winter salads

as much as i love all of the heavy, rich winter dishes, i also adore a good seasonal winter salad.

poking around for thanksgiving(US) recipes, i stumbled into some salad recipes i'm dying to try:

Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Beet, Orange and Apple Salad

Roquefort Pear Salad

Missy's Candied Walnut Gorgonzola Salad i make this with spinach all the time! throwing in a tart apple or sweet pear never hurts either!

Fennel and Orange Salad this one really caught my eye. i just have a good feeling about these flavors together...

there are so many yummy salad recipes out there for winter! just because its freezing outside, doesnt mean your meals cant be fresh on the inside!

yes, more pumpkin recipes.

ok. so. as i mentioned before, i have 10 sugar pumpkins to break down and turn into fabulous foods. in my search i found a recipe from apartment therapy's the kitchn for ">pumpkin tortilla soup. when i started reading the recipe for this one i immediately thought two things: 1) OMG! that sounds so good! and 2) hey, look at that, no meats...

copied commentary and recipe:



One might not expect a meatless tortilla soup to be very hearty, yet this is actually quite satisfying without animal, or even soy, protein. Pumpkin puree (made from scratch or canned) and cubes of avocado add creamy richness and balance the soup's tomatoes and spice. Tortillas appear not only as crispy garnish but they are also cooked into the soup, infusing it with texture and flavor.

Pumpkin Tortilla Soup
Serves 6

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup finely chopped cilantro, plus more sprigs for garnish
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Chile pequins, other dried hot peppers, or cayenne pepper to taste*
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
5 cups unsalted vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
1-2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and cubed

Cut 6 of the tortillas into 1/2-inch squares.

Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, cilantro, and chopped tortillas and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft.

Add cumin and crushed peppers or cayenne and sauté for another minute.

Add pumpkin, tomatoes, vegetable stock, and salt and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for one hour.

While the soup is simmering, cut the remaining 6 tortillas in half and then into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Fry tortilla strips in two batches until crisp and light golden (about a minute). Using a slotted spoon, transfer tortilla strips to towels to drain.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with tortilla strips, avocado, and cilantro.

Ok, so i cheated. i'm using my tasy tuesday post to update here too! but its really YUM! i love pumpkin. its very efficient to bake from scratch (imo), my son loves pumpkin and i control everything that goes in it so i know whats going into the boy too! i challenge you veggies out there to come up with a fabulous vegan alternative to my pumpkin pie i know it can be done!!!

so, here are my punkin recipes from when i made a punkin pie. Kinda. I have a tendency to tweek things here and there. You know, add an extra pinch of this, a smidge of that, exclude this other thing because I forgot it at the store. In other words, don't be afraid to make these recipes your own. My tweeks worked out for me.You get the idea. Anywho, these are the recipes I used. I know I found them at 3 different sites and I have no idea where I found them since I copy all my recipes into word docs with out links. I win! Sorry to the people who took the time to post these things on the internet in the 1st place. The recipes are GREAT and the advice is solid! If YOU happen to know where I found any of these, leave me a comment with the link and I will update the references! On to the PIE!

Selecting the Pumpkin
When selecting a pumpkin for making a pie, be sure to choose a small pumpkin that is a variety specifically grown for eating, such as sugar, cheese, or milk pumpkins. They may also be called pie pumpkins and generally weigh from 2 to 4 pounds. Do not select the Jack-O-Lantern variety, which is not as sweet and has flesh that is tough and stringy. Select one that has good orange coloring and is heavy for its size. It should be firm, free of blemishes and have its stem intact. Pie pumpkins will yield approximately 1 cup of puree per pound of pumpkin.
Once the pumpkin has been purchased, it can be stored in a cool, dry area for approximately a month. Do not store in temperatures below 50°F. Do not refrigerate fresh pumpkins or wrap in plastic.

Pumpkin Preparation
~Wash the exterior of the pumpkin with cool water to remove any dirt and debris from the outer surface.
~Remove the stem from the pumpkin and cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise.
~Scrape out the seeds and stringy fibers from the center of the pumpkin using a metal spoon. Discard the stringy fibers and if preferred, the seeds can be saved for roasting. (recipes to follow)
~Leave the pumpkin in halves or cut into quarters if desired.

Preparing Fresh Pumpkin Puree
~Preheat the oven to 350°F.
~Coat the cut surface of the pumpkin halves with vegetable oil. ~Place pumpkin halves cut side done in a roasting pan. Add 1 cup of water to the pan.
~Place the pumpkin in the preheated oven and bake for 60 to 90 minutes.
The pumpkin should be baked until the flesh is very tender. Poke with a fork to check for doneness.
Note: The pumpkin halves can also be cooked in the microwave. Place the halves in a microwave-safe dish, add 1 cup of water and cover. To fit properly in the microwave-safe dish, the halves may have to be cut into smaller pieces. Place in the microwave oven and cook on high for 15 minutes. Test for doneness by poking with a fork. If not completely tender, return to the microwave and continue to cook for 5 minute intervals, checking tenderness after each interval. Also note, i didnt do this....
~When the pumpkin has cooked to proper tenderness, remove from the oven and place on a cutting board or cooling rack. Allow to cool until it can be handled comfortably.
~Scrape the flesh out of the pumpkin halves and discard the skins. Place pumpkin flesh in a large bowl.
~Mash the pumpkin by hand using a potato masher. Mash until all the pumpkin is a smooth consistency.
~Another method that can be used to puree the pumpkin is to mix it with a hand mixer. A blender or food processor can also be used.
~Drain moisture from the puree by placing it in a sieve lined with paper towels or a double layer of coffee filters. Be sure the sieve is placed in a bowl to catch the liquid as it drains from the pureed pumpkin.
~Cover the puree with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and allow puree to drain for at least 2 hours. Drain overnight if possible.
~After draining, the puree should be about the same consistency as commercially canned pumpkin.
~If the puree will not be used immediately, place it in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours. For longer storage, freeze the puree in measured quantities. Mark the container with the date, contents and quantity. Freeze up to 3 months.

Making Fresh Pumpkin Pie
The recipe below is for a traditional pumpkin pie. The pumpkin puree can also be used in any recipe calling for commercially canned pumpkin. A 15 oz. can of pumpkin is equal to 1 3/4 cups of pumpkin puree.
Traditional Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:
1 single pie crust, 9 inch
1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 c. light corn syrup
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
whipped cream for serving
Have the single 9 inch pie crust prepared and chilled. (recipe to follow) Preheat oven to 350°F.
~Combine flour in with the brown sugar and stir until they are evenly distributed.
~Add the brown sugar and flour mixture to the pumpkin puree and heavy cream. Beat until well blended.
~Add the salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Stir into pumpkin mixture.
~Add corn syrup and beat until well blended.
~Add the beaten eggs and vanilla to the mixture.
~Beat the eggs and vanilla into the mixture until thoroughly mixed.
~Pour pumpkin filling into the unbaked pie shell.
~Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
~Check after 30 minutes to see if it looks like the crust is going to brown too much. If so, place a piece of foil over the pie. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking time so crust will finish browning.
To check for doneness, insert the tip of a table knife in about 1 inch from the center of the pie. The knife will come out clean if the pie is done.
Or, gently shake the pie and if about an inch of the center jiggles a little, the pie is done. The center will set from the heat of the pie after it is removed from the oven. If more than just the center jiggles, continue to cook and check for doneness at 5 minute intervals.

When the pie is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely before serving. Serve with a spoonful of whipped cream on each slice.

TOTALLY AWESOME PIE CRUST RECIPE! (yes, thats what i saved it as...)

1 double crust
• 1 1/2 cups five roses all-purpose flour or any all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup ice-cold water
~Mix Five Roses Flour, salt and baking powder together.
~Cut in shortening with two knives or pastry blender.
~Add ice cold water, a little at a time, using just enough to bind the mixture so the dough can be patted lightly to form a ball. HANDLE AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.
~Form 2/3 of dough into a round disc and place on lightly floured board. Save remaining dough for top crust. Roll dough from center outward, with a light, even pressure, to form a circle 1/8 inch thick and an inch larger than the pie plate.
~Fold double and lift gently into pie plate. Unfold and fit loosely in place. DO NOT STRETCH.
~Trim edges, allowing 1/4 to 1/2 inch extra all around. Put in a generous amount of filling. Heap fruit filling in center because it will cook down during baking.
~Roll out top crust; fold double and cut slits or fancy design near center to allow steam to escape.
~Brush edges of bottom crust with water, fit top crust over filling and lightly press top edges together. Trim edges evenly and flute.
~Bake as directed for pie filling.

~Yield: One 9 inch double crust pie or two 9 inch single shells.
*Single Shell:.
~Use only 1/2 of dough for each single shell. Arrange bottom crust in pie pan as above.
~Press pastry to rim of pie plate; flute.
~Add filling. Bake as directed for filling.

for my 10" pie baker, i used pretty much all of the dough...

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!

When roasting pumpkin seeds you need not worry about the type of pumpkin you're getting the seeds from. i think. what i mean to say is that you CAN use the seeds from a jack-o-lantern pumpkin and they'll be fine.

1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons melted butter or oil (olive oil or vegetable oil work well) (i prefer olive oil)
salt to taste (i prefer kosher)
Options To Taste:
garlic powder
cayenne pepper
seasoning salt
Cajun seasoning blend

Preheat oven to 300° F.

While it's O.K. to leave some strings and pulp on your seeds (it adds flavor), clean off any major chunks. Toss pumpkin seeds in a bowl with the melted butter or oil and seasonings of your choice. Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.


enjoy the pumpkin tastiness! i'm working on a pumpkin muffin. i'll posts any successes! happy tasty tuesday!

updates.

are few and far between, huh? oh wells. its cold in some places and getting there in others, so that means more time inside and more warm, yumtastic cooking!

here's to more mommy meal updates and lots of them!!!

Roasted plum sandwich

*GASP* someone is here...

This one is inspired by my favourite restaurant in Seattle (their cookbook to be exact)-Cafe Flora.

2 large plums (ripe nectarines and peaches work too)
4 slices of bread
Your favourite sharp cheese (or smoked cheese), we like lots of shaved asiago
1tsp of pesto mixed with 2 tsp of mayo
2 tsp of ground walnuts or pecans

Pit 4 whole plums and slice in half. Placce flesh side up and roast for about 10 mins at 300 degrees. Set aside to cool/prepare the remainder of the sandwich.

Toast all 4 slices (just 2 per sandwich)
Skim toasted bread slices with mixed mayo/pesto/walnuts.
Add cheese and plum slices.
EAT immediately.

Vegetarian Stew and Dumplings

A hearty mushroom stew, perfect for the fall/winter or a comfort food day.

Stew:
2 stalks of celery, chopped into bite size pieces
3 large carrots, chopped same
1 small sweet potato, chopped same
4 medium potatos, chopped same
1/3 of a chopped red onion
15 large quartered mushrooms
1 tsp of fresh ground pepper
1 package of stroganoff seasoning
1 can of half fat mushroom soup
2 tbsp of flour
2 cups of water

Put everything but the flour into a crock pot, on high, for 3.5 hours.

Once finished, you will have too much liquid. Take out 1/2 of it and set aside in a pot. Set on simmer.

Sprinkle the flour all over the stew (the sweet potatoes will be over cooked-but this is good). Gently mix and serve.

Dumplings:
2 cups of flour
2tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
2 tsp of room temp butter
3/4 cup of milk
1 tbsp fresh chopped chives (optional)

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Cut the butter in, then pour the milk over top and mix in the chives. Add more milk to make it doughy (if needed). Drop chunks into the simmering liquid. 1/2 a tennis ball in size takes about 10 minutes.

CONSUMER (or diaper changer) ALERT!

the tuna for lunch idea was BAD! BAD! BAD! tuna does NOT digest well. infact, it digests poorly and the end result is BAD! BAD! BAD!

proceed at your own risk.

Dump the freezer in the pan

That's my name for the frittata that I just made. I was looking for a way to use up to frozen veggies and it worked out perfectly. This is not gourmet, I repeat, THIS IS NOT GOURMET, in any sense of the word.

2 cups of frozen veggies ( I used corn, peas and beans)
1/2 cup minced red onion
5 eggs
3 tbsp of milk
Your favourite cheese (however much you prefer)
S&P
2 cups of small cubed sauteed potatoes (or use the fozen ones like I did)
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 clove of mashed garlic
3tbsp of your favourite herbs (I grabbed cilantro, sage, parsley and chives)

Cook in a pan with no extra space, it should be tightly put together. Also the pan must be oven safe.

1. Cook potatoes, veggies, onion, garlic and some S&P in an oiled/buttered pan on medium.
2. Whisk milk, eggs and herbs (save a few for spinkling on top afterward), and dump over mixed stuff above.
3. Sprinkle/cover with cheese.
4. Cook in the pan, not moving the mixture, for about 5 minutes on low-medium, then transfer to broil on high for 2-3minutes.

This would make a great meal for any time of day. Yum yum!

Inspiration

Okay girls, I'm looking for some ideas here on lunches for kids!

We seem to be stuck in a Macaroni & Cheese rut.....I'm having a hard time with idea's.
In the winter we ate a lot of soups with veggies and beef/barley etc but now that it's hot out i'm at a loss.

Her favourite lunch is Mac & Cheese (I buy the whole wheat KD) with peas and some fruit for dessert (sometimes a popsicle!) Everyday she asks for Macaroni....macaroni....macaroni.....

Hailey doesn't eat sandwiches and isn't a big fan of meats and i've kept her off cheese because of her other issues.

What do you do for lunches with your kids? (She's just about 2)

Thanks!

Delish and Low Fat

So, my husband just informed me that he stopped drinking diet pop for the past week and has only drank water and Milk and the occasional glass of juice and he's lost 3 pounds just from that. I'm jealous and needless to say have not had diet pop in 3 days either and have decided he can't beat me so I better start cooking right again. I've been off the wagon and into snacks meant as the occasional treat for a little person not to mention I had a moment of weakness recently in the grocery store I bought Nutella and go to it with a spoon daily....BAD.

SO - Here's a delicious receipe for you.

Ingredients:

* 1 package baby spinach (about 10 oz.)
* Nonstick cooking spray
* 1⁄4 cup red onion, sliced
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 8 oz. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1⁄4 cup dried cranberries
* 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* A pinch of salt
* Two pinches of pepper
* 2 packets of Splenda
* 1⁄4 cup sliced almonds
* 1⁄4 cup feta cheese

Directions:

1. Coat a medium saucepan with nonstick spray and place over medium-high heat. Cook onion in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes; add garlic and cook for an additional 15-30 seconds.
2. Toss in shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are bright pink. Add cranberries and vinegar, and deglaze the pan by lightly scraping up the brown bits from the bottom. Stir in salt, pepper, and sweetener.
3. Place the spinach in a large bowl; pour the mixture over the leaves and toss to coat. Add almonds and feta cheese and toss. Transfer to individual plates or bowl to serve.

NO DON'T STARVE!

i cant believe how suck-o we are. well, we're not, but definately guilty of neglect.

anywho, to make up for my abuse, i thought i would share my MIL's Chicken Cacciatore recipe. she might kill me for this one (don't worry Mary, i will NEVER relinquish my knowledge of the cookie recipe!!!), but its really yummy, and really easy. its kinda over cast here currently and this is a great rainy day meal to warm you up. Plus, it makes enough to feed an army so everyone has lunch the next day!

Chicken Cacciatore

2-2 1/2 lbs. chicken parts (I use skinless boneless breasts from T.J.s)
3 T. oil (I use less in a non-stick pan)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup sliced onions
1 T. chopped parsley
2 T. chopped celery
1 cup tomato ketchup
1 cup water
2 T. dry red wine

Brown the chicken in the oil . Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove from
skillet and saute onion celery and parsley until lightly browned. Stir in
ketchup, water and wine. Add chicken. Simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours or
until tender. Turn chicken over and check occasionally for consistency. Add
water if the sauce is too thick or uncover pan if the sauce is too thin. Serve over rice.

i think i might actually make it tomorrow. i have some chicken breasts (bone in and halfed) that i need to use and i've been craving some rice lately. So, I will report back with some photos and modifications/results of my efforts on this recipe.

for those veggies out there, i dont have time to copy a recipe, but i recommend making a nice (oven) roasted veggie pizza. tomatoes, squash, asparagus, mushrooms, etc.... i think i will be putting this on our menu this week.

I'm pretty sure mommy is going to starve sometime in the near future...

Since we have ignored our food blog for over a month. We suck.

Cheddar, Chive and Corn Pancakes

This morning I made Cade some raspberry lemon pancakes, butI felt like a salty dish for myself. I decided to try making a savoury pancake. OMG, it was SO SO SO good. This is clearly because I am the world's best savoury pancake maker, at first shot!

I used:

A whole wheat basic pancake mix (with their instructions/milk).

One egg

1/2 cup of extra aged white cheddar

2tbps of chopped chives

1/4 cup of frozen sweet corn

I also added 1/4 cup of flax meal

S&P

I made some of those frozen section hashbrowns, don't start on me-they're easy! I had a little sour cream on the side. Think latkes, with no potato. Mmmmmmmmm.

Portabello Yumminess

Hey, hey you Hollystar! I'm doing a WFDL? tonight.

Easy yummy portabello stack.

1 portabello mushroom, marinated in balsamic vinaigrette.
Grill the sucker on the BBQ

Top with 1/2 of a mashed avocado and 2 thick slices of smoked gouda.

Broil until cheese bubbles. Eat immediately and plan the next time you can make it again.

I ate mine with roasted corn.

Simple Maple Sweet Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup of your favourite maple syrup
3 tbsp of brown sugar
1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1 tsp of cinnamon
3 tbsp of butter

Peel and dice sweet potatoes. Boil potatoes until soft. Mash with remaining ingredients. Alternately, they are great when you roast them, then mash them. I generally roast with the brown sugar on, then mash with all other ingredients.

Sweet and delish. I make these at Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Long laboursome lasagna

This takes forever, it's SO good though. I made it up one day and it's worth the time...

Ingredient List
4 cups bechamel sauce (I made it from scratch but you could also use your favourite white sauce).
3 cups of slow roasted tomatoes (receipe to follow).
1 box of lasagna noodles that don't need pre-cooking (or feel free to make your own).
3 cups of mozza/asiago and parmesan mixed together.
1 tub of smooth ricotta, 1 cup of marscapone cheese. (called the wet cheese mix)
1 large roasted and mashed butternut squash (roast with a bit of butter and maple syrup or brown sugar).

Layers
Bottom of pan:
A slim coat of sauce.
Noodles
Squash then 1/2 wet cheese mix
Noodles
Roasted tomatoes then 1/2 wet cheese mix then sauce
Noodles
Sauce
All of the dry cheese mix.

Bake until noodles are cooked and cheese bubbles. Let sit for about 20 mins to ensure maximum sticky-togetherness.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes
These shrink A LOT. You need at least 6-7 medium tomatoes for a cup of roasted ones. Clean, halve, and season with your favourite herbs and a bit of black pepper. Leave the salt out until they are cooked. Roast in your oven at about 250 for 8 hours. Roast seeded side up. They taste SO good. It's a perfect way to keep summer tomatoes, they freeze great. Your house will smell awsome as well. Also good in grilled sandwiches and olive oil based pasta dishes. Also good for tomatoes that are about to go bad.

I've been slacking

I've been slacking and instead of doing my own recipe i'm going to give you my top 5 salad entrees - I am currently on a salad kick!

1) Moxie's - Thai Chicken Noodle Salad - huge portion, lots of greens, delicious noodles and comes with yummy banana bread!

2) Boston Pizza - Spinach Salad - Spinach, Egg, Bacon, carrots and dressing. Crisp and Delish

3) McDonalds - Oriental Salad - Chicken (grilled or crispy) great dressing and crispy "chips" very low in calories!

4) White Spot - Grilled Chicken - Grapes and vinaigrette dressing with a splash of peanuts

5) My own - Mixed greens, Raspberries, Peanuts and Balsamic vinegar!

Enjoy!

places to go: Salumi

i dont have a ton of time to write my exact thoughts and feelings on this place, but frommer's review sums it up pretty well:

Frommer's Review
"For many folks, salami is a guilty pleasure. We all know it has a lot of fat, but it tastes too good to resist. Now, raise the bar on salami, and you have the artisan-cured meats of this closet-size eatery near Pioneer Square. The owner, Armandino Batali, who happens to be the father of New York's famous chef Mario Batali, makes all his own salami (as well as traditional Italian-cured beef tongue). Order up a meat plate with a side of cheese and some roasted red bell peppers, pour yourself a glass of wine from the big bottle on the table, and you have a perfect lunchtime repast in the classic Italian style. Did I mention the great breads and tapenades? Wow! If you're down in the Pioneer Square area at lunch, don't miss this place (even if there's a long line)."

the breads werent so great, but they had a wonderdul, traditional beed/spinach canalloni. suprisingly NOT heavy for a canalloni. and the meat&cheese plate is NOT to be missed oh, and i totally agree with the glass of wine. they had some pretty dang drinkable table wine. they DID have a good vegetarian sammich along with their other sammiches. one of the people in our party got said sammich and was very pleased with roasted balsamic veggies, but thought the bread was a let down (most of us thought the bread was a let down though.) i'de definately eat there again...

**sorry for no photos. hotel wireless is the suck.**

Pizza

From a box, in a frozen section. Yum.

No, but seriously, it's so GOOD. Palermo's Organic Hearth Baked Spinach and Feta. All words deserve capitalization because really, it's that good.

Where can I buy this wonderful pizza you ask? Why, from Costco, that where.

You wanna know where I am right now? At work, telling you about pizza. What a stellar employee I am.

WFDL?

i have done three things today:
1) i went to the dentist to get an impression for a crown
2) i took the child to the park
3) i joined weight watchers

now, i plan to do one more thing:
go to taco bell for dinner.

sorry. i got nothing.

Stuffed Pasta Shells ( or as Hollystar calls it WFDL?)

This was tonights Dinner at KiS's house....

1 box of pasta shells (about 4 cups cooked, medium)

1 medium sized container of extra smooth ricotta
3/4 cup of fresh finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp of minced sundried tomatoes
1 clove of minced garlic
4 minced green onions
1/2 tsp of sea salt
1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp of garlic and herb Epicure spcie mix (optional)

Mix it all together and set aside until pasta is cooked al dente (and cooled with cold water). Pre-heat oven to 350degrees.

A jar of your favourite pasta sauce (of homemade if your ambitious)
1 small tin of tomato paste

Place a slim coat of sauce along the bottom of a baking dish (about 1/3 of your sauce).

1 cup of grated mozza
1 cup of freshly grated parmesan

Stuff shells with ricotta mixture and line up on their sides over the pasta sauce. Cover with remaining pasta sauce and mozza/parm mixture.

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes then broil until cheese is bubbling. Sit down and eat.

Side note: this serves about 6 or 8 as sides. It isn't a cheap dish but would make great lunches as well.

WFDL?

tonight i'm planning on giving my husband a frozen garlic chicken pizza from california pizza kitchen to deal with.

see, every firday night my deal is to abandon my family and go "crop" (aka. work on my paper projectts) at a local scrapbooking store and force said family to feed themselves. good tradition eh? anyone else have any friday night plans (regular or not)?

Eat your vegetables!

Here are some simple sides for your tasting pleasure.

Warm Chickpeas
Can of chickpeas, well rinsed.
Sea salt.
Fresh ground pepper.
2 tbsp olive oil.

Warm on medium in a pan. The longer you warm the better they taste. 20 minutes makes them irresistable.

Pan-roasted Asparagus
Clean, clipped asparagus.
2 tbsp of your favourite balsamic vinaigre.
2 tbsp of olive oil.
1 clove of pressed garlic.
Sea salt and pepper.

Saute in a pan on medium for about 10 minutes.

Grilled Peppers
2 red, yellow or orange peppers.
4tbsp of your favourite vinaigrette.

Seed and quarter the peppers, toss in vinaigrette and grill on the BBQ for about 10 mins on medium heat. A slight char is the best.

Lemon Rosemary Potatoes
1/4 red onion, minced
a few pinches of chili flakes
3 cups of halved nuggest potatoes (pre-boil for about 8 minutes or until tender)
1/2 of a squeezed lemon (juice)
1 clove of garlic (minced)
Sea salt and pepper to taste.
1/2 tsp of rosemary (dried is ok)

Mix it all together, wrap well with aluminum foil and toss on the BBQ for about 15 minutes.

Get inspired

Is anyone else addicted to the food network? Or just generally addicted to food shows?
My favs: Barefoot Contessa, Nigella, and Tyler's Ultimate. Guilty pleasures.

Not so guilt free salad

So my husband thinks that I am the queen of salads. I guess this is because they don't generally involve cooking and you can't really screw them up. Here is one of my tried but true leafy creations.

Salad
Mixed greens
Dried cranberries
Crumbled feta
Toasted slivered almonds
Sliced mandarins or strawberries

I didn't give quantities because it's really up to you.

Dressing-tastes much better made one day early
1/2-3/4 cup of grapeseed oil (vary the oil amount to your taste preference)
1/4 cup of your favourite balsamic vinager (we like fig flavoured)
1 clove of garlic pressed
1 tsp of grainy mustard
Sea salt and ground pepper

Mix it all together and let it sit, in the fridge, over night. If you don't press the garlic then you can remove it afer 24 hours. I once used garlic powder and it was OK, not the same but decent.

Healthy Breakfast To Start Your Day!

Since the last post was for Dinner - I thought I'd post my new favorite breakfast! It's healthy for you and you can play around with the ingredients to suite your tastes. It is also quick for those rushed mornings! Here is my version and it gets the kids eating a healthy breakfast too!


1 - Frozen Waffle lightly toasted
1/4 cup - Vanilla Sugar-Free Yogurt
1/4 cup - Sliced Peaches (Warm in microwave for 1 minute) Fresh or Canned
1/4 cup - Fresh or Frozen Raspberries
1/4 cup - Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal
Sprinkle of Almonds


Top Waffle with remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

WFDL? (version: DAY ONE!)

WFDL? what the heck? What with people on the internet? why cant they use real words and what is WFDL supposed to mean?!?!

Easy. People on the internet are just lazy and just dont have the time to type out proper engrish. (yes, i said engrish!) As for WFDL? it means "What's For Dinner, Lady?"

In WFDL? posts you will find our dinner plans for that evening. we ask that you just comment what you’re cooking/picking up for dinner tonight too! Hopefully this will help inspire the uninspired to have something yummy for dinner tonight!!!

Tonight for dinner I’m doing a cheese ravioli with a roasted garlic and vegetable sauce. There may possibly be a green salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette(recipe below) as well. The toddler side tonight will be steamed peas and carrots. Yum…


Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
Pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Toss with yummy leafy greens for a fresh addition to any meal! Chill remainder of vinaigrette in an airtight container to use again. Before next service, take out 30min prior to serving to bring to room temperature. Once vinaigrette is warmed, shake well and serve.

HAPPY DINNER!!!!

Our constitution

Shall we have rules, or guidelines? A weekly post? My contribution will be meatless, you can contribute your preferences. What are your thoughts? I can't commit to foodie photos. I can do the weekly thing, you never know what I'll bring to our dinner date, maybe pancakes, maybe fudge, maybe salad, maybe pasta, maybe something new and exciting. What are YOU bringing to dinner?