Kylee Cooks

Thai chicken meatballs

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

We are a house that loves MEATBALLS. I will be posting another kind of meatball recipe soon, but for now - have a look at this one!

I found this recipe in a magazine (Every Day with Rachael Ray), and it was really good as an appetizer. The original recipe did include a peanut sauce, but we ~~hated~~ didn't love it, so we used a thai sweet chill sauce (Mae Ploy) for dipping instead.

Here's what you need:
1 lb. ground chicken
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated onion
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Here's what you do:
Mix chicken, cilantro, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, salt and pepper; roll into 1-tbsp. balls.
In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add meatballs and cook through, 6 to 8 minutes.

Serve with a dipping sauce and enjoy!

Pesto Chicken Pasta

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

This one was made up as we went along, so it's not exactly... exact. We also ate it in front of TV, and were starving (Future Food Critic would not go to sleep, so dinner was delayed), and didn't take a photo. I promise to get better at this! This dish was really good, really quick and really easy.

INGREDIENTS

1 (12oz?) box of pasta - you pick the shape
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
Broccoli - about 2 cups
4 oz cream cheese (I used fat free)
1 1/2 cups (ish) milk (I used 2%)
4 Tbs prepared pesto
Parmesan cheese
Oooh toasted pinenuts would have been good in this. Add those too, if you have them
Salt, pepper

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain, set aside
Steam broccoli until cooked how you like it. Set aside
Season chicken and cook in a large frypan until brown and cooked through.
Add milk, cream cheese and pesto, and stir to melt the cream cheese and thicken the sauce - cook for 5 minutes or so. Taste and make sure you added enough pesto. If not, feel free to add more. Go on.
Add in the cooked pasta, and steamed broccoli and stir until well combined.
Add in some parmesan cheese, some fresh cracked pepper and yell that dinner's ready.

This was even better the next day, and was actually really tasty COLD. Who knew?

Look what I baked!

2012-01-26T08:39:00.000-08:00

I have been AWOL for good reason*. I was making THIS:

Future Food Critic

The Food Critic, Future Food Critic, Me

He's now 2 months old (he was 1 month old in those photos)

I am going to attempt to get back into blogging, because I enjoy it and have missed it.

However, I'm not really sure you want to see "Frozen Pizza - a Tutorial" or "How to Navigate the Takeout Menus on your Fridge" as well as "Cereal. It can be dinner, I swear"

I HAVE made up a few dishes on the fly lately that have been wildly successful with the Teenager, but her standards are way lowered (see above for recent meal selections). I'll post em anyway... soon. I swear.*Yes, yes, I know - many other women manage to be pregnant/have babies/work full time and still manage to blog daily.... I am clearly not that woman.

Hot caramelized onion dip

2011-10-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

One word: YUM.
More words: Make it for your next gathering. This is something we really enjoy!

Source: Closet Cooking

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon oil
4 large sweet onions (sliced)
1 4 ounce package of cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated)
pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt the butter and heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the onions and slowly caramelize on med-low heat for about 1-3 hours.
3. Mix everything and place it in a baking dish.
4. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the top is nice and browned, about 30-50 minutes.

Herb crusted prime rib

2011-09-19T15:14:00.001-07:00

When I was newly pregnant, my doctor told me to cut back on the carbs, and bump up the protein.

My excellent friend, Courtney, took this to heart - and as a "woohoo, you're all kinds of knocked up" gift, she brought me beef. Yep, beef. The girl knows her stuff. She also recommended a good way to cook it, using this recipe. And brought the ingredients to go with the beef, so I didn't even have to shop for them. Such a thoughtful gift, particularly in the fatigue filled first trimester. I have some awesome mates.

Mouthwateringly delicious, I served this with roasted veges, and some brussels sprouts. Heaven.

She also gave me the link to the recipe she uses, and it was phenomenal.From Epicurious

INGREDIENTS:

1 9- to 9 1/2-pound standing beef rib roast (about 4 ribs), all but thin layer of fat trimmed

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

3 1/2 cups beef stock

DIRECTIONS:
Place beef, fat side up, in large shallow roasting pan or on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle beef all over with salt and pepper. Spread mustard all over beef. Mix rosemary and thyme in small bowl; sprinkle over beef and press lightly to adhere. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Position rack just below center of oven and preheat to 450°F. Roast beef uncovered 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Roast beef 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons drippings. Roast beef until thermometer inserted into center of beef registers 125°F for medium-rare, about 55 minutes longer. Transfer beef to platter; tent loosely with foil to keep warm.

Discard drippings from roasting pan. Place pan over 2 burners on stove top over medium heat. Add butter to pan and melt. Add flour; whisk until smooth and just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Whisk in stock. Boil until sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Earl Grey Peach Preserves

2011-09-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

A friend drew my attention to this recipe, and said "If there was one recipe that would describe me I think this would be it"

I never really thought of what recipe would sum ME up, but I'm happy to report that in my pantry I have "Sabrina in a Jar" (2 of them, actually)

I happened to have enough of a pile of peaches (that I was canning/making jam/baking pies from) to make a double recipe of this. SO glad I doubled it.

If you are a fan of Earl Grey tea (I am), the smell of this in your kitchen will cause all kinds of joy to you. The fragrance of the tea, perfectly mixed with the sweet peaches ~~and a ton of sugar~~ is fabulous.

SOURCE: http://www.eatliverun.com/earl-gray-peach-preserves/
Enjoy!

What you need:

1 1/4 cup sugar
juice of 1 lemon
3 earl gray teabags
2 1/2 lbs fresh peaches - peeled and sliced. (Either use a blanching/ice bath method, or peel with a potato peeler)

What to do:
Place peach slices in heavy bottomed pot and cover with sugar and lemon juice. Open up one bag of tea and sprinkle in the leaves. Add the other two tea bags whole. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes until very thick.

Remove teabags and either can preserves according to proper canning procedures (click here see my post explaining about that) or just ladle into tupperware and let cool.

Preserves will last in sterilized cans for a year…or in tupperware for about two weeks.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

2011-09-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

Oh look! I finally decided to post a recipe! Good thing I don't rely on my blogging skills for income, huh?

I’m so thankful that my stepdaughter likes to cook. And likes to cook with ME! (Besides, having someone to help with dishes kind of rocks). Her butt shaking technique (v.important) while doing the garlic chopper thing is coming along nicely. EVERYONE knows that you can’t have chopped garlic without a little wiggle while you do it, right? (Also applies to smoothie making, but that is another post)

After looking through some cookbooks, and getting a few suggestions from blogs (and friends), we decided to make this recipe. It has been around the blogs for months, and I indeed I did make them probably back in May or June... but... now is when it's being posted. Mmmkay?

We didn’t exactly have the right sized tortillas, so these were giant taquitos (and I could eat only one).

They froze wonderfully, and were great straight from the freezer (but with a few extra minutes in the oven)

Source: http://annies-eats.net/2011/04/27/creamy-chicken-taquitos/ , who got it from someone else – I’m not entirely sure who to credit the original to!

Here’s what you need:

·         3 oz. cream cheese, softened
·         ¼ cup salsa
·         1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice (if you have it, or that stuff in a bottle works too)
·         1 tsp. chili powder
·         ½ tsp. cumin (Look Mum! Cumin, AGAIN!)
·         ½ tsp. onion powder
·         2 cloves garlic, minced
·         3 tbsp. chopped cilantro (Coriander, Mum!!)
·         1-2 green onions, chopped
·         2 cups shredded cooked chicken
·         1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, etc. would also be good)
·         10-12 6-inch flour tortillas
·         Cooking spray
·         Kosher salt

Here’s how you do it:

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. (see my conversion page for … well, conversion to ˚C)

Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, spices, cilantro, green onions, chicken and shredded cheese. Mix thoroughly until well combined.

Briefly heat the tortillas in the microwave to make them soft enough to roll easily, about 20-30 seconds.

Place a tortilla on a work surface. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the filling mixture down the middle of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla up tightly around the filling. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, spacing the assembled taquitos evenly on the baking sheet. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. (You may be tempted to skip the sprinkle of salt, but it really adds a nice touch.)

(To freeze before baking, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill the assembled taquitos 30-60 minutes. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. To bake from the freezer, simply add a few additional minutes to the original baking time, until the filling is warmed through.)

Bake 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

tap tap tap Is this thing on?

2011-06-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

I have not been cooking lately, my appetite has not been what it should be.
I put it down to stress and a new job, and the weather and a bunch of other stuff.

Turns out - I was wrong, and our little boy will be here in December!

Hot cross buns for Good Friday!

2011-04-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One ha' penny, two ha' penny,
Hot cross buns!
If you have no daughters,
Give them to your sons
One ha' penny,
Two ha' penny,
Hot Cross Buns!

Hot Cross Buns Recipe Link

You should make these, they're fabulous. I made them last year and the year before, (so won't reblog).

You should make these. I kind of insist.

And if you do, you should bring me some.

Basic Mustard Vinaigrette

2011-04-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

With salad season just around the corner (okay, I live in Arizona, it's kind of ALWAYS salad season), here's how to make a quick vinaigrette to dress up a handful of leafy greens on your plate.

INGREDIENTS:

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

5-6 tablespoons olive oil

pinch of dried parsley

pinch of dried thyme

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a clean jar or small bowl, add the vinegar, garlic, mustard and mix well.

Slowly add the olive oil while either whisking or stirring rapidly with your fork.

Add the parsley and thyme, salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasonings.

Not particularly pretty - but, it works!

Stovetop Oatmeal with Whipped Banana

2011-04-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

A really basic concept, but also, pretty fabulous. This is a cold-weather favourite (and so, for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere - this is for you!)

I really like this recipe, because it doesn't require any added sugar, and is good with or without pouring milk over it.

Source: Adapted from www.katheats.com
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 cup skim milk

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 banana, sliced thin

DIRECTIONS:
In a saucepan, stir together the oats, milk, water, salt, begin cooking on medium heat.

Add the banana and continue to cook, stirring often, until oatmeal is fully cooked and banana has been absorbed into the oatmeal, about 7 - 10 minutes.

(Pay attention between stirs, the banana’s sweetness encourages burning.)

Serve immediately. Can be made ahead (and refrigerated) and reheated in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Apple dumplings

2011-04-01T05:46:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe last summer, but just found it in my posts that I didn't publish yet. Can't remember why, but it's good - so here it is.

This recipe is a spin off of a few I have seen around - I took what I liked, and left out what I didn't - and this is the result!

As you can see, I have a lovely assistant helping me (meet M - my beautiful step-daughter).

This was a big favourite while she was with us last summer (and so easy!)

1 can refrigerated flaky biscuit dough
2 apples - peeled, cored and cut into 8ths (I use a handy-dandy tool for that)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed with 1/4 cup of sugar

Preheat the oven to around 350 degrees.

Separate the biscuits in the can, and then cut them lengthwise so you have 16 circles of dough.

Wrap each apple slice in one circle of dough

Put them into a buttered dish.

Put sugar, water, butter and vanilla into a saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved.

Pour over the apple dumplings, and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.

Bake for around 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Ravioli (Chicken sausage with mozzarella and roasted red pepper)

2011-03-30T06:00:00.001-07:00

Since I made a whole pile of pasta sauce, I wanted to immediately use some, and thought this would be a great combination. I love it when I'm right. Ha.

I used Tyler Florence's ravioli dough recipe, but halved it.

I was going to take pictures of the dough making process, but it's really a two handed task to get the pasta through the rollers!

I used my Kitchenaid Mixer to make the dough - using this handy-dandy attachment.

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

4 fully cooked sausages (flavour of your choice, obviously)

1 egg

Parmesan cheese to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Throw everything in the food processor and hope for the best. Or, you could google and find other fillings to suit your tastes.

PASTA INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, plus 1 for egg wash

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Cornmeal, for dusting

DIRECTIONS:

To make the pasta dough: In an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to mix. Drizzle in 1 tablespoons of the olive oil and continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball.

Sprinkle some flour on work surface, knead and fold the dough until elastic and smooth, this should take about 10 minutes.

Brush the surface with the remaining olive oil and wrap the dough in plastic wrap (or a ziplock if you happen to out of plastic wrap); let rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

Cut the ball of dough in 1/2, cover and reserve the piece you are not immediately using to prevent it from drying out. Dust the counter and dough with a little flour. Press the dough into a rectangle and roll it through a pasta attachment, 2 or 3 times, at widest setting. Pull and stretch the sheet of dough with the palm of your hand as it emerges from the rollers. Reduce the setting and crank the dough through again, 2 or 3 times. Continue tightening until the machine is at the narrowest setting; the dough should be paper-thin, about 1/8-inch thick (you should be able to see your hand through it.). (I go to seeing 5 on the KA attachment) Dust the sheets of dough with flour as needed.

Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Dust the counter and sheet of dough with flour, lay out the long sheet of pasta, and brush the top surface with the egg wash, which acts as a glue. Drop tablespoons of your favorite filling on 1/2 of the pasta sheet, about 2-inches apart.

Fold the other 1/2 over the filling like a blanket. With an espresso cup or fingers, gently press out air pockets around each mound of filling. Use a sharp knife (I had a cool ravioli cutting tool) to cut each pillow into squares and crimp the 4 edges with the tins of a fork to make a tight seal. Dust the ravioli and a sheet pan with cornmeal to prevent the pasta from sticking and lay them out to dry slightly while assembling the rest.

Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling salted water for 4 minutes; they'll float to the top when ready, so be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Lift the ravioli from water with a large strainer or slotted spoon. Bath the ravioli in your favorite sauce to lightly coat and serve.

I freeze uncooked ravioli on a baking sheet and pull out as many as I need. It works GREAT!

Canning Pasta Sauce

2011-03-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Canning can be a little intimidating if you've never done it before (and actually, even if you have!), but I get some kind of weird pleasure out of looking at the rows of jars of things I have bottled/canned, and even more so - pulling a jar of homemade jam, or sauce out of the pantry and being able to use it, months after I processed it.

I recently made pasta sauce in the crockpot, and obviously couldn't use up all the sauce in one day. Instead of freezing it (which is also a good option), I canned the rest of mine.

I've read up on the subject, and found resources such as http://www.freshpreserving.com/ among various others.

Because tomatoes have a high acidity content, it is okay to can them using the water bath method (another method is pressure cooker canning - but I don't have one of those). Pressure cookers allow low acid foods to be canned safely, like meat, vegetables and poultry. The water bath method is great for "high-acid foods including fruits, fruit juices, jams, jellies and other fruit spreads, salsas, tomatoes with added acid, pickles, relishes, chutneys, sauces, vinegars and condiments" (from the www.freshpreserving.com site).

Okay, let's begin....

You will need:

Boiling water canner or a large, deep saucepot with a lid, and a rack. If you don't have a rack, you can tie some of the bands together to make a rack.
Jar lifter
Wide mouth funnel
Jars
Lids and bands (the lids must be new, and unused - the bands and jars may be reused)

Source: Amazon

You may find this kit useful to get started.

This was taken directly from the fresh preserving website, so you can rely on it!

Step 1
READ through recipe and instructions. Assemble equipment and ingredients.
Follow guidelines for recipe preparation, jar size, preserving method and processing time.

Step 2
CHECK jars, lids and bands for proper functioning. Jars with nicks, cracks, uneven rims or sharp edges may prevent sealing or cause jar breakage. The underside of lids should not have scratches or uneven or incomplete sealing compound as this may prevent sealing. Bands should fit on jars. Wash jars, lids and bands in hot, soapy water. Rinse well. Dry bands.

Step 3
HEAT jars and lids in hot water, not boiling, until ready for use. Fill a large saucepan or stockpot half-way with water. Place jars in water (filling jars with water from the saucepan will prevent flotation). Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Keep jars hot until ready for use. You may also use a dishwasher to wash and heat jars. Place lids in a small saucepan. Cover lids with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Keep lids hot until ready to use. Do not boil lids. Keeping jars hot prevents them from breaking when hot food is added. To prevent seal failure, do not boil lids. Leave bands at room temperature for easy handling.

Step 4
PREPARE boiling water canner by filling half-full with water and keep water at a simmer while covered with lid until jars are filled and placed in canner. Be sure your rack in resting on the rim of the canner or on the bottom, depending on the type of rack you are using. You don’t necessarily need to purchase a boiling water canner if you don’t already have one at home. Most kitchens have pots that can double as boiling water canners. A boiling water canner is simply a large, deep saucepot equipped with a lid and a rack. The pot must be large enough to fully surround and immerse the jars in water by 1 to 2 inches and allow for the water to boil rapidly with the lid on. If you don’t have a rack designed for home preserving, use a cake cooling rack or extra bands tied together to cover the
bottom of the pot.

Step 5
PREPARE tested preserving recipe using fresh produce and other quality ingredients.

Step 6
REMOVE hot jar from hot water, using a Jar Lifter, emptying water inside jar. Fill jar one at a time with prepared food using a Jar Funnel leaving headspace recommended in recipe (1/4 inch for soft spreads such as jams and jellies and fruit juices; 1/2 inch for fruits, pickles, salsa, sauces, and tomatoes).

Remove air bubbles, if stated in recipe, by sliding the Bubble Remover & Headspace Tool or rubber spatula between the jar and food to release trapped air and ensure proper headspace during processing. Repeat around jar 2 to 3 times.

Step 7
CLEAN rim and threads of jar using a clean, damp cloth to remove any food residue. (Very important) Remove lid from hot water using a Magnetic Lid Lifter (if you have one).
Center hot lid on jar allowing sealing compound to come in contact with the jar rim. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight. Place filled jars in canner until recipe is used or canner is full. Lower rack with jars into water. Make sure water covers jars by 1 to 2 inches.

Step 8
PLACE lid on canner. Bring water to a full rolling boil. Begin processing time.

Step 9
PROCESS jars in the boiling water for the processing time indicated in tested preserving recipe, adjusting for altitude. When processing time is complete, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Allow jars to stand in canner for 5 minutes to get acclimated to the outside temperature.

Step 10
REMOVE jars from canner and set upright on a towel to prevent jar breakage that
can occur from temperature differences. Leave jars undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.

Bands should not be retightened as this may interfere with the sealing process.

Step 11
CHECK lids for seals. Lids should not flex up and down when center is pressed. Remove bands. Try to lift lids off with your fingertips. If the lid cannot be lifted off, the lid has a good seal. If a lid does not seal within 24 hours, the product can be immediately reprocessed or refrigerated. Clean jars and lids. Label and store in a cool, dry, dark place up to 1 year.

Pesto & Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken

2011-03-27T14:05:00.001-07:00

Outrageously late (was supposed to have this done, and posted by Friday), but... here's my recipe swap recipe this week.

I made this from Carrie's Sweet Life. Thanks, Carrie - this was delicious!

Cream Cheese & Pesto Stuff Chicken (From: Eating Well)

2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
1 tablespoon basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1-1 1/4 pounds total)
1 egg white
1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine cream cheese, pesto and pepper in a small bowl with a fork.

Cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of a chicken breast half, nearly through to the opposite side. Open up each breast and place one-fourth of the filling in the center. Close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together to seal. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.

Lightly beat egg white with a fork in a medium bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow glass dish. Hold each chicken breast half together and dip in the egg white, then dredge in the breadcrumbs. (Discard leftovers.)

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts; cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Place the chicken, browned-side up, on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 20 minutes.

Slow cooked pasta sauce

2011-03-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

I love homemade pasta sauce. I like to know that what I put in it is ALL that is in it.

Source:This recipe was adapted from www.lifeasmom.com

Yield: A LOT. (around 14 cups)

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup of olive oil
2 large onions, diced (I used one red, one brown)
#10 (6lb, 6oz) can of crushed tomatoes (I used S&W whole tomatoes)
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoon dried basil
1/2 Tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 Tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and cook the onions until soft (don't brown).

Spoon the onions into the crockpot, and add the tomatoes, water (if using) and spices. Mix thoroughly. (I used an immersion blender to make it smooth).

Cover and cook on low all day (I did mine for 10 hours).

Serve over pasta, or freeze in 2 cup portions, or can in jars (if canning - process in water bath for 45 minutes. See tutorial here)

Stuffed Chicken Rollettes

2011-03-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

As part of a recipe exchange I'm participating in this week, I was given this recipe for Stuffed Chicken Rollettes to make.

So, well, I did.

This comes to me from Jey, of The Jey of Cooking. I was actually excited to have gotten this recipe, because although I don't *know* Jey, we have talked, and I like her, and her blog. It must said though, that I'd like her a whole lot more if she wasn't always kicking my arse at Words with Friends.

The pictures don't do it justice, but I'm kind of over apologizing for my photography skills!

Onto the recipe! Mum, pay attention. My Dad will like this one, K? Plus it's fancy looking enough that you can make it for when you have company.

- 2 tsp. Olive Oil, divided

- 1 Onion, chopped

- 10 oz Fresh Spinach

- 1 tsp lemon zest

- 1/4 cup Feta Cheese

~~- 1/4 cup Dried Apricots, chopped~~ switched this out for roasted red peppers.

- 1 tsp Salt

- 1/2 tsp Pepper

- 1 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Cutlets (you could slice chicken breasts that are slightly frozen if you wanted to)

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tsp olive oil. Add onion to pan and saute until golden, about 5 minutes.

Wilt spinach (I did this by using damp spinach in a pan stirring until it wilted nicely), stir in zest, feta, red peppers, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Divide spinach mixture between cutlets. Roll up and secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.

In the same skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. (I browned them in the pan, then put them in a 350 degree oven to finish cooking). Remove toothpicks before serving.

I made a little pan sauce with the browned bits left in my pan, just a little salt, pepper, white wine, chicken broth (and a little butter, ok?)
Lovely recipe - thanks Jey!

Vegetarian chili with sweet potatoes

2011-03-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Now that I am in the office full time (as previously I had been working from home 3 days a week, and in the office 2), I can see that I am going to be making use of my crockpot way more regularly than before.

I found this recipe for Vegetarian Chili and thought it was worth a shot. I like chili. I like veges. I like crockpots. A win, right? (right). This was really great to come home to, even better the next day as leftovers, and freezes well.

No photo - I got home at 6:30pm. No daylight, and also - chili is ugly. ha.

Recipe adapted from Real Simple (I doubled the recipe and switched out some ingredients).

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium red onion, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1.5 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
kosher salt and black pepper
3 14-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 15.5-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 15.5-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed
1 15.5-ounce can white beans (great northern or cannellini is fine)
2 medium sweet potato (about 8 ounces each), peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
sour cream, sliced green onions, and tortilla chips, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

In a 6-quart slow cooker, combine the onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cocoa, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Add the tomatoes (and their liquid), beans, sweet potato, and 2 cups water.
Cover and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chili has thickened, on low for 8-10 hours. (I went for 10 hours, and it worked great, but your crockpot may be different to mine).
Serve the chili with the sour cream, green onions, and tortilla chips.

Fresh Pear Cake

2011-02-28T08:37:00.000-08:00

With the abundance of pears available at this time of year, (and the fact that I got a pile of them from my bountiful baskets ... basket), I needed to use some of them up before they went bad. There are only so many pears I can eat.

This recipe is from my good friend, Courtney. She makes this for her coworkers, who then worship at her feet (along with my husband, but the ziti story is for another day).

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups peeled, cored and chopped pears
2 cups white sugar
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
4 egg whites
2/3 cup canola oil

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the pears and sugar and let sit for one hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray a 10" bundt pan with non-stick spray.

Slightly beat the egg whites, add them and the oil to the pear mixture.

Stir the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Add the pear mixture to the flour mixture, pour into bundt pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hr 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Garlicky spinach with Kalamata olives

2011-02-26T07:07:00.000-08:00

Another one from The complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Clean! I'm really enjoying the vegetable sides from this book. There are plenty of other recipes in there of course (and a hefty chunk of information), but I am gravitating towards the vege sides, mainly because they use things I already have in my cupboard/fridge. Who knew this would be so easy?
YIELD: 6 Servings

INGREDIENTS:
Olive oil
3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
9 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
9oz (or a bunch) of spinach, washed thoroughly
3 Tbs water
Cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Coat the garlic cloves in olive oil, wrap in foil. Bake 10-12 minutes (until soft and mushy). Let the garlic cool then smush into a paste. Mix with the olives.

Heat a pan over a medium high heat. Put the spinach and two Tablespoons of the water in the pan. Toss until the spinach begins to wilt. Add the olives, garlic, and remaining water (if needed), and toss until cooked.

Season and serve immediately. (Doesn't need salt - the olives are salty enough, a dash of pepper is good though!)

Sesame Broccoli

2011-02-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

We like fairly simple sides, we actually like the taste of vegetables, so generally don't do much with them. This, however, was a variation we enjoyed.

SOURCE: The complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Clean

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of water
1lb broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp sesame seed oil
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Bring water to boil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Place broccoli in a metal steamer over top of water. Make sure broccoli is about 1/2-1 inch above the boiling water. Cover tightly and cook until tender (5-7 minutes).

Place broccoli in a bowl, drizzle with sesame seed oil, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds, ginger and crushed red pepper. Gently toss, and serve hot

Texas Style Pulled Pork

2011-02-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

Everyone has a recipe for pulled pork, right? Good.

Then you don't need me to post one.

The End.

Oh. Wait. You don't? You want to hear about what I do? Well.... ALRIGHT. IF YOU INSIST!
I am new to the world of Pulled Pork. I had never heard of it, much less tried it before moving to the United States. Oh my, it's TASTY though!

A friend was visiting from Texas and was coming for lunch on Sunday. She had mentioned that pulled pork was a favourite (I believe I quote her directly when I say she said "if my own arm was made of pulled pork I would eat it").

I went looking for a recipe, and found as many variations as you can think of. I settled on this one because I had all the ingredients, and improvised with the rest, and added a few special touches that I thought might work.

Source: Inspired by Allrecipes, Blogs, Magazines

1 (6 pound) pork shoulder roast
1.5 cup barbeque sauce
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme

Place the pork in a slow cooker.
Mix remaining ingredients together, and add to the pork.

Cook on low for 10 hours, or until the pork falls apart!

Remove the pork from the crockpot and shred with two forks. Mix in a little of the cooking liquid before serving.

Serve on rolls (coleslaw is a great side for this!)

This is GREAT to make ahead and serve the next day. In fact, the flavours are even better with a little waiting time.

I didn't take a photo of the finished product. It's not exactly photogenic, and I have trouble with photography at the best of times :)

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with Fresh Rosemary

2011-02-20T16:59:00.000-08:00

We love hummus in this house. Buying the big tubs of it from Costco is great and convenient, but I wanted to make my own. It's pretty easy - give it a go!

You'll need

1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1/3 cup of tahini
1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
3/4 cup of roasted red pepper strips
2 cloves of minced garlic
fresh rosemary
extra virgin olive oil

Put everything except the olive oil in a food processor and blend. Add as much olive oil as is needed to make it into a smooth paste.
Chill until ready to use, garnish with extra olive oil and a sprig of rosemary.

Serve with baby carrots, celery, pita chips, fresh pita bread etc.

How to roast lamb

2011-02-19T07:51:00.000-08:00

My husband hates lamb. There, I said it. This of course, is crazy to me. I grew up in New Zealand. Yup - 3 million people, 20 million sheep. We ate a lot of lamb!

Lamb, for me, is a memory-invoker. The smell of lamb roasting in the oven takes me right back to Sunday dinners at home, sometimes with grandparents, sometimes not, but ALWAYS with mint sauce, or mint jelly.

It is my all time favourite meat - so my heart was broken when my husband announced that even the smell of it cooking makes him gag.

He went out of town, so I figured this is my perfect opportunity to have exactly what I want. Plus, I am missing my Mum, (the all time greatest roaster of lamb).

OK. Here's what you need:

Boneless lamb leg (whatever size you like). Mine has lots of leftovers. You don't HAVE to have New Zealand lamb, but it has a better flavour (in my opinion) to Australian lamb. I get mine from Sam's Club.
Fresh rosemary, cut into 1/2 inch sprigs
3 cloves of garlic, peeled, and chopped into thick slivers
Salt & pepper

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F (about 320 C).

Start by rinsing the lamb under cold water. Then make a series of deep knife cuts into the top. (see picture for a better idea of what I'm talking about).

Stud the roast with the garlic and rosemary randomly, pushing the pieces in as far as possible. This is going to flavour the meat as it cooks, so you'll want it to "go deep".

Season with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. **Important Step: Pour yourself a glass of wine.**

After 30 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 degrees F (about 180 C). Now is a good time to throw in some vegetable to roast. Potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potato (kumara), are good options!

Roast for around 10-15 per pound (half kilo). Mine was 4lb, so 40 minutes.

If you bought a lamb roast with the handy little popper, it will pop when your roast has reached medium (optimal lamb temp if you ask me), which is about 155 degrees F. If you like your meat a bit more medium-well to well done, roast for an extra 10 minutes or so.

Pull out of the oven, and rest tented in foil for about 10 minutes before carving.

You have the option of making a pan gravy, using the drippings, flour, some water or stock and some salt/pepper. Or you could just do the mint jelly thing, and call it GOOD!

Serve with the roasted veges, and maybe some minted peas.

Oven roasted Brussels Sprouts

2011-02-19T07:50:00.000-08:00

I think Brussels Sprouts get a bad rap. I mean, I get it if you've only ever had them all overcooked and mushy, but... seriously, give these a go.
Not really a recipe, but... here's what you do.

Put some brussels sprouts (cleaned, washed, trimmed and halved) into a roasting pan. Toss them with olive oil and honey, a bit of kosher salt.

Cook them at a 450 degree heat, until they turn brown and crispy. Around 25 minutes.

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How to roast lamb

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