Salad Dressing Chicken

I used catalina salad dressing here but honestly I think most any salad dressing would give you a moist and flavourful chicken.

Ingredients:

6 chicken pieces (3 legs, split)
catalina salad dressing, enough to coat chicken
1 tsp dry basil
1 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Place the chicken in a baking dish and slather with catalina dressing. 

Sprinkle with basil, oregano and garlic powder and pop in a 425F oven for 30 minutes.

Spoon juices from the dish over the chicken and return to the oven an additional 10-15 minutes.

Look in your fridge.... what salad dressings do you have?

Kale Smothered Pork Chops and Potatoes

In this one pot wonder the pork is so flavourful and the sliced potatoes are like a scalloped potato without the heaviness of an au gratin.

Ingredients:

3 pork chops
salt, pepper and sage to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 or 5 red potatoes, peel on and sliced 1/4" or thinner
2/3 cup white wine
1 tsp dry rosemary
1 1/2 cups chopped kale
fresh parsley

Season the pork with salt, pepper and sage and brown in olive and veg oil, then remove to a plate.

If needed, add a little more oil to the pan and gently brown the onions and green pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the minced garlic.

Move this mixture over and place the pork back in the pan and spoon the onions, etc over the meat. Layer potato slices on top and liberally sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary.
Pour the wine in at the side of the pan and cook covered on medium low heat for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes spoon some of the juices over the potatoes and add the kale. Cover and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Serve topped with fresh parsley and some homemade applesauce.

Tuscan Pasta and Beans

If you have time to cook pasta, you have time for this meat free meal. Of course, adding chicken to it would be great too but not necessary as this is a pretty complete meal in itself.

Ingredients:

500g pasta
2 tbsps olive oil
2 tbsps butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 can romano beans, drained and rinsed (or kidney, navy)
1  1/2 cups chopped kale
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 heaping tbsps nutritional yeast (optional)
3 tbsps chopped fresh parsley

Well here's a neat little trick I learned. When you have a bunch of cherry tomatoes (or grapes) to cut in half lay them between 2 plastic lids, hold the top one firmly and slice through with a sharp knife. Cuts the  slicing time in half! See what I did there ; )

Get the pasta cooking then heat olive oil and butter on low in a large frying pan. Add garlic, sauté 1 minute, then add the kale and tomatoes. Continue until the tomatoes begin to release their juices, 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the beans, salt and pepper, half the cheese and nutritional yeast if you are using it.

Toss the cooked pasta into the bean mixture and serve with the remaining parmesan and fresh parsley. Or you could just toss all the parmesan into the mix. I think next time I make this I'll add some sun dried tomatoes as well!

Serves 4-6

Adapted from robinglancenutrition.com

Pan Seared Asian Tuna

Albacore tuna ... it's high in protein and it has the highest heart-healthy Omega 3 fatty acids in the tuna family. As if you needed an excuse to love tuna!

Ingredients:

3 albacore tuna steaks
salt and lemon pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup soya sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp poppy seeds
2 tbsps vegetable oil
fresh chopped parsley to garnish

First rinse and pat dry the tuna steaks with a paper towel, then salt and lemon pepper to taste.

Mix garlic, lemon juice, soya sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds and poppy seeds together and coat tuna in marinade.

Marinate 30 minutes in fridge. Not longer as it will start to "cook".

Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan to medium high.
Cook tuna steaks on both sides each 4-5 minutes, a bit less if you like your tuna pink. My husband would prefer it cooked right through (too dry) and my daughter would probably eat it raw right out of the wrapping (don't do that!) So I try to strike a balance.  I know, I could start his first, add hers last, but...

Anyways, once cooked to your liking serve garnished with parsley, and maybe more sesame and poppy seeds.

Lemony Halloumi, Chickpeas and Lentils

So Canada's new food guide came out yesterday and it looks like meat and dairy are taking a back seat to plant based foods. This zesty vegetarian meal follows the rules, well maybe should have had only one piece of halloumi. Oops!

Ingredients:

200 g dried split lentils
2 lemons
1 red onion, finely sliced
3 tbsps olive oil
pinch of oregano
3 tbsps capers, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, grated
541 g can chick peas, rinsed and drained
250 g cooked beets (fresh or canned), cut into sticks
1/2 pack fresh parsley, roughly chopped
200 g halloumi, cut into 6-8 slices

Rinse and drain the dried lentils 3 or 4 times, then cook following package directions, about 10 or 15 minutes. While they cook zest 1 lemon to be used later with the halloumi. Set aside.  Squeeze the juice from the lemon into a bowl and add the sliced onions with a pinch of salt for a quick pickled onion. 

Squeeze juice from the second lemon into a jar and add the olive oil, capers and a pinch of oregano. Shake.

Drain the cooked lentils and add the chick peas and grated garlic. Pour in the dressing and mix well.

Fold in the beets, parsley, pickled onion and it's juices.

Fry halloumi slices in a medium hot frying pan 1-2 minutes per side. I had this great herbed halloumi! Sprinkle the lemon zest and serve over the lentil mix, preferably at room temperature.

Makes 4 meal servings.

Adapted from: bbc.goodfood.com

Marbled Snickerdoodle Banana Bread

A moist banana bread with that cinnamon sugar coating you love on a snickerdoodle cookie!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
4 ripe bananas (about 1  1/2 cups), mashed

Cinnamon sugar mix to swirl:
2 tbsps butter, melted
3 tbsps sugar
3 tbsps brown sugar
2 tbsps cinnamon

Snickerdoodle topping:
2 tbsps sugar
2 tsps cinnamon

Melt 1 cup butter, cool a bit, then stir in the sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix the flour and baking soda together and add to the mix and finally fold in the mashed bananas.

In a small bowl mix the cinnamon sugar mix together.

In another small bowl mix the Snickerdoodle topping together.

Oil and flour a 9 X 5" loaf pan and add enough Snickerdoodle topping to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Tip the pan around so that the sugar sticks to all the sides. There will be some left for the top.

Spread 1/4 of the batter in the bottom of the pan. Top with 1/4 of the sugar mix and swirl with a knife

Continue filling and swirling ending with the cinnamon sugar mix and swirl. Sprinkle the remaining Snickerdoodle topping over the top.

Bake at 350 F for 65-70 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in pan 20-30 minutes before removing to cool completely on a rack.

Adapted from: https://thebakermama.com

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Savory ground beef simmered in red wine and seasonings topped with the subtle sweetness of sweet potato ...  this is not your ordinary shepherd's pie. 

Ingredients:

1  1/2 lbs sweet potato
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cumin 
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2-4 tbsps milk
pats of butter to top

1 lb lean ground beef
2 tbsps olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsps worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp sage
1 bay leaf
4 oz red wine
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup beef broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup frozen peas

In a large skillet, sauté onions and carrot in olive oil. Add garlic and beef and cook until beef is browned. Add the wine and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the worcestershire sauce, beef broth, balsamic, tomato paste and seasonings. 
Simmer 20-30 minutes to slightly thicken.

Meanwhile cook the sweet potato.... this sucker was 1  1/2 lbs all by itself! Microwaved for 15 minutes then I scooped out the tender sweet potato and mashed it along with butter, cumin, garlic powder, sea salt and milk.

Lightly oil the sides of a deep 8 X 8" baking dish.
Remove the bay leaf from the meat mixture and spoon it into the bottom of the dish. Then add a layer of frozen peas.

Top with that lovely sweet potato mash...

and a few pats of butter.

Bake at 425F for 20-30 minutes, then let sit a few minutes before spooning onto plates.

Serves 4

Pork Roast with Thyme and Apples

Here's another pork loin with thyme. The thyme plant that I brought in from the garden has completely dried up and is bare now so that's the end of thyme. Well that sounds a little ominous  : 0

Ingredients:

2  1/2 lb boneless pork loin
3 red delicious apples
2 onions
3 tbsps olive oil, divided
(herbed) sea salt
black pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 tbsp dry thyme leaves
1 tsp fennel seeds

Quarter the onions and core and quarter the apples. Mince 3 garlic cloves and toss with the onions and apples along with 2 tbsps olive oil. Place them around the sides of a large baking pan. Salt and pepper to taste.

Mince the other 3 garlic cloves and mix with fennel, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1 tbsp olive oil. (This smells so good!)

Rub this mixture all over the pork loin and place it in the center of the roast pan.

Place in a 400 F oven for 1 hr and 40 minutes.  After 1 hour add 2 tbsps of water or wine to the pan and spoon the juices over the roast. You may also want to remove the apples at this time.

Return the pan to the oven for an additional 30-40 minutes or until the roast is golden brown.

Let the meat rest 5-10 minutes before slicing. If the pan has browned again add more water or wine and de-glaze.

Serve the pork, apples and onions drizzled with this wonderful au jus!

Adapted from: https://leitesculinaria.com

Deep Dish Rigatoni Pie

I truly believe I could eat pasta every ... darn ... day!

Ingredients:

454 g box rigatoni
650 ml tomato sauce (2 1/2 - 3 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped spinach
1 carrot, finely grated
2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, feta)

Start by mincing the garlic and set it aside for the flavour to develop.

Cook the rigatoni and drain, then spray an 8" springform pan with cooking oil and stack the rigatoni on end to fill the pan. At first I thought this would be a problem keeping them upright but after placing the first few it went well. And those rigatoni in the colander were the only ones that didn't fit. I might have been able to squeeze them in but thought the sauce wouldn't go through as easily.

So once the pasta is ready stir the garlic, spinach and carrot into the sauce and start spooning it over the rigatoni. I found that after a few spoonfuls dropping the pan from a few inches onto the counter a few times helped to distribute the sauce better. Continue until all the sauce is used. I had 2 1/2 cups of sauce but a little more may have been better. Then again more might have made the pie sloppy....just randon thoughts : )

Fill the top with cheese then spray a piece of foil with oil and cover the pan. I used a mixture of three cheeses but whatever your preference is will work. Place the springform pan on a baking sheet in case of spills and bake in a 350 F oven for 40 minutes.

Then uncover and cook another 20 minutes. Broil an extra 3 or 4 minutes if you want it more golden.

And now's the hard  part...waiting.  You must wait a good 20 minutes before cutting if you want a nice clean wedge.  Slide a knife around the outer edge of the pie and remove the ring, then cut into wedges.

Serves 6-8