Category Archives: Dinner

Aromatic Slow-Cooked Pork

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Lately I’ve been on a bit of a pulled pork craze. And by that I mean I’ve made pulled pork twice this month, hoping to figure out the right amount of time to cook, the right cut of meat, the right ingredients to make succulent and tender meat. Earlier this month I tried using the slow cooker but somehow that didn’t work out as I had hoped. I must have left the pork in the cooker for more than 10 hours and it was still not pull-able - yes that is a word now. The flavours and spices were amazing but it just didn’t have that fall-off-the-bone texture. I had to put it in the oven for a few hours before it was tender enough.

I tried again last night and this time I made the pork in the oven. Slow-cooked for three and a half hours at a low heat of 140C/275F and I was able to get what I wanted – soft, buttery, meat that pulls apart easily with two forks. Heaven. The spices were simple. Cumin, coriander, garlic, cayenne pepper, little salt. The liquids were also simple. Crushed tomatoes, beer, lime juice. The brown sugar was only there to round out the flavours. And most importantly, I used pork shoulder blade – a cut with more fat.

Aromatic Pulled Pork

Aromatic Slow-Cooked Pork

Pork shoulder blade, I had 1.6 kg or about 3 1/2 pounds
1 tsp salt, you can add more if you want
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp cayenne pepper
juice of one lime
1/2 cup beer, I used a Pilsner
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 bay leaves

Preheat oven to 140C/275F.

Mix together the salt and spices and then rub into the pork.

Spices for Aromatic Pulled Pork

Spiced Aromatic Pulled Pork

Let it sit for a few hours or cook right away, like I did.

In a small bowl, mix together the lime juice, beer, crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, and bay leaves.

Sauce for Aromatic Pulled Pork

When you’re ready to cook the pork, place it in a big enough baking dish (preferably one with a lid) and pour the sauce over it, making sure it’s well coated. Cover and place in the oven. Check on the meat every hour or so, turning it so it’s evenly cooked and also exposed bits don’t dry out.

Aromatic Pulled Pork from the oven

Let the pork rest a few minutes before pulling apart. Enjoy!

Aromatic Pulled Pork

Pulling Aromatic Pulled Pork

Aromatic Pulled Pork Mess

Aromatic Pulled Pork Sandwich

Chipotle Chicken Soup with Black Beans and Corn

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There was a can of chipotle peppers in the back of the canned goods cupboard of my kitchen. I purchased said can of peppers months ago because I wanted to make…I don’t even remember what I wanted to make. There comes a day when you just need to use that miscellaneous item that you swore you would use and never did. That day has come.

I originally intended to make a spicy chicken soup with jalapeno pepper, beans, maybe some tomatoes but when I eventually got around to prepping the chicken and the broth, I decided to skip the jalapeno and use the chipotle peppers instead, which are deliciously pungent. The result was a warm, very spicy, and flavour-packed soup that is sure to warm your belly.

Chipotle Chicken Soup with Black Beans and Corn

Serves 4

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 to 4 ounces canned chipotle peppers – I used 4 ounces and I felt it was almost too spicy for me.

1 can black beans

1 1/2 cups corn kernels

1 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

4 cups chicken broth

In a large pot heat oil and add the bell pepper and garlic and sautee for about a minute. Add the chipotle peppers, beans, chicken, and corn and stir until everything is well coated with the chipotle. Add the broth and bring to a boil before turning to very low heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes just to allow the flavours to combine.

Beef and Veggies with Blue Cheese Bake

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I’m sure by now you’ve noticed I’m a huge fan of throwing things in a pan and popping that in the oven to make an easy and (almost) quick dinner. Last night it probably took me about ten minutes to prep my ingredients (ie. cutting and mixing), another ten minutes to pan fry, and finally thirty minutes to bake the whole thing. I only had to use one skillet and one baking dish – Jay appreciated that haha.

Anyway, on to the recipe. This dish is a mixture of beef and vegetables and it turned out to be high on the comfort food list even though it did not have pasta or rice in it but the cheese and cream gave it that warm and comforting feeling. It’s perfect for dark, winter nights when you get home from work and you want dinner to be ready “now”.

Beef and Veggies with Blue Cheese Bake

Serves 2 (with second helpings)

approx 1 tbsp butter

1/2 bell pepper, chopped – I used yellow and red peppers

1/2 zucchini, quartered length-wise and then sliced

1/2 onion chopped

2 small potatoes, cubed

320g stir fry beef, cut into small pieces

1 1/2 cups broccoli

3/4 cup half and half cream

1/4 tsp salt

fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. In a large skillet heat the first amount of butter on medium heat and then add the bell pepper, onion, zucchini, and potatoes. Cook for about ten minutes and then remove from the skillet and – here’s where I avoided dirtying more dishes – put the vegetables in the baking dish you’ll be using later (I used a loaf pan). Next, to the same skillet, add the beef and fry it until it’s brown. Add the broccoli and return the vegetables back into the skillet and mix well. Add the half and half, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and continue to stir until it starts to boil. Put everything into the baking dish and set aside. In a small bowl (okay I did use more dishes) mix together the flour and baking powder. Add the cold butter and blend it with a fork or knife until it looks crumbly. Add the blue cheese and rolled oats and then sprinkle over the beef and veggies. Place in the oven and bake uncovered for about thirty minutes and enjoy!

 

Tomato and Pesto Soup With Meatballs

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Care for a warm and fuzzy-feeling inducing soup? I know I did last night. It was cold, rainy, and very windy. But not so inside my tiny kitchen. In there I threw together a few ingredients and in no time I had a fabulous soup thanks to Rachael Ray’s Double Tomato and Pesto Cup-o-Soup from her Cookin’ Round the Clock cookbook. The original recipe uses store-bought basil pesto but a few months back Jay’s mom supplied us with several jars of delicious parsley pesto, which gave the soup a fresh and sweet taste to it. The recipe is also meatless but Rachael suggests adding meatballs, chicken, or bits of seafood to “bump up the protein.” I took her advice and threw in the frozen pork and fennel meatballs I had made a few weeks ago, which were phenomenal and fit perfectly with the tomato soup.

Tomato and Pesto Soup With Meatballs

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 shallot, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

Approx 2 cups meatballs

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

1/2 cup dry sherry, or white wine

3 cups chicken broth

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup pesto

Heat the oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, carrot, and meatballs and cook about 5 minutes. Season with pepper and salt if you like but I found the soup didn’t need any added salt. Add the sherry and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour in the broth and crushed tomatoes and cook until bubbly. Stir in the pesto until everything is combined and serve with a few sprinkles of Parmesan.

Repeat: Acorn Squash and Garlic Soup

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Yes, it’s that time of year – squash-eating time!

Jay and I are huge fans of squash soup and we try to make it as often as we can, especially during cold months. We picked up an acorn squash last week that at the time did not seem as huge as I realised when I went to cut it. I only ended up using half the squash. Perhaps I’ll make a curry with the remaining squash…

Just look at the size of that thing!

 

I wanted to play around with the recipe I’ve used in the past but still get a little surprise taste in every other bite haha. The recipe allows for a simple soup in that you taste the sweet squash and the earthy garlic. To give it a little kick, I used fresh ginger and fresh oregano (from our terrace garden! So pleased at how it’s grown), and leftover ham from Thanksgiving, but overall, the stars of the show were the garlic and squash.

Acorn Squash and Garlic Soup

900g/2lbs acorn squash, seeded and cut in half, or quarters in my case

1 head of garlic, unpeeled and separated in half

2 small carrots or 1 large, chopped

1 onion chopped

4 cups water

2 tsp chicken stock like Better Than Bouillon or 2 cubes of broth

approx 1 tsp chopped ginger

approx 1 tbsp fresh oregano

1/4 cup heavy cream *optional

1 cup cooked ham cut into small pieces *optional

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Coat squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place flesh side down in a baking dish. In a piece of foil, place the garlic and drizzle with oil. Wrap the garlic and place in the baking dish as well. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until squash is tender. Scoop out the flesh when ready and peel the garlic, no need to mash it because it’s going in the blender.

Pour some olive oil into a large pot over medium heat and add the carrots, onion, and ginger, stirring often until softened. Add the water and broth and cook, covered, on medium low heat for 20 minutes. Add the oregano leaves, squash, and garlic and continue to cook another 10 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches. You can make it as chunky or as smooth as you like. I kept my soup somewhat smooth with a few bits of garlic and ginger floating around – amazing to bite into!

Return soup to heat and add the cream and ham, if using. Cook uncovered for about 5 minutes just to reheat everything and then serve.

Perfect for a chilly fall afternoon.

Chili Chicken Indian Hakka Style

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I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned before that I have this blue notebook where I’ve cut and pasted magazine clippings with recipes and if I have I’m going to say I’m so glad I put that book together. In this book I’ve got recipes from different magazines like Chatelaine, Canadian Living, Weight Watchers, Homemakers, etc. This is the book I turn to when I can’t find what I’m looking for in my “real” cookbooks and for the most part, the blue book does not disappoint.

Friday night I flipped through the blue book and found a recipe from Homemakers magazine (which appears to have changed to Fresh Juice) for “Indian Hakka Chili Chicken“. Having grown up in the east end of Toronto and having had the pleasure of eating at Frederick’s restaurant, I could certainly understand why I was suddenly salivating over the idea of eating Hakka chili chicken. I immediately got to work as I tried my best to ignore the loud rumblings coming from my stomach.

Here’s my slightly adapted version, which by the way, was amazing and I highly recommend it!

Indian Hakka Chili Chiken

1/3 cup chicken stock

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp ketchup

2 tsp cornstarch

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 lb of chicken thighs cut into pieces

1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp five spice powder

5 green onions, chopped

1 cup cilantro

In a bowl, mix together the stock, soy sauce, ketchup, cornstarch, sugar, and vinegar.

In a large pan or pot on medium, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil and add the chopped onion (not the green ones! Sadly I did that and if Jay hadn’t been in the kitchen they would have turned into ugly brown bits). Stir the onions often for about 10 minutes and then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds before tossing in the chicken pieces. The original recipe says to turn the heat up a little and fry everything but whenever I do that I end up burning more food than I intended so I kept it at a safe medium heat. Cook for about 6 or 7 minutes and then add the hot pepper, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, and five spice powder – I have to add here that this spice is AMAZING and I need to use it more often – making sure everything is mixed well so you don’t end up with a clump of cayenne pepper on a single piece of chicken. Add the green onions. Increase the heat (yes, this time I did turn it up to high-ish) and stir in the stock mixture and continue stirring and cooking until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and add the cilantro.

Vegetarian Comfort Food

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It’s natural that as the temperature drops, our instinct is to fill up on carbs and fat to survive the cruel and cold winter months. This is why comfort food like cheesy pastas and creamy rice dishes are synonymous with fall and winter.

This is also why I tend to gain a few pounds around this time. Hey, at least I’ll be warm by the time winter rolls around.

But seriously, if you’re looking for comfort food that will warm your belly while keeping some pounds off your body, maybe try this dish:

Creamy Rice and Veggie Bake

3/4 cup long grain rice, uncooked

1 10oz can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup water

1/2-1 cup of shredded cheese, I used mozzarella and cheddar

2-3 cups baby spinach, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup white wine

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). In a baking dish, one preferably with a lid, mix together the cream of mushroom soup, milk, water, and cheese. Add the rice and all the vegetables. Make sure your dish is big enough to do this, otherwise use a mixing bowl or things could get real messy. Pop the covered dish into the oven for about 30 minutes. Stir in the white wine, cover and put back into the oven for another 20-30 minutes, or until rice is tender.

Sausages, Mashed Potatoes, and Onion Sauerkraut

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Almost to the day, four years ago, Jay and I were in Germany where, sadly, I had a cold and couldn’t taste the delicious food. So last night I decided to make a super easy and quick German-inspired dinner.

Sausages with Mashed Potatoes and Onion Sauerkraut

Ingredients:

Sausages

1 Onion, sliced

Sauerkraut

White wine, or sherry

Potatoes

Butter

Milk

Sour cream

This is how easy this was to make:

Put a pot of water to boil and add the potatoes. I wanted them cooked NOW so I cut them into 2 inch pieces. In a frying pan, heat about a tbsp and a bit of oil and then add your sausages. Brown them evenly and remove from the pan, don’t worry you’ll finish cooking them in a bit. In the same pan toss in the sliced onions and saute for about 10 minutes before adding about two or three tbsp of sauerkraut. Obviously you can add more or less. Once the onions are soft and somewhat caramelized, add a splash of sherry, or white wine if you have it – I had to improvise because the liquor store has very conservative store hours. Put the sausages back in the pan with the onion-sauerkraut mix and cover with a lid. I let the sausages cook for about another fifteen to twenty minutes. In hindsight, I probably should have cooked the sausages separately, or used a bigger pan because it was tricky stirring the onions around – you need to stir them or they will stick and burn.

For the potatoes, simply mash them with however much butter, milk, and sour cream you like. Some people like soupy mashed potatoes and some like hard, dry  lumps. I’m an in-between kinda gal so for the two (giant, genetically modified) potatoes I added about a quarter cup of milk, a tbsp of butter, and about two or three tbsp of sour cream.

Serve with a bit of uncooked sauerkraut and Dijon mustard.

Mac and Cheese with Ham

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Oh comfort food, how you satisfy me. And the satisfaction continues.

This week has been about warm, creamy comfort foods. It started with a Company’s Coming recipe for beef stroganoff. Usually the recipe makes enough to last us at least two days but Jay managed to polish off the leftovers, claiming it wasn’t his fault it was so delicious. I was craving more comfort food so I opted for the next best dish:

Macaroni and Cheese…with Ham

I used the recipe found here for the mac and cheese part. I did not use breadcrumbs or cheddar for the top layer. Instead I used mozzarella and Parmesan. I also completely forgot to add the Dijon mustard and it still turned out super yummy.

For the ham addition all I did was saute half an onion and half a green bell pepper (both chopped) with about two cups of cubed pieces of cooked ham. I mixed this into the mac and cheese before baking.

I really like the flavour the bell pepper gives the dish and the mozzarella on top made it nice and gooey.

And this time I made enough so I’ll get to have some leftovers too!

Typical Nicaraguan Feast

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The last few days I’ve been having serious cravings for Nicaraguan food. Carne asada, indio viejo, chancho con yucca…the list is endless. If I went back to live in Nicaragua I would definitely gorge on every food item in sight. And I would learn how to make my favourite dishes because I would have access to the right ingredients. No more substitutions!

But for now, I am happy to settle with what I can make with the ingredients found in Vancouver. For tonight’s meal I have made Mom-Style Chicken with Corn Flour Tortillas, Gallo Pinto and Salad.

I’m not exactly sure if the chicken I made is in fact a Nicaraguan specialty but it’s the way my Mom always cooked chicken when I was younger and I’ve tried to best of my ability to remember all the ingredients. Of course I probably should have called her to confirm the ingredients but I decided to take a risk.

For the chicken and marinade:

3 whole chicken legs

1/2 an onion, coarsely chopped

Yellow mustard, I didn’t measure but it was probably a tbsp and a bit

Worcestershire sauce, again I didn’t measure but was approx a tbsp

Salt to taste, I’m really bad at gauging the right amount of salt for food.

Fresh ground pepper

Juice of one orange. I used navel but if you can score naranja agria or sour orange, that would be best.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and add chicken pieces, making sure they’re all coated. Let it sit, covered, for a few hours. My Mom would always pan cook the chicken or when we lived in Nicaragua she would use a coal bbq. But because I don’t have a bbq and I’m not a big fan of the way meat turns out when I use my frying pans I chose to bake my chicken at about 400F for approx 40 minutes, flipping the chicken pieces every 10 minutes.

For the tortillas:

2 cups corn flour (Maseca)

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 tsp salt

I found this great video that helped me A LOT. Usually my tortilla shapes turn out looking like South America and pieces break and it’s a big mess. Not only that but I never know when to flip them. And without my Mom peering over my shoulder it makes the tortilla-making process even harder. I don’t have a tortilla press so I used the underside of a round cake pan.

For the Gallo Pinto:

Approx 1 cup white rice, rinsed

1/4 onion, coarsely chopped

1 can of black beans

Salt

Oil for cooking

Okay, this one is still a tough one for me. You would think that after several attempts I would have this one down pat but WOW do I ever know how to screw up a simple pan of gallo pinto. In an ideal world the rice would turn out perfectly fried, each grain separate from the rest, soft but firm. And upon adding the beans, a lovely mixture of colour would ensue. But instead I end up with mushy rice mixed with beans and no colour blending at all. So if anyone has tips on how to make a proper pot of gallo pinto, please share. To make the rice, first you have to fry the onions for a few minutes and then add the rice and continue to fry until toasted on medium-high heat. Next add enough water to cover the rice and once the water has come to a boil turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. The rice is done when all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is somewhat dry-looking. In a larger frying pan, heat oil and add the beans and rice and fry together until well-blended.

For the salad:

Approx 1/3 head of cabbage, shredded

1 tomato, diced

White vinegar

Salt to taste

Simply toss all ingredients together and there’s your salad. If you have any limes kicking around feel free to squeeze some juice into the mix.

I like to eat my gallo pinto with sour cream and a dash of Tabasco sauce.