Shortcut Butter Chicken

With Brown Rice
3 chicken breasts
1/2 chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1 T. ground cumin
2 jalapeño pepper
1 T. grated fresh ginger
3/4 cup chopped coriander
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup of plain yogurt
1 can of tomato paste
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 t. salt
1 T. Garam masala
1/2 t. chili powder

Slice each chicken breast into 3 or 4 large pieces. Melt 2 tbsp butter in pan. Cook chicken with cumin. Add rest of butter and onions.
While chicken is cooking, finely chop peppers, including seeds. They should measure about 3 tbsp. Grate ginger and chop coriander.
Pour cream into pan. Scrape up and stir any bits from pan bottom into cream to add flavour. Then stir in butter, tomato paste, hot peppers, ginger, salt and spices. Bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer, stirring occasionally.
Pour over rice, serve with bread.

Buckwheat Crepe

I had never used buckwheat flour or tasted buckwheat flour ever that I can remember.

"...it contains all nine essential amino acids, rich in fiber, antioxidants and magnesium. Eating buckwheat regularly may help improve cardiovascular health, assist in regulating blood sugar, and reduce your risk of colon cancer"-Bon Appetit

It was scary. Buckwheat just doesn't sound that appealing and the magazine showed no images of it. I cut the amount of buckwheat in half and split it with all-purpose flour. I thought I'd start slowly.

I made a savory filling to experiment (Spinach, red onion, toasted pine nuts and mozzarella topped with Avgolemono Sauce)and I also made a sweet filling recipe slightly adapted from the magazine(Pear, lemon juice, brown sugar, lemon zest and devon cream).






Basic Buckwheat Crepe: (Bon Appetit)
1 1/4 cup buckwheat flour(Split with all-purpose)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil plus more for skillet
3/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 t. salt

Whisk ingredients together, pour over Med High heated non stick skillet. Immediately tip pan so batter goes right to the edge. Cook for 30 seconds on each side or until lacey and brown.

Spinach Pine Nut Filling:
-Toast pine nuts, add onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute. Set to side.
-Melt butter in aseparate pan, add fresh spinach, heat until just wilting.
-wrap into crepe with grated mozza
-Cover with Avgolemono Sauce

Avgolemono Sauce:
Boil 2/3 cup chicken broth. In a separate bowl whisk 2 egg whites and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Add half boiling broth in stream, whisking constantly careful not to scramble eggs. Then add that mixture to pot with other half chicken broth. Careful not to boil. Sauce should thicken slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste.



Pear Filling:(Adapted from Bon Appetit)
Heat crepe in pan with butter. Flip. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Fold into quarters. Keep warm in oven.
-Toss peeled, cubed pears (I used canned)with lemon juice and brown sugar.
-Lay onto crepe, top with lemon zest and creme fraise (I used devon cream)


Photos:Shawn Campbell

Buckwheat Flour

Chicken Pot Pie

The pie is in the oven and my house smells like baking cheese cake, pie pastry and comforting roasting chicken and vegetables.
The last time I made Lucindas Chicken Pot Pockets I had wanted to make a few changes. I did and I think she'd approve. I made an actual pie rather than pockets because I had less time to work with. I almost doubled the amount of veggies and added peas. And this time, I had chicken stock and shredded chicken left over in the freezer from when I made stock for Siri's Italian Wedding Soup. This cream cheese pastry literally took me 7 minutes to make. While the dough chilled in the fridge for 1/2 an hour I cut the veggies and made the filling. Super quick and super healthy.




Cream Cheese Pastry:
8T. unsalted butter at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 t. coarse salt

-Mix butter, cream cheese and cream in a food processor, with a mixer or by hand with a fork.
-Add flour and salt. Mix until combined and dough just holds together in a ball.
-Divide into 2. Flatten into disks and warp in plastic.
-Refridgerate for at least 30 minutes. Or overnight. If chilled overnight, take out 15 minutes before ready to use.

Filling: (Adapted Version)
3 T. butter
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 cup cup chopped celery
2 chopped carrot
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 t. coarse salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 1/2 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 heaping cup of shredded chicken
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg, for egg wash

-Melt butter in a hot skillet and add onion, celery and carrot. Saute over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the salt and flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and cheese. Cool in fridge while you roll dough.
-Preheat oven 375.
-Roll out dough, lay half in a 9 inch pie plate, fill with filling, top with rest of rolled out dough, curl edges of top piece under edges of bottom piece.
-Crimp edges with fork. Chill for a few minutes.
-Cut 3 slices in top of dough so steam will escape during cooking process.
-When ready to bake, beat the egg with 1 T. water. Brush top of pie.
-Bake at 375 for 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden and juices are bubbling.
-Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting.
-Serve with mashed potatoes or green salad or steamed green beans. Or put greens beans right in the pie!! The more veggies the better.

Source: Adapted from "Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn
Photos: Shawn Campbell

No, I did not make this up.

Cuz that would be creepy, but I stumbled upon this blog the other day when I was researching Lucinda Scala Quinn. The blog author claimed to be Lucinda herself. To be honest, I really didn't think it was her. I thought maybe it was someone who is more obsessed with her than me, but I didn't think it was actually her. I thought it was kind of frightening actually. So I left a comment and this is what she said. Now I'm not sure if I need to carry on with this thing we call blog....
Does it get any better than this?

Ashleigh said...
Is this really Lucinda? I make her recipes, I own her book. In fact I made eggs poached in tomato sauce this morning. I have a whole label dedicated to her. Check it out.

February 21, 2010 12:39 PM
LUCINDA SCALA QUINN said...
Ashleigh:
Yes, it's Lucinda and you ROCK. Love those eggs too.
Best,
LSQ

Stuffed Chicken

Ham and swiss rolled into chicken with whole grain mustard.

Wash and pound chicken until thickness is somewhat even throughout the breast. Spread whole grain mustard on one whole side of chicken breast. You want to barely taste the mustard so make sure it's quite thin. Layer a piece of salty ham. Layer swiss cheese thick enough to lose some throughout the cooking process. Roll tightly. Secure with toothpicks. Top with salt and pepper. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes.

I served it with garlic mashed potatoes and fresh steamed green beans.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Eggs Poached In Tomato Sauce

Oh Lucinda...Once again you've outdone yourself.
I added green onion to this dish and next time I would have put the egg over fresh or cooked spinach.

-1 28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes or crushed or pureed
-1 T. olive oil
-2 Garlic cloves
-Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
-Coarse Salt and freshly ground pepper
-6 Large eggs
-6 slices toasted or grilled bread
-Freshley grated parmesan

Transfer tomatoes and their juices to the jar of a blender. (I used a food processor) Blend until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped.

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes.

Add tomatoes and bring to a boil-season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.

Crack eggs into tomato mixture, cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from skillet, uncover, let stand for 5 minutes.

Transfer egg to a piece of toast. Spoon sauce over egg. Garnish with cheese.

Source:"Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn

Italian Wedding Soup

The recipe for this soup was copied directly from one of my favorite Blogstresses Siri. If you haven't been to Siriously Delicious, actually even if you have been, go now.
I had never tried this soup before making it today and what I loved most about it was how beautiful it was. The picture doesn't do it justice as I was without my photographer, but the colors were super bright and vibrant. And the the taste was great too. I'll make this soup again and I won't change anything. I also like how it's italian cuz I often pretend I'm italian. In my head. The recipe is here.


Source: Siri @ Siriously Delicious

Baked Cheese Sticks

So lastnight we were going to this crazy olympic party downtown. Everybody was all like "Oh Ashleigh, you HAVE to bring some of your totally delicious appetizers!! Have to. The party just won't be the same without your AMAZING food talent!!". I knew right away I had to make my signature appy dish....

Alright, I wasn't actually invited to any party... And this was the first time I've made these.
And I was at home.
Alone.

These particular cheese sticks would have been good on top of some mixed greens with a balsamic vinegar dressing. But next time I would use actual bread crumbs. I thought Panko would be so light, but it wasn't.
And sharing is caring.
I wouldn't eat the whole pan to myself.
Or spray aerosol whipped cream straight into my mouth for dessert.
Over and over again.

BEFORE BAKING AFTER BAKING

Mozza Cheese
Flour
Egg
Parsley
Panko Bread Crumbs
Garlic
Salt

-Prepare a bowl of flour. Mix egg with parsley. Mix bread crumbs with garlic powder and salt.
-Dip mozza in flour, then egg, then bread. Let rest to help bread coating adhere.
-Then coat again-flour, egg, bread. Lay on baking sheet. Chill in freezer for a few minutes before baking at 350 for 10 minutes.
-Broil for a few if you have browning issues like I did.

It's OK tho. Today after work I'll make some barley tea.

Barley Tea (Mugicha)

I should have named my blog The Barley Blog... or Bearly Barley... or Barley and Me. You know why? Cuz I love Barley. It's so nutritious and versatile. Maybe I should name my baby Barley... Just kidding baby.

The Japanese believe that barley tea helps to extract impurities from the blood. The Chinese sometimes pair barley tea with heavy meals to aid digestion. It has also been used to treat nausea. And with all the different types of barley, the possibilities are endless. Just endless.

The following tea recipe is especially popular in Japan, Korea, and China. It has a very nutty, warming flavor and may take some getting used to. If you appreciate tea and all the health benefits that go with it, then you should love this. Some people make this tea so strong that it almost tastes like coffee. Crazy kids....

-2/3 cup pearl barley(Pearl barley is the most common form of barley for human consumption, unlike the hulled barley which is more nutritious and used in my Beef Barley soup)
-8 cups water

Preheat oven to 350. Spread the barley over a large baking tray and cook in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until the barley is toasted and aromatic.

Transfer the barley to a large saucepan. Add the water and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until the barley is very tender. Strain the tea into a large heatproof jug or teapot. Discard the barley. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly before serving. (I just spoon the liquid out with a ladle straight into cups and let it sit)

Not sure if this would be acceptable to a barley tea connoisseur, but I add a little honey to my cup and it's delicious.

Source:Taste.com
Photos:Shawn Campbell

Beef Barley Soup

The rockstar is still ill. So he says. I personally think he just wants more soup ;)

Did you know that the intake of barley is likely to help maintain your overall health in the long term? Barley is also considered a whole grain and is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and amino acids essential for our health! It's so exciting!! And tasty....It absorbs all the delicious flavours that surround it and provides a pleasant chewy texture to the soup.



-1 T. vegetable oil
-1 clove minced garlic
-1/2 a pound to 1 pound of stew beef(Cut into smaller pieces)
-1/2 cup chopped celery
-1 whole onion-chopped

Cook beef in pot, add and saute celery, onion, garlic salt and pepper.

-1 Litre Vegetable stock (Low-sodium if you can)
-1 Litre of Beef Stock (Low-Sodium if available)
I used vegetable and beef cuz I couldn't decide which would taste better, but you could probably just use one type.
-1/2 Cup hulled Barley
-2 whole chopped carrots
-1/2 cup chopped green beans
-1/4 cup peas

Once beef is cooked, add stocks, barley, carrots and beans(This will need to simmer for 1/2 hour or longer in order for the barley to cook properly. Pearl barley takes less time to cook but is not nearly as healthy). About 5 minutes before done, add peas.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Super Vegetable Chicken Soup

SOMEBODY had too much party this weekend and it obviously wasn't me. So Monday rolls around and somebody is totally run down and comes home from work with a cold. The following soup was created in an effort to heal his inner rockstar.
To do so, I've added a few dashes of cayenne pepper (see health benefits here) and poured the fragrant elixir over a bed of fresh spinach. He couldn't even taste the cayenne and I don't think he even noticed the spinach. He said it was the best soup he's EVER had. Whoa I said.

-4 Cups Chicken broth (Which you might have left over in the freezer from the Chicken Pot Pockets you made about a month ago)
-3 Carrots (Chopped)
-3 Celery stocks (Chopped)
-1 Whole onion (Chopped)
-1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
-1 Clove of Garlic (Minced)
-1 head of spinach
-3 sprigs fresh thyme
-3 sprigs fresh Parsley
-A couple dashes of cayenne pepper
-1 1/2 t. Salt
-Pepper to taste
-Egg noodles (Optional)

Simmer stock, add chicken, herbs and spices. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Add all veggies except for spinach. Bring to a boil. Serve when veggies are still a little crisp. Pour over a bed of fresh spinach.

Valentines Day Ravioli

Spinach, Leek, Garlic and Ricotta inside heart shaped wonton wrappers.

1 Package wonton wrappers
1 Bunch of fresh spinach
1/4 Cup finely chopped leek
1/4 Cup ricotta cheese
3 Finely chopped garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Egg
Dash of cream or milk

-Lightly steam whole head of spinach. Wring it out. Chop it up.
-Add leek, garlic, ricotta salt and pepper.
-In a separate bowl beat egg with a dash of cream or milk.
-Lay down one wonton wrapper.
-Place 1/2 t. of filling in center.
-Brush 4 edges with egg mixture.
-Lay onother wrapper on top, push out air.
-Cut with cookie cutter. (I used hearts because of the occassion, but found it left too much noodle on the ravioli piece-Next time I'll use a circle)
-Make sure edges are sealed.
-Lay in a bed of flour until ready to boil.
-Boil for 5 minutes or until they float to the top. Strain.
Toss them in your favorite sauce.

I tossed mine in a creamy pesto sauce (Butter, flour, cream and pesto) Very good, very rich.
I served this dish with sundried tomato basil turkey sausage.
He loved it (Said it could very well be my signature dish!! That is depending on the final tally of the question on my side bar.... Is it once a year? Or weekly? The suspense is driving me crazy!!) and then he brought me these.

Beautiful, wondrous pieces of love joy. And we all lived happily ever after.


Photos:Shawn Campbell

Super Soft and Supple Pita Bread

Yes, I said supple. I know it's creepy. Well I'm creepy, but the bread is not. The bread is super soft and supple.
It's delicious, warm, crispy, soft and perfect for my Proscuitto Chicken Ceasar Sandwich.
I can't wait to make a bunch of crazy dips in my food processor as a present for this bread. I'll dedicate them to this bread.

-Place 2 cups all-purpose flour in a bowl and stir in 1 1/4 cups boiling water.
-Stir until smooth, Cover and let sit 1/2 an hour.(Mine didn't really get "smooth"...but it started to stick together like a dough would stick together)-In a separate bowl combine 1/4 cup potato flour(Or flakes or buds)and 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 1/4 t. salt, 2 T. vegetable oil, and 1 t. instant yeast.
-Add to the cooled flour/water mixture. Stir together. Will seem dry at first, but will eventually start to come together.
-Knead for several minutes(I did it by hand but you can use an electric mixer or bread machine). The dough will remain soft and somewhat sticky.(Mine wasn't sticky)-Put the dough into a greased container, let rise, covered for 1 hour or longer.
-Divide the dough into 8 pieces, form into balls. Cover for 15-30 minutes.
-Flatten each piece into circle. About 5 inch diameter. Then roll them out to about 7 inch diameter.
-Heat a skillet over medium heat. NO OIL. Dry fry till brown underneath-about 1 minute. The bread will puff a bit. Turn over, and cook till the other side is brown. About 1 minute.
-If big bubbles develop, prick with a skewer. Flatten with the pressure of a flipper.
-As the breads come off the skillet-stack them on top of eachother to keep soft and moist. You can use them for dipping in hummous or make sandwiches or wait until they cool and bag them in plastic.
Source:King Arthur Flour

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Proscuitto Chicken Ceasar Pita

I find proscuitto much easier than bacon to deal with. The salty crispiness gives great texture and it compliments the spice of the garlic in the ceasar dressing really well.

-Bake chicken breast in 375 oven. 5 minutes before ready to take out-lay proscuitto pieces on top of chicken to bake until crispy. When done let cool slightly before slicing into longer pieces.
-Toss chicken and proscuitto pieces into freshly ceasar coated romaine lettuce.
-Place into Super Soft and Supple Pita Bread and top with Parmesan Cheese.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Mexican Chicken Pockets

Have you ever been to My Kitchen Cafe? Well, if not you should go. Today I needed a recipe that would be quick cuz I wasn't getting home from work til late and I was tired. Thats where I got this idea, which I changed a bit to suit my ingredient list. I had quite a bit of filling left over so I made burritos out of it, rolled tightly in saran wrap and put them in the freezer for work lunches. But the fried pocket version follows.

Cooked brown rice
Shredded Chicken
Refried beans
Cream cheese
Green onion
Cilantro
Lime juice
Chili powder
Cumin
Cheese
Sour cream
Tortillas

Mix rice with everything except beans, cheese and sour cream.
Heat tortillas in microwave until soft so they dont rip when you fold the pockets.
Spread cream cheese in middle of tortilla along with refried beans and a layer of cheese.
Fill with chicken and rice mixture.
Fold into a pocket square thing and fry in lightly oiled pan. (Use a bit of the refried bean as a glue to keep the pocket closed until it fried shut)

Source:My Kitchen Cafe

Photos:Shawn Campbell

32 WEEKS!!!

1 week ago.
What am I going to name my blog in a few weeks?
I wasn't really thinking ahead when I started.


Photos:Shawn Campbell

Chicken and Chorizo Fettucini Alfredo

I figured I'd make this dish while I'm allowed to be fat. Everyone says Alfredo is an easy sauce to make. I found it a little stressful actually. You have to be careful not to scorch it. Watch that it doesn't start to curdle. And hope that it thickens to the right consistency. I had troubles with the thickening. I had to turn the heat back up, bring almost to a boil again and then take it off the heat. It all worked out well in the end and it actually tasted like Alfredo.

Chicken breast
Chorizo sausage
Fettucini noodles
2 Cups heavy cream(I used Creamo)
1/4 Cup butter
1/4 Cup parmesan cheese
1 T. minced fresh garlic
salt, pepper, chopped parsley

Bring cream to a boil
Reduce heat to medium, continue to boil until reduced by half.
Meanwhile cook noodles. Cut up chicken into pieces and fry with a bit of fresh garlic, add chorizo and fry together until done.
Once cream is reduced, remove from heat.
Add butter 1 T. at a time with a whisk.
It should thicken and turn glossy.(Mine didnt-had to turn it back up for a bit)
Add cheese, hot pasta, salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley. Top with meat.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Mexican Chicken

I've adapted this recipe from Andrea The Kitchen Witches Cream Cheese Salsa Chicken recipe. I added red pepper and onion sauteed with cumin, cayenne, and kosher salt. I served it with warmed black beans with melted cheese and fresh green onion. It would have been perfect if I weren't on the phone and BURNED my brown rice. BLACK. AND SMOKEY. Ruined my pot. I would be more generous with the cream cheese next time as I only added a few thin slices and found it to be not enough. I also would add fresh cilantro as a finishing touch. All in all, it was a super quick and easy meal, which I love on Mondays after a long day of work. Thanks Andrea!!

1T. Olive oil
1/2 Onion(Chopped)
1 Whole red pepper
1/2 t. Kosher salt
1/2 t. Cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper

-Saute over medium high heat until just softening.
-2 Chicken breast
-4 T. Cream cheese
-3/4 Cup salsa

-Push to the side and brown 2 chicken breast on each side.
-Spread cream cheese onto each breast.
-Pour salsa into pan with veggies surrounding chicken.
-Put whole thing into oven and bake for 20.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Ashparagus 'n Leek Phyllo Pizza Pie

Oh my god. Delicious. Make it. Holy.

-1 Package Phyllo Dough
-1 bunch of asparagus
-3 T. thinly sliced sundried tomatoes in olive oil
-1/4 Cup sliced leek
-1/4 Cup feta
-1 Cup mozzarella
-1 Cup parmesan
-Melted butter (For in between phyllo sheets)
-1/4 Cup sour cream
-1 T. Lemon juice

Pre heat oven to 375.
Lay one layer at a time phyllo onto baking sheet. Brush melted butter and sprinkle parmesan between each sheet. (Save some parmesan for topping)
-Phyllo should be about 7-9 sheets thick.
-Once all the layers are in place, slightly curl any overhanging edges in to form a bit of a crust. (If there are any)
-Place in middle rack for 10 minutes.

-Mix sour cream and lemon juice. (I would also add chopped chives but didnt have any on hand)
-Slice asparagus length wise in half.Steam asparagus, coat in olive oil, salt and pepper.
-Thinly spread sour cream mixture on cooked phyllo crust.(Think Pizza Sauce)
-Sprinkle mozza, sundried tomatoes, feta, leek and steamed asparagus.
-Top with remaining parmesan.

-At this point, you want to put back in the oven and cook for another 10 minutes on middle rack.
-Let cool 6 minutes before cuting into squares and serving.


Photos:Shawn Campbell

Oh my. Busy day for a pregnant chic.

The fancy basil hand cream and cleaner we bought at Williams Sonoma. I'm surprised at the things we spend our money on now that we don't smoke cigarettes and drink booze.

My new cook book. Salsa, pickles and lavender vinegar coming soon...

The new cast iron pan my man surprised me with yesterday after work. Lucinda says you need to have one of these in order to be a successful cook. I have 2.

His photos we had framed.

A photo of Us.

No nap. And then dinner!!!!

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Mozza Stuffed Meatballs

I took the idea from blogger Homemade but her recipe is from Racehel Ray...I'm worried that if I see the word EVOO I'll stab myself in the eye with my shiny Cuisinart knife. So I made up my own recipe. Good but no signature. I prefer spaghetti with Chorizo.

Ground Beef
Ground Pork
Mozza cubed
Freshly grated parmesan
Panko Crumbs
Chopped onion
Diced garlic
Egg

I shaped the meat mixture around the cheese cube. I seared them in a hot pan. Then I put them in the sauce and simmered for about 30 minutes.


Photos:Shawn Campbell