Rice Pilaf with Pork

I have never made rice pilaf before. I was never the biggest rice fan but I am learning to be more open to things. I had some instant brown rice in my pantry and wanted to try something new (instant brown rice isn't really "instant" like white rice is, but it only takes about 10 minutes to cook as opposed to 40 minutes. What makes it instant is that it is already partially cooked, then dried. Plus, it's way easier to cook and you don't have to worry about wrecking it by lifting the lid).
I made this with pork stir fry strips, but you could easily substitute chicken or turkey if you wanted.
This recipe looks simple but it is hearty and full of flavour. I served it with a side of steamed garlic zucchini.

Rice Pilaf with Pork
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 package pork stir fry strips (about 500g)
1 TBSP olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 cups chicken broth1/4 tsp each dried parsley and paprika
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups instant brown rice
1 TBSP fresh oregano

Method:
1. Cut stir fry strips into small pieces. In a large, deep pan, cook pork in the olive oil over medium heat stirring frequently until fully cooked, about 6 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Cook the onion in the same pan that you cooked the pork in. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
3.  Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add rice, all spices (except the fresh oregano) and salt and pepper and stir until completely mixed. Top with cooked pork. Turn heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 5 minutes
4. Remove from heat. Stir in fresh oregano. Cover again and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir and serve.

Quick Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

This post is really hard for me to write. I learned yesterday that a colleague was killed in a car accident while she was on vacation overseas. She and I used to talk about food all the time and she loved reading my blog. I shared this recipe with her several years ago and it was her favourite. Every time she made it she would thank me for giving her the recipe and exclaim how good it was. So, Catherine, this post is for you.
My favourite kind of sausage to use in this is Capital brand turkey sausage,  but any kind of ready-to-eat sausage would work (kielbasa is yummy.)

Quick Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Yield: lots

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 TBSP olive oil
1 ring turkey or ham sausage, sliced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 each green, red and yellow peppers, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced stewed tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
5-6 heaping handfuls instant brown rice (or more, if you like)
2 pinches ground sage
2 pinches dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 good shakes Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Method:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan over medium heat. Add the chicken, onion and sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally
2. When the chicken is halfway cooked, add the peppers, garlic and all the spices. Cook, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, broth and rice. Stir until incorporated. Cook until the rice is done and most of the liquid is gone, about 15 minutes.   

Quinoa Stirfry with Chicken Thighs

This is what I made for dinner tonight and the hubby declared that it was his favourite quinoa dish I've made. Quinoa is so easy to make and I love that it's a complete protein. Plus, it's gluten free!This recipe uses broccoli slaw, which is a pre-made slaw mix of shredded broccoli, carrots and cabbage - it gives the stirfry a satisfying crunch and it's full of all sorts of good vitamins.

Quinoa Stirfry with Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 chicken bouillon cube
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 TBSP olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 green onions, diced
3/4 cup broccoli slaw
1/8 tsp each cumin, ginger powder and paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 TBSP soy sauce

Method:
1. Rinse the quinoa cold water. Put in a small saucepan and cover with 1 cup water. Crumble the bouillon cube into the water and stir. Cover and put over medium heat and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Resist the urge to lift the lid to check on it. Check after 15 minutes - you will know it is done because the grains will be translucent and all of the water will be absorbed. If it is not quite done, cook for 5 minutes more. Fluff with a fork and let sit about 5 minutes
2. While the quinoa is cooking, cook the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Cook the chicken over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, turning several times. You want it to get crispy on the outside but be careful not to burn it. The chicken should be no longer pin in the middle and the juices will run clear when you cut into it.
3. When the chicken is cooked, remove it to a cutting board. Add the onion to the pan and give it a quick stir. Cut the chicken into small pieces. Once the onion had been cooking for about 5 minutes, return the chicken to the pan. Add the green onions and stir. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the broccoli slaw, the lemon juice, the soy sauce and all the spices. Stir and cook for about 3 more minutes. Add the quinoa and stir. That's it!

Turkey and Ricotta Shepderd's Pie

My Mother-in-law inspired this post as she first came up with this idea for my husband's birthday lunch last month. The secret is adding ricotta cheese to the filling - it keeps it moist, helps it stick together and makes it amazingly creamy. She put crushed corn flakes on top of the potatoes under the cheese which gives it a nice crunch and it compliments the flavours very well - I didn't have cornflakes so I made it without and it worked fine. I would probably add them next time I make this.
This is my version - just made it for dinner and it was so, so good. Plus, it's gluten free, for those who can't eat gluten.

Turkey and Ricotta Shepherd's Pie
Prep Time: 35 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Serves: 4


Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 TBSP dried onion flakes
1/4 tsp each ground sage and dried oregano
2 tsp Johnny's Garlic Seasoning (or garlic powder)
salt and pepper to taste
300g light, extra smooth ricotta
3-4 large red skin potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 chicken bouillon cubes
water
2 TBSP butter
3-5 TBSP 1% milk
1 TBSP Johnny's Garlic Seasoning (or garlic powder)
salt to taste
about 200g grated monterey jack or cheddar cheese (or a mix of both)

Method:
1.  Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Put the diced potatoes, smashed garlic and crumbled bouillon cubes in a large pot and cover with water. Boil until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving 5 TBSP cooking water. Mash the potatoes. Add the butter and mix it in. Add the milk 1 TBSP at a time until you reach your desired consistency (they should be creamy and smooth but still fairly thick)
2. Meanwhile, cook the ground turkey in a large, deep pan until no longer pink. Add all spices and corn. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the ricotta cheese and the 5 TBSP potato water. Mix throughly.
3. Put the turkey mixture in a 9x9 square casserole dish. Top with the mashed potatoes and then the cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Blast under the broiler for 2 minutes more. Let sit at least 3 minutes before cutting and serving.

Pita Pizzas with Pancetta and Fresh Oregano

This recipe was inspired by a recipe I saw in an Australian Women's Weekly cookbook I have but the only similarities are that they are pizzas without tomato sauce (their recipe is just olive oil with garlic and mine is a white sauce with garlic/shallot) and include pork (theirs is ham, mine is pancetta), fresh herbs (they use sage, I use oregano) and cheese (their fontina to my mozzarella). So really, not at all similar.
I like Byblos brand pitas because they are really thin and have a great flavour, but use whatever pitas you can find (Byblos bakery is based in Calgary, AB and they distribute through out Western Canada so you may not be able to get them elsewhere).
Pancetta is Italian bacon, but please, please do not substitute bacon in this recipe. Pancetta has a different flavour and you will be disappointed if you don't use it. You can find already diced pancetta in the deli section of most grocery stores.

Pita Pizzas with Pancetta and Fresh Oregano
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Bake Time: 15 minutes | Yield: 6 pizzas

Ingredients:
6 whole wheat pitas
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
1 scant cup 1% milk
1 TBSP flour
150g diced pancetta
dash of black pepper and salt
2 TBSP fresh oregano, chopped
300g grated mozzarella

Method:
1. Cook the pancetta over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the edges start to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove pancetta to a bowl; keep the fat released by the pancetta in the pan
2. Cook the garlic and the shallot in the pancetta fat until very fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute
3. Add the flour to the milk and mix well
4. Reduce the heat under the pan to medium-low and slowly add the milk/flour mixture, stirring constantly. Add the pepper and salt (resist the urge to salt the sauce more than just a dash as the pancetta is very salty). Sitr frequently until the sauce is thickened and is a uniform consistency 5-7 minutes. Remove form heat
5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide the pitas on 2 baking sheets. Divide sauce evenly between pitas and spread with a spatula. Sprinkle pancetta equally over pitas, then the oregano, then the cheese
6. Bake for 7 minutes, then turn the pan 180 degrees (so the pizzas that were at the back of the oven are now at the front). Return pizzas to the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes longer (until cheese is melted and bubbly). Let sit for 2-3 minutes, then slice in half and serve

Pizzas before the cheese has been added

Finished product. Yum!

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

If you like chocolate and peanut butter together, you're going to love these. They're chocolate-y, peanut butter-y, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and totally delicious.
I wasn't entirely sure if there were going to work as they were an experiment, but they did and I'm really happy with the result.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Prep: 25 mins | Bake Time 10 minutes | Yield: 3-4 dozen

Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 squares semi-sweet baker's chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:
1. Cream together the butter and the sugars until smooth and creamy using a wooden spoon. Add the peanut butter and mix well. Add the melted chocolate (make sure it has had some time to cool because you don't want it to melt the butter) and mix well. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg.
2.  Add the flour and baking soda to the peanut butter/chocolate mixture. Blend until just mixed. Add the chocolate chips and stir until incorporated
3. Drop by small teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased, non-stick cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart (if your cookie sheet is not non-stick, grease lightly with a bit of vegetable oil or no-stick spray or line with parchment paper).
4. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-11 minutes. Check after 10 minutes - if the cookies are very puffy looking, bake for 1 minutes more (this will give them the crunch on the outside ad the chewy centre).
5. Let sit on baking sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 3 minutes. Put them in an air-tight container while they are still warm.

Be sure to enjoy one or two while they're still warm from the oven with a tall glass of milk

Linguine With Garlic Oil and Pancetta

 I made this a short while ago for dinner and it is amazing. I found the recipe in the book Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson (it is the recipe, in fact that made me want her cookbook). It is posted on her website and I thought I'd share it with you. It is so easy to make and so delicious!

The recipe calls for garlic infused oil, which I didn't actually have, so I just cooked 3 smashed garlic gloves in 2 TBSP of olive oil for about 2 minutes, then discarded that garlic and used that oil and it worked just fine.

 

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/linguine-with-garlic-oil-and-pancetta-188