One Pot Sausage and Vegetables

Here's a hearty, healthy fridge clean out recipe. A little of this, a little of that and substitutions are encouraged depending on what's hanging out in your fridge.

Ingredients:

3 Bolognese  sausages, sliced (190g/7 oz)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 medium potatoes, sliced

1 small zucchini, sliced 

1/2 bell pepper, sliced

2 cups spinach, chopped

1/2 cup frozen edamame beans

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Heat oil in a skillet to medum high and brown the sausage slices. Add the onion and cook 2 minutes, then add the potatoes and cook 5 minutes. Pour in the broth to deglaze the pan. Bring it to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Add the zucchini, bell pepper and edamame. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Toss in the spinach and cook 1-2 minutes longer.

Serves 2

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Maple Apple Pie

Bursting with juicy apples and sweetened with good old Canadian maple syrup.🍁No refined sugar here! 

Ingredients:

3 lbs firm apples (like Honeycrisp) peeled, cored and sliced 

3/4 cup robust Canadian maple syrup

1/4 tsp vanilla (or maple extract for an extra maple oomph!)

1/4 cup flour

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsps cornstarch

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

pastry for double crust 9" pie

milk wash and a sprinkle of sugar, optional

Place a pizza stone (if you have one) on the bottom rack of the oven and lay a piece of parchment on top. Preheat to 425°F. Toss the apples, syrup, extract and lemon juice together. Then mix the flour, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt together and mix in. Have your pie dough ready. (My favourite recipe for dough is store-bought! 😉) Roll dough out to a 14" circle and place in a 9" deep pie plate. Wet the edge with a bit of water. Spoon the filling in and pile it high. Roll out another circle of pie dough to 13" around and transfer it to top the apples. Crimp edges to seal. Cut a few slits in the top to vent and trim off any excess dough. If you like you can brush some milk on top and give the pie a sprinkle of sugar. Place in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake 60-75 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

Serves 10

Adapted from: healthyseasonalrecipes.com

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Salmon Sweet Potato Patties

Nutrient rich and heart healthy! Use your favourite canned salmon. We like sockeye. And surprisingly, no messy hands. Just scoop and flatten, then bake!

Ingredients:

1/4 lb sweet potato, diced 

2 tsps olive oil

1 cup Panko crumbs

1 egg

1 tbsp mayo

1 tsp grainy Dijon

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp capers, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

1 - 213g (7.5 oz) canned salmon, drained and crumbled

Boil the diced sweet potato until tender, 10-12 minutes. Heat a frying pan to medium heat, add olive oil then Panko and toast the crumbs 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally then remove from heat. Mash the cooked sweet potato. Mix the mayo, Dijon, salt, 1/2 the toasted Panko, capers and garlic and add to the sweet potato.  Then add the egg and salmon (with the small bones mashed in too if you like), and stir together. Place the other half of the Panko on a plate (or spread them out in the frying pan you toasted them in). Using a 2" cookie scoop, take some of the mix and place it on the crumbs. Using a fork, press down to form a 3" round. Sprinkle more crumbs on top and gently press. Carefully transfer the patties from the plate of crumbs with a spatula to a lined baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 12-14 minutes. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Serves 5 (or 2 if  you have a good appetite!)

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John's Homemade All Purpose BBQ Sauce

My cousin is a heck of a barbecue cook! And we've always loved his BBQ sauce. I decided to ask him for his recipe, thinking he might not want to share it. But it turns out it was a recipe he had found in a book (sorry I can't give credit to the original author of the recipe). And it's pretty customizable. You can change the type of vinegar or mustard, use more or less Tabasco for heat and whatever barbecue rub you use will have an impact on the sauce as well.

Use it on literally anything! 

Ingredients:

2 cups ketchup

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tbsps molasses

2 tbsps prepared mustard

1 tbsp Tabasco sauce

1 tbsp of your favourite BBQ rub

2 tsps liquid smoke

1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine everything in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium to medium high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars and store in the fridge for months (if it lasts that long!)

Makes 2 1/2 cups 

Used it here in How to Cook a Frozen Chicken:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2021/11/how-to-cook-frozen-chicken.html 

And here on Make Ahead BBQ Pork Ribs:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2018/05/make-ahead-bbq-pork-ribs.html 

Or just slather it on anything you've got on the barbecue or frying in a pan!

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Korean Style Ground Chicken and Sprouts

This healthy one pan dinner features lean ground chicken, lots of vegetables and enough ginger to knock your socks off!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3/4 lb ground chicken

1/4 cup soya sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsps sesame oil

3 tbsps fresh grated ginger

4 tsps minced garlic

2 medium carrots, shredded

2 cups shredded cabbage

4 cups bean sprouts

black pepper to taste

Combine the soya sauce, brown sugar and sesame oil and set aside. Heat the oil to medium in a large skillet or wok. Brown the chicken, breaking it up as it cooks, until no pink remains. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium high and add the carrots, cabbage, ginger and bean sprouts. Cook 2-3 minutes, then pour in the sauce and heat through 2 minutes. Add black pepper to taste.

Serves 2-3  as a main or 4 as a side

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Fluffy Whipped Chocolate Frosting

Fluffy and decadent and so easy to make. You'll love it! And the addition of coffee granules gives a deepness to the chocolate flavour without making it coffee tasting.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 cups icing sugar, sifted

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder, sifted

2/3 cup  35% whipping cream

2 tbsps vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 tbsp instant coffee granules

Whisk butter on low to cream then on high until light. Measure the icing sugar and the cocoa powder then sift. Add the icing sugar, cocoa, whipping cream, vanilla, salt and coffee granules. Again, start on low to combine then whip on medium high to high for 5 full minutes until fluffy. Frost your cake then refrigerate to set.

 

Makes enough frosting for a 2 layer 8" cake.

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Air Fryer Mexican Stuffed Chicken

Elevate your dinner game with these air fried stuffed chicken breasts cooked to juicy perfection! 

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 oz shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup chopped spinach

2 tbsps refried beans

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsps parmesan cheese

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and flatten with a rolling pin between sheets of wax paper or saved waxed cereal bag. Spread with refried beans. Mix the shredded cheese, spinach and cumin together and spoon onto one side of the chicken. Fold over then brush with beaten egg. Coat with parmesan. Place the chicken in an oiled air fryer basket and cook at 400°F for 10-12 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Serve with salsa.

Makes 2 servings

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Pierogies with Onions and Bacon

Looking for an easy mid-week meal? Using frozen pierogies, this one can be on the table in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 small  onions, thinly sliced

3 slices of bacon

14-16 frozen pierogies

2 tsps butter

1 cup chopped kale

sour cream or Greek yogurt to serve

First cook the pierogies as directed on package. I like them boiled and tender. Then, on medium high heat, cook the bacon to crispy and remove from heat. Cook the onion in the bacon fat for 5-8 minutes until nicely browned. Add the butter and kale and toss around for 1-2 minutes. Finally chop the bacon and add to the pan along with the cooked pierogies. Stir together a few minutes for the pierogies to brown and heat through. Serve with a dollop of either sour cream or Greek yogurt.

Serves 2

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Easy Shrimp, Mushrooms, Peppers and Pasta

Quick and easy meal with pretty much all kitchen staples, except maybe the white truffle infused finishing oil for an extra little hit of umami.  If you don't have it a drizzle of your best olive oil will work too.

Ingredients:

350g shrimp

8 or 9 white mushrooms, sliced

1-2 small bell peppers, sliced

1 cup chopped kale

3 tsps minced garlic

5-6 oz spaghetti 

2 tbsps olive oil + 1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp butter

1/4 - 1/2 cup reserved pasta water 

2 tbsps lemon juice

1/4 cup parmesan 

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Black pepper to taste 

White truffle infused finishing oil

Boil the spaghetti as directed on package.

Heat 2 tbsps olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a skillet to medium. Add mushrooms and peppers and cook 3-4 minutes then add the garlic for 1 minute. Remove to a plate. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter to the pan and sauté the shrimp until pink. Add black pepper to taste. Add the kale for 1 minute then return the peppers and mushrooms to the pan. Reserve the pasta water then drain the spaghetti. Toss the pasta in a pot with the reserved pasta water, lemon juice, parmesan and red pepper flakes. Plate the spaghetti and top with shrimp and veggies and finish with a drizzle of truffle oil.

Serves 3

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Air Fryer Breaded Cajun Cod

So crispy, yet tender and juicy inside! And healthier than fried cod using the air fryer.

Ingredients:

400g (5 small fillets) cod

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup oat or all purpose flour

1/2 cup Panko

1 tsp blackened Cajun seasoning

spray oil

Pat fillets dry with paper towels. Whisk the egg in a bowl. Place flour in another bowl. And combine the Panko and Cajun seasoning in yet another bowl. Now that you've got your breading station set up it's time to start. Dredge the fish in flour, dip in egg then coat in Panko. Place in an oil sprayed air fryer basket and give the fish a light spray of oil as well. Air fry at 400°F for 10-11 minutes, flipping over halfway through. The internal temperature should read 145°F.

Serves 2-3

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Clementine Cashew Cake

Here's a bright dessert that's flourless and fabulous! And the perfect use of less than perfect clementines. If you've got some getting a little soft bake this up right now or pop the clementines into the freezer whole for later use (like I did).

Ingredients:

200g (4 small, 7 oz) clementines, fresh or frozen

4 eggs

120g (4 oz) sugar

175g (6 oz) ground cashews

1 tsp baking powder

Cook the clementines in the microwave in a covered dish with a little water on high for 8-10 minutes. Then drain off the water and let cool. Cut in half and remove any pips. Place everything else (yes even the peel) in a food processor and pulse to a pulp. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and mix together for 20-30 seconds. Oil and flour a 1.5L (6" X 6" X 2") baking dish, pour the batter in and bake at 375°F for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on rack.

Makes 8 servings

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Spiced Maple Salmon

This spiced maple salmon is phenomenal because it's both sweet and spicy, but it's also on a schmear of cream cheese and Greek yogurt and topped with caramelized onion and bell pepper. This dinner for two was a hit!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb fresh salmon fillets 

2 tsps olive oil 

1 tsp minced garlic 

1/4 tsp lemon pepper

1 tsp blackened Cajun seasoning 

2 tsps maple syrup 

1 kale leaf, shredded 

Caramelized onion and pepper:

2 tsps olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced 

1 small bell pepper, thinly sliced 

1 tsp minced ginger

2 tsps white wine vinegar 

Pinch of sugar 

Black pepper to taste 

Schmear:

2 tbsps cream cheese (herb and roasted garlic flavour)

2 tbsps plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp lemon juice

Blend cream cheese, Greek yogurt and lemon juice together and set aside. 

Mix 2 tsps olive oil with garlic, lemon pepper and Cajun seasoning and spread on fillets.  Let rest 20 minutes then drizzle with maple syrup. Bake in an oiled dish at 400°F for 10-13 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork. 

Meanwhile place kale in a frying pan with a little oil. Toss on medium low heat 2-3 minutes to wilt. Remove and keep warm.  In same pan add 2 tsps olive oil  and add onions.  Cook 6-8 minutes then add bell pepper for another 6-8 minutes.  Add ginger, vinegar, sugar and black pepper. Stir 1 minute then remove from heat and keep warm.

Schmear the cream cheese mix on the plate and place the kale along side. Top with salmon and crown it off with the onions and pepper.

Serves 2

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Stovetop White Chicken Chili

When you just need a warm bowl of comfort food ...

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in 1" cubes

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 tsps minced garlic

2 - 19 oz (540 ml) cans white kidney beans (cannellini)

1 - 4 oz (113 ml) can diced green chilies

a pinch or 2 of cayenne

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup frozen kernel corn

2 cups chopped spinach

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp lime juice

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese to mix in and top

Heat oil to medium and sauté onion 4-5 minutes adding garlic in the last minute. Next add the chicken and seasonings and cook 5-6 minutes. Then add the beans, chilies, broth and corn and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add the spinach and stir together for 1 minutes. Remove from heat and add the Greek yogurt, lime juice and cheese, reserving some of the cheese and yogurt to garnish.

Serves 4-6

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