Time Saving Scalloped Potatoes

I'm convinced that there is no way to take a good picture of scalloped potatoes. They're just plain ugly. But there is a way to cut cooking time in half!

Ingredients:

2 lbs new yellow potatoes, unpeeled

1 onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

Mrs Dash seasoning to taste (or salt and pepper)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar

1/4 cup shredded parmesan

Start by scrubbing the potatoes clean then slice them pretty thinly on a mandolin. New potatoes = no peeling (time saving!) And here's the trick ... place them in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Then gently simmer for about 5 minutes. Then drain.

Grease an 8" deep baking dish. Starting with some onion slices, layer onions and potatoes alternating as you go. You can also give a few shakes of Mrs Dash every now and then.

In a saucepan melt butter and whisk in the flour. Cook 1 minute then whisk in the milk and cook 1-2 minutes to thicken. Add more Mrs Dash to the sauce then pour over the potatoes and onions in the baking dish.

Top with cheese and bake at 375°F for 35-40 minutes. 

Yep... ugly, but tasty 😋

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Pork and Pepper Burritos

Check out these baked pork and pepper burritos! You can sit down and enjoy them with some rice and your favourite toppings or just grab a wrap on the go for a quick handheld meal!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork (or trio: beef, pork and veal)

1/3 cup diced onion

1 cup diced or sliced sweet bell pepper

2 tbsps minced garlic

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 can (the 5.5 oz/156 ml size) tomato paste

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 can (14 oz/398 ml size) refried beans

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

7 - 8" corn tortillas or roti

vegetable oil spray

2 or 3 tbsps salsa, with more for serving

sour cream and salsa verde to serve

Start by browning the meat in a large skillet 3-4 minutes, breaking it up while browning. Then add the onion, sweet pepper and garlic and fry another 3 minutes or until no pink remains in the meat.

Add the tomato paste and chili powder to the skillet and stir to coat then add the broth and salsa. Simmer about 10 minutes to reduce the liquid. Lay the tortillas or roti out on a work surface. I had these great seasoned roti that worked great with the filling and smelled wonderful while cooking! Spread some refried beans on each then divide the meat mixture and spoon it onto one side of the refried beans. Add some cheddar using about 1 cup.

Make the burritos by tucking in the sides then rolling up. Place them seam side down in an oiled 13 X 9" baking dish.

Give them a little vegetable oil spray then top with the remaining cheese.

Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes

You can serve them plain (easier to pick up and eat on the run)

Or go on and slather them with salsa, sour cream and salsa verde!

Adapted from: kitchendivas.com

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Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins

These applesauce muffins are delicately sweetened and cinnamon fans will love the cinnamon sugar coating. With it being the last weekend of August you may have begun thinking of fall baking and this is the perfect place to start!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 cup applesauce

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tbsps milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1 1/2 tsps cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Cinnamon Topping:

4 tbsps melted butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup sugar

Whisk the sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and egg together. Then add the applesauce, sour cream, milk and vanilla. Stir the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together then add to the wet ingredients. Mix only until well combined.

Scoop batter into paper lined muffin tins or spray the tins with cooking oil. Note that if you use papers and the muffins don't bake up over the tops of your papers you will have to remove the papers before coating with cinnamon topping.

Bake muffins in a 350°F oven for 17-20 minutes.

Melt the butter for the topping in a small bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in another. When the muffins come out of the oven and are cool enough to handle, dip tops in melted butter and roll around in the cinnamon sugar. Then place them on a rack to cool completely. (But you need to test one while they're still warm!)

Reminds me of sugar donuts 😋

Best served the same day or store in an airtight container. 

Makes 16 medium sized muffins

Adapted from: togetherasfamily.com

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Bacon and Eggplant Fettuccini

Hearty, healthy and vegetarian, if you leave out the bacon ; )

Ingredients:

375 g spinach fettuccini

1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

5 slices of bacon

2 tsps olive oil

2 1/2 cups cubed, unpeeled eggplant

1 cup diced onion

3 tsps minced garlic

2 tsps tomato paste

1 - 28 oz can diced tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes, see note below)

2 tbsps fresh chopped basil

1 tsp dry oregano

1-2 tsps red pepper flakes

fresh basil to garnish

Note: If you want a saucier sauce use crushed tomatoes. I was going for a vegetable stew-type sauce so diced worked for me.

Toast the Panko crumbs in a skillet for about 3 minutes then remove and set aside. Place the bacon in the skillet and fry until crispy. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and chop or break in pieces. Set aside. Drain excess bacon fat from the pan.

In the same skillet, heat the olive oil to medium high. Add eggplant, onion, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cook 8-10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes and deglaze the pan. Simmer the sauce on medium low heat for 10-12 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering cook the pasta. I chose this spinach and garlic fettuccine which was awesome! Once the pasta is ready reserve about 1/3 cup of the pasta water then drain. Toss the fettuccine with the sauce. Add the bacon and chopped fresh basil and enough pasta water to achieve the consistency you like.

Serve with toasted Panko crumbs and more fresh basil leaves.

Serves 4-5

Adapted from: italpasta.com

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Crispy Salmon Patties

Crispy on the outside, tender and delicious on the inside. And these salmon patties won't fall apart when cooking. Just remember to chill them first, that's the trick!

Ingredients:

15 oz (2 x 213 g) canned sockeye salmon, drained but reserve liquid

1 egg

1/2 cup flour (or swap for bread crumbs)

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

3 tbsps finely chopped onion

1/4 cup mayo

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dijon mustard

2 tsps lime juice

1 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

vegetable oil for frying

1/4 - 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

Quick tartar sauce:

2 parts mayo and 1 part sweet relish

Mix the flour and cornmeal together. Drained the salmon and remove the backbone, but leave the tiny bones in for extra calcium. Don't worry, they'll just mash up! Add the salmon then the rest of the ingredients to the flour and cornmeal, up to and including the Old Bay seasoning. Mix until everything is well incorporated. At this point you may want to add in some of the reserved salmon liquid, a little at a time, until you like the consistency. Just a tablespoon or so, you don't want the mixture too loose. Refrigerate for 30 minutes then divide into 8 equal portions and form into patties. Place a few tablespoons of Panko on a plate and tap each side of the patties in to coat top and bottom. You can return the patties to the fridge to chill again or start cooking right away.

Heat 4 tablespoons of oil to medium heat in a skillet and brown 4 patties at a time. Resist the urge to flip them too soon. Let each side cook for about 3 minutes.

Then remove them to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Add more oil to the skillet and repeat with the remaining patties.

Mix up a quick tartar sauce and they're ready! We had mashed Yukon gold potatoes and Melon and Mint Salad to compliment them. Here's the link to the salad recipe:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2022/08/melon-and-mint-salad.html

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Melon and Mint Salad

This refreshing combination screams "I'm not ready to let summer go just yet!"

Ingredients:

1 cup diced cantalope

1 cup diced watermelon

1 mini cucumber, sliced (or 1/2 cup cubed cuc)

2 tbsps chopped mint leaves

a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

Dressing:

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp light soya sauce or tamari

black pepper to taste (optional)

Prepare the fruits and vegetables in a bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour into the bowl. Mix together.

Refrigerate for a few hours then use a slotted spoon to serve, leaving the excess liquid behind.

Serves 2-3

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Tender Oatmeal Muffins

This morning I was craving an oatmeal muffin. No chocolate chips or dried fruit or chopped nuts. Just a plain old soft and tender oatmeal muffin. Craving satisfied! 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups traditional oats

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice)

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable or coconut oil

1 egg

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Add the oats to the milk and let sit to hydrate the oats.

Line a muffin tin with papers. These muffins release very well from the papers. I've had other that stick a bit, but these come off perfectly!

Mix the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder together then add the brown sugar.

Add the oil, egg and vanilla to the oats mixture then stir in the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined. Don't beat the batter or you won't end up with tender muffins.

Fill the papers 3/4 full using a scoop. The batter will be quite thick. Bake at 350°F for 20-22 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Enjoy plain or with a little butter.

Makes 15 medium sized muffins.

Adapted from: vintagekitchennotes.com

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Honey Baked Chicken Burritos

This is a must-share recipe! Using store bought rotisserie chicken saves a bunch of time and I wasn't sure about the amount of honey used but it totally works!

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 3 cups)

10 - 6" flour tortillas

1/4 cup lime juice

1/3 cup honey

4-6 tsps minced garlic

1 tbsp chili powder

2 cups shredded jalapeño Monterey Jack cheese, divided

2 cups salsa, divided (you pick the heat!)

1/4 cup sour cream

fresh chopped parsley and/or cilantro to garnish

2 cups cooked lime rice (see below for recipe)

Lime Rice:

1/2 cup white rice

2 tbsps lime juice

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 tsp garlic powder

handful of chopped parsley and/or cilantro

1 cup canned black beans

Prepare the lime rice. Mix the white rice, lime juice, chicken broth and garlic powder together and bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Add the parsley/cilantro and black beans and set aside.

Whisk 1 cup salsa and 1/4 cup sour cream together for the sauce and set aside.

Take a cooked grocery store rotisserie chicken and remove the meat from the bones. I actually had enough meat for this recipe without using the legs and saved them for another meal! Shred the meat with a fork. Whisk the lime juice, honey, minced garlic and chili powder together then toss with the chicken.

Warm the tortillas and lay out on a work surface. Spoon rice/bean mixture on one side and the chicken on the other side in the center distributing evenly between 10 tortillas. Take 1 cup of shredded cheese and sprinkle some on each.

Take about 3 tbsps of salsa and spread on the bottom of a 13 X 9" baking dish. Roll up each tortilla and place in the dish seam side down. Spoon on the sauce then top with the remaining 1 cup shredded cheese.

Bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes and finish with a couple of minutes under the broiler.

Add chopped parsley/cilantro and serve with sour cream and the remaining salsa. Olé!

Adapted from: ohsweetbasil.com

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Chicken, Potatoes and Kale

Tender juicy chicken with golden roasted potatoes and crispy kale all in this one pan dinner. 

Ingredients:

4 chicken legs, split

5 kale leaves

4 potatoes, cut 1/4 - 1/2" thick

1 onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

salt, pepper, smoked paprika and dry oregano to taste

1 or 2 sprigs of rosemary

lemon to serve

Take the kale leaves and remove the stems. Then massage them with a little oil until softened and bright green. Roughly chop then place in large oiled roasting pan. Cut the potatoes and onion and toss with olive oil. Spread out in the pan with the kale and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cut the chicken legs in half and lay them in between the potatoes. It's ok if they cover the kale and onions. Give everything a good shake of salt, pepper, oregano and paprika.

Cover with foil and bake in a 450°F oven for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and return the pan to the oven for another 30-40 minutes.

Add a little green to the plate and you're good to go!

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Best Darn Pork Tenderloin

A subtly sweet mango sauce compliments an aromatic spice rub for the perfect marriage of flavours. 

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins

3 tbsps brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsps smoked paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp chili powder

2 tbsps olive oil

Sauce:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 mango, chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Combine the brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, mustard, garlic, cinnamon and chili and rub all over both tenderloins. Cover and refrigerate letting the rub settle in for 4-5 hours or overnight.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and heat through until mango is softened, about 3-4 minutes, then set aside.

Heat olive oil in an oven safe skillet and brown the pork tenderloins 2-3 minutes per side. When browned pour the sauce over the tops and roast at 350°F for 20 minutes or until internal temperature reads between 145-160°F. You can give it a little broil for a couple of minutes too if you like.

Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Then serve with the sauce and pan juices. Flavourful and tender doesn't begin to describe how good it is!

Serves 6

Adapted from: eazypeazymealz.com

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