recipe re-do: quinoa - a passing fad?

fads are everywhere. home. fashion. and yes - even food.
who could forget the great "make your own baby food" fad....wait that still around.
and the "farm to table " fad...hang on that's kicking around too.

well maybe there is something to say about fads.

the latest, i find, is about ancient grains. embracing grains other than the cherished rice and couscous {yet another "fad" that stuck.}

so i decided to stick my neck out and inquire - what's so great about quinoa? why is everyone head over heels for it? i put this question out on facebook - bluntly asking if i was in fact that last person around to try the stuff. the answer was a resounding YES!

i was trolling the aisles of costco the following day and found what i thought was a years supply of the famous grain {i have since come to realize it is a month's worth.} and gave it a try.

the first time i made it it was okay. just okay. i boiled it to the package directions and served it along side chicken. okay. i do see the appeal and it's a good sub for rice because it states it has protein and is good for you. tony asked if it was good for him, i told him yes and then he replied with, "okay if it's good for me i will get it down." shinning endorsement right there.

i decided to take a step back and re-examine my approach. i was schooled in getting coop to eat steamed broccoli by a friend of mine earlier that week - he ate hers, not mine - and the one thing she did different was seasoning. so i made the quinoa like how i make my fancy rice - chicken stock and onions. bingo.

new staple.

two saturdays ago i was enjoying my morning coffee and checking our rachel ray's new show about cooking one day for five. usually not my thing and she tends to do things to high fat for me but it caught my attention because she was talking about grains. then she was talking about obesity and getting out of the rut. i was listening. then she made what looked like the best hot salad i think i would ever put in my mouth.

i was right.

i decided at the end of the day to use her "recipe" as a base and go from there. all i knew of it was what i saw and could remember. it started with making the grain, then in another pan sauteeing together red onion, rasped garlic and lemon zest. instantly i was hooked. she had some other fancy things in there i did not have. i purposely went and got kale - a new favorite - and yes i did splerg on the mushrooms but didn't use as many as her at all. did i need to spend $5 on 6 shiitake shrooms? hmm - maybe not. would portabello's have been a good choice? probably. was it lacking in flavour because i have only the cremini and shiitake mushrooms and not the hen of the woods variety as well? well you be the judge.

seriously - i want to know how much you love it.
cause i know you are going to.

jen's fancy quinoa

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 a medium onion, diced
i cup un-cooked quinoa
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
freshly ground pepper

add your olive oil to a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. add your onions. grind some pepper on them {you always want to season!} and sautee till translucent about 3 to 4 mins. add your quinoa and toss around with the onions while sauteeing them a little. then add your broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and steam for about 15 mins {according to your package}, let sit fo 5 mins then fluff with a fork and devour!!

hot mushroom and quinoa salad
did you know that you have to strip the kale leaves from the stalks before preparing? i did not. 
thank you rachael for that. 

one recipe of Jen's fancy quinoa {above}
1 and a half pounds mixed mushrooms
1/3 cup ev olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or i like to use a microplane right over the pan
1/2 red onion diced
zest of one lemon
one bunch of kale, stripped and coarsely chopped
kosher salt and pepper
the juice of half the lemon you zested
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted


first things first, get those mushrooms in the oven! preheat it to 450 degrees and spread your mushrooms out on a sheet pan. drizzle with about 1/4 cup of the olive oil, sprinkle with the thyme and toss it together to coat.  grate some pepper over top and pop it in your heated oven. they usually take about 20 minutes to get all roasted and earthy.

meanwhile, after you made your quinoa, heat a deep skillet over medium low heat. add the remaining olive oil and once it's a little hot add your onions. get them nice and translucent then add your garlic {i grate mine right over} and zest your lemon right into the pan. heat this slowly on the stove {don't burn the garlic!} and just for a moment lose yourself in the aroma......okay snap out of it!
add your kale to the pan and let it wilt over top. season with some salt and pepper. once wilted remove from heat and fold in your quinoa. set aside.

toast the nuts in a small skillet till brown and fragrant.

once the mushrooms are done you are ready to assemble. first place your quinoa mixture into your serving dish, squeeze your half lemon over top, next spoon on your roasted mushrooms and, last but not least, top with your toasted almonds. voila!

this can be eated hot, room temperature or even the next day straight out of the fridge!

fall is the time for food. {pumpkin spice waffles.}

there is something about the change in this season.
from summer to fall.
the crisp air.
the wind.
the shorter days.
all it makes me want to do is eat. all i want to do is create rich foods such as chicken & barley soup {last night's dinner.}, explore the many forms & flavours of grilled cheese and load ourselves up with hearty knock-you-back-to-sleep breakfasts.

i always find a recipe starts from somewhere and this one starts with a pumpkin spice latte.
no wait...lets back up a few years...this one starts with a little girl who would eat no fruits or vegetables but who was gaga for mom's pumpkin muffins.
yes, i think that's a great place to start.

so there is a little girl who refuses all such wonderful things such as fruits and vegetables and her parents worried for her. so her mother {played by me} thought and thought about how to get these foods into without her knowing - in the meantime she was also wondering how this happened since her mother had taken the time, in her early years, to make all the little girls baby food from scratch and the little girl did enjoy all these foods once upon a time. what had happened here?  
let's not get distracted, jennifer, that's another post for another time. 

it had never occurred to her mother to create such a thing as a pumpkin waffle - the girl loved her mother's waffles and she loved pumpkin muffins.....maybe, just maybe this would be a hit. maybe this was a sneaky way to get something, other than purple apple sauce, into her little girl thought her mother.

it worked.
they are her favorite.
and that makes her mother smile from ear to ear.

pumpkin spice waffles.
i added raspberries on top of mine this weekend for the first time and i don't think i could ever not do that again. over the top!

1 3/4 cups of milk {any kind - soy works too.}
1 cup of pumpkin puree {not pumpkin pie filling.}
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract 
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups whole wheat flour {you can use regular but whole wheat is better!}
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 1/2  teaspoons of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of all-spice
1 teaspoon of salt

Combine milk, pumpkin, oil, vanilla and eggs in a mixing bowl.
Whisk till smooth.
In another bowl {or i sometimes just layer it on top of my wet mix} add the remaining ingredients and combine.
Add the liquid mix to the dry and whisk together till smooth. your batter will be quite thick.
let sit for 5 minutes.
Preheat your waffle maker. Once your maker is ready to go pour the batter on and enjoy!

don't forget the maple syrup!!!
makes approx. 24 square waffles.

ps: your house will smell divine - like you are swimming in a pumpkin pie!

my new favorite pizza.

you know jenny from dinner: a love story? the lady who makes making dinner for her family seem effortless? {which i know that if she read this would roll her eyes right now.} she professes many a time that she is not the GURU we are all making her out to be but simply a mom trying to feed her family and enjoy their company at the same time.

something i think we all aspire to do ourselves.

for my birthday i was fortunate to get her book which i then preceded to devour page by page like it was a novel, not a cookbook. but it really is a novel but also a cookbook. maybe more of a biography....i guess what i am trying to say is that it's relateble.
yes...that's the word.
completely relateble.{is that even a word?...hmm...}

she shares her family experiences with her recipes woven through them that makes you want to make that one thing then and there.

when i hit the pizza section i knew i was going to try them all. i never knew, though, that i was going to stop at one and make that one over and over - changing it slightly as i go. it's so delicious that i can proudly say it's my new favorite. a hawaiian lover right to the ground since forever, my tastes have evolved over the years slightly to accommodate others but now...never having another slice - other than this one - suits me just fine.
this, coming from a former cooked mushroom hater, is a pretty big endorsement.

just sayin'.

my new favorite pizza
now this is a hybrid of my wants and jenny's original recipe. i'm not going to tell you which is which though...you have to buy the book and figure that one out yourself. ;)

one recipe whole wheat pizza dough
1 cup of your favorite tomato sauce {optional}
4 tablespoons of olive oil plus more for brushing
1 medium onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, halved and sliced
leaves from two sprigs of fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
a good pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 8 ounce ball of fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced or at least 2 cups of freshly grated mozzarella {i like a little more} - not from a bag please!!! it really doesn't take too much time to shred your own!
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 to 2 cups chopped ham {optional}
chopped bacon {optional}

preheat oven to 425 degrees.

brush your pan with a tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. now start stretching your dough. this will take a little bit. just keep working it out slowly and you will be amazed that it will fill the pan.

in a medium bowl, toss together the onion, mushrooms, thyme, pepper flakes, nutmeg, and salt and pepper with the remaining oil.

top the dough with either: the tomato sauce or a brushing of olive oil - depending on your mood and what you have on hand. top this with your cheese, covering as much of the surface as possible. top with the ham and/or bacon, if using {i do this sometimes and if i don't have any meat or leftover bacon on hand i will make it without - just as amazing!} brush your outer exposed crust with olive oil, stolen from the bottom of the pan, to achieve a beautiful golden crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is bubbling and golden.

Add parmesan cheese just after it comes out, just before serving.
enjoy with your favorite movie and an ice cold beer.
perfect friday night.


{above is the non-tomato sauce version.}

creating amazing leftovers. {beef dip.}

i envy someone who has that magic touch with a roast. i get beyond confused, convoluted and then the only thing redeemable about the dinner are the side dishes and the gravy.
i am hopeless.

i made a great roast once but then lost the magazine with the recipe - instructions is more like it - and couldn't find it anywhere in print or cyber space.
i was counseled many a time on this and told all the secrets: push slivers of garlic into the roast {still haven't got that right} mixture of x, y, and z on the outside, sear, don't sear. it just never turned out right.
except for that one time.....well we can't dwell on that.

but i am not one to back down from a challenge.

there was a great sale on prime rib at the local METRO and i went for it. i couldn't not! it's like when you can't leave the store without those pants that didn't quite fit you right but they were 70% off and if you were just to lose a little weight maybe they would look great and you can't pass up a deal like this! that's how i am with a sale on food. that's why we have three freezers full plus i made half of the downstairs bathroom into a pantry. that's why i have banned myself from buying more than fresh and the everyday items we have run out of. WE HAVE TO DEPLETE OUR RESERVES!!! wait...what was i talking about again?

ah yes....the trouble with roasts.

so here i am facing this amazing little roast and my pulse quickens and my heart says yes. yes get it. you can do it.

so with a little help from martha i was able to get a pretty spectacular roast on the table.
it was a proud moment. and with that i got my roast recipe and it's perfect. check!
and...aydan ate some!!!! we had a talk with her and convinced her that all roast was was a hamburger before it was ground up and made into a hamburger. with a side of ketchup she reluctantly tried some - i think just to get us off her backs and then i think she had another plan in mind - but little did SHE know that she would actually like it, let a smile cross her lips, mutter yum and gobble it all up.
new dinner for the WHOLE family to eat.
a mom-makes-one-dinner-only night - double check!

i also did martha's humongous yorkshire recipe - now that was a sight to behold! - and of course the sauce made just as the recipe states.
**next time i am going to reduce the salt by half for the roast and also make the yorkshires in a muffin tin straight after the roast comes out but i will talk to you about that later.

but it was what i did the day after that had us all talking.
it was what i did the day after that made me wished i had made two roasts.

i had a recipe in mind, forgot half of it at the store, so i winged.
so happy with it. and one i can call all mine.
may be my new favorite!

juicy beef dip.
leftover sliced roast beef.
one cibatta bun per person
horseradish {optional}
one small can of consume
1/3 cup of leftover roast gravy {from martha's recipe.}

pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
slice your buns, spread with horseradish on one side if using, and lay your desired amount of beef inside {photo above is not just for your eyes only - that was my size}. make all your sandwiches, place them in a casserole dish - you want them in there snug but not squished so use what size you think necessary - cover tightly with foil and bake for about 20 minutes.
meanwhile make your dip. pour together your can of consume and your reserved roast gravy. bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for about 2 minutes to really get the flavours together.
after 20 minutes remove dish from oven and check on your buns. you want them to be soft but a little toasty and hot. if you are satisfied take them out - if not, put them back in for 5 minute increments till the desired effect it reached.
pour dip into small bowls, place on plates, add sandwiches and enjoy!

two new dinners this week.

so i keeping with the these of my goal list - side note: i have actually liked this project! i have referenced the list many a time when i find a moment and re-focus on the tasks i have laid out..although we are tackling a task that was marked down for next month but oh well, starting off february with a red line through something will be good for moral! and today i am doing number 4 on the list so that is refreshing!

anyways, one of our goals was to try two new dinners a week. i have been noticing a trend on this in the last couple of weeks. dinner:a love story conducted her own experiment - 7 new dinners over 14 days - and donuts, dresses and dirt are starting a mealtime bootcamp.
this here is my contribution.

last week we were successful in trying two new dinners and this week we did not fall short.

i made a crock pot chicken teriyaki and tonight we are having stromboli. also we had a new-ingredient-to-us side dish of soba noodles. i was hoping to share the recipe on that one with you but the recipe site i had pinned was momentarily down, so...no recipe. i ended up just sauteing the cooked noodles with green onion and thinly shaved celery with dashes of soy sauce and rice vinegar. sesame oil would have been brilliant drizzled over top but we were out. bummer. i paired it with our asian pork - perfect match.

two out of four enjoyed the chicken - i thought maybe it was a bit salty and i would have liked the sauce to be thicker but tony loved it and cooper said he did like it he just wasn't in the mood for it, aydan no way. tonight as it is friday and we all know what that means..PIZZA NIGHT!!...i am going to put a twist on mine and tony's a whip up a stromboli. cooper might have some of ours - who knows, he is a funny egg sometimes that one. i tried to convince aydan to let me do it to her cheese one but she said no thanks. maybe if this turns out well i will just do it for her next week...shhh!!!

so there you go - another week, another two dinners. for sunday i am going to do a twist on chicken and stuffing via everyday food. it's not really a "new" dinner to us but...it's a new cooking method.
would that count? hhmmm.....

did you do any new dinners this week? i would love to hear.
happy cooking!


picture #1 via lake lure cottage kitchen, picture #2 via dinner: a love story

the best patty.

today was just a burger making kind of day.


best burger base patty.
this is the perfect patty for a classic burger or one with unique toppings. nothing fancy in here just perfect seasoning that's satisfies the craving or complements the accompaniments. does it's job perfectly. add extra's if you want...the worlds your oyster. except i might stop at oysters...i don't know if i would go that far....

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup panko crumbs
1 egg
6 dashes of worcester sauce
a scant 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
6 grinds of pepper.

add all the ingredients together in a bowl. smoosh together then form your patties as big or small as you would like. barbeque - top rack, pan fry - medium-high with a little olive oil in the pan to start or bake - 425, lower rack, 20 minutes. just make sure they are well done - at least 115 degrees inside.
enjoy!

or you can be like me and blow through 4 pounds of meat making pre-made patties for the freezer while watching the hunger games. stacked them two across with wax paper between the rows and place into ziplock bags...makes weeknight last minute burger dinners so much easier!!!

:)

meal planning, goal #7 or the week the heavens decided to shine down on us.

so as in every week with this life of mine meal planning is huge part.
i make a list at some point before i do the weekend shop and make sure that those ingredients are in there somewhere as to not exude stress on myself for completing said meals to the hungry hippos that nip at my feet nightly.
in theory this is a great idea.
i am ALWAYS stressed out at dinner time. always.

the main reason for this...living with a picky dinner and the fact that i would like to eat something more complex than mac and cheese. the fact there is two to sometimes three different dinners happening nightly doesn't help. or when the question, upon inspecting the ingredients laid out, "what i am I having for dinner?" is posed...nails on a chalkboard for me. this is why i am stressed out.
wouldn't you be?
this has to stop - now!

this also ties in with goal #7 - make 2 new-to-us dinners each week.

as a lover of cooking, baking and all things extraordinary to do with food, this goal is one of my favorites. but also my scariest. i sat down, scanned the internet and books and found two i wanted to try. they seemed simple enough and maybe just maybe 3 out of four would agree. and maybe, just maybe, four out of four. wouldn't that be nice.
now i understand this is not going to happen overnight and rome was not built in a day but we can't carry on like this. we just can't. i can't.

so the task was to find something that could be tweeked for grownups and maybe i just have to make one extra elements for kids but the fact is WE WOULD ALL HAVE THE SAME DINNER.
down on paper this sure looked good...would it work in real life though?

over the christmas break we made some major headway in this department that i was confident we might have a breakthrough pretty soon. that we were headed down a new road. that there was light at the end of the tunnel that sometimes resembles something straight out of the hunger games. although no vegetable or fruit was consumed {other than motts purple apple sauce and pumpkin muffins}; spaghetti with tomato sauce was given the thumbs up, ham dinner was enjoyed with yummy sounds and prime rib {recipe soon!} was devoured - of course after being convinced & finally believing us that this was just a hamburger in it's original state.
this was caused for celebration and we actually did high five and yell yahoo. this was AMAZING!

but it doesn't stop there.
this is were is gets exciting.

this week i went for it and added two new dinners. one for everyone and...IT WAS A HIT!!!!! chicken parmesan! from scratch! not chicken strips out of a box!!!! yummy sounds were heard and the plate was cleared - linguini with tomato sauce and all. and it was asked for again!!!
i wanted to start crying. i was loaded down with "this is the best ever!" and "wow this is so yummy." i did seriously take a moment and almost shed a tear - my heart was bursting.

the second dinner was enjoyed by three out of four critics and thankfully i had some chicken leftover from the other night for the fourth judge. it was jamie oliver's one-tray bake - chicken + bread + some veg. a strange host of ingredients which went together perfectly and again reminded us as to why he has such a dynasty. this was gobbled up and voted to be kept into rotation. two hits in one week. and one with the picky girl that i live with.

to me this spells success.
walls are coming down people. doors are being opened.
i feel like singing loud for all to hear a whole new world from Aladdin. that's how monumental this is.
this deserved a pat on the back. and i gave myself one.

you can find the recipe for chicken parmesan here. i coated the chicken with the olive oil option and used seasoned italian bread crumbs - i couldn't find whole wheat and was lazy & didn't want to make any.
jamie oliver's chicken can be found here. my one tip with this is that i would have cooked the chicken for at least twenty minutes more at this temp OR raised the temp to 400 for the allotted time. we like our chicken cooked just a little bit more.

these, plus more delicious recipes we enjoy, can be found here and here.

thanks for stopping by! xo

photo one - me. photo #2 -jamie oliver magazine. photo #3 - skinny taste.

greek with envy.

raise your hand if you have one recipe that seems to completely evade you and a friend who whips it up perfect every time.
.
.
.
oh i forgot you can't see me...i am raising my hand.

you see i have this friend who i used to gaze at through rose coloured glasses {i haven't seen her for awhile so i don't know what the colour would be now...probably still rose...} and for the most part she could do no wrong. especially when it came to making greek salad. she was a natural. a blooming chef! i always got excited when the trip over to her place included standing over a bowl of greek salad in the kitchen and catching up...oh you didn't realize when we were "getting dinner almost finished" that's what we were doing? huh, bummer.

anyways...she made it so awesome! and no matter how many times i tried to join together oil, vinegar, oregano and garlic...the failure was epic. epic i tell you. and then i felt so worthless and tiny. why couldn't i do it? why couldn't i make a greek salad worthy of a dinner party??? why??!!! what skill was i missing?

you know what i NEVER did? not once and i realized that was my first mistake....
I NEVER READ A RECIPE ON IT!!! oh my goodness.

so i read a bunch of recipes, changed a few things up - cause that's what i do {my husband doesn't call me sally under his breath for nothing...} - et voila! perfect greek salad.
phew - i'm glad that's taken care of. check!

then i went ahead and added pasta and roasted prawns....just cause, you know, it had to be done.
c'mon - you knew that!

jen's perfect greek salad with pasta and roasted prawns.
one of the first times i served this i got an "you MADE this dressing??!!" out of my sister-in-law, i think that says it all right there.

salad:
2 pints cheery or grape tomatoes - sliced in half.
2 red peppers, cut into chunks.
2 yellow peppers, cut into chunks.
1 long english cucumber cut in half lengthwise and the seeds scraped out and then sliced in 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices.
1/2 red onion, sliced thin they quartered.
1 cup of kalamata olives, preferably pitted but don't have to be.
cubed feta cheese - as much as you want!

pasta - optional - i use the rotini but you could use any shape you want - farfalle, penne, ??? i can't remember all the names! ha! i usually make about a pound of dry then add as much or as little as i want when it's all cooked.

dressing:
3 cloves or garlic, minced - i like a lot of garlic, you can tame it back to two cloves but i found one is definitely not enough.
1 tsp of dijon mustard
1 tsp of dry oregano - smoosh it in your hands on it's way to the bowl to help release it's oil and flavours.
1/2 tsp of kosher salt.
start with 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper - go from there. i use about 12 grinds.
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

roasted prawns:
1/2 to one pound of prawns - or really as much as you like! but you want to make sure they lay in one layer in the pan so you may have to do two batches.
olive oil
minced garlic
chopped parsley - if you have it! no big deal if you don't.
pepper
salt {optional}
cast iron skillet.

here we go:
first stack your salad. start with one vegetable and work your way through adding the feta last to your dish. now make your dressing: add the garlic, mustard and oregano to your bowl. add in your vinegar then slowly, while whisking, add you olive oil - this is called emulsifying. pretty fancy eh? yeah i know some stuff. add your salt and pepper, wait a few minutes, dip a piece of lettuce or pepper or cucumber in there to taste it - that's a good tip i picked up - and re-season if you have to.

now add this to your salad, toss and chill for about one hour before serving so the flavors come together.
now make your pasta. i use the rotini usually. cook it according to the box instructions. cool it to just warm - not hot! it will take all your dressing then - and add it to your salad while it's in the chilling stage or really whenever, but for best results you just want to make sure your pasta is a little warm and not completely cold...but it can be cold if life works out that way.

now for the prawns - this is to be done while plating. they get tossed right on top of the salad on the plate/bowl.
shell your prawns and place them in a bowl. top them generously with olive oil, minced garlic, chopped parsley and salt and pepper. toss together and let sit.
turn you oven to 400 degrees. spray your pan with pam and once it's heated place your pan inside for 10 minutes. after 10 minutes remove from oven and add your prawns to pan- making sure they are in one layer on the pan - place pan back in oven and bake for 5 minutes. remove and spoon prawns directly on to salads.
and don't forget: take all the praise! you made this...you deserve it.

;)

it's all about the sear.

let's talk shortcuts. for the most part i am all for them. gets you to your final destination faster. quicker. or sometimes, mainly in my case.....just on time. in this world we live in - well in my world - the minutes seem to be melting by way to fast and i am too busy catching the drips and finding more time than just enjoying the hours in which we live. i have always been this way. i have yet to grasp the concept of just how long 5 minutes really is and how long it actually takes to get somewhere. and to do something? i find myself saying "this will only take me 20 minutes" when i can get lost in it for 2 hours and really have no idea {this project has actually been monopolizing most of my week}. i've had fabric out for a week for pillows i want to sew, thinking i could just whip them off...forgetting how time consuming it actually is.
i am helpless this way.

the only place i have any concept of time {sort of} is in the kitchen. i understand how many steps some things to take and that short cuts are not always the answer to it all. that baking is a measured out science. and that carefully drying off every chunk of meat before tossing it in the flour/thyme/garlic mix and THEN searing them off - carefully and in batches as to not crowd the meat - creates a delicious stew. every time.
it's worth the effort.
perfect for the snowy days ahead.

happy december.
xo


apple cider beef stew.
this beef stew actually got a shout out on the radio then became an instant customer favorite. i hope you enjoy it as well. perfect stick-to-your-ribs, warm-you-up-from-the-inside-out kind of dinner.

extra virgin olive oil - i keep this handy as i am searing
2 to 3 pounds stew beef chunks.
3 to 4 cups of beef stock {depending on how much beef you use}
2 cups apple cider
2 large onions {i like a lot..you could put down to 1} peeled, halved and large sliced.
3 to 4 large carrots - peeled and large diced
4 stalks of celery - large dice
4 medium potatoes - peeled and diced about the same size as the carrots and celery.
1 cup of flour
2 tablespoons of ground thyme
3 teaspoons of garlic powder
ground black pepper
3 bay leaves

get out your large dutch oven or stock pot. place on stove. no heat.

first thing i like to do is get my vegetables ready. cut up your carrots, celery and potaoes and place off to the side. then cut your onion and place that aside on it's own. next to your beef. what i like to do is line a cooking sheet with paper towel and dump out all my meat on to it. spread it out. let it sit there for a couple of minutes.

take out 2 large bowls and place in each 1/2 cup of your flour, 1 tablespoon of thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the garlic powder and about 10 grinds of pepper. mix this together. one bowl is for your meat and onions and one for your vegetables.

back to your meat. here's how it goes....take a piece of paper towel, press a chunk of meat in the towel to really fry it off, toss in flour. do this with about 1/4 of your meat. now coat the meat in the flour mix so thy are completely coated. meanwhile heat your pot over medium and drizzle in some olive oil. once hot pace in your beef chunks so they cover the bottom of the pan but are not touching...you don't want to crowd them. while these start searing get some more of your beef ready for round two. you want to sear off the pieces about a minute or two on each side. tip: when your meat is ready to turn it will release from the bottom of the pan - if it's really stuck leave it a little longer {sometimes if it's a little stuck you can give it a little tug - trust yourself!}. when your pieces are seared on all sides remove from pan on to a plate and repeat until all pieces are done. keep adding drizzles of olive oil when needed - you don't want the bottom to burn - that's the base for your gravy. when you reach your last batch in the flour mix toss your onions in as well and sautee them up with this batch.

once your meat is all seared and removed to a plate {onions as well} now turn your attention to your vegetables. you are going to place them ALL in the second bowl you made up with the flour mix and coat them completely. add a little more oil to your pot and get that a little hot then put in your veggies. toss them around so they get a little oil coat on them and let them sizzle away for about 3 minutes. then add your beef, bay leaves and apple cider. next add your beef stock. you want your mixture just covered by the liquid so you may not have to use it all...again depending on how much beef you are using. once it's all in bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes {occasionally checking on it and giving it a stir}. after 45 minutes take the lid off and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for about another 45 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender. if the liquid level get's too low just add a bit more stock or water to bring it back up a bit. check your seasoning...add salt or pepper...then serve with crusty bread or garlic rosemary rolls.



 

chicken stock....because i couldn't think of something more clever.....

chicken stock....
is there anything better?
it's like...a magic elixir.
the answer to everything.

dish not tasting quite right? add some chicken stock.
beef up that soup? add some chicken stock.
magic ingredient to mashed potatoes - chicken stock.
want to make a soup? hey...where's that chicken stock?

it has 100 and one uses.
everyone has some and everyone uses it.
and before you reach for the carton in your cupboard {which there is nothing wrong with - i have a few in there as well} picture this:

sunday night. you have prepared your family a beautiful roast chicken dinner - using my kitchen tip naturally, that's why it's so perfect - and while you were preparing said dinner you mysteriously placed an empty stock pot/dutch oven on your one free element on the stove. also you have placed an empty bowl on the counter top awaiting something only you know about. as you rummage through the fridge for the perfect potatoes, carrots, celery and onions for your roast vegetables you also absentmindedly place two onions, some of the carrots & celery + some not so savory looking vegetables {but NOT rotten} in the empty bowl and go about your business. also while you search for the perfect green vegetable to steam or sautee and complement your sunday night dinner you come across - half a red pepper maybe? some leftover mushrooms? a leek who doesn't look like he will survive the night? bowl. bowl. bowl. {one tip...broccoli is a little strong - i would steer clear of adding that.} as you chop up your star vegetables for your dinner, prepare them and pop them in the oven or steamer, turn your attention for the next five minutes to the less than qualified contenders - peel your onions {these can be quite nice ones}, chop in half and add to your secret pot. chop up some carrots and celery and secretly slip into the pot as well. next trim up your less perfect produce and pop into your pot on the stove. now your bowl should be empty and your pot full. the next step should take you all of two minutes so no need to worry about heavy labour or wiping the sweat from your brow. now listen carefully as this does take some technique.....reach in to your spice cupboard and grab about 5 to 6 peppercorns and dump into pot. grab about 3 bay leafs and do the same. have some fresh thyme in your yard? go snip about 5 sprigs. add to pot. and lastly throw about 3 unpeeled garlic cloves to your pot. done. leave on the stove, element off, forgotten about till your chicken is ready.

the prep, mixed into what you were already doing.....now that wasn't so hard was it?

now you turn your attention back to your chicken dinner and sides. once ready, pull your chicken out, cover with foil, let rest then uncover and stand back & admire your work. beautiful isn't it? i think a roast chicken is one of the most beautiful things ever.....now get your head back in the game. carve your chicken, plate your sides and take it all to the table. just before you all sit down steal your self away to the kitchen and pick clean your carcass - reserving all meat on a seperate plate. toss all bones, bits, discarded skin, juice from the cutting board - yes that too - into your secret pot on the stove. now fill with water till it's all just covered. place on the stove and bring to a boil. return to the table and enjoy your dinner. once the pot comes to a boil, turn down to a simmer and let it go, covered, for about an hour. after an hour and all the dinner is done and dessert has been savoured.....come on you made something right? maybe this...or this....or THIS.....once that's all done and you have collected the praise....turn your attention back to your pot. lift the lid and let simmer uncovered for about two hours. now too is when you can add other things - the wings weren't touched? clean them off and throw them in. there is a leg leftover? do the same - of course while reserving all the meat for sandwiches or to freeze for future soup use. now after hour one of simmering uncovered, check the water level - you want to make sure that everything is just covered so add a touch more water. now go bathe the kids or fold the laundry or watch AFV.....go do something. after another hour turn off the heat and let your stock cool slightly before you start straining. place a wire sieve {the smaller the holes the better} over a heat proof bowl; using a slotted spoon transfer your vegetables and bones out of your stock and into the sieve. let drain slightly {i press them down to get all the goodness out of them - they do act like sponges a little} then discard. do this with all contents of the pot till you are at the point of just dumping the whole thing over the sieve to catch all the little bits and to give yourself the purest chicken stock possible. let cool a little more and just before you crawl into bed, cover and place in the fridge.

the next day you will see your glorious stock just waiting for you. your stock will either be the liquid kind - like from the tetra packs - OR like a jelly. if you got the later - lucky you! be warned though - this style is much more concentrated! skim the top and now it's time to organize it for freezing or you may just decide that tonight is the perfect time for chicken soup!
for freezing: place either one cup or two cup portions in bags, flatten out and freeze. OR freeze in cubes in ice cube trays.

there you go! the base for all winter cooking and savoury dishes. with such a weapon in your possession you will be the star of your kitchen.

but you already, are aren't you??

;)

ultimate comfort food.

so halloween is over. {i'm actually glad that it is. i really wasn't into it this year...till the day before though!}
it was awesome but it also seemed to be the last warm-ish day. my goodness did the temperature ever dip after that! so much so that when tony was off last week he took care of a couple of things around the house to get us ready for the upcoming snow.
now in our life around here - we are guaranteed snow.
now we have to be ready.

on the list:
patio furniture away - check.
outdoor pots emptied & put away - check.
bushes trimmed, bagged and curbed - check.
rink shell & viewing area set up - check.
snow tires on car - check.
snow suits, gloves and hats ready - check.
christmas lights....ready and waiting.
new thermostats....bought and waiting to be installed.
potential ski schools for the kids...researched.
december daily prep work...FAIL.

i guess i couldn't do everything!

this week i feel like i am in limbo. not yet christmas, not yet time to plan cooper's birthday party, halloween and fall are wrapping up. it's the week i can catch up on MY things but there are so many things i want to catch up on i find myself getting overwhelmed with that AND daily chores that i find myself surfing pinterest and working on new things rather than the old. will i ever learn?

also big on my winter list is too get out all my comfort food recipes, look them over and stock up on the pantry staples for said dishes. i LOVE these kinds of dishes. for this winter my goal is to brush up on my soups and curries {sorry tony!} so i have a few back pocket recipes. something i can whip up without fail when an impromptu skating party presents itself or when friends are met at the sledding hill and invited back to warm up their bones and toes.

now this is a project i can get behind.

one of my all time favorites is pasta bake. i could eat this forever! i always make 1 and a half of his because i inevitably eat a large portion while cooking. i love meat sauce {i eat it sometimes just between two slices of bread!}, i love pasta shapes and baked together with cheese on top...comfort food perfection.

jen's pasta bake.
this recipe has evolved over the last 5 years, changing every time i made it in the hopes to get it just right. i think i have done just that. you can make this a day head if you want and re-heat the next day. if you do this, stop at the potting stage and place in fridge. take out of the fridge about an hour before you want to bake it, to get everything close to room temp, now sprinkle on the cheese and bake!

1 pound dry pasta shapes
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
2 tablespoons of italian spice
ground black pepper
1/2 pound vegetables...i use mushrooms but you can also go with zucchini or asparagus, or a mix, in my opinion {optional}
680ml crushed tomatoes
28oz can whole tomatoes {optional...if you have them - i don't always and that doesn't stop me!}
340ml of your favorite sauce {i think it adds something special but if you taste yours before this point and like it by all means leave it out!}
3/4 cup pasta water...i'll explain later.

some shreeded cheese - i used marble but feel free to use your favorite or combine a few to make a blend...just don't use pre-shredded, please!!!

get your pasta going according to the box instructions.
pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F - if cooking straight away.

on the other element over medium-high, heat a deep sautee pan with a little olive oil in it. dice up your onion and add to pan adding some fresh ground black pepper over top to season. sautee till onion are a little translucent, a couple of minutes. add your beef and cook till no longer pink. drain out the fat and place back on stove. add your garlic, italian spice and, if using, vegetables. sautee for a couple minutes till veg is soft. add in your crushed tomatoes and whole, if using. stir in all your ingredients and let bubble for a bit till it gets all saucy. now taste it...do you like it? do you think that extra bit of store-bought sauce will make it better? if you said yes then add your sauce, stir it in and pour yourself a glass of wine. if you said no, pour yourself a glass of wine and stare at the sauce till i tell you to carry on.

check your pasta. if done reserve one cup of the water before draining. drain your pasta. set aside.

check your sauce. taste it. do you like it? does it need anything? salt? pepper? more spice? remember anytime you add anything you need to wait about 3 to 5 minutes to check the seasoning again {classic mistake performed by jennifer on top chef which cost her the title that she was CLEARLY going to win.....poor her.} so now that you like your sauce and have waited awhile for the completion - is your sauce a little thick? a little too reduced? this is where the magic of the pasta water comes in handy. add some, a little at a time, to your sauce while stirring till the desired consistency is achieved. magic! now add your pasta, mix it all together and place in a large casserole dish. sprinkle with cheese and place in the oven for 35 minutes. when done and the cheese is all melty and golden, let it sit for a couple of minutes before serving - it will be piping hot! once cooled, serve it up and enjoy!

my stuffing {or the not-quite-main dish that should be the main}

i think weird thoughts.
i am funny like that.
years ago while watching the movie - hanging up {don't get me started on how much i LOVE that movie!} - i came to the end scene with all the girls hanging in meg's kitchen and she announced "that's how you make my stuffing!" and here comes the weird thought....i instantly thought - i want MY own stuffing.
{i love stuffing...more than the star of the show i think. it's my favorite part.}

who thinks that? after such a great movie filled with love and loss and amazing decor - who walks away fixated on the stuffing? well i guess me. what - you didn't? ;)
{i have also had the thought that i want to bake the entire cake section of the gourmet cookbook but that's for another day...}

so i got to work.
i had one problem thought - the taste of my childhood.
there was a turkey company - fletcher's i think? - who every year, come turkey time, released a stuffing mix that sat alongside the turkeys and was only available at turkey time and was the best ever. this was THE base. your jumping off point. THIS was what i loved. this taste.
so when i came to my stuffing challenge i knew what i was going to use - dried fruit, fresh apples & seeds - but it was the base that was tripping me up.

why you ask? BECAUSE THEY STOPPED SELLING THE BASE!!!

why??!!

now i had to get my thinking cap on.
many many stuffing's later, i had a great one down but i still lacked that "taste". i had one that was bursting with flavour, ingredients and truly tasted like holidays. and my guest never complained but i knew. in the back of my mind was always that little voice that said "it's good but....it's not there yet."

i hated that voice.

one day i was talking about it with my mom, telling her my tale of woe - again i am not like the norm, this is a woe for me - and she interupted me and yelled {well not quite yell but not just said} "i figured it out! i figured out that taste - poultry seasoning!!"
and the rest is history.

and today i am sharing it with you.

holiday stuffing {or dressing}
okay so here i am going to ask you to channel your inner cook. there really is no recipe here - mine is always slightly different every time. i am going to give you the guide lines but it's all about feel, look and taste. yes this is my recipe but it's also yours. you don't like something i have here? don't put it in. looks like it may be too much of one thing for your taste? leave it out. want to add a twist? go for it! have fun with it and make it YOUR own. there are no rules here!

6 to 8 cups of unseasoned dried bread - crouton size
1 onion - chopped {slightly larger than a dice
4 stalks of celery - chopped {slightly larger than a dice}
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 cup of chicken stock {you will only need 1/2 cup if your are stuffing your bird.}
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 medium sized apple - cored and chopped {add some more if you feel it get's "lost" in the mix - you want to notice it!}
approx. 1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
approx. 1/3 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
approx. 1/3 cup dries cranberries
approx. 1/3 cup dried apricots - chopped
butter {optional}

okay so for me the prep starts the night before. i get a ciabatta baguette, cut it up in to approx. 1-inch chunks, spread them out on a sheet pan and put the in a pre-heated 200 degree oven for about 2 hours or until they are dry. once dry, turn off the oven and leave them in there to cool down. {i usually do this at night so i turn it off and leave them in there till the next morning.}

heat a deep saucepan over medium heat. drop a few glugs of olive oil here and add your onions and celery. season with a sprinkle of salt and about 7 grinds of pepper - critical step to season here. sautee your vegetables until they are slightly translucent - about 5 minutes. add your bread chunks and toss them with the celery and onions till they are glistening and getting a little toasted. sprinkle the poultry seasoning over top and cook all together for about a minute. now we are cooking!! add your apple and let that get in there for bout a minute then add your seeds. let those get all sizzly in there and add 1/2 cup of chicken stock just to get it all moist. add your dried fruit and let it get all incorporated together. try it..do you like it? if not, adjust your seasoning. once satisfied, remove from heat.

now you can do one of two things: let this cool down completely and stuff your bird or....place it in a casserole dish and pop it into the oven. i casserole mine since i have no turkey to stuff. if you choose option one, you are on your own...if you choose option two, make sure your oven is pre-heated to 350F and place your mix into a dish you feel confident will hold it and that will look pretty on your table - i used a 2 quart round dish that i traded my mom a grecian clock for one christmas morning - i'm hard to buy gifts for. evenly pour the remaining chicken stock over the top. if you want to get a golden crust on the top, then just before you pop it in the oven, dot the top with some butter. place it in your pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes.
pull it out, admire it and enjoy it. you made it.

the old brussel sprout.

i love brussel sprouts.
love them.
i know that i am not alone but i am also not with the masses. i think they get a bad wrap.
people tend to hate on such a beautiful and nutritious little darling.
i, myself, like them plain. cleaned, crossed on the bottom {which i have since found out does nothing for the cooking process - i just do it cause my grandma did it.} and steamed/boiled until just soft and popped into my mouth! i always make some extra because these are what i much while cooking the feast for everyone.
but i don't stop there - i make them other nights when it's not thanksgiving or chirstmas, for just like a wednesday dinner! imagine that!

years ago, when i worked at a corporate office, there as a christmas party and i spied the sprouts and was happy that there was something green i could add to my heavy & rich plate. a co-worker was in line behind me and having seen me put multiple little cabbages on my plate he was shocked. "really?" he asked "i only put one ceremonial one on my plate because i feel i have too." so sad.

i want you to want to eat them - not because you have to but because you want to.

ever since i can remember, these have been on our table - a major part of our feast - and with a little tweaking i hope they will be part of yours too.

when i decided to jazz these babies up to appeal to the mases i thought to myself - what could i use? i thought and thought and finally settled on the one ingredient that seems to be escaping from people's lips lately...bacon. who doesn't like bacon? everyone seems to be embracing the strips, so i thought - if there was a little bacon in here would people eat them? would that draw them? i have heard of pairing these two and decided that i will give it a shot.
bullseye.
match made in heaven.

i hope you think so too.

if you still think that this would strike a big thumbs down with your crew then do this: steam some green beans, toast some sliced almonds {350 oven, 5 minutes, toss, then back in for 2 minutes more}. 
toss your beans in a vinaigrette of your choice - italian or homemade - and top with the almonds.

brussel sprouts & bacon.
1 pound brussel sprouts, after being trimmed, cleaned and halved lengthwise
4 strips of bacon
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup of white wine
1/4 cup of low-sodium chicken stock
pepper

cut up your bacon in 1/4 inch strips working your way down the large strip. place in a frypan over medium high heat and sautee.
meanwhile, trim the bottom off your sprouts, peel off any tarnished leaves, cut in half lengthwise and set aside.
once your bacon is cooked, remove from pan and place on a plate with paper towel and pat grease away. set aside.
drain out bacon grease from pan but do not wipe out your pan. toss your sprouts into the same pan and drizzle with the olive oil. sautee your sprouts over medium heat till they soften slightly, get bright green and start to caramelize. add your liquids, coating the sprouts and cook down the liquid till none remains - tossing around as you go.
once all the liquid has all evaporated and the sprouts are soft and have some colour on them, add the bacon back to the pan, cook for one more minute and remove from heat.
serve with your fabulous dinner!!

*if you don't want to use the wine double the stock.

roasted tomatoes.

as you all might well know - i am now a tomato farmer.

okay not really.....but i sure feel like one with all these gosh darn tomatoes hanging around.
i still can't believe how well my plants are doing and how dripping with fruit they are.
{*note to self: do not attempt to also plant and grow grass in area right in front of said tomato plants. not a wise idea.}
it's amazing having all this bounty at our finger tips and also how extremely convenient.
there's only one problem.....

you have to find something to do with them all!!
i had forgotten about that.

so my first order of business was to sit down with an open-faced tomato and mayo on toast and brainstorm the likely uses for our pirate booty.

of course use it in salads.
a salsa for sure.
and yes toss it in a pan and do a quick sautee for pasta. duh...
there always has to be a bowl on hand just for snacking.
they would taste good on a toothpick garnishing a ceaser...yum!
and roasted.
definitely roasted.

i put my plan in motion and 4 hours later the house was filled with the sweet aroma of tomatoes.
it was screaming summer at us.
it was comanding dinner.
it was right on the money.
it was making my mouth water.

i now have a jar on hand in the fridge - after resisting the temptation of running to the store for a baguette to slice up, toast, rub garlic all over and pile high the slices of the tomatoes and, to subsequently, lick the precious juices that spilled off from my fingers - so i can stare at it's beauty and snack on slowly till the summers end.
i think the next harvest will wind up like this one.
who needs another spaghetti sauce?!
not me.

oven roasted tomatoes.

grape, cherry or roma tomatoes.
olive oil.
cracked black pepper.
fresh thyme leaves - slightly chopped.

pre-heat your oven to 225 degrees F. line a baking pan or two {depending on how many you have} with parchment paper. set aside.

now wash and slice up your tomatoes. you want to slice them in half lengthwise so they are more slender then thick. place them on your pans, seed side up. generously drizzle them with olive oil, cracked pepper and thyme leaves. if you have garlic cloves hanging around toss some of those on the pan at the same time - not peeled - kills two birds with one stone.

once your oven is preheated, place your pan{s} in the oven and leave for a minimum of three hours. you can leave for a little longer if you want a richer flavour.

once the three hours is up, or when they look their best to you, remove from oven. let them cool slightly and then enjoy!

if you want to save some for later, place them in a jar and drizzle them with olive oil {some people suggest completely covering them but i didn't find that necessary} and refrigerate.

**also if you are about to make a salad and there are leftover oil dripping in your pans use that oil as the base to your dressing. delish!

quick sausage and roasted tomato pasta.

first you want to get your pasta rolling. start your water and add 350 grams of your favorite pasta - we use whole wheat spaghettinni - and cook according to the box. while this is cooking heat a large skillet over medium heat. add a few glugs of olive oil, let heat up slightly, and add your sausage. prick your sausage while in the pan. depending on the thickness of your links, cook for a bout 10 minutes, tossing them around in the pan in the meantime. remove from pan and slice them up on an angle to get many pieces. toss them back in the pan. now add your roasted tomatoes {either fresh from the oven or straight out of the jar in your fridge} and sautee those together for about 5 minutes. {if your sausage wasn't quite cooked through this is where you finish it off}. meanwhile, drain and rinse your pasta {yes i rinse!} reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. once you see that your sausage is cooked or that you see a good marriage between the tomatoes and sausage {some of my tomato skins slipped off and this is the point where i took them out}, add the pasta water and cook down a bit. add your pasta, toss all together {in the pan} and serve. don't forget the parmesan!!

picnic fare.

this summer has been all about being active.
we are signed up for activities 4 out of 7 nights a week.
then the other nights when we do our own stuff - weather permitting - it's always outside.

two nights a week we play soccer.
two nights a week we swim.
and both of these are around dinner time.
so....it's either stuff our faces quickly before, eat when we get back or make a picnic.
when there is time {just for swimming} we make a picnic.

but let's for a moment talk about this little thing called lake swimming.
for the opportunity to get to do swimming lessons at the lake.
the amazing opportunity.
now let's talk about this guy.

this is the guy who has been getting mysterious stomach aches the day of lessons.
this is the guy who watches his sister's hour lesson before jumping in for his 45 minute one.
this is the guy who won't jump in.
this is the guy in tears.
this is the guy who won't do it.
*sigh*

and this is the girl who is fearless.....

well at least amidst all this this is what we get to eat:

 
i guess we can't complain too much.

grilled chicken beach sandwiches with a quick pickle.

chicken adapted slightly from dinner a love story. {she's so cool!}

pound boneless cutlets between sheets of wax paper until thin, then place them in a large ziplock bag.

In a bowl, mix:
½ cup plain greek yogurt
3 minced cloves of garlic
2 tsp salt
zest from one lemon
juice from two lemons
2 tbsp. of honey
1 tbsp olive oil
lots of black pepper (I probably did 10-15 grinds)

enough buns to accommodate your cutlets
grainy mustard
mayo
lettuce - romaine or green leaf - the darker green the better, that's where all the vitamins are.

whisk the ingredients together. pour into ziploc bag containing the cutlets, mush around until coated, and seal. refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours.  when grill is ready (and oiled), cook about 3-4 minutes a side until flesh is firm but not rock hard.

cut buns {toast on grill if you like}, spread with mustard on one side & mayo on the other. top mustard side with chicken, then pickle, then lettuce and place on the other bun half. dig in!

jen's quick pickle.
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
assorted crunchy vegetables - cabbage, carrots, red onion, radish, cucumbers.

thinly slice your vegetables {i used my mandolin} and place in a large bowl - i used a coleslaw mix, radish & red onions. next time i will add cucumbers.

in a separate bowl mix together the apple cider, sugar and salt. pour over your vegetables. keep doing this till your vegetables are covered. cover the bowl with saran or a lid and place in the fridge for a minimum of 20 minutes to overnight. top on your sandwiches, salads or burgers and enjoy the zing and the crunch!

will keep for a while in the fridge.

oh yeah, then i served it with kimberlee's awesome corn salad!
right now i think every meal has corn!!  for this i boiled up some ears and cut them off the cob.
yum - fresh local quebec corn! nothing screams summer more than corn on the cob.
next time i think i would add more lime juice.

kitchen tips: perfect roast chicken.

today i am putting a spin on kitchen tips.
since these are tips and it does come from the kitchen i thought it fitting.
i am talking about basics everyone should know.
i have had emails from all you wonderful people asking me how to do this and that and i thought i would educate everyone and sometimes i might also be educating myself in the process by making something that i have never done as to help you all out. believe it or not there are some things i don't know ho to do - shocking i know!
i was going to start a new series for this...something along the line of kitchen 101 or basic for you from me....but then i realized i had the kitchen tips going and to save us from over-complicating it and making yet ANOTHER column i decided to morph it into my kitchen tips because as i mentioned above - they are tips and it does come from the kitchen!

today i am going to talk roast chicken.
to me there is nothing better than a roast chicken.
i love roast chicken.
i love roast chicken dinner, roast chicken sandwiches and leftover roast roast chicken & mayo on a stone wheat thin - to name a few.
at one point i was roasting a minimum of three chicken's a morning because we had roast chicken sandwiches on our menu and sliced "roast chicken" was not on the menu. the real stuff was in order.

the thing with roast chicken is this - it's not complicated! but it does seem so if you are not used to them. it can be quite daunting and i am here to guide you to where you will be proud of the chicken you place on your dinner table and all the oohh's and aahh's will be rightly deserved.
if you follow a few simple steps you are in for the treat of the best stuff ever. i promise.

isn't that beautiful?

the perfect roast chicken.

paper towel
one 3 to 4 pound chicken {you can go larger, just increase your cooking time - not the oven temperature!}
one bulb of garlic - yes the WHOLE bulb, skins and all.
half a lemon
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
olive oil
kitchen twine
roasting pan
meat thermometer

pre-heat your oven to 425F degrees.
wash your chicken and dry with paper towel - very important step. {this is where this faucet comes in handy when dealing with chicken hands!}. your chicken will not brown if you don't do this! when your chicken is dry, place in your roasting pan - if you do not have a roasting pan you can make a make-shift one by placing a wire rack over a casserole dish, just make sure the casserole dish is larger than the chicken so you catch all the drips! now season your cavity with salt and pepper - you have removed all the innards right? sometimes they leave the organs in a baggy in the chicken's cavity. remove this! {i throw them away as i have no use for it but people do use them for things - google that.} also sometimes there is a flap of extra skin/fat here - i rip it off and toss away. slice your lemon into wedges and stuff them in the cavity then slice your garlic bulb in half - skins and all - so you have two halves cut through all the garlic, and stuff the whole thing in the cavity. now you want to tie together your legs. need that cavity shut up tight. i have no technique for this - i try to make sure to have the legs crossed and starting with my string underneath and wrapping it up, i keep pulling tight till the legs wrap and then quickly tie it tight and pat myself on the back. now grind pepper over the top {not too much! you can sprinkle with salt also but i tend not to salt many things.} and drizzle some olive oil over the top - if too much falls off use a brush to spread it around and coat your bird. put some water in the bottom of your roasting pan - under the rack - i don't know why...just do it. pop it into your pre-heated oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. pull it out, check the temperature with a meat thermometer - down between the leg and breast into the thigh. it needs to read 81 degrees celsius. keep popping it in a 10 minute increments till this temp is reached. once done let rest, covered in foil, on the counter for 10 minutes.
stop. admire. carve. serve!

**i forgot....do not throw out your bones! bag them up + bag up any leftover chicken and toss in your freezer. i'll show you what to do with those soon!

bakery lasagna

once upon a time i owned a bakery cafe.
have i told you that? did you know?
yeah i think i have mentioned that here a time or two. ;)

anyways......one big part i wanted for the business were take home meals.
beautiful homestyle meals that could replace fast food in a pinch and make you feel so much better about the take home pack of 6 cupcakes you were more than likely to buy.{i have to admit - those cupcakes were pretty good!}

right after opening, my mom {who had a similar shop herself} swooped in to help and had one word for me:
lasagna.
lasagna?
trust me - lasagna.

so we made lasagnas. LARGE family style lasagna's. {we also made sausage rolls who were going to be the star - along with our chicken pot pies - of my hoped-for frozen foods line. but that's another story for another day.}

they. flew. out . the. doors.
they were an instant hit.
i was having standing orders for them.
couldn't keep enough of them around.
they were a major part of our success.

thanks mom.

bakery lasagna.

2 pounds lean ground beef or ground sirloin.
one large onion, diced {i like a lot of onion}
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped. {i like a lot of garlic - you can dole this back a bit.}
14 lasagna noodles. {12 for the main dish, 2 extra for patch jobs or in case one comes to a timely end.}
2 x 700ml jars of your favorite tomato sauce or of your own.  {i haven't posted mine yet but this one is great. plus her philosophy here is great - be sure to make a deposit yourself.}
reserve some sauce in a small dish - about 1/2 cup - for the bottom of your pan!
2 tablespoons of dry italian spice
500 grams of ricotta cheese
1 x 300 gr package of frozen chopped spinach - thawed, drained and squeezed.
1 egg, slightly beaten
salt
pepper
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese - please please please shred your own and do not buy the pre-shredded bags!

let's go!!

first thing start boiling the water for your noodles. follow the package instruction then cook accordingly. also pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. a pre-heated oven is a happy oven.

meanwhile: get your meat going - heat a large deep skillet to medium. place in the olive oil and get it a little hot then add your onion and garlic - grind a little pepper on there for seasoning. be careful not to burn your garlic! turn it down if you have to. then when those have gotten all happy & sizzley in the pan add your beef and cook - breaking it up - until it is no longer pink. drain very well! throw it in a colander if you have to {somebody really needs to invent something that you clip on the side of your pan to drain your meat efficiently...hhmmm...hamster wheel is spinning..}. once drained add your italian spice, toss it around a little and let that sautee for about 30 seconds to one minute. now add your sauce - remember to put 1/2 cup aside! get it going then turn down your heat, don't look at all the splatters it makes on your with stove and let it bubble away so it can thicken up slightly. turn around and make your filling - don't worry about the splatters! turn around now.

for the filling: in a meduim bowl combine the ricotta cheese, your well-squeezed-till-as-dry-as-you-can-get-it chopped spinach and the egg. throw a little cracked pepper and salt in there because that always makes it tasty. now mix that all together and set aside. don't taste - raw egg, yuck!

go back and test your sauce - taste it. is it thick enough? does it need a little salt and pepper? if so, toss it in. wait a couple minutes before testing again - the seasoning need a little time to get in there and make it taste just so. once you are happy with it we are ready to go!!

1) place your reserved sauce at the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass or metal casserole pan.
2) top with three lasagna noodles.
3) spread 1/3 of sauce on noodles.
4) top with three more noodles {the extra two noodles cooked are for hole patch jobs - use when needed}
5) top with ricotta filling
6) top with three more noodles. {reference above ie: more noodles.}
7) take a sip of wine - oh did i forget to tell you - the cook should always have a glass of wine! unless making said lasagna at 9am...but then to each it's own! who am i to judge?}
8) another 1/3 of sauce goes here and throw three more noodles on top as well - and more if needed..
9) finish off the sauce now and cover with cheese.
10) place the pan - on a cookie sheet!!! always! - in your pre-heated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. once done take it out, let stand for 15 minutes and graciously & egotistically accept any and all compliments. relish in the yummy sounds - you had a big part in creating those and you should bask in it. don't get modest now - you just made a lasagna!!!