Don't throw out that Halloween pumpkin! This seasonal risotto is a perfect fall entrée or side dish. Worth the time it takes to create this creamy, hearty comfort food. You can't rush this one.
Serves 4
Mom's are always running, am I right? And when you hit menopause, you're running hot and cold! So welcome to Hot and Cold Running Mom...where you'll find mostly easy recipes (because who has time for complicated ones!), helpful household hints and a few crafts. Note: NOT just for Menopausal Moms!
Don't throw out that Halloween pumpkin! This seasonal risotto is a perfect fall entrée or side dish. Worth the time it takes to create this creamy, hearty comfort food. You can't rush this one.
Naturally gluten free, cauliflower rice is a great replacement for white rice and it's also low in carbs.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 tbsps butter, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsps minced garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp dry minced onion
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cauliflower rice
Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil to medium high heat in a skillet. Add the mushrooms and sauté 3-4 minutes until golden. Add the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 tbsp butter to the pan and on medium low add the cauliflower rice, thyme, minced onion, salt and pepper. Heat through for 3-4 minutes.
Serves 2
Your mashed potatoes are begging for these savory and tender pork medallions! Saucy and simple to make in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients:
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut in 1" slices
Montreal steak spice
2 tbsps olive oil
Gravy:
2 tbsps butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tsps minced garlic
1 tbsp flour
1 cup beef broth
2 tsps worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry thyme
Give the slices of pork a generous sprinkling of Montreal steak spice then cook them in a skillet on medium high heat with 2 tbsps olive oil. They'll need about 3-4 minutes per side then remove to a plate.
Melt the butter for the gravy in the same pan and on medium heat cook the onions for 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Whisk the flour into the broth, worcestershire sauce and thyme. Make a well in the center of the onions. Pour in and whisk to avoid lumps then stir together with the onions and cook 1-2 minutes to thicken.
Return the pork to the pan to heat through. The internal temperature should read 145°F.
Served up on mashed potatoes or if you prefer buttered egg noodles or rice.
Serves 3-4
Pumpkin, butternut, spaghetti or acorn squash are all readily available at this time of year, fiber rich and full of nutritional goodness! Try one or more in this wholesome dish.
Ingredients:
2 cups cubed pumpkin, butternut squash or other hard squash
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 tbsps olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
10 oz Italian sausage, cut in 1" pieces
1 cup orzo
1 1/2 cups canned black beans
2 cups chopped spinach
Toss squash with 2 tsps olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast on a lined baking sheet and 400°F for 15 minutes. Add any tender squash (I had slices of miniature spaghetti squash here) tossed with 1 tsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss the tomatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil and spread each vegetable out beside the previously roasted squash along with the slices of sausage and return the pan to the oven for 15 minutes.
Cook the orzo in 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil then simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add the spinach and cover.
Once the vegetables and sausage are cooked add the black beans to the pan and place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the beans are heated through. Then toss everything together.
Serve along side the orzo and spinach or stir the vegetables, sausage, orzo and spinach together to serve.
You may like it served at the table with parmesan cheese.
These spicy spuds are crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Spiced just right with chili crisp oil, but feel free to drizzle more on the finished potatoes if that's your jam!
Ingredients:
6 small new potatoes
1-2 tsps olive oil
1/8 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp honey
2 tsps chili crisp oil
1/2 tsp dry thyme
Extra honey for drizzling (and extra chili crisp oil too if you like them extra spicy!)
Preheat oven to 425°F
Clean and dry the potatoes then brush with olive oil and poke the tops with a knife. Place on baking sheet and roast at 425°F for 30-40 minutes or until fork tender. Press down, or smash, with a fork just until they crack opened.
Combine the melted butter, honey, chili crisp oil and thyme and spoon onto tops of potatoes. Bake another 10 minutes.
Drizzle with honey (and chili crisp oil) to serve.
Serves 3-6
Did your fall garden clean out leave you with a bunch of green tomatoes? This green tomato snack cake is similar to carrot cake so it goes well with cream cheese frosting. But frosting is just an option as it is moist and spicy on it's own.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 1/4 cups diced green tomatoes
Combine the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar, vegetable oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla together. Next mix the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine.
Fold in the walnuts, raisins and green tomatoes and spoon into an 8 X 8" baking pan that has been sprayed with oil and lined on the bottom with parchment paper.
Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes. A cake tester should come out clean when it's done.
Makes 9 servings
If you still have a load of green tomatoes try this sweet relish:
https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2015/10/green-tomato-sweet-relish.html
When you are craving ramen but trying to eat healthy. Toss those high sodium flavour packets and replace them with these tasty seasonings and sauce. Beef for protein and lots of veggies for vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Ingredients:
3 tbsps vegetable oil, divided
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 tsps minced ginger
2 tsps minced garlic
1 lb ground beef
black pepper to taste
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 - 1/2 scotch bonnet pepper, very thinly chopped
1 small carrot, julienned
1/2 cup frozen edamame beans
2 packages ramen, noodles only not flavour packet
2 tsps cornstarch
3 tbsps sodium reduced soya sauce
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tsps sesame oil
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
white sesame seeds and sliced green onion to garnish
Fry beef in a skillet with 2 tbsps vegetable oil, breaking up as it cooks, for 4-5 minutes on medium high heat. Then add onion and scotch bonnet for 2 minutes. Stir in the ginger, garlic and black pepper cooking 1 minute.
Cook ramen as directed on package, drain and toss with 1 tbsp vegetable oil then set aside.
Add red pepper, carrots and edamame to the beef cooking 4-5 minutes, covering for the last 2 minutes.
For the sauce, mix the chicken broth, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, hoisin and oyster sauce together. Whisk the cornstarch and soya sauce together then whisk into the sauce.
Add the sauce and ramen to the beef and veggies, stirring to coat. Cook 1 minute. Then plate and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.
Serves 4
Tender chicken smothered in fresh cherry tomato sauce topped with melty mozzarella!
Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut through lengthwise
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tsps minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp oregano, divided
1/2 tsp basil, divided
1 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
fresh basil leaves to garnish
Mix the cherry tomatoes, chopped onion, tomato sauce, minced garlic, salt, pepper, 1/4 tsp oregano and 1/4 tsp basil together in a 1.8L baking dish.
Pat the chicken breast dry with paper towels then brush with olive oil and nestle into the tomato mixture. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 tsp each of oregano and basil. Add the red pepper flakes and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Top with mozzarella, and more oregano and basil if you like, and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes. The internal temperature should read 165°F.
Garnish with fresh basil and serve with parmesan cheese if desired.
These honey roasted new potatoes are a super simple make ahead side dish for just about any entrée. Only slightly sweet and a little bit piquant.
Ingredients:
3 lbs new, thin skinned potatoes
3 tbsps olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsps honey
2 tsps old fashioned grainy dijon
2 tsps garlic powder
2 tsps dry minced onion or onion powder
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsps cold broth or water
Using small potatoes of similar size, toss with 2 tbsps olive oil. Roast in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 450°F oven for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
While they roast mix 1 tbsp olive oil, broth, honey, dijon, garlic powder, minced onion, oregano, smoked paprika, salt and pepper together in a small saucepan. Cook on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together and whisk into the glaze, cooking for 1 minute to slightly thicken. Remove from heat.
Toss the glaze with the roasted potatoes and serve right away or place in a baking dish ready for re-heating when needed.
BOO! Conjure up everyone's favourite - Rice Krispie treats!!
This wholesome and healthy one pan dinner is easy to make with a quick cleanup. Perfect for busy weeknights and delicious enough for any night!
Ingredients:
4 basa fillets
1 medium zucchini
2 shallots, sliced, divided
2 celery stalks with leaves
2 tsps minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped or cherry tomatoes
2 tbsps olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tbsps lemon juice
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp celery seeds
Toss zucchini, 1 sliced shallot, celery and garlic with 1 tbsp olive oil. Spread out on a foil lined and oiled baking sheet. Give it a little salt and pepper. Pat the fish dry with paper towels then brush with 1 tbsp olive oil. Lay them on top of the vegetables. Drizzle the lemon juice and sprinkle salt and pepper. Toss the tomatoes and 1 shallot and distribute over the fish finishing with thyme and celery seed.
Cover with foil to seal and bake at 400°F for 25-27 minutes.
Sheet pan simplicity featuring Italian sausages and a little crisp and chewy gnocchi. Unlike boiled gnocchi which are soft, these baked gnocchi have a bite to them!
Ingredients:
1 lb (500g) shelf stable potato gnocchi, tri-colour here
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes
3 Italian sausages, mild or hot, cut in 1 1/2 - 2" pieces
4 tbsps olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dry thyme
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley and/or basil to garnish
parmesan to serve
Preheat the oven to 425°F
Toss the gnocchi, bell peppers, onion, celery, cherry tomatoes and sausages in oil then distribute equally onto two parchment lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, stir around then return to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes.