Featured Ingredients

So I'm trying something new. There are a few ingredients that I use quite regularly and I've come to the realization that not everyone will know what they are. So, here are my first featured ingredients.

1. Shallot. This little guy looks kind of like a really big garlic clove with papery, brown skin. The flesh is similar colour to a red onion. It also has a similar flavour to a red onion but is milder and a little more subtle. I use them in recipes where I don't want an overpowering onion-y flavour but also where the other flavours won't mask the taste. Try them minced on pizza or in a garlic/shallot cream sauce.

 2. Poblano Pepper. This is a chile pepper with mild heat and a smoky flavour. They come from Mexico and are commonly used to make chiles rellenos (poblanos stuffed with cheese and often coated in corn masa batter and fried in oil. Please order them if you ever go to Mexico. You will not regret it). I like to use them in Mexican inspired dishes such as chili or chicken enchiladas. When buying poblanos, look for ones that are fairly firm and with a shiny skin (as in the picture below), the same way that you would pick bell peppers.

3. Salsa Verde. This is a green sauce from Mexico and is served on all sorts of things: fish, tamales (chicken tamales with salsa verde is also something you should order if you ever go to Mexico), enchiladas, etc. It is made from tomatillos, jalapenos, onions, and sometimes cilantro. My favourite brand is Herdez and it can usually be found in Mexican/Latin import stores. It is not too hot, but does have some heat at the back of your throat. It goes very nicely with my chicken enchilada recipe.

4. Johnny's Garlic Seasoning. My mother-in-law got me into this stuff. It is a mix of garlic powder, Parmesan cheese and parsley. I have found it at Costco. It makes divine garlic bread (there's a recipe on the label) and is really good sprinkled on cooked zucchini and tomatoes. I use it in lots of things, in place of regular garlic powder, particularly when I want the garlic taste to shine.

These are some of my favourite ingredients. I hope you like them too!

Featured Recipe

I used to hate broccoli. I would pick it out of things or would choke it down with lots and lots of milk. As I've gotten older, I have realized there are worse things than broccoli and that it is actually really good for me. So I've had to come up with ways to make it more appealing to me. I have discovered that if I pair it with flavours I enjoy (lemon and garlic, in particular), it's not so bad. Here's one of those new ways:

Broccoli Slaw
Serves 2

1/2 package broccoli slaw mix (approx 150 grams)
2 TBSP mayo
1 TBSP milk
pinch of black pepper
1/4 tsp dried dill
1 tsp garlic powder (use Johnny's Garlic seasoning, if you have it)
1 tsp lemon juice

Method:
1. Mix all the ingredients except the slaw and the lemon juice in a small bowl. Use a fork or a small whisk to stir the dressing until smooth and creamy
2. Add the lemon juice and stir to mix (adding it after everything is mixed together prevents the milk from curdling)
3. Pour over the broccoli and stir to mix. Serve immediately.

This is also nice as a sauce for steamed broccoli

What's For Dinner?

I have to apologize that it's been about 3 weeks since my last post. Life has been crazy - but what else is new? Also, I haven't been hugely inspired, so that doesn't help. But, I have a whole new slew of ideas and hopefully they will inspire some of you.

Here's what's for dinner:

Chili. I love chili! It can't have beans though and, thankfully, mine doesn't. Just ground beef, red and green pepper, a poblano pepper (if I can find one), can of tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, oregano, tex-mex seasoning and a pinch of chipotle chili powder. On a cool, snowy winter day, not much beats a good chili.
Pork roast with broccoli slaw. I'm not a huge coleslaw fan, usually because there's way too much dressing and it's way too mayonaise-y. I'm also not the biggest broccoli fan, but I'm trying to eat more of it because I know it's really good for me. Luckily,  I've discovered that they have packaged broccoli slaw at the grocery store. It's broccoli stems, carrots and a wee bit of cabbage, all shredded up like coleslaw. I then make a lemon/garlic/dill dressing. Delish! (See today's featured recipe).
Pita pizzas. A favourite of mine and my hubby's and way cheaper (and probably healthier) than takeout. Thin pita works best here.
Beef Stew. Always good in the winter (see the recipe in the featured recipe section from a while back).
Turkey sausage with spaghetti squash "pasta." This actually almost tastes like pasta. I have a similar  version posted last month in the featured recipe.
I'm making my husband's favourite Asian inspired dish, Pad Terr. It's not actually really much like Pad Thai except that I used wide Pad Thai noodles. It's really just a mix of chicken, veggies, noodles and a teriyaki/soy/sweet chili sauce. Very yum. An excellent use for Bok Choi.
I'm trying something new this week, and I'm not sure how it's going to turn out: Pecan and sage crusted chicken. The flavours of sage, garlic and chicken meld so well together and I think the nuttiness of the pecans will compliment it well. Hope it turns out. I'm going to serve that with chicken broth infused quinoa. 

Bon Apetit!