7 May 2018 Two Cheese Baked Macaroni

Two Cheese Baked Macaroni

May 7, 2018 By

I love making big batches of marinara sauce and freezing some for easy weekday dishes. I took out 2 cups of sauce from the freezer and added it to some cooked ground beef, combined that with leftover Ricotta cheese and the recipe came together in the time it took to boil the macaroni and it’s tasty and satisfying….and cheesy.

Ingredients:

  • ½ pound macaroni pasta (I use Delverde brand)
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef, I use 20% fat
  • Pinch of salt and pepper
  • 2 cups Easy Marinara Sauce (or other marinara sauce)
  • ½ cup Ricotta cheese
  • I cup grated Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cook pasta 1 minute short of the directions state on the packaging.
  3. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the beef, the salt and the pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the sauce. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the cooked pasta and the Ricotta to the sauce and gently toss to combine. Place the pasta in a baking dish, top with the Mozzarella and cook for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Makes 2 generous entrée-size servings.

Filed Under: American, Beef, Cheese, Entrees, Italian, Pasta Tagged With: , , ,
4 May 2018 Cheese Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Cheese Stuffed Poblano Peppers

May 4, 2018 By

Poblanos are mild chili peppers with lots of great flavor and just a bit of spice. The peppers originated in Puebla, Mexico and can also be found dried, where they’re known as ancho chile.

Cheese Stuffed Poblano

I’m always looking for low-carb side dishes to serve when we grill meats. That’s not easy as we often go to carby sides when we grill…potato salad, mac & cheese, pasta.

Last weekend, I’d made some of my fresh salsa (chopped tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno and minced onion) for another meal and thought…what if I used this tasty salsa to top a stuffed poblano!? This was a well-received and easy-to-make side dish that we served alongside grilled pork chops. One other thing I loved was that I was able to make these in the toaster oven so I didn’t have to heat up the whole kitchen with my standard oven – winning!

You can make these peppers in advance, cool them then reheat them for a few minutes in a 425 degree oven – party perfect!

Ingredients

  • 2 large poblano peppers
  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • Pinch of sales and pepper.
  • 4 ounces grated Cheddar/Jack cheese mix
  • Homemade or store-bought salsa
  • 2 Tbsp. Crema Mexicana or sour cream
  • ½ lime

Poblano Cheese Stuffing

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Find a flat spot on the poblano and lay it on your work surface. With a sharp paring knife, cut the top of the pepper (leaving the end and stem intact) to make an opening for the cheese to go into.
  3. Rub the oil over the peppers then salt and pepper the interior.
  4. Divide the grated cheese between the two peppers, note that you may have too much cheese depending on the size of your peppers.
  5. Place the stuffed peppers on a baking sheet and cook for about 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.
  6. Top each pepper with fresh salsa and a drizzle of Crema Mexicana (or sour cream). Squeeze the lime over the peppers.

Makes two side dishes.

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Mexican, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , ,
6 April 2018 Seared Salmon & Lemon Labneh

Seared Salmon & Lemon Labneh

April 6, 2018 By

Seared Salmon & Lemon LabnehWe received this fabulous salmon and simple recipe in our Blue Apron kit this week and it was one of my favorite dishes from the meal program thus far. I loved all the bold flavors and the various texture. I don’t zest my lemon and instead finely chop the rinds it for bigger lemon flavors to match against the salmon.

I’ve written about freekeh before, it’s an ancient grain popular in the Middle East and the Mediterranean that I use in place of rice in hot dishes and salads.

The rich seared salmon paired with the chewy freekeh and dates then topped with creamy, lemony labneh is a sure winner that’ll become a staple dish at our home.

Ingredients:

  • 1 10-ounce skin-on salmon fillet
  • ½ cup cracked freekeh
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 zucchini
  • 4 dried medjool dates
  • ¼ cup labneh cheese
  • 1 pink lemon (or regular lemon if you can’t find pink)

Freekeh Directions:

  1. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Once boiling, add the freekeh and cook, uncovered, 24 to 26 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Cover to keep warm.

Food Prep Directions:

  1. Using a peeler, remove the rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter and deseed the lemon.
  2. Halve the zucchini lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick pieces.
  3. Peel and roughly chop the garlic.
  4. Pit and roughly chop the dates.

Lemon Labneh Directions:

  1. While the freekeh continues to cook, in a bowl, combine the labneh, the juice of 2 lemon wedges, and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fish Directions:

  1. Once the freekeh has cooked about 15 minutes, pat the fish dry with paper towels. Transfer to a cutting board, skin side down. Cut into 2 equal-sized pieces; season with salt and pepper on both sides.
  2. In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the seasoned fish, skinless side down. Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil and cook 4 to 5 minutes on the first side, or until lightly browned. Flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through.
  3. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate. Cover with the aluminum foil to keep warm.

Zucchini Directions:

  1. To the pan of reserved fond, add the sliced zucchini in an even layer; season with salt and pepper. (If the pan seems dry, add a drizzle of olive oil.) Cook on medium-high, without stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned and slightly softened.
  2. Add the chopped garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened. Turn off the heat.

Serving Directions:

  1. To the pot of cooked freekeh, add the cooked zucchini, chopped dates, lemon zest, the juice of the remaining lemon wedges, and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Serve the cooked fish with the finished freekeh. Top the fish with the lemon labneh.

Serves 2.

Filed Under: American, Entrees, Fish, Greek Tagged With: , , , ,
22 February 2018 Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

February 22, 2018 By
Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

Bacon-wrapped scallops – add this to my list of ‘not really a recipe, but…’ deliciousness. I hadn’t made bacon-wrapped scallops since perhaps the 90s but needed to prepare something quick for a last minute invite of friends and had bacon and scallops so I thought…old school, but why not!?

I served these with a mixture of ketchup, mayo and Sriracha as a dipping sauce and the spice was pleasant with the fatty bacon.

Ingredients

  • 6 slices of thick-cut bacon
  • 12 large scallops

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Cover a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
  3. Cut the bacon slices in half, lengthwise.
  4. Wrap a strip of bacon around each scallop and secure the bacon with a toothpick.
  5. Place the bacon-wrapped scallops on the foil-covered baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp.

Makes 12 bacon-wrapped scallops.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Serves 4
Delicious and easy appetizer that will be a favorite at your parties.
Write a review
Save Recipe
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 6 slices of thick-cut bacon
  2. 12 large scallops
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Cover a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
  3. Cut the bacon slices in half, lengthwise.
  4. Wrap a strip of bacon around each scallop and secure the bacon with a toothpick.
  5. Place the bacon-wrapped scallops on the foil-covered baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp.
Notes
  1. I served these with a mixture of ketchup, mayo and Sriracha as a dipping sauce and the spice was pleasant with the fatty bacon.
Food & Wine Chickie Insider https://www.foodandwinechickie.com/
Filed Under: American, Appetizers, Seafood Tagged With: ,
17 February 2018 Easy Pears Foster

Easy Pears Foster

February 17, 2018 By

Pears FosterBananas Foster is a dessert originally-created at Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans back in the 1950s. The popular dish consists of ripe bananas cooked in a butter, dark rum, banana liquor and brown sugar sauce then topped with vanilla ice cream. It’s decadent, old school and a most perfect dish.

When I was growing up in Canada, my mom recreated this dish with canned pears instead of bananas as canned goods were a necessity during long winter months. I don’t know if it’s because this was a childhood favorite, but I actually like the pear version even better than the original banana version. I don’t even care that we still make it using canned pears versus using fresh one – it’s fabulous.

Ingredients:

  • ½ stick (1/4 cup) butter
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon (optional. I leave it out as I don’t like cinnamon)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup banana liqueur
  • 29-ounce can of pear halves, drained of their liquid (rinsed if in syrup)
  • ¼ cup dark rum
  • 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Pears Foster Flambe

Pears Foster Flambe

Directions:

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the butter, cinnamon (if using) and the brown sugar. Cook gently until sugar is dissolved, stirring continuously.
  2. Add the banana liqueur and pears to the skillet and cook until the pears begin to brown, turning them a few times for even color.
  3. Take the pan off the heat and carefully add the rum (SEE VIDEO OF THE FLAMBEED PEARS). Place the skillet back on the burner – be careful as the alcohol will ignite (we call this flambé). Allow the rum to cook off for a minute (flame will dissipate).
  4. Divide the pears among four serving dishes, top with the pan sauce and then ice cream. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Easy Pears Foster
Serves 4
Bananas Foster is a dessert originally-created at Brenna’s Restaurant in New Orleans back in the 1950s. The popular dish consists of ripe bananas cooked in a butter, dark rum, banana liquor and brown sugar sauce then topped with vanilla ice cream. It’s decadent, old school and a most perfect dish.
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
15 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
15 min
Ingredients
  1. • ½ stick (1/4 cup) butter
  2. • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon (optional. I leave it out as I don’t like cinnamon)
  3. • 1 cup brown sugar
  4. • ¼ cup banana liqueur
  5. • 29-ounce can of pear halves, drained of their liquid (rinsed if in syrup)
  6. • ¼ cup dark rum
  7. • 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Instructions
  1. 1. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the butter, cinnamon (if using) and the brown sugar. Cook gently until sugar is dissolved, stirring continuously.
  2. 2. Add the banana liqueur and pears to the skillet and cook until the pears begin to brown, turning them a few times for even color.
  3. 3. Take the pan off the heat and carefully add the rum. Place the skillet back on the burner – be careful as the alcohol will ignite (we call this flambé). Allow the rum to cook off for a minute (flame will dissipate).
  4. 4. Divide the pears among four serving dishes, top with the pan sauce and then ice cream. Serve immediately.
Food & Wine Chickie Insider https://www.foodandwinechickie.com/
Filed Under: American, Desserts, Fruits Tagged With: , , ,
13 February 2018 Top Dishes for Mardi Gras Celebrations

Top Dishes for Mardi Gras Celebrations

February 13, 2018 By

According to Wikipedia, Mardi Gras, also called Fat Tuesday, refers to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday”, reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.

I’ve always liked Mardi Gras. When I was a young child in Canada, my grandma used to dress my sister and me up in costumes and take us trick or treating on her street. Back then, kids dressed up just like for Halloween and collected treats.

Now that I’m an adult, the holiday is still centered on treats, in the form of actual food and I don’t miss a chance to celebrate with New Orleans-worthy dishes. Here are some of my top dishes for Mardi Gras celebrations.

Crawfish Bisque

Easy Mardi Gras Beignets

Easy Crawfish Etouffee

New Orleans Jambalaya

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Veronique

 

Filed Under: American, Chicken, Desserts, Entrees, Seafood, Soups, Vegetables
14 December 2017 Easy Miso Butter Sauce

Easy Miso Butter Sauce

December 14, 2017 By

Miso Butter SauceMy hubby fixed our Blue Apron dinner last night and our dish, pork chop with miso butter sauce was outstanding. What made the dish was the rich, slightly salty, umami-packed miso butter sauce. It would go great with steaks or chicken or vegetables or just about anything.

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbsp. sweet white miso paste
  • 1 Tbsp. soy glaze
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp. butter

Directions:

  1. Whisk the first 3 ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Add sauce to a sauté pan (even better if you just cooked your protein in the pan and there’s fond leftover) over medium heat and cook for 30 seconds, whisking constantly.
  3. Turn off the heat, add the butter and whisk for another 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

Yields enough sauce for two entrees.

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Japanese, Sauce Tagged With: , ,
26 November 2017 Prosciutto Wrapped Maple Sweet Potatoes

Prosciutto Wrapped Maple Sweet Potatoes

November 26, 2017 By

Sweet Potato Fries

Prosciutto Wrapped Maple Sweet Potatoes – come on, that sounds so good!

I’m from Quebec so my side dishes often feature maple syrup. It’s just a perfect ingredient, that’s great in both sweet and savory dishes and I use it frequently.

When I was asked to bring a Thanksgiving side dish recently, I wanted to do sweet potatoes, but not the traditional oversweet version with marshmallow topping that very few people actually like (in my circle anyways). This recipe is perfect as it still features the traditional sweet potatoes but they’re in finger food size in fries wrapped in salty prosciutto then glazed with maple syrup. There’s nothing to NOT like here folks.

The sweet potatoes will be in various size so aim to get to around 24 ‘fries’. If that means less than four potatoes, do less or add more prosciutto and do more fries!

Cooking for a crowd, double the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 4 long medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 24 fries/wedges
  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • Sprinkling of salt and pepper
  • 6-8 ounces thinly-sliced Prosciutto
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Sweet Potato Fries

Unbaked Sweet Potato Fries

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Place the sweet potato fries in a large bowl and drizzle them with oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, then toss to coat.
  3. Cut the Prosciutto pieces into two long strips. Wrap one Prosciutto strip around each potato fry, tucking the ends under the bottom. Bake for 20 minutes.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
  5. Brush the maple syrup mixture over the potato fries and bake an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Inspired from this recipe.

Filed Under: American, Appetizers, Bacon, Canadian, Maple Syrup, Sides, Snacks, Starters, Vegetables Tagged With: , , ,
22 November 2017 Short Cut Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

Short Cut Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

November 22, 2017 By

Creamy Chicken and Rice SoupCreamy chicken and rice soup has been a favorite of mine since my youth going to St Hubert restaurant in Quebec. St Hubert is a popular restaurant chain and the rice and creamy chicken soup it makes is pure comfort in a bowl.

This week as I was prepping for my pot of Sunday soup, I decided to make my typical chicken soup, creamy. Then I decided to replace the hand-cut spaghetti (popular at my home) with the rice from a boil-in bag. The result – velvety texture, big chicken flavor and hearty enough to almost use a fork to eat!

The “Short Cut” Part

I had leftover cooked chicken and homemade chicken broth in the freezer so I used that, but you could poach your own chicken to use or simply buy a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and grab store-bought broth. I’m a big believer in taking shortcuts in the kitchen, especially when they result in the heaven-in-a-bowl that is this Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup.

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium-large carrots, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • ½ tsp. each dried thyme and sage
  • 1 tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 cups diced roasted chicken
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tsp. corn starch diluted into ½ cup cold water
  • 1 Uncle Ben’s Boil-In Bag rice packet, uncooked OR 2 cups cooked long grain rice

Directions

  1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
  2. Add chicken broth, thyme, sage, salt, black pepper and chicken and cook for 10 more minutes.
  3. Add the cream and bring the soup to a simmer. Add the corn starch mixture and stir for 2 minutes until the soup has thickened.
  4. Add the uncooked rice, lower heat to medium-low and cook 15 more minutes. If using cooked rice, reduce the cooking time for 2 minutes.

Serves 6 generously.

Filed Under: American, Canadian, Chicken, Soups, Vegetables Tagged With: , ,
23 October 2017 Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Galumpkis)

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Galumpkis)

October 23, 2017 By

Stuffed Cabbage

While stuffed cabbage rolls are common to the cuisines of the Balkans, Central, Northern, Eastern Europe, Iran, West Asia and Northern China, when I think of this comfy dish, I think of Eastern Europe.

Galumpkis, as stuffed cabbage is known in Eastern Europe, are typically meat-filled steam cabbage leaves bakes in tomato sauce. As is common, I add cooked white rice to my meat mixture, which consists of pork, veal and beef. The rolls steam under a foil-wrapped baking dish and then I remove the foil to let the tops crisp up a bit.

Note that you’ll have leftovers of the meat mixture. I roll the meat up in meatballs and cook in tomato sauce for 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp. each dried basil, garlic powder and onion powder
  • 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

For the cabbage rolls:

  • 12 cabbage leaves, boiled in salted water for 5 minutes
  • 2 pounds of ground meats – pork, veal, beef (known as meatloaf mix)
  • 1 cup cooked white rice ( I use boil-in bags)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ medium onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ tsp. each salt and black pepper
  • 1 tsp. dried basil

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix together tomato sauce, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. Add ½ cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 oven-proof pan. Set aside.
  3. In large bowl, combine the meats, rice, egg, milk, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and basil. Place about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture in center of each cabbage leaf and roll up (like a burrito). Place the rolls, seam side down in the prepared pan. Cover the cabbage rolls with the rest of the tomato sauce, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 60 minutes. Remove the foil and cook an additional 15 minutes, until the tops of the rolls are a little crisp.

Makes 12 cabbage rolls, 4-6 healthy servings.

Filed Under: American, Polish Tagged With: , , ,
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