Oven-Baked Zucchini Chips

The temperature in our house is currently 16C. Brrr. Our furnace seems to be slowly dying so it feels so good to be working in the kitchen and opening a 425F oven for these little guys. This is definitely a different, fun-for-the-little-guys way to make zucchini. Usually I just pan fry my zucchini with a little bit of olive oil so this was quite the experience! Very yummy. Bon appétit folks :)

Ingredients
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

sprinkle of fresh thyme

2 tablespoons milk
2 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)
Cooking spray

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl.

2. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

Chicken & Kale Flaky Hand Pies

Holy crap these were tasty little buggers. Go Martha go! Definitely a kick in the butt to get them out and on your plate, but the end result was so darn good. I had this big plan to go on a 'kale kick' after having tasting it as a delicious side prepared by my bro' in law's lovely gf over Christmas, but was super bummed to discover that the grocery store was fresh out. So, in the end, these ended up being "Chicken & Spinach" hand pies. Going for fresh thyme is a MUST. The pastry turned out beautifully but with a lot of huffing and under-breath cussing on my part, hence the "I bleepin' hate making bleepin' pastry. Bleep bleep" FB post. I actually also forgot to add the cheese when making the pastry but it was delish nonetheless. Bon appétit!!

Ingredients
Flaky Pie Dough recipe doubled and 1 cup shredded cheddar added with flour, or store-bought
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 leek (white and light-green parts only), halved lengthwise, cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick, and rinsed well
1 small bunch black (Tuscan) kale, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, leaves
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 splash of whipping cream
1 cup cooked chicken, torn into bite-size pieces (about 5 ounces)
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough in half. On a floured sheet of parchment paper, roll out one half to a 14-inch round. With a knife or biscuit cutter, cut out six 4 1/4-inch circles (rerolling dough once if necessary) and transfer, on parchment, to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, cutting out six (larger) 4 1/2-inch rounds. Chill rounds on sheet until ready to use.

2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add leek and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add kale and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook until kale wilts, 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to combine. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often, until mixture thickens, 2 minutes (I added that splash of whipping cream here). Transfer to a medium bowl, season with salt and pepper, and stir in chicken. Let cool slightly.

3. Place a heaping 1/4 cup chicken mixture on each of the smaller dough rounds, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush edges with egg and top with larger dough rounds; using fingers, press edges firmly to seal. Cut a small vent in each pie. Bake until browned and crisp, 30 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let cool slightly on sheets on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Uber Yums Black Beans

This could not be any easier and is a delicious side dish for any "south of the border" food you might be serving up. I am used to black beans looking like a goobey mess but these guys are different. I'm also used to beans taking several hours to cook up - these guys only take 10 minutes. If that. We`ve also made these up to serve on tacos (they were a big hit!). Do enjoy! Bon appétit!

Directions:
Take a can of red kidney or black beans beans and rinse em'  out really well. Put them in a medium hot pan with some olive oil (maybe 2 tbs?).  Turn them around in the pan for a minute. Add 2-3 cloves of garlic (I like a lot of garlic), about 1 tsp oregano and salt and pepper. Heat the beans through and they are done. So good.

Salted Tilapia with Crispy Zucchini Ribbons

I can imagine that you're probably thinking that this dish is too indulgent looking to be good for you. Well, let me tell you. It's too indulgent tasting, too. A perfect combination of tender-crunchy textures and salty goodness. Definitely recommend splurging and getting your fish fresh from the fish market rather than buying frozen. Trust me. I should note that I had a little trouble frying up the zucchini, but it was all really tasty in the end. You just have to move quickly (or better yet, cook with a buddy) or else you may end up with burnt zukes. Yummy dish all around. Bon appétit!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 pound tilapia
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat up a grill pan over medium high heat, with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in the pan. Use a potato peeler to shave the zucchini and yellow squash into long ribbons. Salt and pepper the zucchini ribbons, then lay them flat into your hot oil. Don't crowd them in your pan! Too many inside your pan will keep them from getting crispy, and they simply aren't as delightsome when they are mushy. Grill until golden brown on one side, flip and grill on the second side until golden brown and crispy.

Remove the zucchini ribbons, melt the second tablespoon of coconut oil, and place the tilapia in your pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss a bit of dried thyme on top, as well. Grill on both sides until the fish is white and flaky. Serve on top of Crispy Zucchini Ribbons. Enjoy!

Recipe cred to Cheeky Kitchen

Flaky Pie Dough

Just a nice little flaky pie dough recipe I like to use (from Martha). I`m planning on making some little hand pies for dinner this week out of kale and chicken (recipe to come!!) and thought I`d share this yummy recipe that seems to work well every time. Bon appétit!

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup ice water

Directions
1. In a food processor, pulse flour and salt to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.

2. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water; pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 2 tablespoons more water, 1 tablespoon at a time).

3. Form dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

Cashew Chicken with Broccoli

Next I bring you a nice, simple recipe for those crazy mid-week dinners. This recipe is as easy as can be to make, and tastes even better than take-out. If you're feeling like adding extra veggies, try stir-frying celery with the chicken or toss some water chestnuts in with the broccoli. Super easy, super nutty. Enjoy! Bon appétit!

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breast tenders, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
4-6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3-1/2 cup water
2-3 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized hunks
1/2 cup salted cashews, toasted
2 package Udon noodles, cooked according to package directions with 1/4 cup of soy sauce tossed into the water as they cook

Directions:
1. In a wok, heat the olive oil to medium heat then toss the chicken into the oil. Stir fry until cooked through. 

2. Add the garlic and allow it to cook for a moment before sprinkling the mixture with the chicken boullion powder and soy sauce. 

3. In small cup, whisk together the cornstarch and water (use more water if you like a thinner sauce, or less water for a thicker sauce). Pour this mixture over your chicken, stir to coat, then add the broccoli. Cover and cook just until the broccoli is a bright green. 

4. Toss in the cashews, lightly drizzle with some sesame oil and serve over Udon noodles or rice. Enjoy!

Chili Chicken Tenders

These little guys are super tasty - and healthy too! I had to make the topping mixture twice because I accidentally turned around and knocked the entire food processor container on the floor. Like a good little dog, Georgie started licking the mixture up, but stopped when he must have hit the red pepper flakes! Poor little guy acted like it bit him :(   I should note that the chicken strips are extra good paired with a smidgen of fresh-squeezed lemon juice. I also made up a yummy "maple yogurt mustard" mixture to go along with. To grind the almond powder, use a good quality blender, food processor, or hammer. Serve up with some nice salad and enjoy! Bon appétit!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw almonds, ground to a coarse powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup egg whites
2 chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking dish with parchment or nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, combine the ground almonds, red pepper flakes, onion powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Pour the egg whites over the chicken tenders. Dip them into the almond mixture. Transfer to your baking sheet. Bake in an oven for 10-12 minutes, or just until the chicken is cooked through. Serve and enjoy!

Gnocchi in a Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Jeremy and I simply adore this tiny little Italian restaurant up the road from us on Beechwood. It's called Arturos and it's named after the owner's 100 year old Grandpa. They have a small menu with daily specials, fresh pasta and everything is made to order. We were at Arturos' on Thursday night after Jerms presented his 4th year mech-eng project to celebrate. I decided to go for the Gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce and Jeremy was left wishing he'd ordered the same thing. I just had to try it on my own and FAST.

If you are new to the gnocchi world, it is what you'd call potato pasta. They're super yummy little guys and they have the most addictive, dense texture that leaves you craving for more, more, more. Gorgonzola is a blue cheese which goes so incredibly well with this pasta dish. If you are not a blue-cheese lover, don`t fret. I too am one of these people and I LOVE this dish. It is so freakin` delicious. As in, you want to keep eating wayyy beyond your point of satiety. Serve with your favourite white wine and enjoy!!  Bonne appétit!


ps - I wish I was a keener and made my own gnocchi but that just didn't happen tonight... you can buy pre-made gnocchi at the grocery store. They boil to the surface in 2-3 minutes, just like pierogies.
pps - this dish is not fat free...


Ingredients:
- 1 package gnocchi (or make your own!)
- 1 tbs. butter
- 1 tbs. flour
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 4.5 oz Gorgonzola cheese
- small flavourful grapes (not big juicy ones...)
- fresh pepper (to taste)
- Parmesan cheese (to taste)

Directions:
1. Boil water and cook gnocchi.
2. Prepare milk mixture before hand by heating it slowly in the microwave to about 70 degrees.
3. In a saucepan melt butter. When butter is melted, stir in flour (roux). Cook the roux over medium heat, stirring for about 3 minutes - do not brown.
4. Add the hot milk mixture and stir. Keep stirring while sauce starts to thicken and then blend in crumbled cheese until it has melted. Be careful not to cook too much as sauce may thicken too much. Add pepper to taste.
5. Toss the pasta with the sauce. Add the chopped grapes and serve with fresh parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Chicken Taquitos with Salsa Verdé

So it seems that I`m in the mood lately for recreating my favourite appetizers from my favourite Ottawa restaurants. This one is a spin-off from Poncho Villa`s flautas (or the equally deep fried version slowly rolling away at your local 7-11 ... depending on who you ask ...).  In searching for `taquito` recipes, I also discovered that "Taquito" was also the name of a Star War's character (thank you Wookiepedia): Taquito (pronounced /ʈaqɪʈo/) a male Rodian pilot who lived during the last years of the Galactic Republic on the Outer Rimplanet Iego. Apparently Taquito died trying to breacbck through the laser grid system left by the Separatists.  Poor Taquito.

All that aside, the mexican appetizer version of these little guys are uber yummy. Kids would adore them, I'm certain of that. To deep fry the taquitos at home (not having a deep-fryer of course), we heated oil in a soup pot to the point that it was shimmering. We made sure to have enough oil to just cover the taquitos. I should note too that we had a lot of fun making up the salsa verdé too. The salsa lasted for a few days and was the perfect accompaniment to tortilla chips. Olé y buen appetito!

Ingredients:
For the chicken taquitos:
2 large chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
4-6 white corn tortillas
Oil for frying

For the salsa verdé:
1 1/2 cups yellow tomatoes
1/4 a small purple onion
a big bunch of cilantro
3 tablespoons vinegar
salt to taste

Directions:
For the taquitos:
Mix the chicken with the cumin, chili powder, onion powder, salt, and cheese until well mixed. Press 3-4 tablespoons of the chicken mixture together to form a "snake" that is then rolled tightly into a corn tortilla. To get really great taquitos, I placing the corn tortillas one at a time in very hot water for 3-5 seconds, then removing them quicky, rolling them around your chicken mixture, and allowing them to air dry for a few minutes before placing in a saucepan filled with an inch or so of oil heated to medium heat for frying. Fry the taquitos 2-3 at a time on all sides just until golden. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with salsa.

For the salsa verdé:
In a blender, puree all ingredients together. Serve with warm, fresh taquitos. Enjoy.

- Recipe cred Cheeky Kitchen

Papadums

Last night I got to eat out with some of my most favourite people at one of my most favourite restaurants in Ottawa: the Coconut Lagoon. If you've never been, go.  It's freakin' delicious and I once saw Adrian Harwood eating dinner there with his wife (local newscaster ... he's big time here!). The Coconut Lagoon serves papadums as yummy pre-dinner appetizers. Papadums are those giant, round, bubbly, deep-fried crackery things that you get at Indian restaurants ... usually served up with some kind of delicious chutney. They are made from lentils and come in a variety of different flavours. It turns out that you can actually make these guys at home with a minimal amount of effort. You will feel like a super star - that is if you`re able to escape without searing your forearms in hot, burning oil. Warning: your first papadum will most probably fail. Don`t worry - you`ll get the hang of it! I should warn you as well that this is not a recipe for making papadums from scratch (I`m not that awesome) - check out your local T&T or 'international' aisle at the grocery store for a box of em'. Finally, you'll need a pair of tongs and quick reflexes -- these cook quickly. Bon appétit!

Ingredients:
One package of papadums
Oil
Mango Chutney

Directions:
Read the instructions on the package. We make ours up by heating up an inch or two of oil in a frying pan. To see if the oil is ready, crack off a small piece of papadum and drop it in the oil. If it fries up quickly it is ready to go. Do not put your papdums in the oil until it is good and ready and hot. Serve up with some nice mango chutney. Enjoy!

Mixed Tomato Salsa

There's nothing better than making your own salsa. It's a perfect way to use up all of those huge, left-over, gnarly looking tomatoes that litter your garden at the end of summer. Our little Giles` garden was  positively overflowing with these guys so it was into the salsa pot with them. You can mix this recipe up by adding fresh mango or a big handful of black beans. Store-bought just doesn't compare when you've made your own! YUM. Bon appétit!


Ingredients
1 plum or regular tomato, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
12 yellow cherry tomatoes, cut into sixths
1 very small sweet onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, minced
1 serrano chile or 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Directions
1. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, serrano, cilantro, lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend.

Chicken Puxa Vida

This dish is definitely a Giles' dish (hola' to all of the Giles' out there... you've got to try this one!). It is freakin' delicious. It was a lot of fun to make and is really different from standard everyday dinner fare. It could easily be done with tilapia as well (I have seen lots of recipes for this and, in fact, this recipe started out as a tilapia puxa vida recipe from Brooke from Cheeky Kitchen, I love her blog and look forward to every new post.) The sauce is a slightly sweet tomato sauce with coconut milk, lime, and cilantro. It is rich and flavourful and light at the same time. By the way, "Puxa Vida" means WOW in Portuguese, and you'll likely find that this recipe makes you feel wowalicious all over. Mmmmm. Bon appétit!

Ingredients:
1 red pepper
1/2 onion
1 jalapeno seeded
5 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
2 (15 ounce) cans roasted tomatoes

2 Tablespoons honey
juice of one lime
2 pounds chicken (or possibly tilapia?)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
rice for serving
black beans

Directions:
1. Pulse together the red pepper, onion, jalapeno, and garlic until finely chopped.

2. Add the onion mixture to a saute pan coated with olive oil. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the coconut milk, tomatoes, and honey to the pan.

4. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the lime juice and check for seasonings. You might need to add a little more honey or lime juice.

5. Add the chicken to the pan and cover with the sauce.

6. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes. To know that it is cooked through, it will be opaque.

7. Garnish with chopped cilantro and additional lime wedges. These are great served with baked rice and favorite black beans.

- recipe cred to Cheekykitchen.com

Chicken Zucchini Pistou with Penné Pasta

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First and foremost: What is Pistou you ask? I didn’t know either. Turns out that it is French pesto. You`ll definitely need a food processor for making this dish - something we invested in a couple of years back and couldn`t do without. That poor thing has been so over used that it now requires firmly inserting a pen (or BBQ skewer as is often handy) to engage the machine at all times while you`re using it.  

This dish was really yummy. Especially eating it with such wonderful ladies. The flavours are really rich yet subtle. Any cooking with cream is truly special. Truly truly. Pour yourself a big glass of wine and if you are really inspired make a salad and call it dinner. Bon appétit!

Ingredients (for 4):
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
1 cup packed basil leaves
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts
4 chopped garlic cloves
1 cup chopped chicken
2 cups chopped Vidalia (or other sweet onion)
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
8 ounces penne pasta
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the zucchini and cook until tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cool.

2. Put 1/4 cup of the cooked zucchini, basil, 1/4 cup cheese, pine nuts and garlic in the food processor.

3. Add the rest of the olive oil to the pan and add the onions. Cook for 10 minutes until the onions are brown. 1/2 way through, add the chicken and cook through. Cook the pasta in 6 quart of salted water. Reserve 1/3 cup cooking liquid to add to the processed zucchini mixture. Add the cooking liquid to the food processor and pulse until smooth.

4. Add the zucchini back to the pan with the pasta and the processed zucchini mixture. Add the heavy cream and salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until everything is heated through, maybe 22 minutes. Taste for seasonings (you may need more salt and more garlic... I did).

5. Pour the pasta into a big bowl and garnish with some basil leaves, pine nuts, and cheese.

- recipe & photo cred to Baked Bree

General Tso`s Chicken

This dish might be what you'd call a DIY, healthified makeover of the General Tso' Chicken that you are used to seeing in your Chinese takeout box. Normally the chicken is coated in the egg white/cornstarch mixture and deep fried till golden brown. This version however is pan fried in a drizzle of oil olive oil until crisp and tender, making it not only quick enough to eat on a weeknight, but healthy enough to eat as often as you like. The fact that it requires no special ingredients, pastes or sauces makes it a great last minute dinner too. You could swap out the snow peas for whatever veggies you have on hand in your fridge or freezer. Just make sure you don`t skip out on the fresh ginger either. It gives the dish a real ZIP. If you`ve never cooked with fresh ginger before, give it a try - you`ll never go back to making stir frys with out it. Really, really yummy. Bon appétit!

Ingredients (serves 4):
1 1/4 cups long-grain brown rice
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 pound snow peas, trimmed and halved crosswise
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated and peeled
3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 large egg whites
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower

Directions
1. Cook rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Add snow peas, garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, and red-pepper flakes; toss to combine, and set aside.

2. In another bowl, whisk together egg whites, remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken, and toss to coat.

3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Lift half the chicken from egg-white mixture (shaking off excess), and add to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining oil and chicken, and set aside (reserve skillet).

4. Add snow-pea mixture to skillet. Cover; cook until snow peas are tender and sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet (with any juices); toss to coat. Serve with rice.

Peachy Pies (x-Small version)

During last week's pie bake-fest I ended up with a small amount of left over pie dough (certainly not enough for an entire pie but definitely too much just to throw out ... or eat). Into the freezer it went and made a second appearance at last night's dessert. My favourite pie crust recipe can be found ici. This particular pie is a little rustic and super simple. And how much fun is it to have an entire pie all to yourself? Bon appétit!

Ingredients:
- Pie dough
- sliced peaches (3-4?)
- sugar
- lemon juice

Directions:
1. Roll pie dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough to fit your individual tart shells. Fill shells with dough.

2. Thinly slice peaches and sprinkle with sugar and a dash of lemon juice (prevents the fruit from browning). Fill your individual pie shells with layers of peaches.

3. Bake at 350F until the crust browns (... 20 minutes - 1/2 hour?).  Enjoy!

Potato Chive Soup

It's officially fall when you start making soup on a Saturday afternoon. It`s great to prepare some lunches for the upcoming week and I am trying to use up all of the precious remainders of the onion corner in my garden. The quantities in this recipe are loosely guessed. That`s the great thing about making soup though - every batch will be different. This soup is creamy, comforting, bursting with so much flavour, and very good for you too (minus the sour cream, butter and cream... okay, so it`s not that good for you, but it is flavourful!)! Oh, not to mention inexpensive to make, which is always a bonus. Bon appétit!

Ingredients:
8 medium sized russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 sweet potato (if you have one)
4 cups canned chicken broth
1/2 cup (about) cream (I used 1/2 & 1/2)
2 tablespoon butter

1 onion

handful of chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/3 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Additional sour cream & bacon bit for serving

Directions:
1. Sauté onion and green onions in 1 tbs. of butter until soft in a large soup pot. Pour in broth and chopped potatoes. Cover and simmer until potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Let mixture cool slightly.

2. Purée potato mixture in batches in blender or processor - or, if you`re lucky, you own a fantastic hand blender (I`m one of those lucky people!). Return soup to saucepan. Stir in enough cream to thin to desired consistency. Mix in additional butter and chives. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat and mix in 1/3 cup sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing additional sour cream & bacon bits separately.

Overnight Curried Honey Chicken

This chicken recipe is perfect for those days when you know you won`t have a lot of energy to prepare dinner. While making the night before, quickly throw together the marinade for this recipe (seriously, the first step takes no more than 5 minutes). Then when dinner rolls around the next day, put the chicken in the oven and throw some green beans in the steamer, maybe a salad, and dinner is ready. This chicken is my favorite combination of sweet and savory. The marinade becomes a sauce and the chicken is incredibly tender. Really, you need to make this. Bon appétit!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon curry powder
4 Tablespoons soy sauce
4 chicken breasts

Directions:
1. Mix together the honey, mustard, soy sauce, and curry powder.

2. This is so easy, it is ridiculous. Put the chicken and marinade in a plastic bag or glass container and marinate overnight.

3. The next day, put the chicken and the marinade in a pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour covered with tin foil.

4. Uncover the chicken and baste. Cook another 15 minutes. Slice and top with some of the remaining sauce.

- recipe cred to Baked Bree

Fish Tacos with Salsa Verdé (with Tilapia)

I'll be the first to admit that when I first heard of "fish tacos" my stomach simply recoiled at the thought. In my mind, it just didn't seem natural. This recipe, however, was the exact opposite of what I think of when I think of fish tacos. These are light. Fresh tasting. Clean. Flavourful. They were so good that Jeremy and I were scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan.

A couple of very important notes about this recipe:
- I highly recommend you use tilapia fillets (or some other kind of hard white fish)
- Admittedly, I found the jalapeno/salad mixture very, very spicy - that was because I used a scotch bonnet from my garden and just about cried (ok, maybe I cried a little). So just becareful with the heat level of the pepper you are using.

Enjoy, and, as always... Bon appétit!


Ingredients
1 bunch fresh cilantro (roots and thick stems removed)
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Handful of greens (arugula, baby spinach etc.)
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Making the salsa verdé was super easy with
the food processor

1/2 jalapeno chile (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat), minced
1 1/2 pounds skinless tilapia fillets (about 4)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
12 corn tortillas (6 inches each)
Avocado (for serving)

Directions
1. Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. In a blender, combine cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons oil, and 2 tablespoons water; season with salt and pepper (I also added a bit of cumin to the mix too). Blend until pureed. Set salsa aside.

2. In a small bowl, mix together remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, remaining tablespoon oil, greens, scallions, and jalapeno (see notes above re: jalapeno!); season with salt and pepper. Set salad aside.

3. Place tilapia on a rimmed baking sheet; season with coriander, salt, and pepper. Broil until opaque throughout, 4 to 5 minutes; break up into chunks (we bbq'ed it instead).

4. Meanwhile, using tongs, hold tortillas over a gas flame until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds per side (or wrap stacked tortillas in damp paper towels, and microwave on high until warm and soft, about 1 minute). To assemble, fill tortillas with fish, jalapano/greens salad and avocado; top with salsa verde and fold.

- recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Buffalo Wing Sauce

Mmmmm wings. How can you go wrong? This wing sauce is a super nice blend of sweet and hot, to make it you will need a few ingredients that you can buy at about any grocery store. If you're not a fan of heat, simply go easy on the Franks. We split the recipe in 1/2 for 2 people, but if you are 4, I imagine you'll be good with the amounts listed below. This recipe will make about a cup and a half of sauce.  Below are easy step by step instructions and the difficulty level is rated very easy, so if you want to grab your measuring cups, spoons and a small sauce pan I will meet you down at step 1.

Ingredients:
1 cup of Franks Red hot.
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 tsp of minced garlic or fresh garlic cloves.
1/4 cup of light brown sugar (less or more depending on how sweet you like it), I would recommend starting out with less, you can always add more.
1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce.

Directions:
1. OK, this is the most difficult step and most important step so listen close. You need to pour Franks red hot sauce into a measuring cup until you reach 1 cup.

2. I know you didn't have a problem with step 1 so we will continue, pour the cup of hot sauce into the small sauce pan. Congratulations! we can move on

3. The butter, you can use real butter or margarine, I choose to cut the butter into 8 slices just because it melts a whole lot easier, so go ahead and slice up your cold butter and add it to the wing sauce in the pan.

4. We now add the brown sugar to the sauce pan. I would start out with 1/8 cup of brown sugar if you want just a touch of sweet with more heat, however I use 1/4 cup. You don't have to pack the 1/4 cup down just fill it up farley loose , level it out and pour it into the wing sauce.

5. Now you are ready to add the 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and the tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to the sauce pan, once complete you can place the sauce pan on the stove at low to medium heat, stirring frequently. Make sure you don't leave unattended or the wing sauce will scorch and you will have to go back to step 1 or order out for diner because you just ruined the sauce!

6. You will want to stir the wing sauce on low to medium heat until you reach a slight rolling boil, once at boil stir frequently for about 2 minutes, you will notice the sauce changing color a little and slightly expanding this is good. After about 2 minutes you may turn off the heat.

7. You will now want to make sure the heat is turned off and the sauce pan is removed from the stove if you are using an electric stove. Set a timer for about 30 minutes and cover the sauce pan. 

Lemon Sugar Snap Peas

Hazaa to a simple, light and refreshing summer side dish. These peas are so delicious - remember not to overcook them so that they stay nice and crunchy. Enjoy! Bon appétit :)

Ingredients
1 lemon, rind removed + juiced
8 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
Quickly blanch your peas (or, for a slightly less healthy but method that I always use, cook your peas in a frying pan on medium heat with a dab of butter) . Pour lemon juice and rind over peas, and drizzle with oil (you don't have to use the oil if you've cooked in butter); toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.