What's For Dinner?

I went and did a big grocery shop yesterday at Superstore and it was CRAZY BUSY as it was the day before Good Friday. I cannot imagine what it would have been like today. But I did have some great inspiration and I'm excited to share it with all of you.
I am not cooking an Easter dinner as there's just 2 of us, but I'm hoping to get some ham at my in-laws...

Yesterday we had pork tacos which were delicious. You really must try it as a change from ground beef as the sweetness of the pork really compliments the spices of the taco seasoning. Be careful when draining the grease from the pan though and don't flail like I do or you may end up with a second degree grease burn on your stomach (ouch!).
Next up we have steak pie. When I make steak or chicken pie, I don't use pastry. I make it in a 9x9 (or 9x13) pan and then top it with baking powder biscuit dough. I guess it's kind of like dumplings, but the dough is spread out across the filling like a crust. Baking powder biscuits are so easy to make and if you use vegetable oil instead of shortening, it comes together in a snap (using vegetable oil gives it a bit of a different texture and they're not as fluffy but just as delicious).
Next I'm making chicken Caesar wraps. Cooked cubed chicken breast seasoned with Johnny's Garlic Seasoning, lettuce, shallot, Monterrey Jack cheese, green pepper and Caesar dressing wrapped up in a whole wheat flour tortilla. 
Also on the menu is pork tenderloin served with potatoes and garlic/lemon broccoli. I'm drooling already.
I'm also making Orzotto (like risotto but made with orzo pasta). You cook the orzo in a large pan with chicken broth until the liquid is all absorbed (about 15 minutes), then you stir in some ricotta cheese, cooked chicken breast, caramelized shallot, bacon, orange and green peppers and some parsley. It is also good if you stir in some spinach sauteed with garlic and some tomatoes (leave out the peppers if you do this).
Now for a summertime dinner: Beef kabobs (with green pepper, red pepper, zucchini and red onion) on the good old George Foreman grill (the bbq is not in useable condition at the moment) and brown rice. Going to do a soya sauce, lime, sesame oil and chili flake marinade.
And last but certainly not least, chicken enchiladas. These are one of my all time favourites. Check out my first ever Featured Recipe for the recipe.

I hope this has given you some ideas for dinner.

Bon Apetit!

Featured Recipe

Pita Pizza. So simple, so delicious. The trick is to use thin pita. If you live in a place where you can buy Byblos Bakery Pita (it's a bakery in Calgary, AB and I know you can get them at some stores in Greater Victoria, BC), use that because it's the best. If you have kids, it might be fun to use the little pita pockets (see picture at right); if not, use the regular size ones. If you can't find Byblos, make sure you use a thin pita (I think Olafson's makes one). Then, top anyway you like. Below is my favourite combo.

Pita Pizza

6 pitas (white or whole wheat)
pizza sauce*
1 green pepper, finely diced
1/4 red onion or 1 shallot, finely minced
pepperoni
bacon bits (optional)
shredded Monterrey jack or mozzarella (or a blend)

Method:

1. preheat the oven to 425. Place the pitas on a baking sheet (you may need 2 sheets to do all the pizzas)
2. spread the pitas with pizza sauce. Top with pepperoni, bacon (if using), green pepper and onion. Cover with cheese
3. bake for 7 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees (so the pizzas that were at the back are now at the front) and bake for 7-8 minutes longer, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
4. let cool for 3-4 minutes. cut in half and serve warm

You may never buy frozen pizza again!

*note: we have discovered that most tomato sauces do not really agree with my husband, so we were looking at different sauces that we could use to replace pizza sauce and still have it taste like pizza. We used an alfredo sauce, which he said was a nice change, but we just recently tried this Butternut Squash pasta sauce by Dave's Gourmet (see picture at left) that we had in the pantry and it was spectacular on pizza! The flavour was similar to pizza sauce but without tomato. I almost like it better than tomato sauce. You have got to try it, if you can find it (Costco, I think)

What's For Dinner?

Dinner is my favourite meal of the day. I can be so much more creative than with lunch or breakfast and the possibilities are endless. So what's on the menu this week?

Making chili tonight. It's not really a "chili" kind of day outside today (all sunny and spring-like) but chili is good all the time. Chock full of peppers (a great use for a poblano) and onions and meat (no beans here). Yum! 
For some reason, my mouth really, really wants Kraft Dinner and meatballs, so I'm making that probably tomorrow. I found some really yummy Italian meatballs at Superstore and I know they'll go great with good old KD. Sometimes, you've just got to have KD and meatballs.
Other things on the menu: Pad Terr. A delicious combo of chicken and veggies (carrots, onions, peppers, beansprouts, bok choi) stirfried together with teryaki/soy sauce and wide Thai rice noodles. Not really a "classic" Pad Thai, but great flavours.
Craving spaghetti too. Classic spaghetti with meat sauce. I bought some ground sirloin instead of just lean ground beef (and the price was comparable) and I just know it's going to be good. They key to a really good tomato meat sauce is adding a teensy bit of white sugar. The sugar cuts some of the acidity/bitterness of the tomatoes and balances everything out quite nicely. The other trick is to use whole wheat pasta. It makes firmer pasta and the flavour is nice and earthy - you can eat less to feel full.
Parmesan chicken strips are on the menu too (check out the featured recipes section for the recipe). They're juicy, tender and crispy with just the right amount of saltiness. Serve with a big Caesar salad.
And lastly, pita pizzas (see today's featured recipe). The thin pitas give a nice crispy crust. My favourite combination is pepperoni, green pepper and red onion, but you can use any pizza toppings you like. I also spoiled myself and bought Kraft pre-shredded Pizza Cheese (mozzarella, provolone and cheddar) because it is just that good.

I hope this inspires you and gets those creative juices flowing!

Bon Apetit!

Featured Recipe

Strawberries are starting to appear on the shleves at the grocery store again and spring is on it's way, so it's time for a spring/summer recipe. I came up with these last summer and they are so amazing and so simple. I took them to my neighbour's for a bbq and they were a hit. Beware, these are addictive.

Cheesecake Strawberries

1 package cream cheese
250ml whipping cream
1 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 pounds strawberries
2 squares baker's milk chocolate

Method:
1. Whip cream with a mixer until fully whipped (if the bowl is cold and the beaters are cold, the cream will whip faster and nicer). Set aside in fridge
2. Beat cream cheese with a wooden spoon until soft. Sift in icing sugar (use a sifter so you don't get lumps) and whip into cream cheese. Stir in vanilla
3. Fold whip cream into cream cheese  and sitr until completely mixed and smooth. Set aside in fridge.
4. Wash strawberries. Hollow the strawberries out with a sharp knife (put your knife in at the edge of the green stem and plunge it about 2/3 of the way into the strawberry. Cut all the way around the green stem. Discard the cut out. You should end up with a "well" in the strawberry. Be careful not to cut all the way through; you want to keep the bottom in tact).
5. Put the cream cheese mixture in a large freezer ziploc bag. Cut a small corner off the bag (this will act like a piping bag. You can use a piping bag if you have one). Pipe the cream cheese mixture into your hollowed out strawberries. Place strawberries on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
6. Melt chocolate in a small saucepan stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Dip strawberries in chocolate so that they are about half dipped (this part is a wee bit trickey. It helps if you have a small spoon to spoon the chocolate onto the berries). Place on the wax paper lined baking sheet. Refirgerate for about a half hour until the chocolate has cooled.

That's it! You will not regret eating these.   

Featured Recipe

My husband always comes up with the best names for my recipes; I generally call them by the ingredients they're made up with. Today's recipe, for example, was originally called Garlic Chili Ginger Steak with Asian Vegetables; now it's called Spring Stirfry. Much better. It is called Spring Stirfry not only because spring is on the way, but because of all the colourful veggies and bright flavours. The beef could also be substititued for chicken if you like.

Spring Stiryfry

Stirfry
1 each green and yellow pepper, diced
I cup carrots, diced
2 green onions, minced
4 gloves garlic, minced
1 cup broccoli slaw
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 pound fast fry steaks (about 4 largeish) or 2 packages stirfry strips cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 beef bouillon cube, crumbled

Sauce
1/2 cup sweet Thai chili sauce (I like VH brand best)
1 TBSP thick teryaki sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
pinch chili flakes (optional, depending on how spicy you want it)
1 TBSP ginger powder
pinch cumin
pinch cinnamon
1/2 beef bouillon cube
2 TBSP corn starch

Method

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep pan or wok. When the oil is hot, add the carrot and cook for about 7 minutes (you want to add the carrot first because it is the hardest vegetable and takes the longest to soften). Next, add the green and yellow peppers. Cook about 5 minutes. Then add the beef. Season with salt and pepper, add the spices and crumble in half the bouillon cube. Cook, stirring frequently until the beef is mostly cooked (only a little pink left) and the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the green onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the broccoli slaw and the bean sprouts and cook for 2 minutes
2. Make the sauce while you are cooking the stirfry. Put all ingredients (except the cornstarch) in a small bowl and whick together with a fork. Add the corn starch just before adding the sauce to the stirfy and mix until completely dissolved.
3. Add the sauce to the stifry. Stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently until the sauce loses that "milky" look from the cornstarch and takes on a glossy look, about 5 minutes.
4. Serve and enjoy!

If you want, you can serve over rice or noodles but it is good just on its own!

Featured Recipe

Sweet Cinnamon Scones

I was just thinking about these and how delicious they are and how I really want one right now. They're also not too hard to make and are good in the morning for coffee break.
I found this recipe a little while ago and it comes courtesy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks website.

This recipe calls for cinnamon chips; if anyone can find cinnamon chips anywhere, PLEASE let me know and I am dying to try them!!

Here's the link to the recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/03/sweet-cinnamon-scones/

What's For Dinner?

So, I apologize that it's been over a month since my last post. February got really busy really fast. I thought of updating this many times when I was making my weekly/bi-weekly meal plan, but never got the chance to do it. Anyway, here are this week's selections.

Today was roast chicken with mashed Yukon Gold potatoes and Caesar salad. I really wanted to roast the chicken myself, but it was about $3 less to buy one of those ready cooked rotisserie chickens. Way less work too. This one was good and the meat was juicy and tender.
Tomorrow is going to be Glory Bowls - a warm bowl of tofu, brown rice, raw spinach, shredded carrots and beets and toasted almonds with a spectacular dressing (see my What's for Dinner post from Sept 11, 2011 for the link to the recipe from Whitewater Cooks) - with a few modifications: ground poultry instead of tofu, quinoa instead of brown rice and no shredded beets. The dressing is really what makes this dish and I am salivating just thinking about it.
Tuesday is gonna be fish 'n chips cuz we've had a hankering lately. The "chips" part has got to be those potatoe wedges with the skin on. Yum!
Wednesday is going to be a creation and I'm hoping it's going to work: garlic, ginger, chili beef with Asian slaw. I was thinking about garlic sauce beef that I had at a Chinese restaurant once so I want to recreate that but with a bit of heat from chili flakes. It's going to have a bouillon base I think and I may cook some noodles with it - undecided. We'll see if it turns out.
Thursday is dinner at my in-laws
Friday is baked lemon chicken souvlaki with Greek salad. I have a new recipe to try for the souvlaki because I haven't quite mastered it yet - I can't get the balance of flavours I want
Saturday is going to be lasagne because my husband requests it every week and it has been a while since I made it.

That's it for now.
Bon Apetit!