Braised Celery with Black Olives

Has that celery in your fridge seen better days? Braise it to raise it from sad and forgotten to a simple and savory side dish!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb celery (4 stalks with leaves)

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

2 pinches red pepper flakes

1/4 cup pitted black kalamata olives

1/4 cup chicken broth

 

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the stringy bits from the celery stalks. Reserve the leaves then cut the celery diagonally into 3-4" pieces. Heat butter and oil in a pan on medium high and add the celery, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook about 4 minutes then add the garlic for 30 seconds. 

Add the broth, cover and reduce temperature to low for 5 minutes. Uncover, add the olives and cook on medium heat until liquid is reduced to lightly glaze the celery and olives, about 3-4 minutes.

Top with chopped celery leaves and serve with a roast or chops.

Serves 2

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Saucy Slow Cooker Beef Ramen

Love, love, love me some easy peasy beef ramen! And so flavourful! Not from that ramen flavour packet (toss that out!), but from the vegetables and seasoning simmered together in the slow cooker.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 1/2 cups julienned carrots

1 bell pepper, sliced

3 green onions, sliced

3 tsps minced garlic

1/2 cup soya sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup chicken broth

2 ramen packages (just noodles, throw out the flavour packet)

Garnish with sesame seeds, green onion slices and hot sauce

 

Brown the ground beef in a pan, drain fat then place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the carrots, bell pepper, green onion and garlic. Combine the soya sauce, brown sugar and chicken broth and pour over the vegetables and ground beef. Mix together and cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Now turn up to high and place the ramen bricks in and cover with sauce. Break up the bricks if needed. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir together and serve garnished with green onions, sesame seeds and if you like, some hot sauce.

Serves 4

Adapted from myincrediblerecipes.com

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Air Fryer Nutella Bread Pudding

This old favourite dessert got an upgrade with the added yumminess of Nutella. Use your choice of bread, this time I used raisin bread which gave it a little bit of sweetness from the raisins, a touch of cinnamon in the bread, air fried to make it crispy and golden top and deliciously soft inside!

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup milk

2 tbsps + 2 tsps sugar

3 slices raisin bread (or your choice)

4 tbsps Nutella 

1/2 tsp vanilla

spray oil

icing sugar to dust

 

Check for a baking dish that will fit in your air fryer. I used a 725ml (3 cup) round dish. Spray it with cooking oil. Mix the eggs, milk, 2 tbsps sugar and vanilla together and pour into the dish. Spread nutella on a slice of raisin bread and place another slice on top. Do the same with the remaining slice only using two halves. Now cut into mini sandwiches about 1 1/2" square. Add them to the baking dish submerging into the liquid. Let soak for about 20 minutes.

Preheat the air fryer to 350°F for 2 minutes. Sprinkle 2 tsps of sugar on top and bake in the air fryer for 15 - 18 minutes or until set in the middle.

Cool a few minutes then dust with icing sugar.

Serves 2 (And a scoop of ice cream doesn't hurt either!)

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Turkey and Macaroni Soup

Finally pulled the Christmas turkey carcass out of the freezer!

Ingredients:

1 turkey carcass

16 cups water

4 bay leaves

2 whole cloves

10 peppercorns

pinch red pepper flakes

1 tsp celery seed

2 tbsps fresh basil leaves

540ml (19 oz) can rinsed red kidney beans

796ml (28 oz) can diced tomatoes and the juice

4 tsps minced garlic

2 carrots, sliced

1 onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp dry thyme

handful of chopped spinach, kale or arugula

turkey meat from boiled bones

1-2 tsps soya sauce

1 cup elbow macaroni 

juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

 

Begin by wrapping the turkey carcass in cheesecloth. The carcass can be frozen or thawed. Place it in a soup pot. Next make a pouch using a coffee filter filled with the bay leaves, whole cloves, peppercorns and red pepper flakes. Tie it up with kitchen string and toss it into the pot. Add 16 cups of water, cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hrs. After that time cool and place in the fridge for a few hours or overnight, long enough so the fat solidifies and you can remove it with a slotted spoon.

Remove the coffee filter pouch from the pot along with the carcass. Take all the meat from the bones and set aside.

Add the celery seed, basil leaves, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, garlic, carrots, onion, salt, pepper, dry thyme, soya sauce and spinach. Bring to a boil then simmer for 1 hr or until carrots are tender. Return the turkey meat to the pot and bring back to a boil. Add the pasta cooking for 10 minutes until pasta is cooked. Then you can give the whole thing a little squeeze of lemon.

Makes 14 servings.

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Air Fryer Salmon Skewers

What an easy and flavourful salmon dish, enhanced with a delicious spicy and sweet mayo sauce!

Ingredients:

8 oz (200g) salmon filets

bell pepper

onion

lemon to serve

4 - 6" wooden skewers

 

Marinade:

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp dry thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp spicy chili oil

1 tbsp olive oil

 

Sauce:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tbsps sweet chili sauce

1 tsp spicy chili oil

1 tbsp honey

 

Begin by mixing the marinade ingredients together. Cut the salmon into 1 - 1 1/2" cubes and the bell pepper and onion into squares about the same size as the salmon cubes. Toss the salmon and vegetables into the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Soak the wooden skewers in water at the same time. (Note: make sure the skewers fit your air fryer basket. If not they may just need to be cut to fit)

Mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

After marinating, thread the vegetables and salmon onto the skewers and preheat the air fryer to 350°F for 5 minutes. Discard the marinade. Then place the skewers into the basket in a single layer. Air fry for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Serves 2 drizzled with sauce and a squeeze of lemon.

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Easy Potsticker Soup for Two

This one pot light dinner features a savory, bold broth with a variety of vegetables that you can change up depending on what's in your fridge. You can use frozen store bought potsticker dumplings or give homemade a try. I've included a recipe link at the end of this post for Homemade Pork Dumplings. 

Ingredients:

4 tsps olive oil, divided

8 frozen potstickers, store bought or homemade

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

3 green onions, sliced and divided white and green

1/2 large carrot, thinly sliced

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup water

1 1/2 tbsps sesame oil

1 1/2 tbsps soya sauce

1 tsp oyster sauce

pepper to taste

1 celery stalk with leaves, thinly sliced

 

Add 2 tsps olive oil to a pot and heat to medium high. Add frozen potstickers and sear the bottoms until lightly golden, about 4-5 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Turn heat down to medium low and add another 2 tsps olive oil to the pot along with the ginger, garlic, white part of green onions and carrot slices. Stir and cook 2-3 minutes. Add the broth, water, sesame oil, soya sauce, oyster sauce and pepper. There's no need for extra salt as there is enough in the broth and soya sauce.

Bring to a simmer. Add the celery and return the potstickers to the pot. Simmer 8-10 minutes. Top with the green slices of green onion and serve.

Serves 2

Homemade Pork Dumplings recipe:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2024/02/homemade-pork-dumplings.html 

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Air Fryer Vegetables and Sausage

This lazy day comfort food comes together in under 30 minutes and tastes amazing!

Ingredients:

2 spicy Italian sausages, (about 3/4 lb)

1 - 1 1/2 sweet bell peppers, sliced (I used 3 different coloured halves)

1/2 red onion, sliced

6 mushrooms, thickly sliced

2 sliced garlic cloves

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp dry oregano

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

squeeze of lemon

 

Buttered noodles:

1/2 lb (170g) egg noodles

2 tbsps butter

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp parmesan cheese

 

Preheat air fryer to 360°F for 5 minutes.

Poke the sausages with a knife 3 or 4 times then place in the air fry basket and cook 5 minutes. Turn them over.

Toss the peppers, onion, mushrooms, garlic, balsamic, oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper together in a dish.

Then pour them into the air fryer. Spread the vegetables around the sausages and air fry for another 8-10 minutes tossing halfway through. The internal temperature of the sausages should be 160°F when cooked.

While this cooks, prepare the buttered noodles. Bring water to a boil then add noodles and cook for 8-10 minutes. Drain and toss together with butter, salt, pepper and parmesan.

Give the vegetables and sausage a nice squeeze of lemon and serve over buttered noodles.

Serves 2

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Air Fryer Roasted Carrots

Tender, crisp and quick.  If you're making boiled carrots (boring) the cooking time is about the same. But if roasted carrots are what you're looking for then this air fryer method cuts the cooking time in half!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb carrots (2 medium ones)

1 1/2 tbsps olive oil

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes. Slice the carrots about 1/2" thick. Mix the olive oil and seasonings together, add the carrots and stir to coat. Place in the basket in a single layer. 

Air fry 10 minutes tossing the carrots over halfway through the cooking time.

Makes 2 servings

With Stir Fry Cross Rib Steak. Here's the recipe:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2024/02/stir-fry-cross-rib-steak.html 

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Homemade Pork Dumplings

Jiaozi or Chinese dumplings are a food traditionally served during Chinese New Year to symbolize wealth and good fortune but can of course be made year round.  Irresistable little nuggets of tender pork, cabbage, garlic and ginger with a pungent soya, ponzu and rice wine vinegar sauce.  Serve as an appetizer, side dish or main.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork

1 tsp cornstarch

2 cups shredded and chopped cabbage or bagged coleslaw 

4 tsps minced garlic

4 green onions, sliced

2 tbsps hoisin sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tsps fresh minced ginger

salt and pepper to taste

 

60 dumplings wrappers

2-4 tbsps vegetable oil for each batch

water

sliced green onions to garnish

 

Dumpling sauce:

1/4 cup soya sauce

1/4 cup ponzu sauce

3 tbsps rice wine vinegar

2 tsps sesame oil

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 

 

Mix the pork, cornstarch, cabbage (chopped fine), garlic, green onions, hoisin, sesame oil, ginger, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Have a small bowl of water ready. Unwrap only a few dumpling wrappers or skins at a time. Keep the rest wrapped so they don't dry out. Take a wrapper, wet your fingers in the water and moisten around the edge of the wrapper. Fill with 1 tsp of the prepared filling and fold over to seal. I used my dumpling/potsticker gadget but they can be easily made by hand. Place on a parchment lined pan and gently press down to flatten the bottom. 

I kept a clean dishtowel over the finished ones only taking it off for a pic, again so they wouldn't dry out.

You can continue cooking them from fresh or pop the baking sheets into the freezer for about 30 minutes to flash freeze then place in zipper top freezer bags. Remove as much air as possible and date them. They can stay in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To cook the dumplings heat 2 tbsps vegetable oil to medium/medium high heat. Put as many dumplings into the pan as will fit with space between as they will expand somewhat. Fry 1-2 minutes or until flat bottoms are golden then add 1/4 cup water and quickly cover with a lid to steam for 4-5 minutes. If they are being cooked from frozen you might just need 1-2 minutes more. Remove and keep warm. Add more vegetable oil to the pan to continue cooking the dumplings in batches.

Serve with dumpling sauce on the side for dipping or drizzle over the top. Add sliced green onions to garnish.

Makes 60

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Chewy Chocolate Meringue Cookies

What to do with one leftover egg white. You could make an egg white omelet (yuck) or this small batch of flourless, chewy chocolate cookies!

Ingredients:

 3/4 cup icing sugar

2 tbsps cocoa powder

1 tsp cornstarch

pinch of salt

1 egg white

1/8 tsp vanilla

sea salt optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Mix the icing sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt together. Add the egg white and mix on low to combine then beat on high for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment and sprinkle with sea salt if desired. 

Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

Makes 12

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