Made this tonight as a simple appetizer. It was very easy and quick. Kids loved it as well - and it is gluten-free!
Enjoy.
http://www.canadianliving.com/food/belgian_endive_spears_with_curried_chicken_salad.php
Friday, December 24, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
A word about Pizza
I love pizza. Since going gluten-free 20 years ago I had not had much luck with pizza. I had tried to make the crust myself which was never very good. I have used crusts from Glutino - http://www.glutino.com/our-products/frozen-meals/pizzas/premium-pizza-crusts/
which are quite good but highly caloric.
And then I found Judy G Pizzas! They are frozen pizzas which all taste delicious.
See her link:
http://www.judygfoods.com/g/Gluten-Free_Pizzas
She even makes a lactose free pizza, a completely vegetarian (no cheese) pizza and good old ham and pineapple. And for those times when you want to make your own pizza you can get the crusts on their own.
Another place to recommend in Calgary is Avatara Pizza which will make a gluten-free pizza in their oven, with their toppings, etc. Delicious! http://www.avatarapizza.com/
It is nice every once in a while to have pizza as a family!
which are quite good but highly caloric.
And then I found Judy G Pizzas! They are frozen pizzas which all taste delicious.
See her link:
http://www.judygfoods.com/g/Gluten-Free_Pizzas
She even makes a lactose free pizza, a completely vegetarian (no cheese) pizza and good old ham and pineapple. And for those times when you want to make your own pizza you can get the crusts on their own.
Another place to recommend in Calgary is Avatara Pizza which will make a gluten-free pizza in their oven, with their toppings, etc. Delicious! http://www.avatarapizza.com/
It is nice every once in a while to have pizza as a family!
Cranberry Almond Muffins
I made the following cranberry almond muffins today. I substituted gluten-free flour plus 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum. They turned out really well. I adapted this recipe from:
http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/thanksgiving/craalm.htm
http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/thanksgiving/craalm.htm
http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/thanksgiving/craalm.htm
2 C. flour (use GF flour mix)
2 teaspoons Xanthan Gum
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 1/4 C. milk
1/2 C. oil (you could sub 1/4 cup of unsweetened apple sauce for 1/4 cup of the oil)
1 egg
2 t. almond extract (I used only about 1 teaspoon of pure almond extract)
1 C. frozen cranberries, rinsed and chopped
1/3 C. slivered almonds
A little extra sugar for topping (I did not include the sugar - they are sweet enough)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
Combine flour, both sugars, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Combine milk, oil, egg and almond extract in a separate mixing bowl. Add liquid ingredients to dry, stirring just until dry ingredients are moist. Stir in cranberries (cranberries don't need to be completely thawed out, just enough to be chopped).
Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter. (I used baking cups to make clean up easier). Sprinkle tops of muffins with a little sugar and the almonds. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes in the pan.
Makes 12 muffins.
http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/thanksgiving/craalm.htm
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Butter Tarts
The following recipe was given to me by my Mom. I think she got it from her Mother (or maybe my Dad's Mother). I am not entirely sure.
Since I am celiac and don't eat gluten, I make these tarts in store-bought pastry shells. So - while the filling is gluten-free, the shells are not. You can use any type of pastry to make them, and if you are looking at gluten-free pastry, Kinnik Kinnik makes a good mix. http://consumer.kinnikinnick.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.home/productcategoryid/5
1/2 cup of butter, melted
1 1/3 cups raisins
1/2 - 3/4 cup walnuts (sometimes I use other nuts)
2 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Mix this all together and put in shells. Should fill about 30 shells.
Cook at 450 for 10 minutes, then 350 for 20-25 minutes
Enjoy!
Since I am celiac and don't eat gluten, I make these tarts in store-bought pastry shells. So - while the filling is gluten-free, the shells are not. You can use any type of pastry to make them, and if you are looking at gluten-free pastry, Kinnik Kinnik makes a good mix. http://consumer.kinnikinnick.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.home/productcategoryid/5
1/2 cup of butter, melted
1 1/3 cups raisins
1/2 - 3/4 cup walnuts (sometimes I use other nuts)
2 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Mix this all together and put in shells. Should fill about 30 shells.
Cook at 450 for 10 minutes, then 350 for 20-25 minutes
Enjoy!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Chicken with Citrusy Rice
I was away in the mountains and did not have much stuff to cook with so I came up with the following...
What you will need:
rice (about 2 cups cooked - or more - I used leftover basmati)
4-6 pieces of chicken (I used bone-in, skin-on thighs as that is what I had - all that will vary is the cooking time)
celery or onion (about 1/2 cup chopped)
2 teaspoons grainy mustard (or dijon if you have it)
1 orange
1/4 cup of white wine
bit of butter or olive oil
Equipment
A big frying pan or Dutch oven with a lid.
What to do:
1. Put the butter or olive oil in the pan on medium/high heat. When it is melted add the celery or onion and the chicken skin side down and brown. Flip it over and brown the other side. I usually leave these about 5 minutes per side.
2. Then flip them over one more time (they will be skin side up now) and then add the white wine, put the lid on, turn down to medium or medium-low and cook until done. For the bone-in variety it took about 20 more minutes.
3. While the chicken is cooking, mix up the grainy mustard, zest of the orange and juice of the orange. Set aside
4. When the chicken is done, add the rice and mix in with all of the liquid that is in the pan. Add the orange/mustard mixture as well. Mix well, put the lid back on, then turn down to low for 5 minutes or until the rice is heated through.
5. Serve with steamed broccoli, peas (I use frozen.) and carrots.
With simple ingredients this was actually pretty good. We didn't even have any salt or pepper to add to the meal! Lots of flavour.
What you will need:
rice (about 2 cups cooked - or more - I used leftover basmati)
4-6 pieces of chicken (I used bone-in, skin-on thighs as that is what I had - all that will vary is the cooking time)
celery or onion (about 1/2 cup chopped)
2 teaspoons grainy mustard (or dijon if you have it)
1 orange
1/4 cup of white wine
bit of butter or olive oil
Equipment
A big frying pan or Dutch oven with a lid.
What to do:
1. Put the butter or olive oil in the pan on medium/high heat. When it is melted add the celery or onion and the chicken skin side down and brown. Flip it over and brown the other side. I usually leave these about 5 minutes per side.
2. Then flip them over one more time (they will be skin side up now) and then add the white wine, put the lid on, turn down to medium or medium-low and cook until done. For the bone-in variety it took about 20 more minutes.
3. While the chicken is cooking, mix up the grainy mustard, zest of the orange and juice of the orange. Set aside
4. When the chicken is done, add the rice and mix in with all of the liquid that is in the pan. Add the orange/mustard mixture as well. Mix well, put the lid back on, then turn down to low for 5 minutes or until the rice is heated through.
5. Serve with steamed broccoli, peas (I use frozen.) and carrots.
With simple ingredients this was actually pretty good. We didn't even have any salt or pepper to add to the meal! Lots of flavour.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Gluten-free Lasagna
I was at my family dinner on the weekend and made gluten-free lasagna. By request from Stephanie, here is the recipe!
(First thing you need to do is thaw a package of chopped spinach...)
about 450 grams ground chicken (or one package of ground chicken)
1 onion
Dice the onion and add it to a pan with the raw chicken. Cook until no longer pink and the onion is soft. (the pan should be big enough (deep enough) to hold at least 1 - 1.5 liters of sauce.)
Add 1 can of your favorite gluten-free pre-made sauce (like Classico roasted garlic and tomato for example http://www.classico.com/red-sauces/fire-roasted-tomato-and-garlic-pasta-sauce.aspx) and 1 large can of plain tomato sauce.
Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Also add some wine (1/4 cup) if you have it. I usually use the wine to get all of the pasta sauce out of the jar.
Let that cook on simmer. Don't cover.
Boil enough water to cook lasagna noodles. I use an entire box of lasagna noodles from Tinkyada http://www.glutenfree.com/index.cfm/manufacturer/Tinkyada/954019-___-Lasagna.html
Boil them for about 10 minutes - you don't want them to be overcooked. Then rinse them in cold water. I had some stick together this time, so I might suggest laying out the noodles right away on wax paper or something so that they don't stick together like mine did...
While the noodles are boiling take out a medium sized bowl. Empty a 500 ml container of ricotta cheese into the bowl. (You can use cottage cheese if you like.) Add 2 eggs and the thawed, drained chopped spinach. Add one dash of nutmeg and two dashes of cinnamon to this mixture. Mix well.
Grate 500-700 grams of mozzarella cheese and set aside.
In a lasagna pan - about 9 by 13 (had to look that up!), place about 1 cup of sauce. Spread it around so it loosely covers the bottom of the pan. You want the sauce first so the noodles don't adhere to the bottom of the pan.
Next layer on the noodles - side by side and you might need one across the bottom. Don't worry if the lasagna noodles are ripped - you just line them up and nobody will know when it is served. Next, layer in all of the cheese and spinach mixture. Gently spread the mixture around so that it covers all the noodles.
Next layer on the noodles.
Layer on at least half of the remaining sauce.
Add a small layer of mozzarella cheese (about 1/3 of the cheese)
Next layer on the noodles (final layer)
Add the remaining sauce.
Add the remaining cheese on top of that.
Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes to an hour
You may want to put a pan under it so that it does not boil over and mess up your oven.
When it is done, remove from the oven and let it sit for at least 25 minutes. It needs to "set" before you cut it otherwise it will run all over the place when you cut into it.
Enjoy!
Ingredient list
package frozen chopped spinach
package ground chicken
1 onion
1 jar Classico style premade sauce
1 large can of tomato sauce
1 package of gf lasagna noodles
750 grams mozzarella cheese
500 ml of ricotta or cottage cheese
salt, pepper
cinnamon, nutmeg
2 eggs
(First thing you need to do is thaw a package of chopped spinach...)
about 450 grams ground chicken (or one package of ground chicken)
1 onion
Dice the onion and add it to a pan with the raw chicken. Cook until no longer pink and the onion is soft. (the pan should be big enough (deep enough) to hold at least 1 - 1.5 liters of sauce.)
Add 1 can of your favorite gluten-free pre-made sauce (like Classico roasted garlic and tomato for example http://www.classico.com/red-sauces/fire-roasted-tomato-and-garlic-pasta-sauce.aspx) and 1 large can of plain tomato sauce.
Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Also add some wine (1/4 cup) if you have it. I usually use the wine to get all of the pasta sauce out of the jar.
Let that cook on simmer. Don't cover.
Boil enough water to cook lasagna noodles. I use an entire box of lasagna noodles from Tinkyada http://www.glutenfree.com/index.cfm/manufacturer/Tinkyada/954019-___-Lasagna.html
Boil them for about 10 minutes - you don't want them to be overcooked. Then rinse them in cold water. I had some stick together this time, so I might suggest laying out the noodles right away on wax paper or something so that they don't stick together like mine did...
While the noodles are boiling take out a medium sized bowl. Empty a 500 ml container of ricotta cheese into the bowl. (You can use cottage cheese if you like.) Add 2 eggs and the thawed, drained chopped spinach. Add one dash of nutmeg and two dashes of cinnamon to this mixture. Mix well.
Grate 500-700 grams of mozzarella cheese and set aside.
In a lasagna pan - about 9 by 13 (had to look that up!), place about 1 cup of sauce. Spread it around so it loosely covers the bottom of the pan. You want the sauce first so the noodles don't adhere to the bottom of the pan.
Next layer on the noodles - side by side and you might need one across the bottom. Don't worry if the lasagna noodles are ripped - you just line them up and nobody will know when it is served. Next, layer in all of the cheese and spinach mixture. Gently spread the mixture around so that it covers all the noodles.
Next layer on the noodles.
Layer on at least half of the remaining sauce.
Add a small layer of mozzarella cheese (about 1/3 of the cheese)
Next layer on the noodles (final layer)
Add the remaining sauce.
Add the remaining cheese on top of that.
Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes to an hour
You may want to put a pan under it so that it does not boil over and mess up your oven.
When it is done, remove from the oven and let it sit for at least 25 minutes. It needs to "set" before you cut it otherwise it will run all over the place when you cut into it.
Enjoy!
Ingredient list
package frozen chopped spinach
package ground chicken
1 onion
1 jar Classico style premade sauce
1 large can of tomato sauce
1 package of gf lasagna noodles
750 grams mozzarella cheese
500 ml of ricotta or cottage cheese
salt, pepper
cinnamon, nutmeg
2 eggs
Friday, November 12, 2010
Pasta sauce with chicken
So I took out too many chicken thighs for dinner and have to use them up...
Brown chicken thighs in a bit of olive oil.
Add in one large chopped shallot
Add in as much garlic as you like - prefer freshly pressed (I used about 6 large cloves)
saute together for about 5 minutes
Add in 1 can plain tomato sauce, 1 large can tomatoes (whole is best), and one can prepared sauce. I use one can of prepared sauce like the organic tomato and basil that you can buy at Costco here in Calgary.
Add 1/4 cup (or more) of red wine. Use stuff that you would drink yourself - not old or yucky wine.
mix it all together and let simmer for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is done. I removed the skin from the chicken. I may also remove the chicken from the bone - not sure yet - but know that this is an option if you don't have enough chicken for everyone that is going to be eating the pasta.
Enjoy over some GF pasta - my favorite is wild rice pasta from Rizopia http://www.rizopia.com/M1Sel2.htm
It is really tasty.
All gluten-free all the time!
Brown chicken thighs in a bit of olive oil.
Add in one large chopped shallot
Add in as much garlic as you like - prefer freshly pressed (I used about 6 large cloves)
saute together for about 5 minutes
Add in 1 can plain tomato sauce, 1 large can tomatoes (whole is best), and one can prepared sauce. I use one can of prepared sauce like the organic tomato and basil that you can buy at Costco here in Calgary.
Add 1/4 cup (or more) of red wine. Use stuff that you would drink yourself - not old or yucky wine.
mix it all together and let simmer for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is done. I removed the skin from the chicken. I may also remove the chicken from the bone - not sure yet - but know that this is an option if you don't have enough chicken for everyone that is going to be eating the pasta.
Enjoy over some GF pasta - my favorite is wild rice pasta from Rizopia http://www.rizopia.com/M1Sel2.htm
It is really tasty.
All gluten-free all the time!
Chicken with Fennell and Leeks
I grew leeks this summer in pots on my front porch. They were very small as I did not divide them properly; they grew in small clumps and ended up more like green onions. Determined not to let them go to waste this is the recipe that I made.
heat one tablespoon each of butter and olive oil in a large open pot (that has a lid, I used my new Le Creuset cast iron casserole, which I love - this is the colour I have http://www.lecreuset.com/en-us/Products/Enameled-Cast-Iron/French-Ovens/)
brown 6 chicken thighs with bones (or more/less) - I also put a bit of salt and pepper on them...
remove them from the pan and set aside
In the same pan, add a bunch of cut up leeks, at least two normal leeks cut into 1/2 cm slices.
Add 1/2 fennell bulb (or a small whole one), sliced into 1/2 cm slices.
saute until soft-ish
Add 1/4 cup of white wine
Add juice of one orange (about 1/3 cup juice)
Add rind of one orange (don't worry if you don't have the rind)
Stir.
Place the chicken thighs on top of this entire mixture.
Place the lid on your pot and turn down to simmer.
Look at it again in 20 - 25 minutes and check the chicken to see if it is done.
Then remove the chicken and fire up the heat to reduce the sauce by 30% or so.
Serve with mashed potatoes. Yum.
All gluten-free all the time!
heat one tablespoon each of butter and olive oil in a large open pot (that has a lid, I used my new Le Creuset cast iron casserole, which I love - this is the colour I have http://www.lecreuset.com/en-us/Products/Enameled-Cast-Iron/French-Ovens/)
brown 6 chicken thighs with bones (or more/less) - I also put a bit of salt and pepper on them...
remove them from the pan and set aside
In the same pan, add a bunch of cut up leeks, at least two normal leeks cut into 1/2 cm slices.
Add 1/2 fennell bulb (or a small whole one), sliced into 1/2 cm slices.
saute until soft-ish
Add 1/4 cup of white wine
Add juice of one orange (about 1/3 cup juice)
Add rind of one orange (don't worry if you don't have the rind)
Stir.
Place the chicken thighs on top of this entire mixture.
Place the lid on your pot and turn down to simmer.
Look at it again in 20 - 25 minutes and check the chicken to see if it is done.
Then remove the chicken and fire up the heat to reduce the sauce by 30% or so.
Serve with mashed potatoes. Yum.
All gluten-free all the time!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Spicy Mexican Squash Stew - Moosewood recipe
I found a recipe on the Moosewood Restaurant site and tried it the other night. Everyone ate it up! I served it with plain yogurt. I also added a can of Romano Beans to add a bit of protein.
I am puzzled by "spicy" in the title as it was quite mild. I might add another jalapeno pepper next time. Enjoy.
http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/recipes_archive.html#60
This recipe is from their book: Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Moosewood-Restaurant-Daily-Special-More-Moosewood-Collective/9780609802427-item.html?ikwid=moosewood+restaurant+daily+special&ikwsec=Home
I am puzzled by "spicy" in the title as it was quite mild. I might add another jalapeno pepper next time. Enjoy.
http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/recipes_archive.html#60
This recipe is from their book: Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Moosewood-Restaurant-Daily-Special-More-Moosewood-Collective/9780609802427-item.html?ikwid=moosewood+restaurant+daily+special&ikwsec=Home
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Moosewood Pumpkin Cheesecake
My favourite cookbook for desserts is: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Moosewood-Restaurant-Book-of-Desserts-Moosewood-Collective/9780517884935-item.html
Every item I have made in this book turns out incredibly perfect. And, I always make them gluten-free - their recipes with my substitutions.
Tonight I am making the pumpkin cheesecake on page 158. I used the Mi-Del brand ginger snaps (about 20 of them) for the crust.
http://www.midelcookies.com/gluten_free/ginger_snaps.shtml
Be careful if you buy these - they make non gluten-free stuff too and I once got the packages mixed up.
Check out the Moosewood website - they have quite a few recipes posted here: http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/
I can smell the cheesecake cooking - wow.
Every item I have made in this book turns out incredibly perfect. And, I always make them gluten-free - their recipes with my substitutions.
Tonight I am making the pumpkin cheesecake on page 158. I used the Mi-Del brand ginger snaps (about 20 of them) for the crust.
http://www.midelcookies.com/gluten_free/ginger_snaps.shtml
Be careful if you buy these - they make non gluten-free stuff too and I once got the packages mixed up.
Check out the Moosewood website - they have quite a few recipes posted here: http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/
I can smell the cheesecake cooking - wow.
Stuffed Pumpkin
My Mother-in-law brought an amazing stuffed pumpkin to our dinner party last night. It was truly outstanding! Here is the recipe from the National Post. I think this will be a must have for years to come.
We put this right in the centre of the table - it was a beautiful dish as well as extremely tasty.
NOTE for people who eat gluten-free: My Mother-in-law made this gluten-free by substituting cooked rice (Basmati I think) for the bread.
We put this right in the centre of the table - it was a beautiful dish as well as extremely tasty.
NOTE for people who eat gluten-free: My Mother-in-law made this gluten-free by substituting cooked rice (Basmati I think) for the bread.
Gluten-free Thanksgiving Stuffing / Dressing
Last night I made Thanksgiving Dinner for our family and some friends. I wanted to share some of the dishes that we had...
Wild Rice and Fennel Dressing (my husband calls it stuffing, I call it dressing for some reason)
1 cup of uncooked wild rice (cook this following the directions on the package) - can be prepared ahead
1 fennel bulb - thinly sliced and then chopped up into pieces (not too small)
1/2 onion chopped into small pieces
3 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 and 1/2 cups of cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup of toasted sliced almonds
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage (or use a 2 teaspoons of poultry spice (or ground sage) if you don't have fresh sage)
saute the onion and the fennel in about a tablespoon of olive oil until soft
add garlic continue to saute for about a minute
add salt and pepper (couple of dashes /grinds of each)
In an oven proof casserole combine the rice, fennel mixture, cranberries, sage and almonds. Mix well and heat through just prior to serving. I heated mine at 300 for about 35 minutes.
This is a nice nutty alternative to bread stuffing. GF (Gluten-free) bread stuffing sometimes turns to mush so I just cook this outside the turkey in a casserole dish.
Wild Rice and Fennel Dressing (my husband calls it stuffing, I call it dressing for some reason)
1 cup of uncooked wild rice (cook this following the directions on the package) - can be prepared ahead
1 fennel bulb - thinly sliced and then chopped up into pieces (not too small)
1/2 onion chopped into small pieces
3 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 and 1/2 cups of cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup of toasted sliced almonds
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage (or use a 2 teaspoons of poultry spice (or ground sage) if you don't have fresh sage)
saute the onion and the fennel in about a tablespoon of olive oil until soft
add garlic continue to saute for about a minute
add salt and pepper (couple of dashes /grinds of each)
In an oven proof casserole combine the rice, fennel mixture, cranberries, sage and almonds. Mix well and heat through just prior to serving. I heated mine at 300 for about 35 minutes.
This is a nice nutty alternative to bread stuffing. GF (Gluten-free) bread stuffing sometimes turns to mush so I just cook this outside the turkey in a casserole dish.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese
I make this quite a bit at home as we all love it. Serve with a salad for a complete meal.
Boil water and cook pasta until al dente - or just about done. I use an entire bag of the Rizopia brand Organic Brown Rice Elbows at www.rizopia.com. Once it is done, drain and set aside.
chop up one onion and put in a pot with about 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine. Cook until translucent.
Add 1/4 cup of brown rice flour (or your favorite gluten-free flour) and mix up
Add about 1/4 cup of milk and mix until smooth, keep adding milk until the mixture is smooth - all the while over medium heat (you will use about 2 1/2 cups of milk. The milk mixture should not boil.
When the milk is hot then add about 1 cup of shredded cheddar. Mix in the cheese and keep stirring until melted. The mixture should be thickening at this point.
I add a dash of nutmeg, salt and pepper. These are optional.
Once the cheese sauce is thickened (it it doesn't thicken add a bit more cheese) then pour over top of the noodles and mix up in an oven proof casserole. I grate some cheddar on top and then bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or so. (another option is to add chopped tomatoes to the top or throughout - very yummy.
Boil water and cook pasta until al dente - or just about done. I use an entire bag of the Rizopia brand Organic Brown Rice Elbows at www.rizopia.com. Once it is done, drain and set aside.
chop up one onion and put in a pot with about 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine. Cook until translucent.
Add 1/4 cup of brown rice flour (or your favorite gluten-free flour) and mix up
Add about 1/4 cup of milk and mix until smooth, keep adding milk until the mixture is smooth - all the while over medium heat (you will use about 2 1/2 cups of milk. The milk mixture should not boil.
When the milk is hot then add about 1 cup of shredded cheddar. Mix in the cheese and keep stirring until melted. The mixture should be thickening at this point.
I add a dash of nutmeg, salt and pepper. These are optional.
Once the cheese sauce is thickened (it it doesn't thicken add a bit more cheese) then pour over top of the noodles and mix up in an oven proof casserole. I grate some cheddar on top and then bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or so. (another option is to add chopped tomatoes to the top or throughout - very yummy.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Chicken and Black Bean Casserole
Chicken and Black Bean Casserole
This recipe uses the leftover chicken and potatoes from yesterday's roasted chicken recipe.
Slice up potatoes and place them in the bottom of a casserole dish. (You may want to put a bit of oil or non-stick spray in the bottom to ease clean up.)
In a separate bowl add:
cooked chicken, chopped up into bite sized pieces (I had about 1.5 cups leftover)
one tomato chopped up into bite sized pieces
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed (important to rinse to get rid of the sodium)
1/3 cup of salsa - or more if you like salsa
3/4 cup of frozen corn (or can of corn) - optional
Mix these ingredients together and pour over the potatoes
Top with grated cheddar cheese
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until heated through.
This recipe uses the leftover chicken and potatoes from yesterday's roasted chicken recipe.
Slice up potatoes and place them in the bottom of a casserole dish. (You may want to put a bit of oil or non-stick spray in the bottom to ease clean up.)
In a separate bowl add:
cooked chicken, chopped up into bite sized pieces (I had about 1.5 cups leftover)
one tomato chopped up into bite sized pieces
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed (important to rinse to get rid of the sodium)
1/3 cup of salsa - or more if you like salsa
3/4 cup of frozen corn (or can of corn) - optional
Mix these ingredients together and pour over the potatoes
Top with grated cheddar cheese
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until heated through.
Roast Chicken and Potatoes
This is one of my favorite ways to cook chicken.
Line a roasting pan or any other oven proof dish with foil (I always do this because I hate cleaning up the crazy pan mess.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Take about 4-6 medium potatoes and cut them up into 1 inch square pieces (this would be for a family of four and would leave leftovers). Toss them in a bit of olive oil - just enough to coat and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Place these in the pan.
Take a lemon or an orange - whatever you have - and cut slashes through the skin in several places. Place this inside the chicken cavity. If the orange or lemon does not fit, cut it in half and stuff it in. Some of the lemon will stick out.
Put the chicken on top of the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sometimes I rub a bit of olive oil on the top of it but this time I did not.
Set the timer for 30 minutes. When it goes off take the pan out of the oven and move the potatoes around to make sure that they are cooking evenly. Also - lift the chicken up and pour out the juices from inside the chicken into the pan. This will all cook together and make the potatoes extra tasty.
Set the timer for another 30 minutes and when that timer goes repeat the last step of emptying the juice out of the chicken and then moving around the potatoes. I also at this time, squirt some lemon juice over the chicken and onto the potatoes. You can use a real lemon or use "Real Lemon" from a bottle.
Back in the oven now for about 15 minutes - depending on the size of the chicken. Start testing to see if it is done. Use a meat thermometer for best results.
According to the website recipes.howstuffworks.com:
"For whole chickens, a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, but not near bone or fat, should register 180 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit before removing from the oven." http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/tools-and-techniques/how-to-cook-chicken8.htm
When it is done, take it out of the pan and sit it on a cutting board to "rest" for about 5-10 minutes. I usually make a little tent out of foil and set that over top to keep the moisture from escaping. At this time I put the potatoes back in the hot oven (which has been turned off) to keep warm and to mix with the juices from the chicken.
Carve the chicken - I like Chef Tell's way of carving chicken the best - http://www.mbctv.com/cheftell/turkey.html - in this post he is talking about a turkey but it is the same message for a whole chicken. Chef Tell was one of my favorite chefs on tv while I lived in San Francisco in the mid 1990s. I learned a lot from watching him cook.
We will often put the chicken back in the pan with the potatoes to serve. I learned this trick from watching Michael Smith - he is my current favorite. http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Main/Chicken/recipe.html?dishid=9638 - here he explains his version of roasted chicken. Fabulous.
Enjoy.
(see next post for how I will use the leftovers from this dish for something completely different...)
Line a roasting pan or any other oven proof dish with foil (I always do this because I hate cleaning up the crazy pan mess.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Take about 4-6 medium potatoes and cut them up into 1 inch square pieces (this would be for a family of four and would leave leftovers). Toss them in a bit of olive oil - just enough to coat and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Place these in the pan.
Take a lemon or an orange - whatever you have - and cut slashes through the skin in several places. Place this inside the chicken cavity. If the orange or lemon does not fit, cut it in half and stuff it in. Some of the lemon will stick out.
Put the chicken on top of the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sometimes I rub a bit of olive oil on the top of it but this time I did not.
Set the timer for 30 minutes. When it goes off take the pan out of the oven and move the potatoes around to make sure that they are cooking evenly. Also - lift the chicken up and pour out the juices from inside the chicken into the pan. This will all cook together and make the potatoes extra tasty.
Set the timer for another 30 minutes and when that timer goes repeat the last step of emptying the juice out of the chicken and then moving around the potatoes. I also at this time, squirt some lemon juice over the chicken and onto the potatoes. You can use a real lemon or use "Real Lemon" from a bottle.
Back in the oven now for about 15 minutes - depending on the size of the chicken. Start testing to see if it is done. Use a meat thermometer for best results.
According to the website recipes.howstuffworks.com:
"For whole chickens, a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, but not near bone or fat, should register 180 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit before removing from the oven." http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/tools-and-techniques/how-to-cook-chicken8.htm
When it is done, take it out of the pan and sit it on a cutting board to "rest" for about 5-10 minutes. I usually make a little tent out of foil and set that over top to keep the moisture from escaping. At this time I put the potatoes back in the hot oven (which has been turned off) to keep warm and to mix with the juices from the chicken.
Carve the chicken - I like Chef Tell's way of carving chicken the best - http://www.mbctv.com/cheftell/turkey.html - in this post he is talking about a turkey but it is the same message for a whole chicken. Chef Tell was one of my favorite chefs on tv while I lived in San Francisco in the mid 1990s. I learned a lot from watching him cook.
We will often put the chicken back in the pan with the potatoes to serve. I learned this trick from watching Michael Smith - he is my current favorite. http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Main/Chicken/recipe.html?dishid=9638 - here he explains his version of roasted chicken. Fabulous.
Enjoy.
(see next post for how I will use the leftovers from this dish for something completely different...)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sept 18, 2010
Pasta with lobster and asparagus
This dish is based on my friend's Anastasia's dish. She made it for us one night - delicious! She told me to buy frozen lobster in a can - and there it was at Superstore. It is a bit pricey at about $18 for a can but this fed 6 of us.
Saute until cooked, in a medium pan, with a tablespoon of olive oil:
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced into half rings
Add:
1 pound of asparagus cut into about 3 pieces per stalk
3 cloves garlic (put through a garlic press)
Once the asparagus has been in the pan for 3-4 minutes, add the thawed lobster. I cut up some of the pieces of lobster to bite size.
Add:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or use dried if you don't have fresh)
grated rind of one lemon
juice of one or two lemons
2 medium sized tomatoes cut into bite sized pieces
tablespoon of butter (optional)
Cook until everything is warm.
Toss the sauce with the spaghetti or fresh angel hair pasta and serve.
I put parmesan cheese out and it actually tasted good with the cheese (which I did not think it would given that this is seafood). Fresh ground pepper was also very good.
I served this with a soup to start - the potato/squash soup from a few days ago. I added some cream, cinnamon, cloves and allspice to the soup then served it with a yogurt sauce (yogurt, basil and red onion chopped up fine).
Dessert was "Anna's Country Spice Cake" from Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts by the Moosewood Collective (page 142). http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Moosewood-Restaurant-Book-of-Desserts-Moosewood-Collective/9780517884935-item.html
I made a rum flavored whipped cream - a cap full of rum and a teaspoon of sugar to go with it. Yum!
Pasta with lobster and asparagus
This dish is based on my friend's Anastasia's dish. She made it for us one night - delicious! She told me to buy frozen lobster in a can - and there it was at Superstore. It is a bit pricey at about $18 for a can but this fed 6 of us.
Saute until cooked, in a medium pan, with a tablespoon of olive oil:
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced into half rings
Add:
1 pound of asparagus cut into about 3 pieces per stalk
3 cloves garlic (put through a garlic press)
Once the asparagus has been in the pan for 3-4 minutes, add the thawed lobster. I cut up some of the pieces of lobster to bite size.
Add:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or use dried if you don't have fresh)
grated rind of one lemon
juice of one or two lemons
2 medium sized tomatoes cut into bite sized pieces
tablespoon of butter (optional)
Cook until everything is warm.
Toss the sauce with the spaghetti or fresh angel hair pasta and serve.
I put parmesan cheese out and it actually tasted good with the cheese (which I did not think it would given that this is seafood). Fresh ground pepper was also very good.
I served this with a soup to start - the potato/squash soup from a few days ago. I added some cream, cinnamon, cloves and allspice to the soup then served it with a yogurt sauce (yogurt, basil and red onion chopped up fine).
Dessert was "Anna's Country Spice Cake" from Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts by the Moosewood Collective (page 142). http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Moosewood-Restaurant-Book-of-Desserts-Moosewood-Collective/9780517884935-item.html
I made a rum flavored whipped cream - a cap full of rum and a teaspoon of sugar to go with it. Yum!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
September 12, 2010 - part 2
Squash Soup (trying to think of a better name...)
I am also preparing a soup to be eaten later in the week. This is a busy week and I will be home late almost every night.
1/2 acorn squash, peeled and chopped
1 cup of butternut squash peeled and chopped
1 onion peeled and chopped
I put all three of these into the pot with a bit of chicken stock in the bottom of the pan - on medium - I would have used a bit of water if I had not had the chicken stock leftover from cooking the butternut squash and fresh pea risotto.
Let this cook for a while until the squash is soft to put a fork through. Add some salt and pepper to the mixture.
Added two peeled, chopped coarsely, leftover baked potatoes (I had to use up four leftover massive potatoes today).
I added a teaspoon of chopped fresh parsley and sage - had them in the herb pot on the deck. If you don't have fresh then dried will do - maybe a bit less than a teaspoon each.
Add some water to cover the mixture - or chicken/vegetable stock if you like. Cook until everything is tender. At this point I let it cool and then whir it up with a Braun Handmixer. When I serve it - heat and add salt/pepper if needed. I often add plain yogurt when I serve.
Makes quite a bit - enough for dinner for four plus at least one lunch the next day. If the salad is not enough to fill everyone up I will sometimes serve with a slice of bread, toasted with cheese open-face.
Squash Soup (trying to think of a better name...)
I am also preparing a soup to be eaten later in the week. This is a busy week and I will be home late almost every night.
1/2 acorn squash, peeled and chopped
1 cup of butternut squash peeled and chopped
1 onion peeled and chopped
I put all three of these into the pot with a bit of chicken stock in the bottom of the pan - on medium - I would have used a bit of water if I had not had the chicken stock leftover from cooking the butternut squash and fresh pea risotto.
Let this cook for a while until the squash is soft to put a fork through. Add some salt and pepper to the mixture.
Added two peeled, chopped coarsely, leftover baked potatoes (I had to use up four leftover massive potatoes today).
I added a teaspoon of chopped fresh parsley and sage - had them in the herb pot on the deck. If you don't have fresh then dried will do - maybe a bit less than a teaspoon each.
Add some water to cover the mixture - or chicken/vegetable stock if you like. Cook until everything is tender. At this point I let it cool and then whir it up with a Braun Handmixer. When I serve it - heat and add salt/pepper if needed. I often add plain yogurt when I serve.
Makes quite a bit - enough for dinner for four plus at least one lunch the next day. If the salad is not enough to fill everyone up I will sometimes serve with a slice of bread, toasted with cheese open-face.
September 12, 2010
butternut squash risotto with fresh fresh peas
heat about 1 litre of chicken stock on the stove in a pot - keep this at just under a simmer
1 onion chopped
teaspoon of olive oil
heat the olive oil in a medium sized pot (on medium)
add the chopped onion and stir until translucent
stir in chopped butternut squash - 2 cups or so - cut into 1cm pieces
add 1 cup of Arborio Italian rice and stir until mixed with the other ingredients
add in 1/2 cup of white wine and stir until absorbed (in this case I added lemon juice and a bit of pink grapefruit juice)
Keep adding ladles of chicken stock into the rice mixture - letting each ladle full absorb before the next. If it is boiling in the pan then your pan is probably too hot.
When all of the stock is used and the rice tastes done (not crunchy) then you can add the fresh peas (frozen will also do fine) - about one cup. At this stage you could also add some parmesan cheese - about 1/2 cup would be fine, more if you want cheesier or less if not. Sometimes I don't put it in at all (especially for friends that can not eat dairy products).
Turn off the stove and take the pot off of the burner. Put a lid on the risotto and let it rest for a while until dinner is ready.
I am making this ahead for tomorrow night and will serve it with a green salad.
butternut squash risotto with fresh fresh peas
heat about 1 litre of chicken stock on the stove in a pot - keep this at just under a simmer
1 onion chopped
teaspoon of olive oil
heat the olive oil in a medium sized pot (on medium)
add the chopped onion and stir until translucent
stir in chopped butternut squash - 2 cups or so - cut into 1cm pieces
add 1 cup of Arborio Italian rice and stir until mixed with the other ingredients
add in 1/2 cup of white wine and stir until absorbed (in this case I added lemon juice and a bit of pink grapefruit juice)
Keep adding ladles of chicken stock into the rice mixture - letting each ladle full absorb before the next. If it is boiling in the pan then your pan is probably too hot.
When all of the stock is used and the rice tastes done (not crunchy) then you can add the fresh peas (frozen will also do fine) - about one cup. At this stage you could also add some parmesan cheese - about 1/2 cup would be fine, more if you want cheesier or less if not. Sometimes I don't put it in at all (especially for friends that can not eat dairy products).
Turn off the stove and take the pot off of the burner. Put a lid on the risotto and let it rest for a while until dinner is ready.
I am making this ahead for tomorrow night and will serve it with a green salad.
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