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Presto –– it’s Pesto!

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes, Domestic Goodness .

Want a add a twist to the flavour in your Kitchen?

How about one that is simple and easy to make?

Oh, and one that is enjoyed by all?

PESTO!

This wonderful flavour is such a simple add to any plain pasta, chicken, zoodle, panini, or other food that needs a burst of flavour – and an easy add for an instantly delicious meal.

Look no further, we’re going to explore pesto!

Pesto is simply made with basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, olive oil and garlic.

That’s it.

It’s amazing how these 5 simple ingredients combined can be so flavourful. Variations – why yes, of course. We love this article from the Food Network that shows you 50 different ways to make Pesto – 50 Different Pesto Recipes

No matter which combination you choose (my favourite is basic pesto) the format is the same.

What you need:

– 2 cups Fresh basil (loosely packed – include the thin stems as well)
– 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
– 1/3 cup Pine nuts (optional: toast them for more flavour)
– 1/3 cup Olive oil
– 1 Garlic clove, minced
– Salt to taste (optional)

What you do:

Using a food processor (manual or automatic) add pine nuts first. Process to small bits. Add basil, and continue to process until both are tiny bits.

Add olive oil, garlic, and finally Parmesan Cheese (salt too if you want). Mix/blend together well, and serve. It’s as easy as that!

 

 

Our favourite is to serve it over shrimp sautéed in butter and garlic. You can serve this over pasta or zoodles (Noodles made from zucchini in a spiralizer or Julienne Peeler). You can also make a double batch and add to your favourite sandwich/panini the next day.

Made extra? It freezes well. A great trick is to freeze it in an ice cube tray so that you can grab as little or as much as you want.

Have a great week!


Danielle’s Pampered Kitchen..Healthy Meals in Minutes

 

Salmon to the rescue!

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes, Domestic Goodness .

Salmon is one of those foods we don’t always have on the meal plan. It seems to intimidate us slightly because we’re not sure….how to get it just perfect. The perception that it takes too much time – sometimes it’s just to “fancy” for a weeknight dinner

All of these assumptions are false. (You know what they say about assuming…)

Salmon is full of Omega-3 so it’s a great addition to your meal plan. Salmon can be on your table, ready to eat in less than 30 minutes

What you need to know:  

Atlantic vs. Pacific Salmon

30 Minute Meal Solution: Baked Salmon and Green Beans

What you need:

– Salmon Fillets (frozen or fresh)  TIP: for frozen fillets look for “Flash Frozen”
– 4-6 fillets (110g each)placed on a sheet pan (or stoneware as demonstrated in video)
– 4 Cups green beans, cut and washed
– 1 tbsp Garlic & Herb Seasoning (or your favorite seasoning)
– 2 tbsp Oil
– Salt / pepper

– Optional: thinly sliced lemon and onions (1/4 of a white onion)

What you do:

Watch the video (caution: it was our VERY FIRST VIDEO EVER!! so patience with the camera work) or see directions below.

  1. Pre-heat Oven to 400° F
  2. Oil or Butter Pan if needed (if using stoneware, no prep necessary)
  3. Place Salmon fillets towards one end of pan, leaving a little gap between each fillet.
    – TIP:  Fold over any thin pieces and secure with a toothpick (this avoids drying out of those ends)
  4. Season fillets with salt pepper and if using the “optional” ingredients, add onions and lemon slices to the salmon.
  5. Place beans in a large mixing bowl, add oil, seasoning, salt & pepper.  Mix well.
  6. Pour Beans on to the empty area of pan (they can extend into the salmon area if needed)
  7. Place pan  at about 1/2 height in your oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, checking the salmon for completion. When slicing into salmon should be a solid colour right through.
  8. Serve and enjoy!

Compliment with rice (here’s our Fool-proof rice) or salad if desired.

So make Salmon a part of your regular meal plan!

Have a great day!

Danielle Reid


Danielle’s Pampered Kitchen..Healthy Meals in Minutes

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One-pot baked pasta

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes, Domestic Goodness .

Whenever I ask what I should make for dinner, the answer is always PASTA!!! This pasta is a go-to in our house, a favourite for those busy nights. Its well received by kids and adults – there’s just something comforting with Spaghetti.

And what’s better than a good meal that’s quick and simple to prepare?

Easy clean up!!

If you could prepare a delicious pasta meal and only clean up one pan with a total prep time of approximately 30 minutes, would that make your night?

Sure it would!

Does having the right tools in your kitchen aid in making your meals quicker and easier?

Sure does!

Pull out your oven-safe and stove-top safe Dutch Oven.  If you don’t have one, you can check out my favourite one here   It’s called a RockCrok and it is a ceramic coated stone (all natural) – a must-have tool for your kitchen.  I use this item at least 3 to 4 times per week.

Let’s “ROCK” this Pasta.

What you need:

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 large cooking onion
  • 1 1/2 cups mushrooms (optional)
  • 2-4 cloves of garlic
  • 2 cans of San Marzano tomatoes (diced tomatoes will work too)
  • 1/2 can of tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 cups of water
  • 1 package spaghetti pasta (not prepared)
  • Parmesan cheese and parsley for garnish
  • 1 cup Mozzarella cheese shredded (optional)

See the Video of this recipe:

What you do:

  1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat Dutch Oven at med-high on stove top. Add oil.
  2. Add onions and mushrooms and stir until onions are cooked (translucent) 3-5 min.
  3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more
  4. Add tomatoes, paste, oregano, and bay leaf.  Stir.  If needed blend here.
  5. Add water and pasta and bring to a boil.
  6. Ensure Pasta is submerged in sauce/water. Put the lid on.
  7. Place in the oven for 25 minutes with the lid on.
  8. Add Mozzarella cheese to top, broil for 5 minutes with lid removed.
  9. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve with Parmesan and parsley along with your Favourite Salad.

Add-on:  Meatballs or Ground Beef make Excellent add-ins here!  Go with what you have and make it your own!

What is your family’s favourite meal?  Please share with me in the comments below!

For More information on the Products or Other Tools for your Kitchen, contact: Danielle@daniellereid.ca

Independent Consultant for the Pampered Chef & Master Meal Planner


Danielle’s Pampered Kitchen..Healthy Meals in Minutes

daniellereid.ca

 

Let them eat lobster

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes .

It’s expensive, it’s a delicacy, it’s butter-laden and indulgent, and you’re probably thinking I’m crazy when I say “Let them eat lobster.”

But hear me out: 15 minutes from start to finish. Yes, dinner ready in 15 minutes!

Plus, lobster is perfect for our 30 days of wellness. Lobster is actually really good for you. Yes, this luxurious indulgence is quite healthy – it’s known to be one of the healthiest sources of protein around (a 6 oz serving has about 30 grams of protein, no carbs and less than 2 grams of fat).

What you need:

– 1-2 pounds of lobster or a few claws and a few tails
– salt
– butter
– garlic

What you do:

Set the oven to broil and put a ramekin half full of butter into the oven to melt. While the oven is heating, place the lobsters or pieces of lobster on a broiling pan. Get out a cracker or sharp knife. If you have tails, slit the shell in half and expose the meat. If you have claws, make slits or cracks in each segment of the shell. I am not going to explain how to kill the lobster – Google it. I panicked and had the fish market kill and prep it for me.

Place all the pieces on the broiler pan

Put cracks or slits into each piece and open the shell

After 5 minutes, take the butter out of the oven now that it’s melted and add some garlic (I used powdered but you can also use fresh, just put it to the garlic press and add it to the butter), and add a bit of salt. Brush all of the lobster meat with the butter and put it into the oven to broil – for about 10 minutes.

Could be 8 minutes for small pieces, or up to 12 or 13 minutes for bigger, thicker pieces. If you have a 4 pound lobster it will be more like 15 or 16 minutes. It’s done when the flesh is opaque white and just ever-so-slightly starting to brown.

Take it out of the oven and serve with the melted butter for dipping.

Done!

So. Good.

Yes, it can be expensive, but it’s not an everyday meal. You need to mix up the dinner routine and you need a treat once in a while. Splurge on lobster. You may find it’s actually not as expensive as you think, depending on how close to the ocean you are and what time of year it is. Frozen tails are also another option.

Funny story – the reason I’m even writing this all started when we went to a steakhouse last week for my husband’s birthday. I ordered lobster. The boys tried it – and loved it. They ate half my dinner. A few nights later my 6 year old asked for lobster for dinner. I said no. His response? He grumbled “That’s preposterous!” as he walked away.

But he didn’t give up asking, so a couple of days later we went to the fish market to buy some.

If we’d gotten there early I could have just asked them to steam the lobster for me, but we were too late. As we tried to select our dinner in the big tank, I realized I… just… couldn’t.

Instead, the guy laughed at me and came out from the back with a tray of 4 claws and 2 tails. At $20, it was a steal.

So go for it, let them eat lobster, and feel good about it.

Superfast seafood delight

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes .
superfast seafood delight

superfast seafood delightYou either like seafood or you don’t. My boys and I love almost anything out of the ocean – but my husband won’t have any of it. (Unless it’s battered, fried and served with chips and vinegar. So, basically, no seafood.)

Since the boys and I love seafood, I make this dish when the hubby is working late and we’re short on time. It’s so easy, fast and flexible on the variation of flavours you can create.

What you need:

– 1 pound of frozen mixed seafood (premixed bags available in the freezer section)
– 3 tablespoons butter
– salt and pepper
– 1 clove of garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
– rice (here’s our fool-proof rice)

What you do:

superfast seafood delightPrepare rice and set aside. You can use plain rice or take this up a notch by making lemongrass rice, ginger rice or even curry rice. It’s easy to flavour rice, just add a teaspoon or two of your favourite spice to the water when you cook your rice. Or, if you prefer, toss the cooked rice with some soy.

In a frying pan over high heat, melt the butter and add salt, pepper and garlic. When it’s melted, add the mixed seafood. Most grocery stores carry bags of frozen mixed seafood. I always keep a bag in the freezer for this meal. Our mix has shrimp, mussels, calamari and octopus. Yes, my boys love all of these. You can pick your favourite mix.

superfast seafood delightThere will be some water coming off of the frozen seafood. Let the seafood boil in it until the liquid boils off. You may want to turn down the heat when it’s almost boiled off, or watch carefully and keep tossing to ensure it doesn’t burn.

Top off rice with mixed seafood and serve.

This recipe is very basic, garlic goes with most seafood, but try different flavours:

Coconut curry: Substitute butter for coconut oil and add a heaping teaspoon of curry paste or curry powder to the mix.

Jerk seafood: I have a great jerk spice mix and add a heaping tablespoon to the mix. Note that frying cayenne can cause burning eyes and hurts to breath in, so watch carefully and don’t burn the mixture. I add the jerk seasoning when the liquid is almost boiled off and toss for 20 seconds before removing from heat and serving.

Blackbean garlic sauce: If you’re a fan of blackbean garlic sauce, then you know the jar and have one in the fridge for just such an occasion. When the liquid is reducing, turn down the heat to medium and add two heaping tablespoons to the pan and mix well.

I think I’m going to look for a Spanish Paella version next. Give it a try and let us know what your fave is!

 

Chef Mike Ward’s delicious and easy Bangers and Lentils recipe

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes .
feature chicken_basil_hummus

Fancy-Pants Bangers & Lentils with Red Pepper & Onion Relish

A classic reinvented into something lighter with BIGGER flavour (and shhhhh, healthier), Bangers and Lentils with Red Pepper & Onion Relish is delicious and fast with a good serving of veggies.

What you need:

– 4 sausages (spend $ on goodies), works well with chicken too.
– tin of lentils
– cup of any stock (or water)
– 1/2 a carrot
– 1 onion
– Red pepper
– Bunch of thyme
– Dijon mustard (I love Maille)
– Balsamic vinegar (again, I like Maille)

What you do:

Sausages
Pre-heat oven to 450°. Sear sausages in hot pan with a splash of oil. When you’ve browned both sides, slide them into the oven for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile…

Lentils
In a pot, sweat off 1/2 finely chopped onion and 1/2 finely chopped carrot with a splash of olive oil. Add rinsed lentils, a heaped tablespoon of Dijon, stock, a few sprigs of thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer on medium heat until lentils suck up most of the liquids.

and…

Onion & Red Pepper Relish
In a pan, add thinly sliced 1/2 onion and thinly sliced red pepper with a very generous splash of olive oil. Sauté until brown. Add a tablespoon or more of balsamic. Reduce 30 seconds more.

Plate a generous mound serving of lentils on plate. Place sausages on top, then your lazy onion and red pepper relish. Dat’s comfort food baby.

 

chef mike wardChef Mike Ward began his cooking career at the bright-eyed age of 17 in Sydney, Australia. Mike never believed he would one-day prepare meals for such clientele as Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Bruce Willis, and Nicole Kidman. He has cooked in some of Sydney’s and Toronto’s most acclaimed restaurants: Zigolini’s and The Basement in Australia; Prego Della Piazza and Shark City in Toronto, and has owned and operated several catering companies. Throughout his career Mike has also shared his passion and experience through group and private cooking lessons allowing keen home cooks to develop their skills.

In 2000 Mike produced and directed an award-winning cooking/travel/lifestyle television series that have been viewed in over 40 countries. His great love of creating food content has taken him all over the world, writing, photographing and curating recipes and food related stories for highly respected print, online and television outlets. He serves as a consult to Centennial Colleges’ culinary department, and is also involved in many charities including Dancing with Parkinson’s.

twitter@MikeWardTO

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@mikedaniel21

The shrimp and sausage skillet – a 20 minute dish

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes .

skillet - amanda gThe hottest (no pun intended) craze to hit the dinner table lately has been the skillet. It’s a one-pan flavour-infused meal that’s starting to show up on ever restaurant’s menu – and it’s so easy that you’ll fill your meal repertoire effortlessly.

Cure your best cast-iron and start chopping because Amanda, a mother of 5  and (and newly grandmother of 1 – congratulations!!!) from Texas, makes a mean Shrimp & Sausage Skillet. She shared this fast and easy recipe with Urban Suburban Mommy. And while she laughs off the idea of eating Paleo, she did take inspiration from a Paleo recipe she found recently on Pinterest. This dish looked so good we had to try – and share with you!

What you need: 

– 1.5-2 sausages, sliced and pre-cooked
– 1 lb of shrimp (25 medium or 20 large)
– 2 cloves of garlic
– 3/4 cup green bell pepper,sliced
– 3/4 cup red bell pepper, sliced
– 1/2 yellow onion, medium, sliced
– 1 zucchini, sliced
– 1/4 cup chicken stock
– 2 tsp Old bay seasoning
– 1pinch red pepper flakes
– salt and pepper, to taste
– 3-4 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil

What you do:

Over medium-high, heat skillet with oil. Meanwhile, season shrimp with Old Bay Seasoning. Cook shrimp about 3 to 5 minutes, tossing around to cook all sides, until they turn opaque. Remove these from heat and set aside.

Cook onions and bell peppers in skillet with 2 tbsps of olive oil or coconut oil for about 2 minutes
Add sausage and zucchini to the skillet, and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, just until veggies start to break down. Add the shrimp back into the skillet,  along with the garlic, and cook everything for about 1 minute.

Pour chicken stock into pan and mix through to moisten everything. Add salt, ground pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Remove from heat, garnish with parsley and serve hot.

You can add this to a side of rice – like our fool-proof rice if you like. This skillet is full of flavour, with great protein and veggies. If you want to create a more exotic flavour you can opt to change up the spicing.

Consider:
Ginger and lemongrass for a taste of Thai
Coconut milk, turmeric and curry for an Indian craving
A burst of cumin, cilantro and chili powder for an untraditional Tex-Mex sizzle

You can use chicken, beef, pork, calamari, shelled crab or even tofu for your protein. Don’t be afraid to give your meats and seafoods a good sear before blending in the vegetables and broth. The cooking time is quick but you always want to make sure they’re thoroughly cooked before eating.

You can really play with the flavours of this and swap in whatever veggies you’ve got hanging around in your produce drawer. Eggplant, sweet potato, kale, turnip, just adjust your cooking time accordingly.

Enjoy, and let us know of any interesting skillets you’ve created! We’re all about this fast, easy and tasty dish!

Drunken pot roast

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes .

pot roast platedI love pot roasts. They’re easy and look after themselves. If you’ve got all day, you can cook it slow and low for hours and hours, and it just keeps getting more tender and flavourful. If you’ve only got two hours, raise the heat and get it done. Up to you, it’s still and amazing dish, and leftovers are the best part!

What you need:

Roast:
– 1 roast 3-5 pounds
– 3 cups red wine
– 1 large Spanish onion or 2-3 medium yellow onions, chopped
– 12 – 16 white muhsrooms, halved
– 3 cloves garlic, sliced up
– 2 tablespoons butter
– Salt and Pepper to taste

Gravy (optional)
– 3 tablespoons butter
– 1/4 cup of flour

What you do:

pot roast closeupPreheat oven to 250°. In roasting pan add the wine, onions, mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper. Put in oven without roast, covered.

On medium-high in a big grilling pan/frying pan, melt the butter, season the roast with salt and pepper, and then sear the roast on all sides. This helps to lock in the flavour and juices. Place seared roast in the oven in the pot and cover.

Let cook for 4 to 5 hours. You can remove the cover for the last half hour to reduce liquid.

Remove from oven. Carve the roast into thin slices and then return them to the pot to soak in the sauce.

My boys love this dish and really like when I make some of the jus into gravy to go with the roast.

Gravy: Melt butter in a sauce pan on medium-high. As the butter starts to fry, add flour by the tablespoon and blend quickly. When it becomes paste-like, start ladling the jus from the roast into the paste, whisking together. Keep adding jus until you reach your desired thickness. We like our gravy thick.

If you’re short on time, you can raise the oven temperature to 350° and cook for about 90 minutes. Rich, full-bodied red wines work best for this recipe. If you don’t have red on hand, you can substitute with beer – the darker the better. Guinness or dark ale is perfect, but it will even work with lighter beers.

Bake sale – the one bowl wonder cupcakes!

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FEATURE - bake sale cupcakes

box of cupcakesFor some, the words “bake sale” can create panic. Personally, I love baking,  and I don’t often have the time, so bake sales give me the opportunity to indulge my inner Betty Crocker. I always ask my sons what they’d like me to make. We discuss whether they want cookies, cupcakes, tarts; we go over flavours and icings and sprinkles and details. This past weekend I’d not had the chance to go shopping, and with only 2 eggs, no butter, no fruits in the house and not much time, I altered my favourite chocolate cake recipe to work with what I had on hand.

So easy, this one bowl wonder will make you look like the Mommy of the Year! The flavour of the cake part is very chocolatey, but not too rich. Whipped cream instead of icing also cuts back on the sugar buzz.

What you need:

CAKE
– 2 cups flour
– 2 cups white sugar
– 3/4 cup cocoa powder or raw cocoa
– half teaspoon salt
– 2 teaspoons baking soda
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
–  1/2 cup vegetable, corn or canola oil
– 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (should not be fat free)
– dash of vanilla
– 1 cup hot decaf coffee
– 2 eggs
– cupcake liners

ICING
– 500 ml/1 pint carton of whipping cream/heavy cream (35%)
– 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup icing sugar (add to taste, I like to go light on the sugar for this part)

What you do:

Preheat oven to 325°.
In the bowl of your mixer, add all dry ingredients. Stir/blend well. Then add the rest of the ingredients. On medium, blend all ingredients together for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill liners almost completely full, about a quarter-inch from the top. Put tray in the oven. Bake small cupcakes for 18-22 minutes, large cupcakes for 22-25 minutes. Use a toothpick to test that they’re done.
Pour whipping cream into bowl of mixer. Start beating on medium-high and add icing sugar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form and keep their shape. Don’t over-beat the cream or you really will end up with butter. (BTDT)
cupcakes in the briefcaseOnce cupcakes are completely cool, use a teaspoon to drop a dollop of whipping cream on each cupcake and smooth it out with back of spoon. You can get fancy with an icing bag, but spoon method is quite easy. Finish the cupcakes with a pinch of sprinkles, some chocolate shavings, some cookie crumbs, a cherry, or any other garnish you have.
Word of caution, if you use sprinkles, the colours bleed into the cream within a few hours. Whipping cream will last at a bakesale, but isn’t as hearty as thick icing, so these can’t stay out all day.
Who am I kidding, they rarely last on the table for more than a few minutes before they’re sold out!
I like to label the ingredients, and I look like a pro walking in with my handy dandy cupcake briefcase.

Garlic shrimp pasta with hearts of palm

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes .
shrimp and heart of palm pasta

shrimp and heart of palm pastaI literally made up this dish tonight because I didn’t feel like cooking and really didn’t have time to cook. I even cut a few corners because I did had some leftover spaghetti in the fridge, so this even qualifies as a great leftover meal. But, of course, you can boil your pasta and give it a go. The dish turned out pretty tasty. It may just be added into the rotation.

What you need:

-Pasta – whatever type you choose – I used spaghetti (cooked)
-A bag of frozen cooked shrimp (freezer section of the grocery store – usually about 30-40 pieces)
-Can of hearts of palm
-Tomato sauce
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-2-3 tablespoons garlic, chopped (I stock the readymade kind)
-3-4 tablespoons margarine or butter
-Salt & pepper to taste
-Italian seasoning

What you do:

shrimp and heart of palm pastaTake your cooked pasta out of the fridge (or make a fresh batch). Portion is up to you, I based this dish for about 2 people but I had leftovers.
Open your bag of frozen shrimp and place into a bowl of lukewarm water.
Chop up your hearts of palm (quantity is up to you).
Take a saucepan, heat to medium, pour in olive oil and spoon in garlic.
Let the garlic cook for about a minute or so.
Drain the shrimp. Add to the saucepan.
Spoon in the margarine.
Add your salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
Cover with a lid and let cook for about 4-5 minutes.
Remove from heat.

To serve:

Plate your pasta.
Spoon some shrimp and liquid onto your pasta.
Add hearts of palm.
Add a couple tablespoons of tomato sauce.
Toss and enjoy.

This dish took me 10 minutes to make. Enjoy!