10 Minute Szechuan Chicken October 18, 2007

I know you love stir-fry!  Here is great, easy recipe for you.  Use Minute rice and you’ve got yourself a ten-minute meal! 

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon corn oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1 carrot, julienned
1 small zucchini, julienned
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 bunch scallions, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
Hot cooked rice

DirectionsHeat the oils in a wok over high heat. Toss the cubed chicken breast in a bowl with the cornstarch to coat.
2. Add the chicken and minced garlic to the wok and stir-fry until the chicken is lightly browned. Add the remaining ingredients except the scallions. Cover and cook for three minutes.
4. Add the scallions. Cover and cook for two more minutes. Serve with Minute rice.   

The shopping cart: Mexican October 10, 2007

Here are my grocery picks for the week in order to make Chicken soft tacos and Mexican Chicken Salad:

Romaine lettece

Black beans

Salsa (Medium)

Chedder Cheese (Light Old or Medium Cheddar)

Ground chicken

Pre-packed cooked chicken breast strips (found in the luncheon meet section)

Soft tortillas (Whole wheat or white – white definitely tastes better)

Taco seasoning (found in the salsa section – PC makes a good one)

Curried Pumpkin Seeds October 10, 2007

One of my favourite Halloween treats!!!   

Ingredients 

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 ounces hulled pumpkin seeds (about 2 1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment; spray with nonstick spray. Whisk egg white, lime juice, and oil in large bowl. Add next 4 ingredients; whisk. Add pumpkin seeds; toss. Transfer to baking sheet, spreading evenly. Bake until toasted and fragrant, stirring often, about 24 minutes. Cool on sheet.

Do ahead: Can be made 5 days ahead. Store toasted seeds airtight at room temperature.

Greek Pita Salad October 5, 2007

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 cups (loosely packed) thinly sliced romaine lettuce
2 cups diced seeded tomatoes
1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces)
6 6-inch pita breads, top 1 1/2 inches trimmed

Whisk first 4 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Add next 4 ingredients and toss to combine. Season salad with salt and pepper. Carefully open pita breads at cut end. Fill each with salad and serve.

Featured in Bon Appetit, Meatless Dinner: Aug ‘01

Memories of Positano… October 4, 2007

Bouillabaisse http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/238411 

Eggplant Parmesan http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/109739

Classic spaghetti & meatballs  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/105546

Linguine with tomatoes, olives, feta, and parsley http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/239105

Light Minestrone http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/15589

More on Positano Cuisine…

http://www.positanolife.it/en/gastronomia_positano.php

http://www.italiancookingandliving.com/recipes/archive/665-Positano,cs=8,cc=,ps=,pt=nc,.html

http://www.recipezaar.com/152442

http://www.italianfoodforever.com/iff/images.asp?cat=98

Span-A-Ko-PIT-A October 4, 2007

Spanakopita, from the Moosewood Cookbook

Yield: 8 servings
Time: 1½ hours
Ingredients:

½ c olive oil
2 c onion, minced
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
2½ pounds fresh spinach, cleaned and de-stemmed
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp flour
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1 c ricotta or cottage cheese
1 Tbsp black pepper, or to taste
1 pound phyllo pastry leaves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375º.

Sauté onion, salt, basil, and oregano in 2 Tbsp oil for 5 minutes, until the onion softens.

Add spinach and cook over medium-high heat for at least 5 minutes, until spinach wilts.

Turn heat down to medium, stir in garlic and flour, and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses and pepper. Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired.

Get your phyllo dough out of the fridge and unwrap. Lay out a sheet of the dough in the baking dish (it will overlap the sides). Brush with oil, lay another on top, brush with oil, and repeat for a total of 8 sheets.

Spread half of the spinach mixture over the dough. Lay out another 8 sheets of phyllo as above. Spread the rest of the spinach on top, then lay out the remaining sheets. Brush the top with oil and tuck the phyllo sheets into the pan.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, until golden-brown and crispy.

Portuguese Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes October 4, 2007

Portuguese Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes – ChefMD™ Recipe

And health benefits too!

Portuguese Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes:

Preparation time: 12 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Four servings (makes about 7 cups of soup)
165 calories per serving, 20% from fat

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped white onion
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup diced (one-half inch pieces) unpeeled sweet potato
3 to 4 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or chili puree with garlic, such as Lee Kum Kee brand
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
One 15- or 16-ounce can Great Northern or cannelloni beans, undrained
4 cups packed sliced Swiss chard or collard greens
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (optional)

Preparation:

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil, then onion; cook three minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth, sweet potato, and chili garlic sauce; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered five minutes. Stir in tomatoes and beans; return to a simmer. Stir in Swiss chard or collard greens. Simmer five minutes or until sweet potatoes and chard or greens are tender. Stir in vinegar, if desired, and ladle into four serving bowls.

Substitutions:

Diced, peeled butternut or delicate squash may be substituted for the sweet potato. Kale, turnip, or beet greens may replace the Swiss chard or collard greens.

Tips:

Leftover soup may be covered and refrigerated up to three days or frozen up to three months. The soup may be pureed, simmered until thickened, and served as a sauce for cooked whole wheat pasta, underneath a wild-rice pilaf, or on top of a baked potato. Chili garlic sauce is an Asian condiment found in the ethnic section of your supermarket. It gives a dynamic flavor to this quick-cooking soup.

*http://healthcorner.walgreens.com/display/874.htm

Viva Meh-hee-co Lay-her dip October 4, 2007

Mexican dip is my ultimate favourite party food!  There are a ton of variations to this recipe, but this one is my favourite – inspired by our mutal friend, Lindsay W. 

1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
1 cup non-fat sour cream, 1 cup cream cheese (light is okay) 

1/2 package of PC taco seasoning mix

Small container of pre-made guacamole – medium 

1.5 cups diced tomatoes, 1.5 cups shredded head lettuce

1.5 cup shredded low-fat or light cheddar cheese (“No-name” does the job and I like the MEDIUM flavour)

1/2 cup sliced green olives (optional) 

1/4 cup sliced green onions

In a small bowl, mix together sour cream, cream cheese and taco seasoning mix. Spread along bottom of dish. Layer the cheese on next, followed by veggies, chillis and green onions. Serve with baked “SCOOPS” tortilla chips or Restaurant-Style Tostitos.

Adrianne Curry Dip October 4, 2007

1/2 cup sour cream (Real is better but light is okay)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (Real is better but low fat is okay.  Do not use Salad Dressing/Miracle Whip)
3 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1-1.5 teaspoons curry powder (I like curry!)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup finely chopped peeled and seeded english cucumber
1 green onion finely chopped

Mix ingredients together and serve with toasted pita or veggies.  Yum!

*You can buy an indian curry at Loblaws that includes all the spices – like Tumeric and cumin.  I use this…

Use your instincts for Naz’s Beet Salad October 4, 2007

This is a recipe that contains little to no instruction.  We provide the ingredients and you provide the creativity — just keep tasting until it’s perfect! 

Canned or fresh cooked Beets (Canned are easiest but don’t buy them pickled)

Thinly chopped celeryThinly sliced Spanish Onion

A splash of Red wine vinegar, Olive Oil, grape seed oil, mint (dried or finely chopped fresh), salt and pepper. 

A DROP of sesame seed oil 

Combine the dressing and mix with veggies.  Let marinate over night for best results!

Enjoy!