Coupon Chef

Creamy Turkey Soup

2012-12-25T13:11:00.001-08:00

Turkey time means great prices on turkeys to cook a meal for a family or group of friends. That is exactly what we did. The turkey this year was much larger and no only fed the guests but we also had a fridge full of leftovers.

So what can you do with your turkey leftovers? Make creamy turkey soup. I found this Creamy Turkey Soup recipe on Food.com and it turned out fabulously. I used fresh chopped carrots and macaroni as the noodle. I used fresh turkey stock that I had made with the carcass of the turkey dinner that mulled in its own bones overnight and reduced down to a nice, rich turkey stock.

I love simple recipes with ingredients that you have at hand.

1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped green onion
2 cups frozen sliced carrots, thawed and drained
1/4 cup flour
5 cups turkey broth, divided (or chicken bouillon)
2 cups milk or 2 cups cream
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3 cups chopped cooked turkey
8 ounces noodles (fusilli, rotini or similar)

Directions:

1
Saute onions and carrots in butter until soft, not brown.

2
Add flour and mix well.
3
Gradually add 2 cups broth and milk.
4
Cook and stir until it thickens.
5
Stir in remaining 3 cups broth, and all remaining ingredients.

6
Simmer 10-12 minutes until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.

Creamy Turkey Soup

Dessert: Lemon Pudding Cakes

2012-11-12T23:22:00.002-08:00

I have a subscription to Everyday FOOD magazine by Martha Steward and I was attracted to the Lemon Pudding Cakes recipe because it is simple luxury. Very few ingredients that will turn into a gourmet dessert in an hour.

Everyday Food, January/February 2012

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more, room temperature, for ramekins
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1/3 cup lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1 1/4 cups whole milk
Confectioners' sugar, for serving

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter eight 6-ounce ramekins or a 2-quart baking dish. Set in a shallow baking pan. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks with 1/2 cup granulated sugar until pale and smooth. Whisk in butter, lemon zest and juice, milk, and flour mixture. (Refrigerate mixture, up to 3 hours.)

Lemon Batter
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer (or by hand with a whisk), beat egg whites with 1/4 cup granulated sugar until stiff peaks form, 5 minutes; fold into batter.

Whisked Egg Whites

With a ladle, divide batter among ramekins, keeping sides clean. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until cakes are puffed and slightly golden on top, 30 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.

Lemon Pudding Cakes

After preparing this easy gourmet dessert, you will have confidence to bake other sweet treats for your family. I never knew that making a nice, light pudding cake would be so easy.

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies

2012-11-11T19:51:00.004-08:00

December is around the corner and I decided to organize an intimate cookies swap with some girlfriends. I have been known for my lack of interest in holidays and that is something I've been working on. In my attempt to celebrate Christmas, I thought a cookie swap was a good idea. Cookie swaps are a great way to share and be able to have a variety of cookies for family and friends during the holidays.

I didn't know what kind of cookie to make so I began my research and found this festive recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days cookbook. Since the measurements are in grams, I cheated and tried a white chocolate and cranberry cookie recipe on the internet. That was a mistake! My cookies were lumpy and I wasn't happy with them at all. Everyone who tried them enjoyed the taste but it wasn't perfect.

It wasn't the cookie that was pictured in The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days cookbook.

So I got out my digital scale and followed the recipe in the cookbook. The cookies were exactly how they were pictured. Nice, large, soft and chewy cookies. Delightful! I had found my cookie swap cookie recipe. It perfectly makes a dozen cookies.

Now I can't wait to try other recipes from the cookbook. If I can't be in London to go to the bakery, then preparing the recipes at home from scratch is the 2nd best thing. Enjoy!

Gourmet Dinner: Barbeque Pork Ribs Recipe

2012-07-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and you can find meat on sale. The "other" white meat that is the most affordable is pork. I bought a family pack of pork ribs and used on side of ribs for Lentil Stew dinner and froze the other side of ribs until tonight. I love Sundays in the kitchen to make a gourmet dinner . The family pack of ribs were under $10.

Barbeque Pork Ribs Recipe
Marinate pork ribs with barbeque sauce and let it sit for at least 30 mins (longer the better). Then place in a 350 degree oven and cook for 1 hour. Turn halfway through.

Roasted Carrots Recipe
The recipe came from the Food Network.
Cut up carrots diagonally and toss with olive oil, pepper, salt, parsley and dill. Wait until the ribs are halfway cooked and then toss in the baking sheet of carrots to roast for about 20 minutes. You can take both out at the same time.

Kale, Pepper, Tomato Side Dish Recipe
This dish is actually from Oxygen Women's Fitness Slimming Soba Salad. I decided take the ingredients but not include the soba noodles for a nice side dish.

Cut up kale and saute on medium heat. Add cut up yellow/orange pepper, juice from 1/2 lemon and saute for 5 more minutes. Then add 1 chopped tomato and saute til tender. Season with salt and pepper. Kale and lemon are a winning combination.

Mashed Potatoes
Boil potatoes, mash with butter and sour cream or milk or cream cheese. Optional to add cheddar cheese.

Place barbeque pork ribs on top of the mashed potatoes. Put the roasted carrots and kale side dish beside the potatoes and pork for a colourful and healthy gourmet dinner on a budget.

Potluck: Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe

2012-07-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was invited to a BBQ and this is the most affordable classic that will feed lots of people. It's the Classic Macaroni Salad. I loved the All Recipes Classic Macaroni Salad video that made it look so easy. Of course I modified it to suit my needs and based on reviews from other chefs. That's one great thing about All Recipes website - there is an active pool of chefs who review and rate the recipes.

Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe

4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons honey dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large red onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup grated carrot

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain. Stir in the onion, celery, red pepper, carrot and macaroni. Refrigerate for a few more hours (it was 2-3 hours for me to have a creamier salad) before serving.

Sunday Brunch: Ham and Cheese Omelette Recipe

2012-07-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

Sliced ham was on sale so I bought a package of two thick sliced for $3.50. I thought it would be a good addition to a savory breakfast. I then started to search for recipes with ham and cheese which is a popular combination. I originally found a Ham Cheese Quiche recipe but couldn't do it in the morning because I didn't prepare the homemade pie dough the night before. Instead I found this Ham and Cheese Omlette Recipe from Food.com. This was an easy recipe that I adapted with what I had in the fridge.

3 eggs
dash of milk
1 slice of ham, chopped
fresh chives, chopped
bit of butter for pan
grated cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, ham, milk, salt and pepper. Beat well.
Heat skillet on medium and melt margarine.
Pour egg mixture into skillet. As the omelette begins to set, lift up edges with egg flipper so uncooked portion of egg can flow under the cooked portion. (This is where I had a problem so my omlette so mine looks like a french omlette)
When eggs are set but the top is still moist, sprinkle ¾ of the cheese over it and chopped chives.
Slide omelette onto the plate and cut into portions.

It was delicious! The key is to not overcook the eggs. I served the ham and cheese omlette with toasted french loaf and fresh strawberries.

Gourmet Dinner: Baked Lamb Chops Recipe

2012-06-30T23:29:00.001-07:00

Lamb chops were on sale at the grocery store. I pondered over pork tenderloin or lamb chops and I rarely have lamb so lamb chops won me over. It's perfect for a gourmet dinner on a budget. A pack of three small lamb chops cost under $5.

Baked Lamb Chop Dinner

Baked Lamb Chops Recipe
pack of lamb chops
dash of rosemary
salt & pepper

Season the lamb chops with rosemary, salt & pepper. Bake in 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until done. I like to put tin foil on the baking sheet so I have easy clean up.

Roasted Vegetables
1/2 red onion, sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
1 zuchinni, sliced
6 button mushrooms, sliced
olive oil, rosemary, thyme
raspberry balsamic vinegar

Add red onion, carrots, zuchinni to a bowl and toss with olive oil and rosemary & thyme. Bake in oven with lamb chops. Meanwhile toss oil, balsamic vinegar with the mushrooms and let it sit. After 25-30 minutes, remove the vegetables to turn and add the mushrooms to bake for the last 15 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes
5 potatoes, peeled and chopped
butter
milk
salt

Cook potatoes in boiling water til tender. Drain the water and mash with butter, milk and salt.

Roasted Vegetables

Baking: Lemon Pie Recipe

2012-06-29T21:36:00.002-07:00

A few years ago a co-worker gave me a pie plate in the Christmas exchange with a non-bake recipe attached. I tried and that recipe failed because I was my usual self and tried to modify and adapt it with what I had at home. Lesson learned. Ground coffee is not the same as instant coffee in recipes.

A year later and the topic of my pie plate has come up in conversation again. This time I promised to make a pie for the staff potluck and bring it no matter what. This was quite the challenge especially since I'm notorious for not testing recipes and not afraid to share my recipe experiments which is what this became. My Lemon Pie Experiment.

The journey begins at 9pm when I am standing in line at the local grocery store to pick up the two items that I still needed to make the pie. Cool whip dessert topping was also on the list but at the grocery store I realized I wouldn't be able to thaw the dessert topping in time to prepare the pie for the next day. Luckily I had some whipped cream at home which I substituted from the original recipe.

I used the Favourite Lemon Pie Recipe form My Strawberry Apron but tweaked it to adapt to the ingredients that I had in the kitchen. Experiment was successful but I don't think I'll promise to make another pie anytime soon.

Lemon Pie Recipe (Non-Bake)

Graham Cracker Crust
1 pack graham crackers
1/2 cup melted butter

Crush the graham crackers til they are fine. Get your hands in the bowl and be 'the crusher'. It feels strange at first but it is surprisingly rewarding when you do get the crackers to a fine graham cracker crust. I mixed the graham cracker with the melted butter in a bowl first before I pressed it in the 15 inch pie plate.

Filling
1 can sweetened condensed milk (300ml)
1/2 cup whipped cream (sweetened with icing sugar)
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemons (4-5 small lemons)
1 tbsp grated lemon (I grated one full lemon)

In large bowl, mix sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Then stir/fold in the whipped topping. Pour filling into pie crust, garnish with lemon slices or powdered sugar, and chill about 1 or 2 hours before eating.

Lemon Pie (Non-Bake)

Brown Bag Lunch: Mason Jar Greek Salad Recipe

2012-06-27T22:14:00.001-07:00

I remember seeing this idea online (I think) and loved the idea so much that I didn't have time to share or bookmark it and instead fled to the kitchen to make salads for my brown bag lunch.

Simple idea: Make your salad in a mason jar with dressing at the bottom, layered with crunchy vegetables, or pasta, and the lettuce or tomatoes on the top. The idea is to keep the dressing separated from the lettuce that will wilt easily. That's what I hate about bringing salads to work is that your lettuce gets soggy. With this method it won't.

Just mix and enjoy at your desk or in the lunch room.

I loved the idea of the mason jar salad but didn't have any jars at home so I used my glass containers instead. It did the trick. Here's my Greek Salad Recipe in a "Mason Jar".

Dressing: Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and italian seasoning.
Greek Salad: Sliced red onion, cucumber, feta cheese, and tomatoes.

Drink: Homemade Vitamin or Fruit Water Recipe

2012-06-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Through a Facebook newsfeed I discovered the Homesteading/Survivalism Facebook page which has a lot of neat ideas and this was one of them. I loved the idea and had to share it right away and the feedback from my Facebook friends was like mine. LOVED IT! This is super easy and fun to prepare.

Homesteading/Survivalism prepared their vitamin water in glass mason jars which is a fabulous idea! Now I don't have any of those so I improvised by preparing it in an ice-tea shaker which works marvelously because it has a cap that strains and keeps the fruit in the shaker.

Easy Homemade vitamin or Fruit water Recipe

*Slice fruit thinly and put in water.
*Refrigerate for 4-6 hours
*Enjoy your naturally flavoured water!

The combinations are endless. Use what you have at home already is always my motto!

*Raspberry, Lemon, Mint
*Raspberry, Lemon/ Lime
*Strawberry, Lemon/Lime
*Orange, Lemon/Lime
*Cucumber

It tastes GREAT with all natural flavours! Perfect for summer!

Sunday Night Dinner: Lentil Stew Recipe

2012-06-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

My travelling friend from Spain taught me how to make this simple yet delicious hearty stew. There are few ingredients but cooked together on slow heat, the flavors blend together nicely. It's hearty and a little will be enough to fill you up. It makes plenty so I'll be freezing a container, bringing one for my brown bag lunch, and having leftovers for dinner.

Lentil Stew Recipe
1 onion, chopped
4 large tomatoes, grated
4 cloves of garlic, minced

Cook the onions in a pot on low heat until they are soft, then add the garlic and tomatoes and stew on low for about 45 minutes. You'll have a lovely fresh tomato sauce as the base.

While it's cooking you can prepare the following and boiling water. Add the pork rib bones, smokies, and lentils to the tomato base. Add enough boiling water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes.

5 chorizo/ italian smokies
1 lb pork rib bones
1 cup green lentils

Add 2 handfuls of white rice to the stew and cook for at least 15 minutes (might be longer depending on consistency). Basically you will see the soup go from liquid to stew-like consistency. That's when you turn off the heat. The smokies simmer and cook whole but I cut them into bite size pieces before serving.

Weeknight Dinner: Baked Chicken Thighs and Roasted Vegetables

2012-06-20T22:13:00.003-07:00

Chicken thighs are not very expensive if you buy the family packs and even better if you get a "Buy One Get One Free" deal. I had a family pack that was sitting my freezer waiting to be made into a gourmet meal on a budget. Remember to take the chicken out of the freezer at least one day ahead.

Prepare the meal as below with chicken first, then vegetables, and potatoes and the timing will work out almost perfectly. Remember to keep an eye on things in the kitchen and take things out once done regardless of timing.

Baked Chicken Thighs
family pack of chicken thighs (8 pieces)
chicken rub (easy and fast way to season your chicken)
salt and pepper

Season the chicken thighs with the chicken rub, salt, and pepper. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven until cooked approximately 40-60 minutes depending on your oven.

Roasted Vegetables
1/2 onion, sliced
3 carrots, cut diagonally into large pieces
1 small red pepper, sliced
1 small yellow pepper, sliced
2 cloves of garlic
1 bag of crimini brown mushrooms, sliced
dash of olive oil
sprinkle of rosemary
dash of fig balsamic vinegar

Put onions, carrots, peppers, garlic in a bowl and season with olive oil and dried rosemary (even better if you have fresh). Bake in the oven with the chicken on the top shelf.

Prepare mushrooms and season with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and let sit until the others are baked for 20 mins.

Mashed Potatoes
3 baking potatoes, chopped
scoop of sour cream

Boil water, add potatoes and cook until tender which is about 30-40 minutes. Drain and mash with potato masher, add scoop of sour cream to have fluffy consistency.

Serve on a plate with mashed potatoes and rest chicken thigh on top. Then add the roasted vegetables around the chicken. A gourmet budget meal on a weekday evening for dinner. Lovely!

Weeknight Dinner: Homemade Perogies Recipe

2012-06-19T19:51:00.001-07:00

Last week I made store-bought frozen perogies for an easy perogie weeknight dinner. This week I wanted to do the same but make the perogies from scratch. I made the dough and the potato filling the night before. So on dinner night I put them together and cooked them. It makes approximately 3 dozen so I already prepared a baking sheet of perogies to freeze.

Homemade Perogies Recipe:

Dough

4 cups flour
1/4 cup oil
1 level tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
approx 2 cups of cold water

Potato filling

4 medium baking potatoes
LOTS of old cheddar (+ 1 cup of shredded cheese)
salt/pepper
sour cream, butter, cream, or a mixture of the three.

directions

Making the dough

1 Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the oil and up to 2 cups of cold water to mix until it is JUST wet. It should be hard to mix, not coming together easily. You might need to add quite a bit more water, or hardly any at all. It should look kind of crumbly, not particularly dough-like.
2 Let it sit overnight, covered, or at least for several hours. It will become gorgeous and pliable and elastic.

Making the filling

Cook the potatoes and mash them with tall the other ingredients. Remember to make them a little saltier, and cheesier, than you would if you were just making mashed potatoes.

Putting them together and cooking them

1 Take about a quarter of the dough and shape it into a ball, then flatten into a disc on a well-floured surface. Roll this out quite thin, about 3 mm. Cut with a round biscuit cutter, likely the largest one in your set.
2Take between a tsp and a tbsp of filling and place in the middle of each circle. Stretch the circle closed, into a half-moon shape. Make sure you pinch the edges SO TIGHTLY that you can’t even see the seam. If you don’t do this, they will fall apart in the water when you boil them.
3 Repeat this process until they are all made. You can lay them on a lightly floured cooking sheet, separated by wax paper or parchment paper. If you are making a lot in advance, freeze them like this before bagging by the dozen. Cooking is the same for frozen or fresh, frozen just takes longer.
4 To cook, bring a huge pot of water to boil, and add the perogies to the water. They will be done in about 7 minutes, when they float to the top of the pot and look light and doughy.
5 Drain well, then shake them into a large frying pan that has nicely chopped onions cooked with butter. You can add bacon or I added mushrooms. Serve with sour cream.

Brown Bag Lunch: Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Orzo Salad

2012-06-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Whenever I go to the deli, I'm amazed at how many different salads that they have to offer. And I have thought that it would be great to have a fridge that was like a deli with the different salad combinations and selection. That would make packing lunch so easy. Just salads to grab and go. Now I'm not organized enough to have made three salads, but I'm happy to have made this one.

Orzo is such a fun pasta shape so an orzo salad was a great choice. What I liked about this recipe is that it's easy to make and it can be eaten hot or cold. As summer approaches, it's nice to have a cold lunch. With this salad you can heat it up or not, either way, it'll taste yummy!

This Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Orzo Salad recipe was found on Allrecipes.com website. Instead of parmesan cheese, I added asiago cheese. I don't have a food processor so I used my hand blender instead. It still works but I can see the benefit of having a food processor for the sun dried tomato chunks to be smaller, however, even with my larger pieces, you do get the blend of tastes.

Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Orzo Salad Recipe

2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Place basil leaves and sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor. Pulse 4 or 5 times until blended.
In a large bowl, toss together the orzo, basil-tomato mixture, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled.

Baking: Cheese Loaf Recipe

2012-06-17T19:10:00.003-07:00

These days since I've been on a budget, I've realized how expensive bread can be at $5 a loaf. I decided that it was time to try making my own bread and this Cheese Loaf recipe from Allrecipes drew my attention because it didn't require yeast and had simple ingredients. I added an artistic flair by drawing a line in the middle of the dough with my spatula and putting the leftover cheese in the line. You can see there is a cheesy line in the middle of the loaf.

Cheese Loaf Recipe

3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and cheese in a large bowl. Mix in milk and melted butter. Stir to form a soft dough.


Cheese Loaf Dough

Pour into the prepared pan. I prepared the pan by greasing with the melted butter and then lightly flour the pan before you pour the batter. The loaf will come out beautifully.
Bake in preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from pan to cool.

Cheese Loaf

Budget Dinner: Pork Chops Recipe with Mushroom Apple Sauce

2012-06-16T21:09:00.002-07:00

I bought a package of local pork chops from Verard Farms in Chilliwack, BC and decided to cook them tonight for a nice budget gourmet meal at home. The package had 2 healthy pork chops for $5. This is truly a delicious budget gourmet dinner. Local pork chops made all the difference!

Pork Chops Recipe (with Mushroom Apple Sauce)

2 pork chops
1 apple, sliced
6-8 button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup of chicken stock
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp red onion
1/2 - 1 tbsp flour

In a large frying pan on medium low heat, I seasoned the pork chops with pepper and let them cook til done. The pork chops in the photo are not ready yet as you can see they are still pink. When done, they will no longer be pink in the middle. Remember to turn and check til done.

In a separate non-stick frying pan, I melted the butter and saute the onions for 1 minute. Then I added the mushrooms and let it simmer. Add the chicken stock and flour (which is used as the sauce thickener). Then add the apple slices and simmer on low.

Mashed Potatoes

In a pot of boiling salted water, add 6 chopped potatoes and boil til soft. Add butter, milk, salt to potatoes and mash til light and fluffly.

Put the pork chops on the plate, and put the potatoes beside them. Add the mushroom apple sauce to cover it all. After plating I realized that it was missing a side dish of vegetables. You can add a vegetable side dish of your choice. The local pork chops made a BIG difference and they tasted fabulous. A gourmet dinner at home.

Baking: Blueberry Muffin Recipe

2012-06-14T21:38:00.001-07:00

How do you look for recipes to try? I look at what I already have and then look for a recipe on the internet that will suit my needs. It's almost blueberry season again as summer rolls along so now it's a great idea to use the last batch of frozen berries from last season.

I decided to choose this Blueberry Muffin recipe from Canadian Living because it calls for natural ingredients and was enough for a simple dozen. It's better if your butter, eggs, and milk are at room temperature.

Blueberry Muffin Recipe

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, softened
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup (175 mL) milk
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) blueberries

In bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, cream butter with sugar; beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually stir in milk (mixture may appear curdled). Make a well in centre of dry ingredients; pour in liquid and stir just until moistened. Gently fold in blueberries.
Spoon into large paper-lined or well-greased muffin cups, filling to top. Bake in 375°F (190°C) oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until tops are firm to the touch.

I tried this recipe without using an electric mixer, instead a wooden spoon was the tool of the trade. There is something very natural about being able to cream sugar and butter with your hand power. I was amazed to see that I was able to do what machines could do. It's the power of the human machine.

Hand creamed butter, sugar, eggs

Blueberry muffin dough

Finished product! Blueberry muffins!

Weeknight Dinner: Breakfast Burritos Recipe

2012-06-13T19:26:00.003-07:00

This month I'm on a tight budget and it's two days before payday so I'm trying to be "good". Since I spent $5 on lunch, I didn't want to spend anymore on dinner. I came home starving and so hungry. I wanted something that would fill me up and taste good. The recipe idea that came to mind was a breakfast burrito because I had all of the ingredients and knew that it be fast and easy to make.

Breakfast Burrito Recipe
4 large flour tortillas
4 eggs
1/2 cup of chopped red onion
1/4 pkg of breakfast hash browns, mexican style
1/2 ripe avocado
dash of butter
chipolte mayo (optional)

Cook chopped red onion over medium high heat in butter, add the hash browns and reduce heat. Cook til ready. In a separate frying pan I scrambled the eggs. Be careful not to overcook the eggs. They should be soft (not hard).

Lay down the flour tortilla. (You can warm up the tortilla over the frying pan if eating immediately) Add 1/4 of the scrambled eggs, hash browns, and avocado and optional mayo. Fold the sides and then roll up tight.

If you are eating the burrito the next day, I usually heat up in a non-stick fry pan to lightly brown the burrito and to have a hot breakfast. If you have a grill, you can do that as well.

Weeknight Dinner: Tacos and Taco Salad Recipe

2012-06-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

I'm notorious for making a meal of what I already have in the fridge and cupboards. This works well if you are on a tight budget. By using what you already have, you can live within your $5-10 budget for dinner.

Taco shells, taco seasoning, flour tortillas, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream were at home. That is most of what I needed for the meal. I bought a head of fresh lettuce and extra lean ground beef for $3.98. You can do so much with these ingredients.

Tacos Recipe

1 pkg extra lean ground beef

1 taco seasoning mix

1 cup water

Brown ground beef on medium high heat. Once browned stir in taco seasoning mix and water. Reduce to low and simmer.

lettuce, chopped

roma tomatoes, chopped

shredded cheese

Bake taco shells in 250 degree oven til warm. Fill with ground beef mixture, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese. Option: soft tacos with flour tortillas and same toppings. Enjoy!

Taco Salad Recipe
Some of my taco shells had been sitting in the cupboard too long that they broke in half. But that is when I decided to make a taco salad with the same ingredients. Yummy!

Add lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, crushed taco shells, and ground beef in a bowl. I also added a dollop of sour cream on the side.

This was sooo good I had to have seconds.

Weeknight Dinner: Easy Perogies Recipe

2012-06-12T00:51:00.002-07:00

Weeknight dinners I don't want to fuss too much and I want a meal that can be made quickly and easily. One weeknight dinner that's easy and affordable is perogies. You can buy a bag of frozen perogies for less than $5.

1 bag of frozen perogies
1/2 chopped onion
butter

Cook perogies as per instruction package. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 mins until perogies float to the top. Meanwhile in a non-stick frying pan, melt butter and fry onions til lightly brown. Remove perogies with a slotted spoon and add to the pan to pan fry. Enjoy with a generous dollop of sour cream!

Boiled perogies floating to the top

Pan fried perogies.

Potato Leek Soup Recipe

2012-05-19T15:10:00.001-07:00

I hate to look through the vegetable and fruit aisle of the supermarket to see which ones are the best quality and price so instead I order my local Harvest Box. What's great about the Harvest Box is that the farmers have already decided for you and choose a minimum of 7-8 different vegetables and fruit for you to try.

Then every time it is like I am cooking like the "Iron Chef" because I have to look for new recipes to try that include the vegetable or fruit that was in my box. It is a fun cooking challenge.

The vegetable in the box for this recipe was: LEEKS

I had two large bolstering leeks that I did know what to do. So my internet recipe search began and it seemed like the most popular combination was a Potato Leek Soup. I discovered many recipes and a lot of them called for cream, however, I finally found this Potato Leek Soup Recipe from Simply Recipe that was dairy free.

I find that the true test of a recipe is that I can modify it but it still turns out wonderfully. That's how I feel about this recipe. I omitted the water because I wanted the full flavour of the chicken stock and I like thicker soups. I used what I had for the seasonings which were fresh chopped chives, dried thyme, dried majoram, dried parsley, salt & pepper. I served this soup with garlic toast. Perfect combination!

Easy Chinese Dinner: Ma Po Tofu Recipe

2012-05-05T20:32:00.002-07:00

When I was growing up, I did watch my parents cook in the kitchen but never learned how to cook Chinese food the way that they could. So many people are surprised when I get take out Chinese food because they would expect I could make it myself. Even though I'm not at cooking Chinese food, I love the taste and try to find ways to be able to enjoy it at home.

My cheat for an easy Chinese Ma Po Tofu recipe is to use the packaged sauce for the dish. It made it really easy (and not to mention cheap). Be sure to start your rice first as you will find Ma Po Tofu doesn't take long at all.

Ma Po Tofu Recipe
1 package of Ma Po Tofu sauce
1 box of soft tofu
90 grams of lean ground pork
1-2 tsp oil (optional)

Stirfry ground pork and oil in a frying pan until nicely browned. Then add the diced soft tofu and the sauce. Stir gently together and reduce to low heat.

I served it on top of rice with a side dish of steamed broccolli (or you could do green beans).

Weeknight Dinner: Prawn Udon Stirfry with Chinese Vegetable

2012-05-04T20:09:00.001-07:00

I've tried meal planning in the past but it doesn't always work for me. I'm not sure if it's because I'm an impulsive grocery shopper or if I'm too tempted by the 'coupons' and 'sales' at the grocery stores.

Here's an easy dinner recipe inspired by fresh prawns on sale at a good price. I couldn't resist buying half a pound to make this dish.

Prawn Udon Stirfry with Chinese Vegetable

1 pkg of Chinese vegetable (gai lan junior)
2 pkgs of udon
1-2 cups of chicken stock
1/2 lb of fresh prawns (shelled and prepped)
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
hoison sauce

Heat up the chicken stock in a wok on medium high heat. Add the udon and cook until tender. Remove and set aside in a dish.

Stirfry the prawns and bell pepper in wok until prawn turn colour. Add the udon and mix together. Add hoison sauce to taste. Remove and set aside.

Cook chinese vegetable in chicken stock until tender. Serve beside the prawn udon stirfry.

Cheesy Fusilli Bake Recipe

2012-04-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

With technology and the age of the internet, I have to say I get a lot of different recipes to try from just surfing the net. I think I was searching for macaroni and cheese recipes when I discovered this Cheesy Fusilli Bake recipe on the Macheesm website. I loved the step by step photos that accompany the recipe. It really makes it visual and easy to follow. The simplicity of the ingredients and the step by step photo of what it all should look like, makes it easy for even beginner chefs.

I remember my early days of trying to do a cheese sauce and having it a clumpy mess. This cheesy fusillini bake has a nice bechamel sauce and my only tip is to remember to keep your temperature low and to keep whisking it up. Don't worry if it's not super thick, you want a creamy cheese sauce and remember the curls of the fusilli will hold the cheese sauce nicely.

Cheesy Fusilli Bake Recipe from Macheesm website.

Here's what I did because used 375 grams of tri colour fusilli. I used 1 cup of cream and 1 cup of milk for the sauce. I only used cheddar cheese in the bechamel sauce. I opted not to do the cheese or bread crumbs on top. Still it turned out wonderfully and so colourful. I'm quite happy with this dish.

This is a great bake that feeds a party of 6! Of course with only a party of 2, I will have enough for dinner and lunches for a few days. I chose not to freeze and instead decided to do a lunch trade with a co-worker. A lunch trade is when you prepare a lunch for a friend, and they prepare lunch for you. Benefit of this is so you have variety without having to do more cooking.

Sunday Brunch: Blueberry Pancakes Recipe

2012-04-22T18:49:00.002-07:00

Sundays are lazy and great days to start the morning right with pancakes. Today I made these blueberry pancakes. I still had BC blueberries that I froze last summer and it's wonderful that I still have some in the freezer. Blueberry pancakes were a great way to start a lazy Sunday morning.

Blueberry Pancakes Recipe
1 cup white cake or pastry flour (or all purpose)
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup frozen blueberries

Heat up a frying non-stick frying pan to medium heat. Put a tad of butter in the pan and then put 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake in the pan. When you see the batter form small bubbles, you want to flip and cook the other side.

I keep my cooked pancakes warm in the oven until all are done. Leftover pancakes can be kept in the fridge and warmed up for breakfast the next day.