Eating Some Greens

Thanks to Kayli, I followed the links on her blog post
which led me to a delicious Tomato and Sausage Risotto adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Living. Paul raved about it, and I liked it a lot. The kids didn't care for it, which is strange, and doesn't really make sense to me, since they like other similar dishes. Hit and miss with them, I tell you! It might have been the sausage I used. The two key ingredients, in my opinion, are the sausage and then the crusty bread that you serve as a side dish. If you get those two things right, this is superb!

Chicken & Sun Dried Tomato Salad

Made this yummy salad for a picnic today and wanted to share my secret.  Though, given the recipe's source, it's hardly a secret - I got it off the back of a packet of pasta.  Definitely an incentive to start looking at the back of packets.


Salad ingredients:
500g elbow pasta, cooked
2 cups shredded or chopped bbq chicken
100g rocket leaves
2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 large ripe avocado, chopped

Dressing:
2/3 cup egg mayonnaise
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 Tbsp seeded mustard
1/3 cup white wine mustard

Combine everything for the salad in a large bowl.

Mix dressing ingredients together then add to salad.

Best served immediately.

Garlic & Rosemary Chicken

For our women's end of year event at church this Friday, we have each been asked to bring a signature dish with copies of the recipe to contribute toward a cookbook - fun!  Here's one of my favourites, which can actually be made with any skin-on cut of chicken.  It leaves plenty of time in the middle to bathe the kids/check email/feed the baby and still produce a stress-free, flavourful dinner on the table with relatively little fuss.  I typically serve it with a combination dish of rice and spaghetti, and assorted seasonal vegetables.  My kids, for the record, love this dish and gobble it up everytime... need I say any more?

Garlic & Rosemary Chicken(serves 4)

8 chicken thigh cutlets
2 Tbsp plain flour
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 stalks fresh rosemary
1½ cups chicken stock
½ cup dry white wine

1.       Preheat oven to moderate.

2.       Toss chicken in combined flour, paprika and pepper; shake away excess flour mixture from chicken.

3.       Heat oil in large flameproof baking dish; cook chicken in batches, until browned all over.

4.       Return chicken to same dish with garlic, rosemary, stock and wine; bring to a boil.  Transfer dish to moderate oven; cook uncovered about 40 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through.

5.       Remove chicken from dish; cover to keep warm.  Cook pan juices in same dish over medium heat, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.  Divide chicken among serving plates, drizzle with sauce.  Serve with rice or pasta, and seasonal vegetables.

Curried Chicken & Zucchini Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium brown onion, chopped finely

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 cup rice

340g chicken breast fillets, sliced thinly (though it's probably a bit under 340g, I usually use one chicken breast)

2 cups water

1 litre chicken stock (veg stock works well too)

4 medium zucchini grated coarsely (I usually use 1 zucchini and 2 carrots for some variety)

Melt oil in large saucepan, cook onion and garlic until softened.

Add curry powder; cook stirring until mixture is fragrant.

Add rice and chicken; cook stirring 2 minutes.

Add water and stock; bring to a boil. Simmer covered, 10 minutes.

Add zucchini; cook 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.


This recipe is from Jenny Martinez, so we can vouch for two different families that have enjoyed it! Obviously, measurements are in metric, so just adjust accordingly.

Homemade Granola Bars

OK, my kids don't love these, but I do! And maybe yours will like them. We eat so many "snackie" foods around here, that I thought these would be perfect. Plus, you can use leftover cereal, and throw together all variety of ingredients. Beware: If your peanut butter has any sugar in it, or if your cereal has any sweet pieces of fruit, these could come out rather on the sweet side with the amount of suggested honey. Adjust accordingly! I have to keep mine in the fridge or they crumble too easily.

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

1/2 cup of honey

2/3 cup of peanut butter

1 cup of oats

2 cups of rice krispy cereal

raisins (however many you desire)

( I finely chopped a 1/2 cup of trail mix... yum! the nuts and hint of chocolate you can't go wrong with!)

Put the honey in a medium size pot and put it on low heat. Stir constantly. You want it to thin out and be melty but not to boil. When it gets to that point you can add in the peanut butter. Stir this until it gets really smooth. At that point turn of the heat and stir in your oats and rice cereal. Add the raisins or whatever dried fruit you would like. After everything is stirred together, lay out some parchment paper, dump everything out and form into a square. Let them harden up a little bit, cut them, put them in a storage container and put them in the refrigerator.

Asian Noodle Salad

Kayli made this once and I tried it and absolutely LOVED it and have been making it ever since. It is a recipe from Pioneer Woman. It does take a lot of chopping but certainly worth it. I substituted some veggies with what I had on hand and it was great.

Ingredients

• SALAD INGREDIENTS:
• 1 package Linguine Noodles, Cooked, Rinsed, And Cooled
• ½ heads Sliced Napa Cabbage, Or More To Taste
• ½ heads Sliced Purple Cabbage, Or More To Taste
• ½ bags Baby Spinach, Or More To Taste
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced
• 1 bag Bean Sprouts (also Called Mung Bean Sprouts)
• Chopped Cilantro, Up To 1 Bunch, To Taste
• 3 whole Scallions, Sliced
• 3 whole Cucumbers Peeled And Sliced
• 1 can (about 10 Oz.) Whole Cashews, Lightly Toasted In Skillet
• _____
• FOR THE DRESSING:
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• 8 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 8 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons (up To 3 Tablespoons) Sesame Oil
• ⅓ cups Brown Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger Chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic Chopped
• 2 whole Hot Peppers Or Jalapenos, Chopped
• Chopped Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Mix salad ingredients together. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on a platter.

Note: dressing keeps for up to three days before serving, without cilantro.

Grilled Chicken with Basil Dressing

This is a super easy recipe from Giadia De Laurentis. I have paired it with some grilled veggies and good bread and you have an easy but very tasty dinner. It was a hit with Nathan as well.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, coarsely crushed (I didn't have but I didn't miss it)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions

Whisk 1/3 cup of oil, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, fennel seeds, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a heavy-duty re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day, turning the chicken occasionally.

Meanwhile, blend the basil, garlic, lemon zest, remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a blender until smooth. Gradually blend in the remaining 1/3 cup oil. Season the basil sauce, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Prepare the barbecue for medium-high heat or preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to plates. Drizzle the basil sauce over and serve.