Tag Archives: cheese

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!

 

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.

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!

Imitation Costco Chicken Bake

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Years and years ago I actually owned a Costco membership card. I’d go with my then boyfriend and buy vats of feta cheese and bulk-size cans of soup. Eventually we realized the amount of food we were buying was obscene for only the two of us. However, we kept the membership because during our lunch breaks at work we’d drive over to the nearest Costco to get a hot and delicious chicken bake. I could never resist the gooey cheese and crispy crust.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a Costco and even longer since I’ve had a chicken bake, as not all Costco stores carried them. And the last few weeks I’d been having intense cravings for a chicken bake so I did a quick Google search and discovered that all you really need is pizza dough, chicken, bacon, onions, mozzarella, and Caesar salad dressing.

For the pizza dough I went through my previous posts in search of the thin and crispy dough I liked – which also doesn’t take long to make. The recipe can be found here.

Chicken Bake Ingredients – For two people

Ready made pizza dough, store bought, your favourite recipe or the one mentioned above.

1 chicken breast, approx 6oz cut into small pieces

4 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces

1/2 a medium onion, finely chopped

approx 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, or more if you love cheese the way I do.

Caesar salad dressing, I used about 3 tbsp but that’s a matter of preference I think.

Spices of your choice for the chicken, I used garlic powder and cayenne pepper.

Preheat oven to about 450F. Heat a bit of oil in a pan and cook the chicken. Add seasonings and once it’s cooked through set aside in a bowl. Add the bacon pieces to the pan and cook until done and then add them to the chicken. Stretch your pizza dough to a rectangle about 11 inches by 7 or 8 inches. Spread desired amount of Caesar dressing over surface and then sprinkle onions, chicken and bacon, and the majority of the mozzarella cheese (leave some aside to sprinkle on top of the chicken bake). Fold the pizza dough over and seal the seams and then place in the oven for about 7 minutes.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and put back in the oven for another 8 minutes or so or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and melted.

Was it as awesome as the original Costco chicken bake? Well, to be honest…I don’t really remember what the Costco chicken bake tasted like except that I remember loving it. But this version has completely wiped the memory of a Costco chicken bake from my mind.

Chicken Parmesan

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Jay celebrated his 30th birthday yesterday and I took him to see the Body Worlds exhibit at the Science Centre. I’d never been and I was beyond impressed. After walking around for hours, looking at the posed remains of humans, we headed back home to eat. I made a very simple dinner of chicken Parmesan, rice, and salad.
The chicken Parmesan I made last night is a variation from the recipe found on Nervous Chef’s blog here.

Chicken Parmesan, serves 2-4 depending on how hungry you are
4 chicken thighs, I didn’t remove the skin or bones
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Frank’s Redhot
Pinch of salt and pepper

1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
Pinch of salt and pepper

1 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 5 oz can tomato paste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary
Water
Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese

Mix together in a large bowl the milk, eggs, garlic powder, onion powder, Frank’s Redhot, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken pieces in the bowl, cover, and place in the fridge to soak for 4 to 6 hours.
Once you’re ready to start cooking, make the sauce by heating about a tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook another 30 seconds before adding the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir in the sugar, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Fill the empty can of tomato paste with water and add that water to the pot. Lower heat and simmer.
Preheat oven to 325F. In a shallow plate or bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper. Cover each chicken piece in the bread crumb mixture making sure each piece is well coated. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken until just brown on each side.
In a baking dish, large enough to fit the chicken pieces without overlapping, pour half the tomato sauce on the bottom. Place the chicken in the pan and pour the remainder of the sauce over top. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese and put back in the oven for about 6 to 8 minutes more.
I served this with fried rice with corn and a simple salad. Jay was very happy and he absolutely loved the tomato sauce.

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Coffee Chops and Blue Cheese Pasta

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I have laid to rest my French Food At Home book, temporarily. After making Laura Calder recipes for a week I have discovered that some of her recipes are awesome and some are not so scrumptious. I cannot tell if the recipes were not wonderful due to my inability to follow directions correctly from time to time, or simply because the recipe just wasn’t meant to be. For the most part, though, I enjoyed the meals immensely. Another thing I learned is that I really hate blue cheese. I’ve known this for a very long time, ever since I was 12 years old and my sister’s god parents were in town and they brought us a small brick of blue cheese. I remember sniffing it and thinking it smelled like old cheesy socks. I remember tasting it and spitting it back out because I was convinced the blue bits were the remains of old cheesy socks. Since then, I have avoided blue cheese and the faintest scent of that cheese triggers my gag reflex.

So, it was a great surprise to Jay- who absolutely loves to eat blue cheese – that I made blue cheese pasta. I made it because I knew he would like it, and he did, and also because I thought that if I gave it a chance I would somehow instantly fall in love with it. This was not so. I ate about four bites of it before announcing, “Yep, I really do not like blue cheese. Please eat the rest.” Jay laughed. I’m so glad he found my suffering amusing. The pork chops were great though.

To make the pasta, cook fetuccini noodles how you like them and while they’re cooking make the blue cheese sauce. Melt 250g of blue cheese and then whisk in half a cup of cream. Once the noodles are ready, drain them, return to pot, and coat them with the sauce and some fresh ground pepper.

For the pork chops, season two chops with salt, pepper and sugar on both sides. Heat a bit of olive oil and butter and once that’s hot fry the chops for about 10 minutes or until they are nice and caramelized. While that’s happening, brew about a quarter cup of strong black coffee. Once the pork chops are done, set them on a plate and keep warm. Pour the coffee in the pan and shake to deglaze. Let it boil down to a thin syrup, about 1 or 2 minutes then pour over the pork chops.

Tuna Cheese Melt

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It’s a gloomy, rainy day today, perfect for lounging in pjs and eating comforting comfort food. It was lunch time and I didn’t feel like making a full meal for myself. I was feeling a bit lazy and I ALMOST caved in to a salty, carb-filled packet of instant noodles. But I managed to contain myself and I brought out the left over rice and vegetables from last night along with a can of tuna and some egg whites. I mixed it all up with a few squirts of Sriracha sauce and I topped it with a slice of Kraft cheese (hey! it’s better than a packet of noodles!) and I threw it in the oven for 20 minutes at 350F.

Result: Delicious comfort food :)


Yes, you can tell I was already shovelling food in my mouth when I remembered I had to take a picture.