing one in the June 2012 edition of Chatelaine magazine, this time for Spicy Charred Calamari.  In the magazine it was accompanied with an Asian Noodle Salad, which I also made, and you'll be able to read about very soon :-)

I've never made calamari before, but have ordered it many times in restaurants.  When this recipe presented itself, I figured...why not now to give it a try?!  It looks like a nice summery meal...stay tuned for the verdict.

Spicy Charred Calamari (Source: Chatelaine, June 2012)

1 package of frozen calamari rings (the original recipe called for frozen whole squid....and to cut it myself...the thought of that grossed me out, so I took the easy route!)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce (I used this version)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fried crispy shallots

Peheat BBQ to medium-high.

Allow calamari rings to thaw and pat dry.  In a medium bowl, toss the rings with vegetable oil, chili-garlic sauce, and salt.

Oil the grill, BBQ the calamari until slightly charred and just tender, 1-2 minutes each side.

Serve with the crispy shallots, on top of an Asian Noodle Salad.

VERDICT:
My husband and I both liked this nice change of pace.  We did find that the spicy wasn't spice enough, so next time we would actually turn up the heat in the coating on the calamari.  We did end up dipping our calamari in a hot sauce, because we felt it needed it!  But, it is a meal that we will make again!

Guest Post - Tara from Noshing with the Nolands

Hi All, I am Tara Noland from Noshing With The Nolands. I am very grateful Dawn has allowed me to guest post today here on her beautiful blog. I have started blogging just over 4 months ago and I am loving it. Cooking has always been a passion for me and now even more so that I am able to share recipes with all of you. I started cooking and baking at a very young age for my family and friends. I have cooked lots of different cuisines but one of my favourite chefs was Julia Child. So I am so thrilled that I have been asked to do JC100 which is celebrating what would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday. I get to relive a lot of the recipes I made so many years ago and also try some new ones. I am given an assignment each week of one of her recipes and try to recreate that recipe as well as she has done it. Which honestly is pretty easy if you follow her flawless instructions. My husband and daughter share in the love of good cooking and dining with me. I have a daughter with a voracious appetite that is not picky at all because we have never let her be.

As I said before I have cooked a lot of different cuisines and the recipe I am sharing with you today is Moroccan. It is a caramelized onion and raisin over Moroccan chicken resting on a bed of couscous surrounded by vibrant orange carrots. A delicious meal, full of flavour and texture. This is a recipe that I came up with just playing around with some spices and flavours. My newest addiction is Umami paste and it is toted as taste number 5, after salty, sweet, bitter and sour. I am starting to add it to so many marinades etc. It is great! You can find it over at Laura Santtinni. A little goes along way to boast the flavour of anything.


Moroccan Chicken

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Marinade
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. coriander seed, ground
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cloves
freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp. Umami paste
1 Tbsp. honey
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon

Mix all ingredients for the marinade together. Place chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour in marinade. Let sit for 6-8 hours refrigerated. BBQ on a medium low grill for 15-20 min. or until cooked through.

Caramelized Onion and Couscous

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup raisins
1 Tbsp. sugar
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick

1/4 tsp. each pepper, ginger and nutmeg
1 pkg. couscous
chicken stock
bay leaf
salt and pepper
Cooked carrots
Parsley to garnish

In a large saucepan heat oil over medium high heat and add onion and stir. Cook covered for 15 min. and then add the raisins, sugar, cloves, cinnamon stick, pepper, ginger and nutmeg. Cook covered over low heat until very dark brown but not burnt about 45 min. Discard the cloves and cinnamon. The cloves are hard to see. I usually get Ken or Amber to help me locate them!! Keep the onion mixture warm. Cook the couscous according to the package directions substituting chicken broth for water and placing in the bay leaf. When the couscous is done remove the bay leaf and fluff with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Place the couscous on a large platter in the center and top with the grilled chicken followed by the caramelized onion and raisin mixture. Surround chicken with the cooked carrots and garnish with parsley. This is a lovely feast that I am sure you will all enjoy!!

Thanks again Dawn for this opportunity and I hope you come over to see what else we are cooking at Noshing With The Nolands. There is at least one new post everyday!!

Teriyaki Chicken Burgers

I find it funny that I am constantly trying new recipes, and yet I find myself so stumped about what to make for dinner.  Part of the problem is that I didn't make a meal plan for the week.  Had I taken the time to do that, then I wouldn't have been "scrambling" trying to think of something new to do with the chicken that I laid out.  Mostly it was I just didn't want another meal of BBQ chicken (as good as it is, I just needed a change!)...so some quick flipping through a cookbook and I came up with a solution for tonight's dinner, as well as some tags for future chicken meals :-)  Yay!  And yes, I've now made my meal plan for the rest of the week!  Anyways, tonight we went with Teriyaki Chicken Burgers.  Anyone who knows me is making one of those funny, confused faces right now, just like the one my hubby made when I said what I was making.  I don't like teriyaki.  Never have.  Not really sure why, but I just don't care for it.  BUT, he loves teriyaki, so I did it for him :-)

Here is the recipe: (Source: Company's Coming: Barbeques)

Marinade
1/4 cup soya sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger, fresh grated
1 clove garlic, minced

3 Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

Pineapple (rings or pieces, whichever you prefer)

Hanburger buns, cut, buttered and toasted on the grill
Lettuce
Tomatoes (if desired)
Mayo (if desired)
Cheese (if desired)

Mix soya sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in a bowl.  Using a ziploc bag (or similar) combine chicken and marinade.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes (I had time for ours to marinate for about two hours).

Preheat BBQ.  Cook chicken on grill over medium heat for about 20 minutes, turning as needed.

Prepare your buns as you desire (lettuce, tomato, mayo, cheese, pineapple).

The chicken can also be used as a main course should you wish to go the no-burger route.

VERDICT:
My hubby was in love with these burgers.  He said it was a nice change for burgers and for chicken.  He kept saying how good it was.  That makes me happy!  I am sure he'll be asking to make these again.  I was OK with the burgers, it satisifed my need for something different.  I didn't add the pineapple to mine, which probably helped.  I did add mustard though, that's my favourite condiment.  I know, not really a teriyaki flavour but hey, it was my burger!

Are you interested in guest posting here at Addicted to Recipes?  If you are, please let me know!

Scrumptious Sunday #9 - Features!

Week #9 of the Scrumptious Sunday Link Party was another great success!  Thank you so much for sharing 89 of your fabulous recipes!  You make it so tough for a girl to choose features!  If you are featured, please grab a button!

<a href="http://iamaddictedtorecipes.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w519/AddictedtoRecipes/addictedbutton.jpg" width="200" height="177" border="0" alt="I was featured, I was Featured by Addicted to Recipes"></a>

Before I get to the features, just a reminder that I will post the links on my Facebook page...and NEW THIS WEEK, I will also be pinning each featured recipe on my Pinterest board!

Here are this week's features!

Dreami Kiwi Lemonade from Baking with Blondie

Dr. Pepper BBQ Pork with Bleu Cheese Coleslaw from Living Gorgeously

Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes from DJ's Sugar Shack

And because these look just like my favourite Starbuck's treat, Oatmeal Fudge Bars from Close to Home!

Congratulatiosn everyone!
Just a reminder the Scrumptious Sunday Link Party #10 opens on Saturday evening at 8 pm PST. I am really excited to see what you bring to next week's party!

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

My Dad will be so pleased...I made squash for dinner.  Or maybe he won't be once he reads the verdict below.  I guess we'll see!  My Dad is a big squash fan...and everytime it was prepared when we were growing up, we (me, my brother, and I am pretty sure my Mom) all turned our noses.  Ewww, squash.  I painted all squash the same.  If I didn't like one, I didn't like any of them.    But then I grew up, and occasionally at a restaurant one of the vegetable sides would be a squash of some sort.  Sometimes it was spaghetti squash.  And I sometimes tried it.  And I discovered that I like it. Fast forward a few moons and I'm reading through my pile of cookbooks and I come across a recipe for "Spaghetti Squash Casserole"...hmmm...sounds promising.  I think I'll try it.  And we did...here is the recipe:

Spaghetti Squash Casserole - from Taste of Home

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.

Slice the squash in hal lengthwise; remove and discard the seeds.  Place squash cut-side down in a baking dish.  Bake for 45-60 minutes or until easily pierced.

Increase oven temperature to 375F.

Melt butter in a skillet.  Add in onion, garlic, mushrooms, herbs and seasonings.  Saute until the onion is translucent.  Add in the tomatoes and cook off most of the liquid.  Set aside.

When the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to separate into strands.  Combine the squash, tomato mixture, cottage cheese, mozzarella, parsley and crumbs.  Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake, uncovered at 375 for 40 minutes or until heated through and the top has started to brown.

VERDICT:
Wow, this was so good.  My husband's first reaction was "mmmmm" and he then proceeded to have three servings!  He even took leftovers to work and I think he shared a little there.  We gave some of the plain (baked) spaghetti squash to the baby, he wasn't a fan.  Our oldest son, well, we had to tell him that the spaghetti squash was noodles...which he found acceptable and he cleaned his plate.  My husband is already asking me to make this again!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

At one of my recent Scrumptious Sunday Link Parties, Mandy from Mandy's Recipe Box posted her Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe.  My husband loves Chinese food (I'm not a big fan) but her recipe spoke to me as one I should make as a treat for my husband. And since all the ingredients are items I normally stock in my pantry, it was easy to put together! 

Here is what I did:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (partially thawed)
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 eggs (beaten)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper, to taste

3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 325F.

Prepare two bowls for dipping - one with cornstarch and one with the beaten eggs.

Heat vegetable oil in frying pan.

Clean chicken breasts and cut into pieces. Mandy recommended cutting the chicken while still partially frozen, which did make cutting the chicken easier.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Coat chicken in cornstarch by dipping in bowl.  After cornstarch, dip into the egg mixture, coating the chicken.  Place chicken in the heated oil and cook for a few minutes (but do not cook through).

While the chicken is cooking in the pan, prepare the sweet and sour mix.  Using a whisk, mix together the sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soya sauce and garlic powder.

Once the chicken is browned, place the chicken in an 8x8 baking dish.  Coat the chicken with the sauce.  Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.

VERDICT:
Both my husband and oldest son were skeptical about what I was making for dinner.  We told our son that it was "plum sauce chicken" because he loves plum sauce and figured that would help to get him to eat it.  After their first bites, they both said "Yum!" My son said that the "Chicken was very good, Mommy" and my husband cleaned his plate!  We did both agree that we'd like to add a little more "crunch" to the chicken the next time we cook it, and as much I would like crushed almonds (but hunny is allergic) we both thought we should try adding panko to the recipe.

Roasted Broccoletti

We really enjoy broccoletti (or broccolini, depending on who you ask!) but it is one of those things that is hard to find in the grocery stores.  It seems to be one of those things that we get as a vegetable when we are fortunate enough to go out for dinner (on a kid-free dinner...meaning to a nicer restaurant).  What a surprise when then other day I came across broccoletti stocked in one of our local stores!  I scooped up a pack and was super excited to show my husband.

I decided to prepare the broccoletti similarly to how I prepare asparagus (and so many other vegetables!)...roasted in the oven.  Here is the recipe:

Broccoletti (approx 10 spears)

Olive Oil

Sea Salt (we use Epicure chili garlic sea salt)
Garlic (1 clove, minced)
Red Pepper Flakes

Preheat oven to 325F.

Wash broccoletti, trim end and cut thicker spears in half lengthwise. Lay on a foil-line baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Season with minced garlic, salt to taste and lightly season with red pepper flakes.

Roast in oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until done to your preference.  You may choose to flip the broccoletti half way through.

VERDICT:
Our oldest son was super impressed with the broccoletti.  He kept commenting about how good it was.  Great news that the 5 year old loved it!  My husband and I both also enjoyed the dish - nice, fresh tasting.  Roaseted vegetables are delicious!    

Mini Pizza Party

Hello to my friends from Okanagan4Kids!  I hope you enjoyed the article on Greening Up Your Grocery Shopping!

Now, on to the PIZZA PARTY!

Recently my oldest son hosted his first sleepover!  His cousin came over last weekend for 24 hours of playing, running, eating and sleeping.  It was a huge success, the boys both had so much fun and our son was pretty exhausted by Sunday evening!

I wanted their Saturday night/sleepover dinner to be a fun time, after all, this was my son's first hosting gig and I wanted it to be extra special.  So I figured, "Hey, what kid doesn't like pizza?"  (Actually I must admit, my brother and I both didn't like pizza when we were kids, but we soon wised up!)  Anyways, I decided that we were going to have a "MAKE YOUR OWN MINI PIZZA NIGHT" for supper, and it was a huge hit!  Here is what we did:

Ingredients:

Bakestone Brothers Multigrain Thin Bun (found at Costco)
Pizza Sauce (in the squeeze bottle = more fun!)
Olives
Red pepper
Green Pepper
Yellow Pepper
Orange Pepper
Onion
Fresh Pineapple
Mushrooms
Fresh Tomatoes
Deli Meats (pack from Costco - Hot Capicolli, Pepper Salami and Hot Salami)

Mozzarella Cheese

Process:

Heat oven to 350F.

Split a thin bun to make two pizza "crusts".  Squeeze on some pizza sauce, spread with a spoon.  Add your toppings, as many as you'd like.  Top with cheese.  Place mini pizzas onto a large cookie sheet and bake in the oven for approximately 7 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

VERDICT:
As my nephew would say, they were "deeelicious" and both boys gave the pizzas "thumbs up".  My husband and I both really enjoyed them too.  So easy to put together, lots of fresh vegetables, even a little fruit!  Lots of fun colour, and the best thing, the kids had FUN!

The mini pizzas were so popular that my boys asked that we have them for dinner the next night.  So we did.  I happened to have a mango on the counter which we added to our list of toppings, and both my husband and my son loved that addition!

If you would like to read my April article over at Okanagan4Kids, please click here! It's full of tips about greening up your grocery shopping!

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Caramelized Brussel Sprouts

Don't turn up your nose! Give this post a chance...yes, it is about brussel sprouts, and I don't know why they are so disliked :-)  A few weeks back at Scrumptious Sunday #2, The Traveling Spoon posted her recipe for Caramelized Brussel Sprouts.  The recipe caught my eye and I featured it that week.  Well I am here to tell you, I made the recipe and tried a few of her suggestions, and well, you'll have to read on for the verdict :-)

Here is the recipe that I used, based on The Traveling Spoon's eye-catching recipe:

3 slices bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 brussel sprouts, washed and cut
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Cook bacon in frying pan, set aside to cool. Drain off excess grease from frying pan (don't worry about scraping clean, I figure a little extra bacon flavour is good!)

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, warm, and add minced garlic.  Saute for 1-2 minutes.  Add in the brussel sprouts and salt.  Saute for a few minutes until starting to heat through, then add the brown sugar.  Continue to cook and the brown sugar will melt away.  Crumble the bacon and add to the pan.  Serve immediately.

VERDICT:
We are already brussel sprouts fans in our house.  But let's just say...this recipe is awesome!  There was NOTHING leftover.  Nada. Zilch. Empty serving dish!  My husband had THREE helpings, he liked the sprouts that much!  It was a WINNER!  We will be making this again...try this dish and you will become a fan of brussel sprouts!

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Salmon Cakes

Inspired by a post I saw, I decided to shake up our salmon this week.  Rather than our usual baking or BBQing, I decided to make salmon cakes. 

Here is my version of Naked Moxie's recipe:

1 lb salmon
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
2 green onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups panko
Olive oil

Bake salmon at 350F for 15-20 minutes, or until done.  Cool for 10 minutes.

While salmon is baking, dice vegetables.

Flake salmon into a large bowl.  Add in the red pepper, yellow pepper, green onions, garlic, spices, dijon, eggs and panko.  Mix well.  Use your hands!

Form patties from the salmon mixture, approximately 8 (depending on the size you prefer).

In a skillet, heat some olive oil.

Place salmon cakes into the heated olive oil and cook until browned on both sides.

This would pair well with a salad, and we had ours with quinoa.

VERDICT:
My husband and I both enjoyed the salmon, it was a nice change to our usual!  I particularly enjoyed the fresh veggies inside the cakes, added nice crunch and colour.  Our son stuck his nose up at the dinner, more because he was tired than anything because once he tried the salmon, he also liked it.  In fact...I'm going to go eat the leftovers now!


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Savoury Fish

Today's post is straying from my original resolution about trying new recipes...but it's for a very good reason!  This month we will help my parents celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.  40 years...that is just awesome!  Such an inspiration!

In honour of their anniversary, I asked my Mom to share with me one of her tried and true recipes...one of the ones that has been around for the long haul.  She had a few suggestions, two of which had also come to my mind when I first thought about writing this post.  Her final choice was Savoury Fish.  She has prepared this dish for us forever.  I can remember having it when my brother and I were kids, and there would never be leftovers.  Now that I'm all grown up and married and have my own family, I make this dish for my crew...and still there are never any leftovers.  My husband and oldest son love it that much! (the baby is too young to have it yet) It's funny that my Mom would think of sharing this recipe as I just recently shared this recipe with both of my sisters-in-law...here's hoping that they and their families enjoy it too!

It is a super easy dish to prepare, great for after work when you might be in a rush.  Lots of colour to the dish too, which is nice!

I do make mine slightly different than my Mom (she steams the broccoli first, I don't).  Here is the recipe:

1 pound fish fillets (cod, sole, halibut)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Broccoli

1/8 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

¼ cup white wine (optional)

½ cup grated cheese (we tend to use more, we like melted cheese!)

Place fish in shallow baking dish.  Season with salt and pepper.  Arrange broccoli around fish and sprinkle with onions and tomatoes. Cover with mixture of soup and wine. Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake at 450F for 25 minutes.  Serve with rice or pasta.

VERDICT:

We do love this dish.  We have it every few weeks, and never get bored of it!

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Kung Pao Pork

When it rains, it pours.  I've been reading so many old and new recipes lately that I'm getting quite the stockpile of new ones to try.  I'm *almost* getting worried that when I go back to work I won't have the time to be cooking all these recipes.  I guess I covered my bases when I made my resolution to try ONE new recipe a week, and on those weeks that I am able to try more, I will be blogging more.  Plus I'm pretty organized, so I'm hopeful that I'll continue with multiple blog entries each week!

Last night it was time to try Kung Pao Pork.  We love stir fry and trying variations of stir fry...and this one caught my eye.  I've adapted it to suit our taste. 

Here is the recipe:

1 pound pork (I used pork loin), cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 cloves garlic, minced (separated)

1 cup chicken broth (I used organic)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

½ cup fennel, thinly sliced

1 medium red pepper, seeded, cut into thin strips

Snow peas

Broccoli, chopped

In a small bowl, make marinade by whisking together soy sauce, fresh ginger, cornstarch, 1 clove of the garlic and the chicken broth.  Add the sliced pork to the marinade, toss to coat.  Marinate for 1 hour in the fridge, stir occasionally.

Over medium-high heat, warm the oil in a large saucepan.  Add onion, pepper and fennel; cook, stirring constantly, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add remaining 1 clove of garlic and cook, stirring often, another minute.

Add broccoli and snow peas to the saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, approximately 4-5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and pour pork and marinade into skillet and cook, stirring often, until pork is no longer pink and sauce is warmed through and thickened, approximately 7-8 minutes.

VERDICT:

LOVE LOVE LOVE. This was delicious! We served the dish over fried rice noodles, which was a nice change from our usual rice.  From the first bite we were all in love.  The pork was soooooo tender, it nearly melted in our mouths.  The flavour was awesome, and my husband said right from the start that there wouldn't be any leftovers.  We liked it THAT much!  His only complaint was that there should be more broccoli (he loves broccoli).  That's an easy addition! I might throw some cashews into the mix next time, just to give it a try, but really, we enjoyed the meal just as it was!

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