What in the World Has Penne Been Up To?

Wow, it’s been a few months since I last wrote a blog post – shame on me!  I am going to plead extreme busyness (wow, that IS a word…) over the summer both professionally and personally.  Obviously, summer is the craziest time of year for us at DQ Canada and with our annual Miracle Treat Day fundraiser and a Guinness World Records event in Calgary for world’s largestfruit sculpture, I barely had time to catch my breath and do the regular stuff.   

In my home life, we kept super busy this summer with day trips to places like Port Dover on Lake Erie and African Lion Safari for O's 2nd birthday. We mostly stayed local and enjoyed lounging in our back yard on warm summer days.   Jason and I also went on a one-night getaway to Fergus and Elora where we hiked, ate, drank and rode our bikes.  If you've never been to this little gem in Ontario, you must check it out! 

World's Largest Fruit Sculpture.  3.06 meters tall!

Brew House on the Grand, Fergus, ON

In the kitchen, I’ve been up to my usual antics.  I continue to meal plan religiously and try a couple of new recipes every week.  Boy, I love to cook.  Like, really, really love it.  Had I known this 20 (OMG) years ago, perhaps I would have went to culinary school.  Although, given that I am the furthest thing from a night owl there is, I probably would have had to specialize in breakfast.   And, given that I am not a fan of breakfast (eggs – no thanks, waffles – yuck, pancakes – oh no) I just don’t see it working out for me as a chef.  But I digress….

Here’s something super cool that I’ve been doing in the kitchen though!  It’s no secret that I love Chatelaine magazine and its recipes, so when I saw that I could apply to be a home recipe tester I filled out those forms at lightning speed.  And, guess who was chosen to be a tester?  Yes, that’s right – ME!  I have now tested recipes for both the November and December issues of the magazine.   I’m sworn to secrecy on those recipes until they are in print, but I will tell you this – the ones I tested were delicious, fast and easy, true to Chatelaine form.  I could potentially be quoted in the mags when the recipes are printed, so I’ll let you know if I’m now a famous home-recipe-tester when they show up in my mailbox. 

I’ve cooked several super delicious meals lately and I don’t have time to elaborate on all, but I will tell you about one from last weekend.  This. Chicken. Is. Unbelievable.

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Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Reduction

 

The original recipe is from this blog and I followed it pretty much to the letter.  I did buy one of those mozzarella balls which I think is much better than the brick mozzarella, although more expensive.  Fresh basil leaves are essential and I used Roma tomatoes as they tend to be less juicy and more firm.  One thing I did that the recipe did not call for was to marinate the chicken.  I threw it in a bowl with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, S and P and garlic powder for a few hours before BBQ-ing it.  I think it was a nice touch and added more flavour. 

On the side we had grilled asparagus and a very rich and delicious (read: full of butter, cheese and calories) Parmesan and garlic farfalle pasta.   It was a great meal shared with wonderful friends that I will most definitely make again.  

September always feels like the time for new beginnings for me, so I am going to make a concerted effort to blog at least once a week.  Mark my words!  

 

Chatelaine Magazine is my Go-To Resource for Easy Weeknight Meals

Meal planning is a top priority for me and makes life so much easier on busy weeknights.  While I love to experiment and try new recipes, I also like to ensure that what I choose to cook for my family has familiar ingredients and can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.

Time and again the recipes I try from Chatelaine magazine are winners on all counts: quick, easy, familiar ingredients and, most importantly, delicious. The food editor of this Canadian icon has really got it right by providing fantastic recipes and meal ideas.

I’ve been known to rip out recipe pages from Chatelaine at the doctor’s office (shhhh, don’t tell!) but absolutely love the online food and recipe section of their website.  With features like meal plans, grocery lists and 30-minute meals the site makes it easy to find what you’re looking for and help you to plan ahead. 

Screenshot from Chatelaine.com

Here are some of my favourites, with my notes, that have become regulars in our dinner rotation.  Click on the titles to be redirected to the recipes.

Pork and Pepper Stroganoff
So fast, so easy, so tasty.  I omit the jalapeno (for my toddler’s sake) and serve it over egg noodles. 

Hong Kong Chicken Curry 
A great recipe to use up carrots and potatoes.  Adjust the spice to your taste.  I double it!   The recipe calls for chicken thighs, but boneless, skinless breasts would work too.

Spicy Garlic Noodles with Pork 

This is the most requested meal in my house.  Extremely fast to prepare and full of flavour, I serve it over rice stick noodles (which cook in 3 minutes!) instead of pasta.  

Singapore Noodles 

I’ve added broccoli to this one too, and I always omit the shrimp (personal preference).  I add extra curry powder too.  We like curry, in case you couldn’t tell…

Chunky Chipotle Pork Chili

This is a nice alternative to the usual ground meat chili.  I have used canned chipotle chilis in adobo sauce.  Be careful though, they are spicy!

Juicy Pork Souvlaki

Juicy and tasty, indeed.  Serve it with some roasted potatoes, homemade tzatziki sauce (SUPER easy to make) and a green veggie.  A simple but flavourful dinner.

If you’re looking for inspiration for dinner (or any meal, really) make sure you stop by Chatelaine.com or pick up this month’s issue.  You won’t be disappointed!

Our Menu: Week of January 28 to February 3

I only have five meals this week since a couple of days sort of fell apart when we started sleep training with O.  Here they are!

Chicken Parmesan
There’s nothing fancy about this one!  I use jarred or canned pasta sauce (I really like Hunt’s Thick and Rich 4 cheese, although there’s nothing low calorie about it) and sometimes we have a bagged Caesar salad with it or a steamed vegetable.  I coat the boneless, skinless chicken breasts in breadcrumbs that I season with S&P, garlic powder and oregano and bake it on a parchment-lined baking pan.  When the chicken is cooked, I spoon some sauce over each piece and grate some fresh parmesan cheese on top then broil for a few minutes to melt the cheese.  Served with brown rice pasta (spaghetti, penne, whichever you like). 

Tacos
Easy-peasy!  I always use ground chicken (I don’t eat beef) and sometimes buy a taco kit.  Occasionally I make my own taco seasoning using this recipe and now that I’m gluten-free I buy corn tortillas.  Shredded cheese, lettuce, sour cream, salsa and diced tomatoes for toppings.  Served with a salad and/or a steamed vegetable.

Jen’s “Jambalaya”
Traditional jambalaya has shrimp and smoked sausage, but I don’t like either, so I use mild Italian sausage (a package of 5 or 6) and 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Here’s how I make it:

Cook the sausages (whole) in a big skillet (I use a wok-like deep frying pan).  When they are almost cooked, I cut up the chicken breasts into large bite size pieces and add them to the skillet.  Once the sausages are cooked, take them out and slice them into 1 inch pieces and put them back in the skillet.  Add in two chopped peppers, three stalks of chopped celery, and one chopped onion.  Occasionally I add mushrooms if I have extras on hand.  Saute this all together till the chicken is cooked.  Sprinkle in 1-2 tbsp of dried thyme (depending on how much you like thyme) and a PINCH of cayenne pepper.  Add a can of diced tomatoes, plus half a can of water.  Add 1.5 cups of uncooked rice.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.  This really is a complete one-dish meal but we also have a salad with it.

Coq au Vin
Jack Tripper’s specialty!  I loved Three’s Company.  RIP John Ritter. 
I have made this one twice, once in the crock pot using boneless, skinless chicken thighs and once on the stove top in a large pot using skinless bone-in chicken thighs. I actually preferred it on the stove top with the bone-in thighs.  I let it cook for about 2.5 hours on the stove top which was plenty of time. The chicken all fell apart in the crock when I did it that way.  I skipped the fresh tarragon too.  This is not a throw-it-in-the-crockpot-before-work kind of recipe.  It does take some preparation and pre-cooking, so I save this one for the weekend.  It is good over rice and I have tried it over rice stick noodles which was nice too.  Click HERE for the recipe. 

BBQ Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot
This is the second time I’ve attempted BBQ pulled pork using different recipes and I just can’t get it right.  There just seems to be way too much BBQ sauce and it comes out super sweet.  We did eat it though, with rice and steamed broccoli and a salad.  Here’s the recipe I used, but I wouldn’t make this particular one again.

Salad
I mention that we have salad often, and thought I should comment on that.  I hate, hate, hate making salad, especially when it means washing lettuce!  The only way we are sure to have salad regularly is to buy pre-washed mixed salad greens.  Throw in a few cherry tomatoes, a sprinkle of sunflower seeds, maybe some cucumber and a crumble of blue cheese and you have an amazing salad!  I also make all my own dressings, which are much better than store-bought.  Salad dressing is simple to make.  A basic vinaigrette is olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and sugar.  Just mix it up to your taste!

Bon Appetit! 

Skinny and Tasty!

My absolute new favourite recipe site is www.skinnytaste.com. I am not kidding, I can, and have, spent hours browsing the recipes and looking at the fabulous photos that Gina, the site’s creator, posts of everything she cooks.

The premise of Skinnytaste.com is that Gina has “made over” recipes to be “skinnier” – less fat, less calories, etc. And I tell you, she has succeeded! You can find everything from soups to desserts and everything in between. Gina will also take requests from fans to make over their favourite recipes and she experiments till she gets it right.

I have made several of her recipes and have never been disappointed. Here are some of my favourites and my comments.

Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese
I had never made my own mac and cheese before trying this recipe but I have made this three or four times and it is amazing. I think the really good 4-year-old aged cheddar we buy from the Farmer’s Market makes a difference. Make it gluten free by using gluten free flour, brown rice pasta and omitting the bread crumbs or using gluten free ones instead.


Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries
A fan of oatmeal I am not! But this, well, this could turn anyone onto oatmeal. It’s almost like a breakfast cake it is so good but there is no sugar and no flour. Agave, bananas and blueberries add sweetness and milk and eggs hold it together. It makes a great breakfast and although oats can have a bit of gluten (due to cross-contamination in processing), it is essentially gluten free.


Chicken and Mushrooms in a Garlic White Wine Sauce
Serve this to your guests and they’ll think you are a gourmet chef! They don’t have to know how easy and quick it was to make. I’ve made this one twice and boy is it good. Serve it with some roasted cauliflower and a salad and you have a fantastic meal.

Sicilian Rice Ball Casserole
This is a casserole version of those delicious Italian rice balls that you may have been fortunate to try (my sister’s mother-in-law, Rosa, makes amazing ones). This is a really hearty, filling dish that needs only a salad to make it a complete meal. I did not make my own tomato sauce for this recipe (although I do on occasion), I used a can of ‘tomato sauce’. Next time I would use a marinara-type pasta sauce.

Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Chili
My mother-in-law, Linda, gave me some pumpkin puree (she actually purees the jack-o-lantern after Halloween – who knew it had another use!?) so I went in search of pumpkin recipes. This recipe did not disappoint and is quite different than what you may traditionally know as chili. I probably quadrupled (or more) the spices (cumin, chili powder, oregano) the second time I made this as I found it not to be spicy enough for my taste (and by that I don’t mean hot).

As I said, I’ve made several more recipes and I will continue to try even more from this site. I have never been disappointed and they are all fairly easy and use ingredients that I typically buy (two of my criteria when trying a new recipe). If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to a favourite dish, have a search on skinnytaste.com… you’ll probably find what you’re looking for!