Menu Plan for the week of Oct. 15, 2012

I feel like I've been in a rut for a while and had planned on trying 2 new recipes last week. Well, missing ingredients and busy kiddies changed that plan. I stuck to the plan pretty well but didn't make everything I wanted to. So I'm going to try again!! I'm also trying to get some baking in but I blink and it's night time. I really don't know where the time goes.


Monday - leftover spaghetti and meatballs

Tuesday - Baked Chicken Penne (recipe will come, I promise!)

Wednesday - Pizza

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - salmon, broccoli and rice

Saturday - pork chop bake (looking for a recipe!)

Sunday - BBQ (depending on coming sales)

Menu Plan for the week of October 8, 2012

So here is the menu that we are going to work with this week.
There are a lot of leftovers because it is just the 3 of us so we will be eating quite a bit of them LOL.

Monday - Garlic and Rosemary Pork Roast, with new potatoes and veggies

Tuesday -  Ham with potatoes and veggies

Wednesday - Ham, Broccoli and Cheese pouches (using leftover ham) - recipe to come

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - Baked Chicken Penne freezer meal - recipe to come

Saturday - leftovers

Sunday - hamburgers on the BBQ

Have a great week!

Family Reunion Potato Salad

A few years ago, we attended a family reunion for my hubby's grandmother's family. I wasn't sure I wanted to go as my son was only 3-4 months old at the time. But we went and I'm happy we did. It was nice to sit and relax and just chat with everyone. But I really enjoyed the food. And my hubby and I fell in love with the potato salad. It was incredible. We were able to hunt down the potato salad maker and get a "recipe".
I made it the summer of 2010 when we got the recipe but then I forgot it and and forgot all about it!!!
Until about 2 weeks ago. And of course, I couldn't remember the recipe. And I didn't write it down. Then something amazing happened. I heard the recipe. Yup, I really did hear it. My son was playing with my hubby's old cell phone and managed to get into the voice recordings on the phone and played my voice over and over again detailing the recipe. I was so happy!! I've made it 3 times in the last week. It's so simple. The potatoes are the longest process of the whole salad. If garlic and fresh dill are a favorite, then you will love this recipe.

Family Reunion Potato Salad
source: T family

new potatoes
mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
garlic, minced
fresh dill, minced
fresh squeezed lemon juice
salt

Cook your potatoes and cool them.
In a bowl, mix the mayo and garlic together. Then add the dill. Add in the lemon juice and a little bit of salt.
Taste test as you go so that you have a flavour that you are happy with. I tend to use 2 garlic cloves with about 1 1/2-2 cups of mayo. I use the juice from half the lemon to start. and then add a bit more until the mayo thins to the consistency that I like. For the dill, I use about 1 tsp chopped to start. I add more if I feel it needs it. And as for the salt, this is definitely a taste thing. We are a no salt house, so a little goes a very long way for us.

Once you are happy with the taste of the dressing, add it to your cold potatoes. I let it sit for a little bit before  the meal but really, you don't have to.

Happy cooking!

Menu plan for the week of Aug 20, 2012

Well I took quite a break from menu planning but now that we are settling in to our new house and vacations are over, I have to get back to it. When I'm not organized, I feel upside down. So it's back on track for us!!
On top of menu planning, I am also going to be planning a freezer cooking day. I want to try and have a few meals frozen for those days that are too crazy to get a fresh meal on the table. We are staying away from fast food and anything pre-made which makes things pretty crazy if I'm having a very busy day. I also LOVE grocery shopping, so I take every opportunity to shop several times a week but that wreaks havoc on the bank account. The menu planning and freezer cooking will make life a little easier and will help the pocket book!!

Monday - Chicken on the BBQ, potatoes, broccoli

Tuesday - Spaghetti

Wednesday - steak on the BBQ, carrots

Thursday - pizza

Friday - ragout de boulettes/meatball stew

Saturday - leftovers

Sunday - slow cooker pork roast (recipe to come)

Beat the Heat with No-bake oatmeal, peanut butter and chocolate chip bars

This recipe is a great option for some summer "baking". We do the same thing every year in our house, postpone putting in the air conditioner until it is unbearable. I don't know why we do it, but we do. We suffer and then when we crack, we put the a/c in. LOL. So yesterday was my cracking point. The kids and I were so crabby, and I couldn't do any baking because it was way too hot and sweaty. So my wonderful hubby put in the a/c. Ahhh. And what's great about where we live, it cools off nicely at night and is cool in the morning. So we don't need to run the air all the time. But before I had the a/c in yesterday, I was craving something sweet. I no longer buy baked goods so we needed something. I couldn't bring myself to turn the oven on, that would be a very cruel thing to do. So I found a great recipe from the Brown Eyed Baker (love her recipes - be sure to browse her site!) via Pinterest. The bars are great! They are on the sweeter side for me, but I just cut the bars into smaller portions which also means that they will last a little longer.

No-Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip bars

source: http://www.browneyedbaker.com

Ingredients

3 cups old fashioned oats

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 tsp salt

Line an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish with parchment and set aside. I used an 11x7 pan and it did a great job. You can also use 9x13 if you want them to be thinner bars.

In a large heat resistant bowl, stir together the oatmeal, 1 cup of chocolate chips, peanut butter and vanilla. Set aside. 

Combine sugar, milk, butter and salt over medium heat in a small saucepan. Bring to a full boil and boil for 2 minutes. The bubbles should be over the entire surface and it is best to put the timer on for the 2 mins. 

Immediately pour the hot sugar mixture over the oatmeal mixture and quickly stir to combine. Be sure that the oatmeal mixture has been moistened.

Put the oatmeal mixture in the parchment lined pan and press it evenly using the back of a spoon. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top and gently press them into the mixture. 

Allow the bars to cool for 30 mins at room temp, this will let them set. Using the edges of the parchment paper, lift the bars out of the pan and cut. Store in an airtight container for 1 week at room temp. Because of the heat in our house, I put these in the fridge and they were awesome cold!! Definitely an option. 

Happy baking!

Where I've been...

We just moved into our new house so it is taking me a little bit of time to unpack and get settled. But as soon as I'm all set, I will be back to baking and cooking up a storm!!
So don't go too far!!
And check back often!!

Happy summer!

Strawberry Galette

I love strawberries. But I love them so much more when it is strawberry season! I had some strawberries on hand that I didn't want to lose, so I was thinking pie. Then it hit me. I have some puff pastry in the freezer, let's see what this can do. I found a recipe that was so very simple with very few ingredients, just what I was looking for to showcase the flavour of our local strawberries. The site where I found the recipe (and another site she is an editor for - Simple Bites) is wonderful. The recipes are straight forward and the main ingredient is always the star. I urge you to check out her sites!!

Strawberry Galette
source: www.underthehighchair.com

Ingredients
1lb strawberries, washed and hulled
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
250g puff pastry *see note

Roll out your puff pastry, on a floured surface, to 1/4 inch thick. You can roll it round but I kept mine even simpler, a rectangle. Once rolled, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill for 30 mins.
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Slice the strawberries length-wise, 1/4 inch thick. Toss them with the sugar and cornstarch and arrange them on your puff pastry right away. You can place them in concentric circles or since I did my pastry in a rectangle, I did lines. And slightly overlap your strawberries, which ever way you choose to place your strawberries. Be sure to start placing your strawberries 1 inch away from the edge of the dough. Once they are all placed, fold the edge of the dough over the berries.
Whisk the egg yolk and water together, then brush over the dough. Now you can dot your berries with the butter pieces.
Place in the oven and cook about 40 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown.

*note: my box of puff pastry had 2 sections for a total of 397g. I ended up using both sides, making 2 galettes. I had a little over a 1lb of strawberries and it turn out great!

Menu Plan for the week of June 18, 2012

Hi everyone, I'm sorry that I've been MIA lately. I'm still baking and cooking up a storm but with it being so nice out there, I try to get outside with the kids as much as possible. Plus we are looking at houses, which takes up some more time...but no more excuses!! I'm also taking the "no more excuses" point of view on my eating habits. So this week, I made a point of eating a little lighter. Not all my meals are light this week, but I may still change them up.

Monday - Uncle Frankie's spaghetti sauce and noodles

Tuesday - Chicken and ribs on the BBQ (chicken for me!), salad, veggies

Wednesday - Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore (recipe to come)

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - Salmon, broccoli and rice

Saturday - Steak on the BBQ, salad, veggies

Sunday - Ragout de Boulettes / Meatball stew

Menu Plan for the week of June 4, 2012

This is going to be a bit of a crazy week, ok when is it not a crazy week LOL. But we may have an extra little person in the house for a day or 2 so I'm going to be having fun making fun foods for the kids.
We have our DD's first soccer practice of the summer on Tuesday, so it's definitely going to be something quick and simple.

Monday - Leftovers from the weekend

Tuesday - Broiled salmon, fun rice and steamed broccoli (maybe some salad as well)

Wednesday - Slow Cooker Chicken (a la criolla) (recipe to come)

Thursday - Hamburgers on the BBQ

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Chicken on the BBQ

Sunday - Pulled beef sandwiches (from a friend's blog - will link it up)

Mini Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins

I wanted to go out for brunch today but my hubby wanted us to go to a movie so we decided to eat somewhere close to the movie theatre. I opted, at the last minute this morning, to try a quick and easy recipe that I have been looking at for about 2 weeks now. It's quick in that you use a baking mix instead of complete "from scratch". I did find a "from scratch" recipe that I will try very soon, especially after trying these quick ones and loving them.
There are also recipes out there to replace the purchased baking mix, but until I use up my bought mix and try it out, I won't be posting it.
Ok, back to these cute, tasty and light mini pancakes. Love them. They took NO time to put together and baked up in 10 minutes. I will definitely keep these in mind the next time I don't know what to make the kids for lunch. The super fun part is dipping your mini pancake muffins into your bowl of pure maple syrup. We all enjoyed that LOL.

Mini Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins
source: www.kirbiecravings.com

Ingredients
1 cup of baking mix (I use Bisquick)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (approx. I just sprinkled some on. A little goes a long way)

Grease a mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. I used 1 pan with 24 mini slots. Preheat your oven to 350F.
In a bowl, combine the baking mix, egg and milk. Don't over mix, it should still have some lumps in it.
Pour the batter into the muffin tin, approx 2/3 full. Drop a few mini chocolate chips on each pancake muffin.
Bake for 10-14 mins or until a tester comes out clean.
Don't judge by the colour as the tops of the pancake muffins will be pale.

The mix made 23 mini pancake muffins for me. I'm sure I could have managed 24.
Next time, I will try a similar recipe totally from scratch. Can't wait!!

Happy baking!

Hot Wing Sauce

This recipe is from my brother who LOVES anything spicy. And any kind of spicy food. This hot wing sauce recipe has been floating around my family for a little over 20 years. I'm not sure where it came from or how my brother got it (did he make it up?) but I know that it's good. I've made it for quite a few Grey Cup parties and Super Bowl parties as well as every day get-togethers. My hubby even insists that I make it as a meal for him!! We BBQ chicken drumsticks and then slather on the sauce at the very end. There's always a ton of sauce leftover and he dunks the chicken in it before taking a bite. Way too spicy for me to do that, but I enjoy it off the BBQ or out of the oven.

Hot Sauce
source: my brother G.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups Red Hot hot sauce
2 1/2 tsp melted butter
2 1/2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
2 1/2 tbsp ketchup
cayenne pepper to taste (a little does go a long way)

5 lbs chicken wings/drumettes or chicken pieces

Bake wings in greased pan @350F for about 30-35min then broil them until they are brown and flip them. This takes about 15 mins. Or you can cook them on the BBQ (less mess lol). Now you are ready to add the sauce! For the oven method, I actually heat them in batches in a fry pan on the stove. I just add some sauce until they are coated and the sauce is heated. Transfer back to the pan (after removing the leftover grease) and then once they are all coated, I add a little more sauce and pop them back in a 350 oven for just a little bit. Not too long because the meat will fall off the bones before you can eat them. So maybe 10 min. I put them back in so that the sauce will "bake" onto the wings. If you are BBQing, just slather on the sauce towards the end of the cooking so that the sauce doesn't burn.
You will likely have leftover sauce which can be used for dipping. If you are BBQing, take about half the sauce outside with you to BBQ and keep the other half for dipping :)

note: We made these recently but I didn't manage to get a picture. I should have taken a picture of my hubby enjoying these but I don't think he would have been happy LOL. I will update with a picture soon as I know we will be eating these again!

Happy cooking!

Menu Plan for the week of May 28, 2012

I have to say that I am loving having my hubby home. But I don't follow my menu plan as much when he is home, which isn't that bad. But if I'm trying to work within my budget, then it's important to stick to it.
So I'm going to try my best this week :)  When I asked my hubby what he would like this week, his answer was BBQ. BBQ everything LOL. So that's the plan!

Monday - Hamburgers on the BBQ, raw veggies and macaroni salad

Tuesday - Italian Sausage & Chicken on the BBQ, rice, veggies

Wednesday - leftovers

Thursday - Pork chops on the BBQ, potatoes, veggies, salad

Friday - leftovers

Saturday - Chicken thighs in the slow cooker

Sunday - Steaks on the BBQ

Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

I came across this recipe while I was browsing Pinterest and it looked fantastic. I had some over-ripe bananas screaming to be baked, so this was perfect. I wanted something a little different to banana bread but still something soft and cake like (but not as thick as cake).

I had this recipe in the oven within 30 mins and it was baked and sitting on a cooling rack another 20 mins later. And it is incredible. Moist, soft and great banana taste. I think next time I will use mini chips like they suggest. I think my chocolate over powered just a little bit. I really love this recipe. You should definitely give it a try.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

source: verybestbaking.com

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (approx 2)
1 egg
2 cups mini chocolate chips (I used regular chips)

Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan with non-stick spray.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
In a large mixer bowl, beat butter, sugars and vanilla until creamy. Beat in the bananas and egg.
Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread into jelly roll pan.
Bake for 20-30 mins. or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a rack before cutting into bars (or squares).
These were so moist and full of banana taste. Just perfect and yummy!
Enjoy!

Happy Baking!

Menu Plan for the week of May 21, 2012

With today being a holiday, it was tough for me to sit and put together my menu. We enjoyed our day as a family, beautiful weather and lots of playing. It was the most perfect weekend!

Monday - Steaks on the BBQ with veggies and homefries

Tuesday - Chicken wings and drumsticks with HotWing Sauce (recipe to come) and some teriyaki sauce (recipe to come)

Wednesday - Steak subs, veggies and side salad

Thursday - Chicken on the BBQ, veggies, side salad and rice

Friday - leftovers

Saturday - Baked Chicken Parmesan (recipe to come) with pasta and some steamed broccoli

Sunday - Hamburgers on the BBQ, potato salad, veggies

Ragout de Boulettes or Meatball Stew

This is traditionally served during the holiday season back home, from what I've been told but I, on the other hand, serve it whenever. The kids love it and it is a great comfort food. Tender meatballs in a gravy served with potatoes and veggies. Very simple and very comforting. I have always made this on my stove top but I think the next time, I am going to give my slow cooker a shot at it as per the linked recipe. It's also very freezer friendly, a big bonus in this house!

Ragout de Boulettes
source: Recettes du Québec

Ingredients
3lbs ground pork
1 1/2lbs ground beef
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp allspice
1-2 tbsp salt (we aren't salt fans, so I used less than 1 tbsp)
3 cups water
1 small can chicken stock (aylmer or campbells)  *see note
1 package of St-Hubert's Ragout sauce
grilled flour (for slow cooker method)

In a large bowl, add the breadcrumbs and milk and let sit 10 mins. Next, add the pork, beef, eggs, spices and salt to the breadcrumb/milk combo. Roll the meatballs to about 1-1.5" each. Place the meatballs in pan on the stove top. Cook the meatballs and do not over crowd them. Cook them in batches as needed.
In a large pot, mix the ragout sauce, water and chicken stock. Heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low-medium and add the meatballs. Let them simmer, stirring carefully occasionally, for about 30-40 mins. Serve with potatoes and some veggies.
If doing them in a slow cooker, roll in some grilled flour once you have rolled the meatballs and place in the slow cooker. Stir together the water, stock and ragout sauce and then add to the slow cooker. Cook on low for approx 10-12 hours.

This recipe makes a lot of meatballs! Very good for family gatherings. Or you can cook them and then freeze them.
*note: I made my stock by using a powder and using half the amount of water so that it would be concentrated like the cans. It worked for me :)

Menu Plan for the week of May 14, 2012

I've got most of my week figured out, but the weekend is still up in the air a little. I'll be busy on Thursday to Saturday, plus it is a long weekend, so I'm not too sure what is up our sleeve just yet!!

Monday - leftovers from a wonderful Mother's Day BBQ

Tuesday - Chicken brochette, broccoli, potatoes

Wednesday - Salmon, rice and veggies

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - Uncle Frankie's spaghetti and meatballs

Saturday - BBQ pork chops

Sunday - Something with chicken (LOL)

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones

I think that this recipe is one of the first (if not the first) recipe that I tried from the www.onceamonthmom.com site. Their site offers so many different menus and recipes, such a great resource. This recipe was fantastic. It is fantastic!  I used it quite often during strawberry season last year. Since strawberry season is creeping up soon, I thought I would pass it along. Scones are so quick to prepare and bake. And of course these are freezer friendly. Can you tell that I'm slightly addicted to scones? I love them. It's a good thing that I put them in the freezer, otherwise, they wouldn't last longer than a day. Be sure to make a batch at the start of strawberry season so that you can take full advantage of the full season! This picture was taken with my phone, so it is not the best quality. As soon as I make a new batch and take a picture, I will update it!

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones
source: www.onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup almonds chopped (optional - I don't use)

Begin by preheating your oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Next, cut in your butter using a pastry blender until it resembles a coarse meal. You could also use to knives to cut the butter in.
Whisk the egg yolk and buttermilk in a smaller bowl. Now add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until the dough begins to come together.
Fold in the chocolate chips and strawberries (gently) and place onto a floured surface.
Shape and pat dough into a large square (I always end up with a rectangle for some reason LOL) and cut into to squares again. Then cut into triangles.
Put them on your lined baking sheet and then into the oven. Bake for about 12-15 minutes.
Let them cool before eating or transferring to a freezer bag.
To reheat, I prefer to pop them in a low heat oven. You can also pop them in the microwave.
Makes 8 servings

Happy baking!

Something for Hubby while he's away

My DH is Navy, so it happens often enough that he's gone on sails. This most recent sail was our longest yet. It's only 7 weeks and we've been away from each other longer than that, but it's always tough not being able to chat every day. And since it is only 7 weeks, I wasn't sure if he was going to be able to receive mail. So just in case, I decided to give him a package before he left. It had letters, drawings from the kids and quotes to last the whole trip. I made cards for the special occasions that would happen while he's at sea like his birthday and Easter. I made sure that he had something to open every other day, plus special occasions. Some days it's just a great quote that reflects our life with some little comments from me, others it's a drawing from our kids. I thought he would enjoy something to look forward to. And he has said that he loves it. He's also said that I may be stuck doing this for every sail LOL. I don't mind, he's so worth it ;)

It really didn't take much, just some time finding the right quotes. I searched the sentiment I was looking for (love, family) and with Google, I was able to select to view images. There were so many to choose from. I picked those that suited us best and just re-created them in a Word format using different fonts. I had lots of envelopes laying around with no cards for them, so I took the opportunity to use them up. I had previously bought the blank card/envelope sets from the Dollarama and used the cards for another project.

I know that there will be a next time so I'm already working on that. So many ideas swirling around!!

Happy crafting!

Menu Plan for the week of April 30, 2012

I'm going to be trying some new recipes this week. Mainly slow cooker ones so I'm hoping that they taste great!

Monday - Ragout de Boulettes (Meatball stew) (recipe to come)

Tuesday - Steak subs

Wednesday - Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore (recipe to come)

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - Slow Cooker Balsamic Pork Roast (recipe to come) with carrots and potatoes

Saturday - leftovers

Sunday - Spaghetti and meatballs with Uncle Frankie's Marinara sauce and Uncle Frankie's meatball recipe (to come)

Broccoli Salad

I am not always a fan of broccoli salad, sometimes it's way too sweet and I just don't enjoy it when savory foods are too sweet. So I make my version a little less sweet, but still very tasty!!
I picked up this tried and true recipe from my hubby's Tante Helene. She has a ton of family recipes and loves to cook, so she's a great resource for recipes. With summer just around the corner, I will be making this soon, so I will have a picture to add as soon as I do!
Edited April 30/2012: Picture has now been added!

Broccoli Salad
source: Tante Helene

Ingredients
2 to 3 broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup orange cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 lb bacon, cut into small pieces
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar (I start with a little more than half this amount and add more if it needs it)
1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Optional: unsalted sunflower seeds, minced red onion, craisins or raisins

Place the broccoli in a large bowl.
Mix the mayonnaise, sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Taste and add more sugar if you like.
Add the mayonnaise mixture to the broccoli and stir to incorporate. Add in the bacon and mix. Now add in the cheese and gently mix. If you were adding in any of the optional items, then I would add it at the same time as the bacon.

Happy cooking!!

Tzatziki recipe

While at cooking school, recipes were always circulating and being shared. A woman from another class had brought in her family recipe for homemade tzatziki and it actually sat in my book for a very long time. I decided about 4 years after finishing cooking school to give it a try. Oh. Em. Gee. This is incredible! It is fresh and wonderful. The strength of the garlic flavor ultimately rests on the garlic you choose, but even with varying strengths, it always tastes incredible. There is a little work to this, but definitely worth it. I will probably have to try this recipe again with the new Greek yogurts that are now available to see if steps can be cut out. Be sure to start your tzatziki the day before you need to it to ensure it's ready.

Tzatziki
source: M.M. via Sandra @ Little Bit Little Bite

Ingredients
3 cups plain Balkan yogurt, drained to yield 300g
200g sour cream
2 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
90g English cucumber, grated, drained
1 tsp salt
1 tsp canola oil or vegetable oil - do not use olive oil


Pour the yogurt into a clean cloth, tie into a ball and hang in the refrigerator over a bowl to catch the drippings. Let set overnight.
The next day, open the cloth and put the thick yogurt in a bowl.
Put a grater onto the same cloth and grate the cucumber over it (use fine section of the grater). Squeeze over a bowl to extract any water. Discard the water and add dry grated cucumber to the yogurt. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate.

Happy cooking!

Broiled Salmon

I love salmon. I haven't always, but when I lived next to the ocean on the West Coast for about 4 years, I fell in love with it. And it hasn't stopped. My favorite way to cook salmon used to be on the grill. But now, broiling it in the oven is my new fave. It's so quick and oh so simple, it's the perfect cooking method when you're time strapped. So this really isn't a recipe, but it still gives you a wonderfully quick meal, so I had to share. I will sift through my cookbooks to find a nice sauce to go with this. I used to make a vodka dill sauce for salmon, but I want to find something that is much simpler. I know that it will be dill based, because it is a perfect match; dill & salmon, salmon & dill. Yup, love it! And of course, I just love dill. I would actually set it out on my table in a vase like a bouquet of flowers. Fresh dill smells amazing! 

Not a great picture but you can see how there is nice crispiness to the salmon.

Broiled Salmon

Ingredients

salmon portions, debonned and skin removed

salt

fresh ground pepper

cooking spray

Set your oven to broil. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Prepare your salmon by sprinkling each side with salt and pepper. Place the side of the salmon that had the skin onto the baking sheet. This will ensure that your will get a little bit of a crispiness. Cook for about 4 mins. Flip the salmon over and put it back in the oven for another 4 mins. Flip them back over again and if you feel that you would like a little more crispness, put it back in for about a minute or 2 max. You definitely don't want to over cook your salmon, so keep a very close eye on it. Serve with rice and veggies.

Happy cooking!

Menu Plan for the week of April 16, 2012

Here's my latest menu for the week. And although it's late on Monday, I still want to get this out!
Enjoy your week!


Monday - Spaghetti with Uncle Frankie's Marinara Sauce and Buttery Garlic Knots (recipe to come)

Tuesday - leftover pork roast and spaghetti (not together LOL)

Wednesday - Lemon and Garlic chicken on the BBQ, veggies and rice

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - Calzones made with homemade pizza dough

Saturday - Ragout de Boulettes or meatball stew (recipe to come), with potatoes and veggies

Sunday - leftovers

Definitely a lot of leftover meals this week, but if I don't then I will end up tossing food and wasting it.
So more leftovers it is!!

Slow Cooker Pork Roast

Today was a busy day for me. I bake like a crazy lady on Fridays and Saturdays, package everything up Saturday night and then run to the market on Sunday morning for 8am, all with a 2 and 3 year old in tow. So when I come back on Sunday, I really don't feel like cooking a big meal but definitely want to eat one. So the easiest thing for me, is to break out my slow cooker. Now I love the idea of a slow cooker but for some reason, always chose the worst recipes to try and ended up putting my slow cooker away for quite a few years. Then I decided to try again. My slow cooker and I are now pretty good friends. Especially now that I have found a few good websites for recipes that I trust. But today, I decided to venture off and kinda do one on my own. I found a few recipes here and there, and decided to put my own together. And really, it's so simple that I didn't even really put anything together. It's quick and easy and really budget friendly. My boneless pork loin roast cost $5.65. And the rest is very inexpensive. I probably should have used a larger roast but I went with what I had on hand. I served it with some corn and baked potatoes. I think mashed would have been very good but my kids prefer baked. My mother-in-law loved this and so did I. My daughter loved the sauce so much that she was dipping her corn in it! Another winner here for us!

Quick and Easy Slow Cooker Pork Roast
source: Sandra @ Little Bit Little Bite

Ingredients
1 - 3 or 4 pound boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of fat
1 pouch of onion soup mix
2 cups water
few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper
for the gravy: cornstarch and water

I used a 6 qt. slow cooker for this roast.
Place the roast in the slow cooker. Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce to the roast and some salt and pepper. Measure 2 cups of water and add the pouch of onion soup mix. Stir and pour over the pork roast. Put the lid and turn the slow cooker on. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6.
Once done, remove the pork roast to a plate and tent with foil. Pour the remaining liquid into a small saucepan and put heat on high. Mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp cold water. Once the sauce has heated up, add the cornstarch mixture (or slurry in cooking) and stir. Your sauce will thicken. If it's still not thick enough for you, simply repeat the step above and create another slurry and add it to your sauce. It took 2 slurry mixtures to get my sauce to the right consistency.
You can either cut your meat and serve with the sauce or you can roughly shred your meat, put it back into the now empty slow cooker and then add your sauce. Mix a little and serve.

Happy Cooking!

Easy Homemade Pizza

I am a big fan of quick and easy recipes. I definitely enjoy the more elaborate recipes but now that I have kids, time is of the essence. I save the elaborate meals for very very very special days (hardly ever). Until the kids are older and more independent, I want to spend as much time with them as I can. When I find a quick and easy recipe, I usually make sure that I love it. And this recipe is quick, easy and tastes great. And the kids love it. What more could I ask for.
There is no kneading in this recipe. Just add ingredients, mix with a wooden spoon, let rest to rise and use. Yup, it's that simple. Freezes like a charm too!

Homemade Pizza
source: www.onceamonthmom.com (here)

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups of lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbsp granulated active yeast (not instant)
1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I use regular all-purpose)

Mix the yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil with the water in a large bowl. Add the flour and mix using a wooden spoon. No kneading.
Cover and let rest at room temperature for about 2 hours. When you cover, be sure that it is NOT airtight.
Use the dough immediately or if you rather freeze it, place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours and then portion, wrap in plastic and freeze in freezer bags.
To cook your pizza, preheat oven to 450F. Cook for about 15 mins.

This dough makes about 2 large, 3 medium, 4 small or 16 calzones.
You can also make garlic knots with it! Recipe to come for that soon!!

Happy cooking!

Menu Plan for the week of April 9, 2012

This week I want to be prepared for some big baking days, so I need to be organized and plan with lots of leftovers or easy meals. I haven't found a recipe that I would like to try yet for my slow cooker pork on Saturday, but I'm going to keep looking. I'll update when I have found something. Have a great slow cooker pork recipe? Please share it with me in the comments.

Monday - Ham and veggies. No carb with supper.

Tuesday - Salmon, broccoli and rice

Wednesday - Mother-in-law's cabbage rolls

Thursday - Steak subs with veggies and salad

Friday - leftovers

Saturday - Slow cooker pork, recipe to be selected

Sunday - Spaghetti with Uncle Frankie's Marinara sauce

Ground Beef Stroganoff

I found this recipe through www.onceamonthmom.com when I was looking for some easy to freeze and keep on hand meals. I wasn't sure how my hubby was going to like it, but when I finally made it, he said that it was out of this world. But I hadn't made it since. No real reason, I think I just forgot about it. Silly me. I was stuck the other day and not sure what to make. I knew that I had lean ground beef ready to use and then I remembered that I had mushrooms. Ding! (insert light above head here). I threw this meal together in no time flat. And it was a huge hit with the kids again and now my mother-in-law!!

Ground Beef Stroganoff
source: found initially http://onceamonthmom.com (here) but recipe
 is from http://stolenmomentscooking.com (here)

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced (I tend to do more of a mince)
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups beef stock (I used a light version)
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 cup sour cream (I used light)

1/2 lb egg noodles, cooked and drained (we used whole wheat, no yolk)

In a large skillet, add ground beef, onion, mushroom and garlic. Cook until the ground beef is completely browned. Add salt and pepper along with the Italian seasoning. Do not drain the liquid from the pan. You need it.
Stir in the flour and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Slowly pour in beef stock and red wine vinegar. Stir then bring to a boil and simmer until thickened.
Stir in the sour cream until combined. Add your cooked noodles and mix well. Remove from the heat.

To make freezer friendly - Once the sour cream has been stirred in, allow to cool completely. Place in freezer bags or containers and freeze them. When you are ready to eat, thaw the mixture and then reheat on the stove. Add in your egg noodles and mix.

Happy cooking!

Homefries on the side

We enjoy to mix things up sometimes. We normally like our homefries to go with our big breakfast but since it's rare that we eat a big breakfast, we decided to add homefires to our BBQ meals. And it worked out great! Since it is no longer for breakfast, I'm able to spice up our fries a little bit more. These are great with burgers, steak, chicken or any time really.

Spiced Homefries
source: Sandra @ Little Bit Little Bite

Ingredients
white or red potatoes
canola oil
chili powder
paprika
onion powder
garlic powder
dried parsley
little cumin
touch of cayenne
sprinkle of crushed chilis
salt
freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 400F.
Mix spices together in a bowl with some oil. You do not want the mixture to be like a paste. You want it to be a little more liquid.
Wash, peel (optional) and dice your potatoes.  The quantity of potatoes will depend on you and how many you will be serving. I tend to do a lot because I like to have leftovers. Please you potatoes in a bowl.
Pour the spice mixture over your potatoes and toss. Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven.
Bake for 45-60mins, turning halfway through.

I've tried these on the BBQ as well and they work great. To speed things up on the BBQ, I cook them in the microwave for a bit before adding the spice mixture. When I feel that the potatoes are close to done, I add the spice mixture then divide into foil packets. They turn out pretty good!

Happy cooking!

Menu Plan for the week of April 2, 2012

Yet another crazy week here. My son is sick and the rest of us are fighting it. So now I have to make some easy meals. I'm going to have to do a few freezer meals soon so that I have a few items to choose from. Freezer meals are a great way to make sure you have a homemade meal when you don't have time or energy. I know some people are able to make a lot of meals in one day so that their freezer is stocked, but I don't have that luxury. But I manage to make a few over the course of a few weeks. I'll have to sit down and plan a day for at least 2 meals for the freezer.
I still haven't had the chance to really sit down and organize a meal plan this week, so it may change as I come up with better ideas. Sorry for not being better organized this week. It's just so crazy.

Monday - leftovers from the weekend

Tuesday - Chicken fajitas

Wednesday - need to check my freezer and pick a meat. Otherwise, salmon, rice and veggies

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - Pizza as it is my DH's birthday and it is a tradition for us to have pizza. May be homemade or bought.

Saturday - Slow cooker meal, yet to be determined

Sunday - Ham, potatoes and veggies for our Easter Sunday meal

Honey Garlic Chicken for the slow cooker

With my busy baking schedule on Fridays and Saturdays now, it's important for me to have something easy ready for supper because I'm not going to want to really do much. So I found a recipe for the slow cooker for some chicken thighs I had in the freezer. I went to one of my favorite sites for anything slow cooker, http://crockpot365.blogspot.com. The author has a great variety of recipes to choose from and she also puts up a verdict of how her family enjoyed the recipe. Definitely worth browsing!
I made this while baking on Saturday and it was so tasty. It smelled great while cooking and the taste didn't disappoint. There is a sweetness to the chicken but not overpowering at all, just the right amount. And the chicken was nice and tender. I am definitely throwing this recipe into my rotation, too good not too!!

Honey Garlic Chicken for the slow cooker
source: www.crockpot365.blogspot.com

Ingredients
1 1/2 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey

Use a 4qt slow cooker for this recipe. If you are using a 6qt slow cooker, like I did, the chicken is going to cook faster. So with the 6qt, be sure to check after 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low for doneness.

Put your chicken into the slow cooker. Place remaining ingredients into a small bowl and mix. Pour mixture evenly over the chicken and cover.
Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours if using a 4qt slow cooker.
Serve with rice and your choice of veggies.

Happy cooking!

Tante Hélène's Vinaigrette and Salad

My husband's aunt (tante in French), Hélène, makes a wonderful salad that is great with anything from the BBQ. It could be used pretty much anytime but I always associate it with spring/summer and BBQ. She shared her recipe with us after one of our visits to their farm so that we could enjoy it at home! And now, I'm sharing it with you. It has a tang which of course you could lessen by reducing the amount of lemon juice you use, but to be honest, it's perfect with a mixed salad.

Tante Hélène's vinaigrette
source: Hélène B.

Ingredients

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil (I use the light version)

1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh

2-3 tbsp olive juice (from a jar of stuffed manzanilla olives)

freshly ground black pepper and dried parsley to taste

Whisk together and allow to sit while you prepare your salad to ensure the flavors blend. She actually uses an old mason jar or other jar that she has laying around (an old olive jar) and just puts it all in and shakes it, which is easy and convenient. 

For the salad, you can make it your own by adding or removing anything you like. It's really how you want it!
romaine lettuce

spinach

green onions, chopped or minced depending on your preference

broccoli, bite size

cauliflower, bite size

red cabbage, shredded
red and green peppers, diced
cucumbers, diced
shredded cheese
manzanilla olives, chopped
shredded carrot
insert your favorite item here!


Mix up, serve and enjoy!!

Happy cooking!

Chicken Pomodoro

I like to try and have some meals ready to go in the freezer for those days where I'm not 100%. I managed to freeze the sauce for this dish in January. And the other day, I wasn't feeling energetic. At all. I worked hard this past weekend baking up some goodies. I baked all day Saturday (and even in to the wee hours of Sunday morning) and then was up early on Sunday. So everything was in slow motion as I tried to catch up on housework. All I had to do was cook the chicken and add the sauce. I had originally planned to serve this sauce with shrimp instead of chicken, but with my DH not home for supper, I made it so that my kids would eat it too. And they did! Loved every bite!!

Chicken Pomodoro
source: onceamonthmom.com(here),  but the recipe is from here

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
2 - 15oz cans diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp pesto
1/2 lb chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (optional - you can sub with shrimp, italian sausage or even nothing)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic and pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions are nearly translucent, about 3 minutes.
While the onion and garlic cooks, pour the tomatoes (liquid and all) into a food processor, blender or bowl and use a hand blender (like I did). Process until coarsely chopped to desired consistency. (Process less for a heartier sauce or longer for a creamier sauce).
Add tomatoes and sugar to the skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until very fragrant and somewhat thickened.
Stir in the pesto and simmer another 5-10 minutes. Next, stir the chicken into the sauce just until warmed through. Serve over pasta (I used whole wheat).

Happy cooking!

Menu Plan for the week of March 26, 2012

So I'm a little late this week. I was so lazy yesterday after a busy baking weekend. I was lucky enough to have leftovers, so that's what we did. I am going to try to organize something a little better for this weekend as it will be another crazy baking weekend LOL. I'm on the hunt for the perfect slow cooker recipe for Saturday and that will give us enough leftovers for Sunday. Fingers crossed.

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Chicken Pomodoro (recipe to come)

Wednesday - Salmon, broccoli, rice

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - pork chops recipe (looking for an all in one dish)

Saturday - slow cooker chicken thigh recipe (to come once I find it!)

Sunday - leftovers

Steak Subs

Growing up on the south shore of Montreal, we were very lucky to have the second Belle Province restaurant in the now very popular chain. It opened in 1976 and I can still remember the small seating area with red stools. My parents weren't hamburger chain fans, but they were fans of greasy patate frites (french fries), steamies (steamed hot dogs), smoked meat sandwiches and subs. In the last few years, being away from the area, I have found similar places, but nothing matches those wonderful subs. Now this recipe is in no way close to those wonderful subs from back home, but is a result of having a roast out and not feeling like doing a big roast beef with all the fixings. So I ended up just slicing the meat thinly into strips with some peppers and mushrooms and adding seasoning. It has now become one of my go to recipes. The flavoring for the meat has changed slightly because the kids don't do spicy so well. But you can definitely mix a sauce that suits your tastes. I hope to be able to match those subs one day, but for now, this does a great job!

Steak Subs
source: Sandra @ littlebitlittlebite

Ingredients
inside or outside round steaks or roast (I usually buy maybe 2 small pkgs of steaks or 1 family size), thinly sliced into strips
1/2 green and 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 pkg of mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 an onion, thinly sliced (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Montreal steak spice
sweet BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's but really any BBQ sauce works)
Cheddar or mozzarella cheese, shredded
Italian salad dressing or sub dressing
lettuce, shredded
tomatoes, diced
rolls, panini buns, sub buns, sliced almost through the bun

I actually stir fry this mixture, so I start out with cooking the meat at a medium high heat and once it's almost cooked lower it to medium heat and add in the garlic. Cook for about 1-2 mins until fragrant. Next add in the steak spice,Worcestershire sauce and BBQ sauce. Add in your vegetables and continue to cook until they begin to soften being careful not to burn them.
Prepare your buns by adding some shredded cheese. Once the meat is ready, start filling up your buns with the steak mixture. I put a little more cheese on top, some salad dressing and then top as desired with lettuce and tomatoes. Now you could pop it in the oven for a little bit if you like before adding the dressing, lettuce and tomatoes, but that's up to you. For my kids, I simply cut up the meat and veggies to smaller bites and cut the sub into smaller pieces. It always goes over big.

Happy cooking!

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

I am trying very hard to eliminate any processed foods from my cooking and our diets. But this recipe is so quick and simple that it's hard to give up. I will definitely scour the net for a substitute recipe for the stuffing, as I'm sure there is one out there. This recipe takes no time to put together and takes only 30 min in the oven. It's also very tasty and both my kids devour this. They really do clean their plates on this one!

Bruschetta Chicken Bake
source: www.kraftcanada.com

Ingredients
1 can (540ml/19fl.oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained (I use Aylmer Accents Italian seasonings)
1 package Stove Top stuffing, chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 tsp dried basil
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 400F.
Mix the tomatoes, stuffing and garlic in a bowl until the stuffing is just moistened.
Place chicken in 13x9 baking dish or 3L casserole, then basil and top with cheese.
Next, cover with the stuffing mixture and bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.
Serve with some veggies and there is a quick and yummy meal for the family!

Happy cooking!

Menu Plan for the week of March 19, 2012

I'm really glad that I'm menu planning. I may not always follow it to a "t" but it definitely helps to make things run a little smoother around here and it also takes a lot of guess work out of dinner time. Since I am going to be  busy baking up a storm towards the end of the week, I have to be sure that I am on top of meals.

Monday: Chicken Bruschetta Bake (I haven't had a chance to eat this yet, that's why it's on my menu yet again)

Tuesday: Pork roast, veggies, potatoes

Wednesday: leftovers (there should be some)

Thursday: Steak subs

Friday: BBQ (if able to)

Saturday: leftovers (again there should be some)

Sunday: Pomodoro pasta with chicken or shrimp

Uncle Frankie's Marinara Sauce

I come from an Irish/French Canadian/Welsh/English background. So on one side (Irish/French), I have a very big, loud, bilingual, traditional family. Well, traditional in that we celebrate EVERY occasion with a big party and food. Lots of food. And add to this wonderful mix, my Italian uncle, Frankie. He can cook. Like really cook some amazing Italian fare. And we can eat. So it's a perfect blend. Now this recipe doesn't really have exact measurements, it's an on the fly, what are you feeling like today kinda recipe. And I love it! I make a big batch and then use it for every recipe that calls for a sauce. I use it in the baked chicken paremsan recipe and if I want a sauce with some ground meat in it (beef, turkey, chicken), I just cook up the meat, drain the fat, add some italian seasoning and then add the sauce. It's perfect every time! So without further ado, here's the recipe.

Uncle Frankie's Marinara Sauce
source: my Uncle Frank C.

Ingredients
2 cans of Italian tomatoes (Pastene or Primo), pureed in a blender
1 can of tomato paste
garlic (I tend to use about 6 cloves - use however much or little you like)
finely chopped onion (I use 1 small-medium, whatever I have on hand really)
Basil (fresh or dried)
Oregano (fresh or dried)
1 cup chicken stock*
salt and pepper
chili flakes, if you like a kick

*For the chicken stock, I tried the Campbell's ready to use stock and I didn't like the taste. So I tried using the powder from Loney and adding the recommended hot water (as per their instructions) and it was dead on!! Much cheaper on the pocket book too!

Sauté the onions and garlic either in a little bit of oil or spray the pot with cooking spray before adding them. Add in the pureed tomatoes and herbs. Next add the chicken stock and tomato paste. Stir it as you add to it to ensure it is well mixed. Let it simmer for at least 30-45 minutes on low.
Taste as you go and add missing seasonings, if any. That's it!! Very quick and simple! Oh and definitely tasty!!


Happy cooking!

Homemade Greek Vinaigrette

This is a recipe that I have been using since about 2000. I found it in the recipe calendar "Recipes Plus 1997" and gave it a try. Along with the dressing recipe, was a recipe for a nice salad. It was before there were any pre-made Greek salad dressings (that I could find) and the salad was exactly what I was looking for! Now, the salad was nothing special. Some romaine lettuce, feta cheese, veggies (tomatoes,cucumbers,red and green peppers, kalamata olives, red onions) and the vinaigrette. You have to remember to let your dressing sit because the herbs need to release their flavors and blend with the dressing. And so worth the wait! The flavor is fantastic and I love eating it because there are no preservatives or additives. Take the time to make this dressing, you will love it too!

Greek Salad Lemon Vinaigrette

source: Recipes Plus 1997 calendar

Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil (extra virgin or I prefer light)
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp each of dried oregano, dried thyme and salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Whisk together all ingredients. Allow vinaigrette to sit so herbs can blend. I would make it first thing in the morning for an afternoon salad.

Enjoy!
Happy cooking!

A Pennant Banner

I have seen these cute material banners in people's pictures and on Pinterest. And since I will be doing a small type of business venture soon, I thought it would be a great addition to our set up. So I set out to make it. I picked up some material, you don't need much of it. I actually picked up some fat quarters and then some material from the discount shelves. I'll be honest, I didn't want to invest too much into decor as I really want my food to speak for itself! But of course the perfectionist side of me wants everything to be perfect and I think that decorating the table may help draw positive attention.
I was thinking spring/summer when I went to the fabric store, so that led me to pick these 4 different patterns.

Aren't they great spring colours?! I love them so much! 

I tried a few different sizes of triangles for the pennants and cut out the size I wanted onto a cardstock. I used my rotary cutter and mat to cut them out from the material. I am not making a huge banner, so I only needed 2 pennants of each colour. You need 2 pieces (front and back) per pennant. Put them wrong sides together and sew down one side, pivot at the tip and then back up. That's it! No need to sew across the top as it will closed up by the bias tape.

Then I pinned them to an extra wide bias tape that I had on hand. You could also use a wide ribbon, use what you have on hand. If you want a longer banner, then you will need more pennants. I placed the pennants on the inside of the bias tape and pinned them, slightly overlapping. And then I sewed down the bias tape and done! It didn't take long at all.

Once I have a picture of it pinned up at our table, I will definitely update this post to include it!

Happy crafting!

Menu Plan for the week of March 12, 2012

With my hubby being home for 3 days this week, our meals are going to be a little different because I will actually be able to prepare a little more or use the BBQ a little more. And we may stray from the menu more often than usual. So here's a "plan" for this week

Monday - Hamburgers on the BBQ

Tuesday - Pork or Steak on the BBQ, potatoes and veggies

Wednesday - Quesadillas

Thursday - Salmon, rice and veggies

Friday - Bruschetta Chicken bake, veggies, rice

Saturday - leftovers

Sunday - lasagna

So this is the plan. I'm sure it will change but I have a guideline to go by.

Have a great week!

Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars

Here is another wonderful recipe that I found while browsing Pinterest. It is simple and it tastes wonderful. The site where I found the recipe suggested it for an Easter dessert. I have to agree, this would make a wonderful addition to any Easter meal. We usually have a cabane à sucre (sugar shack) Easter meal. No real surprise having grown up on the south shore of Montreal and yearly school trips and family trips to local cabanes. When I was pregnant with my son and my daughter was too young to sit through a meal at the cabane, I decided to change our usual Easter ham family meal into a cabane à sucre. Only real maple syrup, pancakes, scrambled eggs, homefries, bacon, ham, homemade baked beans, sausage and I'm sure there are some other treats in there. If I had this recipe, it would have been right in there. The carrot cake base has a wonderful spice to it and of course the creaminess of the cheesecake blends so well. I think the only thing that I may change the next time I make this (and it has been strongly suggested by my husband that it be made very often), I would use a homemade version of the cream cheese frosting. Once I find one that I love, I will definitely share. So enjoy every bite!

Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars
source: Sweet Treats & More

Ingredients
For the carrot cake base
1 box Betty Crocker carrot cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), soft

For the cheesecake layer
16 oz cream cheese, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

For frosting (optional but I highly recommend)
Pre-made cream cheese frosting (I used Betty Crocker's version)

Preheat the oven to 350F.
For the base: Beat the cake mix, egg and butter until it becomes a thick dough. Press into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Set aside while you work on the cheesecake layer.

For the cheesecake: In a medium sized bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla and continue beating until creamy and smooth.
Pour the cheesecake mixture over the base in the pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the edges start to pull away from the pan. Let them cool completely.
Cut into squares and top each square with a generous dollop of frosting.

Happy baking!

Chicken brochettes and rice pilaf (and lemon potatoes)

I grew up in Montreal where we have a very diverse mix of cultures, which I love. It allowed me to learn so much and to taste so many different foods. One of my favourites is Greek. I just LOVE it!! And when I moved to Eastern Ontario, we found a great restaurant that does great Greek fare, Philos. Now that we are out East, I haven't found a great place. We have tried 2 places so far; one was an "it's Ok" kinda place and the other was an "um never again". There is one other place that we have yet to try, but going out to eat is on the back burner for the moment. In the meantime, I managed to find some recipes for one of our favourite meals: chicken brochettes, rice pilaf, lemon potatoes and a little salad. We did pasta salad this time but usually it is a romaine salad with lots of colour: red peppers, black olives, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onions and feta cheese. I simply replaced the lettuce with some fusilli pasta. And of course, you have to have the best tzatziki (or close to it). I have a great recipe for that too...but a later post will come with the recipe. For this meal, we used the Skotidakis brand found at Costco, it was great. There is some preparation that goes with this meal, but so worth it in the end. Allow for 3-6 hours for your chicken to marinate. I started my recipe late but lucky enough, DH worked late so the chicken marinated for close to 4 hours. And as DH put it, this is restaurant chicken! LOL, so worth it.
Note: I unfortunately don't have any pictures for this meal yet. We ate so late the day it was made, that pictures weren't an option. But I will update with some pics once we have this meal again.

Chicken Brochettes
source: thebestmomontheblock.blogspot.com

Ingredients
4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
skewers (we have metal skewers for the BBQ or you could use wooden ones soaked in water)

For the marinade, combine the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano and thyme in a large resealable zippered bag or in a bowl and add your chicken. Marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours. I flipped my bag every so often while marinating. Heat the grill and skewer the chicken once marinated. Grill for about 3-4 mins each side (I did 3-4 sides - I wanted some BBQ flavour on all parts of my chicken LOL).

Rice Pilaf
source: thebestmomontheblock.blogspot.com

Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 med carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
3 cups of chicken stock or water
kosher salt to taste

Heat the oil in a pot and add the onion, carrot, celery and zucchini and sauté for a few minutes. Add the oregano, thyme and salt. Now add the rice and stir to brown for about 2 minutes. Add the stock, stir and cover. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is light and fluffy (about 20 minutes). ** This makes a lot of rice!

Lemon Potatoes
source: Australian Women's Weekly cookbook

Ingredients
(recipe is easily halved)
12 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice (fresh is best)
1 1/2 tbsp grated lemon rind
2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp dried thyme
fresh ground black pepper and salt

Preheat oven to 400F. Place diced potatoes in a bowl. Combine remaining ingredients. Once combined, pour over potatoes and stir well to coat. Place potatoes on rimmed  baking sheet and cook for 50 mins. I checked for doneness at 40 mins as my oven seems to cook faster.

Serve this meal along side a nice greek salad (romaine salad, tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, peppers, feta cheese and some Greek salad dressing) and some extra tzatziki of course!

Happy cooking!

Mini Kiss Pies

While browsing Pinterest, I came across this cute idea to use up some kiss chocolates that I had leftover from the holidays. You could actually use any kind of kiss chocolate, but we had the plain variety so I went with that. I can only imagine what the caramel ones would be like!! It also calls for pre-made pie dough which speeds the process up quite a bit. If I had pie dough in my freezer, I would have used it, but I didn't. So I picked up the refrigerated box variety and although it wasn't the same as the homemade stuff, it was good! The pies were gobbled up, nothing left!

Mini Kiss Pies
source: www.picky-palate.com

Ingredients
1 pie crust, thawed (a refrigerated package contains 2 crusts, so if you make both double the amounts)
16 - 18 kiss chocolates (your choice of flavor)
1 egg white whisked with 1 tbsp of water
granulated sugar
powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to 350F. Unroll your dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it if necessary. I used a 3 inch circle cookie cutter to cut my circles., but you could simply use a knife. Fold so opposite sides meet at the tip of the kiss and pinch together. Then fold the other 2 opposite sides and pinch at the tip. Now press the edges together to form a criss-cross. Continue cutting dough and re-rolling until you have used up all your dough.
Brush the mini pies with the egg wash and then sprinkle with some granulated sugar. Place onto a baking sheet with a baking liner or parchment paper. Bake for 20-28 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Dust with some powdered sugar and serve.

Happy baking!

Quick and Easy Greek Pasta Salad

This salad is a big favorite in our house, whether it's summer or winter, it really makes no difference. To make this salad come together a little quicker, I have opted for a bottled salad dressing, but if you have the time, you can definitely use your own salad dressing mix. I do have a great Greek homemade salad dressing, I'll have to dig it out and share it! This salad is a hit wherever we go. It is my go to salad for picnics or BBQs in the summer, basically I offer to bring it wherever we go and it's always welcomed LOL. There are no exact amounts, it's basically however much you choose to make. So pick and choose what you like and add however much of it you like. And of course, enjoy!!

Greek Pasta Salad
source: Margaret, Randee and Sandra

Ingredients
cooked and cooled fusilli noodles or radiator noodles (I use about half a box for us which lasts quite a few days)
bottled Greek salad dressing (I use Kraft Greek Feta and Oregano light salad dressing)
chopped red and green peppers (I use about 3/4 of each colour)
chopped and peeled cucumber (I use about 1/2 a small cucumber)
sliced kalamata olives
chopped red onions
halved grape tomatoes
diced or crumbled feta cheese

Once you have allowed your noodles to cool for a bit, add some of the dressing and toss with the noodles. Add in the veggies you have chosen to use and some feta. Toss again. You may need to add more dressing, I always do. And you may need to add more dressing when you serve it. The noodles LOVE to soak up the salad dressing. And voila! A fantastic salad with a ton of veggies!! Both my 2 and 3 year old love this salad and  always ask for more!

Happy Cooking!

Menu Plan for the week of March 5th

I am making this an easy week on myself as I'm my 3yo is sick and my DH will be busy with work. So it is a very simple meal plan this week. Things that take next to no time to make, which is just perfect this week.

Monday - leftovers from the weekend

Tuesday - Salmon, rice pilaf, broccoli

Wednesday - chicken fajitas

Thursday - spaghetti with Uncle Frankie's marinara sauce

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Homemade pizza

Sunday - roast beef, veggies and mashed potatoes

Have a great week!

Ham, Egg and Cheese Cups

These days, I'm seeing so many recipes to make in muffin tins. And they all look wonderful! I can't wait to try them as the days go on. I started with a very simple and straight forward cup recipe. I love big breakfasts but hate that the person doing the cooking is usually the last to eat while everyone else is done. So, I have been trying to find different ways to beat this as I love sitting together as a family to eat our meals. Some tips that I've come to use to help with this: cook the bacon in the oven leaving stove top space, when cooking pancakes or French toast - I keep them warm in a low heat oven and serve all at the same time and have a great partner to help in the kitchen :)
And of course, cooking your eggs in a muffin tin is another. You can do almost anything with this recipe and change it however you like. I have frozen these (my Dad LOVED them) and I also keep them in the fridge for the week for a quick and hearty breakfast for my hubby. You can also put one of the egg cups between a toasted English muffin for one of those famous breakfast sandwiches. Very tasty!

Ham, Egg and Cheese Cups
source: not really one recipe as it is all over the internet!

Ingredients
6 eggs
6 slices deli ham
shredded cheese
(options include: chopped peppers, chopped mushrooms, all sorts of cheeses, salsa, hot sauce and the list goes on!)

   Preheat your oven to 350F. Spray your muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Line each cup with a slice of ham. Once that's done, crack an egg into each cup. Use a fork to break the yolk. You don't want to try and whisk it with the fork as it will make a nice mess. Trust me LOL. Sprinkle the top of each cup with some cheese. How much is really up to you. And that's it!! Pop the muffin tin into the pre-heated oven and set your timer for 20 minutes. Now you have time to make the toast or prepare an English muffin for a great breakfast sandwich.

Happy cooking!

Baked Chicken Parmesan - nice and light!

I am on a quest to lighten up our menus at home. I know that not all of my recipes will be light but I will try to add more to our favourites list. And for those recipes that aren't "light", I usually change up what I can for lighter versions.
I have quite the collection of new and old cookbooks (healthy and not), and I want to put them to good use. But before I head to those, I thought I would share a recipe from a great site that has incredibly flavourful recipes, www.skinnytaste.com. It is wonderful! Be sure to check out her light recipes, both savoury and sweet. I decided to make chicken paremsan as I was totally craving my Uncle Frankie's marinara sauce (it's to die for) and chicken of course ;)
There are a few steps to the process but definitely worth it.

Baked Chicken Paremsan
source: www.skinnytaste.com

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts halves, sliced in half
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup light mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup marinara sauce
cooking spray

   Preheat the oven to 450F. Spray a large baking sheet lightly with spray.
   Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in bowl. Melt the butter in another bowl. Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumbs mixture. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.
   Lightly spray a little more cooking oil in top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, spoon sauce over chicken and top it with some shredded cheese. Bake another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
I served this with a little pasta on the side with some marinara sauce and a salad.

Happy Cooking!

Menu Plan for the Week of February 27, 2012

Wow another week already!! I have a lot planned for the week but I'm not sure how much of it I am going to get through. I'm just going to do what I can. With all the stuff that I have to get done, planning my meals takes some guess work out of supper time making me less stressed. On top of my meal plans, this week I will be making some tacos in sleeping bags to freeze and some zero point soup for me. And of course in addition to all this, I am working on various sweets recipes, getting them ready and deciding which ones I will be selling. Yes, I am finally going to sell my baking. More on this in another post though. Back to the task at hand, this week's menu. Nothing really over the top, but there is one new recipe for us: chicken souvlaki, rice pilaf and lemon potatoes.
It's going to be a good week!!

Monday: Ham dinner (was supposed to be Sunday but it didn't happen), potatoes, broccoli

Tuesday: Chicken Souvlaki, rice pilaf, lemon potatoes, salad and maybe a veggie (recipe to come)

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: BBQ Steaks (salmon for the kids), baked potato, carrots, salad

Friday: Homemade Pizza (recipe to come)

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Open for suggestions :)

Have a great week!