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Sweet Red Chili Glazed Chicken with Salad

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Summer days can be hot, and there is honestly no desire in this house to cook a big meal. Instead we love real simple meals. Like grilling up some meat and having a nice flavourful salad with it.

This meal was inspired by expiring sweet red chili sauce in our fridge (ha ha!) and the fact we love grilled corn and asparagus. The Cilantro dressing is the perfect dressing for this meal and one I could literally drink up or put on everything. I will make it again and again.

This meal may seem labour intensive but it’s really not. First thing get your lettuce cleaned and corn/asparagus ready for the grill and BBQ them. Grill chicken next. While it’s cooling a bit get your dressing ready. Finally finish off the chicken and assemble. The first time I made this dish I admittedly kept two of the chicken thighs out of the glaze as I thought the kids would like it. Boy was I wrong. They devoured all the glazed chicken and LOVED it!

Sweet-Chili-Chicken-v2

Here’s how we did it.

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Sweet Red Chili Glazed Chicken with Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: lunch, dinner
Serves: 5
 
Ingredients
  • 6 skinless boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp Chinese five spice powder
  • 2 tbsp sweet red chili sauce
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp soy sauce
  • olive oil
  • *********
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bigger pieces
  • 4 large radishes, sliced thin
  • 2 tbsp. parsley, rough chop
  • 2 cobs of corn, husked
  • 10 spears of asparagus, bottoms removed
  • ***********
  • ½ cup cilantro
  • 1 tbsp tamari
  • 1 tbsp + ½ tsp fish sauce
  • ½ jalapeno seeds included
  • 2 limes
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 tsp ginger, fresh
  • 2 green onions
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • **********
  • sesame oil
  • parchment or wax paper
  • black sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
  1. On a sheet of parchment or wax paper mix together your chicken, Chinese five spice powder and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Put a second piece on top and whack (I use a rolling pin) to flatten chicken on thicker areas. Keep it around ½-3/4 inches thick. Set aside.
  2. On a place add your corn. Pour a little olive over top and pinch of salt and pepper. Roll corn on plate to cover corn with oil. Put right on grill and cook over medium high heat for approximately 10 minutes turning every 2 minutes or until a nice char starts to form. Once the corn cooled cut corn kernels off and discard cob. Set aside.
  3. Take your asparagus and roll on the plate the corn was on to scoop up leftover oil, salt and pepper. Add a little more if needed. Place on grill crosswise (so they don't fall through grate) and grill for 5-10 minutes depending on thickness of asparagus. Brown spots are good but don't let them char. Set aside.
  4. On grill over medium high heat cook chicken thighs for about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
  5. To make the dressing add cilantro, tamari, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, fish sauce, ¼ of jalapeno to start, juice of two limes, garlic cloves, ginger, green onions, sesame oil, 2 tbsp olive oil into a blender or cup. Whiz until smooth. Taste. If not spicy add the rest of the jalapeno pepper and a small pinch of salt and pepper.
  6. In a frypan over medium high heat mix together sweet red chili sauce, 1 tsp soy sauce and ½ tsp fish sauce. Add chicken to warm up and turn to cover with glaze. Remove to cutting board to slice thin or serve whole.
  7. Add lettuce to serving platter, sprinkle on the corn, asparagus, radishes and parsley. Add your chopped chicken (or serve it on the side). We topped it with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds. Serve dressing on the side or pour over chicken.

 

Beef & Mushroom Spring Rolls

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One of my favourite things to eat (of many) is well spring rolls. The kids and I enjoy making the fresh salad type rolls but my secret love is for fried spring rolls. Sometimes I visit a local Vietnamese restaurant during lunch and pick up an order of spring rolls all to myself. And eat them in the truck lol. It’s that mom time alone where I don’t have to share with anyone. Even in the truck. I’ll take it.

I’ve made them before, but it’s been awhile. My son has recently started liking them as much as I do, so when we order Vietnamese food we end up fighting over the spring rolls. Note above alone time.

Mushroom-Beef-SR-v1

With a blend and extend challenge upon us thanks to Mushrooms Canada, I’ve been trying to think outside of the box to create a blended appetizer. Spring Rolls came to mind and the flavourings I use in the Thai Salad with Jalapeno & Mint I make. I took inspiration from this recipe and went for it. My son loved them so much he must have eaten four within minutes.

Beef, Mushrooms & Veggies ready for rolling
Beef, Mushrooms & Veggies ready for rolling

Made from ground beef and minced mushrooms, plus a few veggies for good measure, these spring rolls contain minced mushrooms and ground beef. This is how you add another serving of vegetables to the plate.

Here’s the method.

4.0 from 1 reviews
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Beef & Mushroom Spring Rolls
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 20
 
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp ginger, freshly grated
  • ¾ cup minced mushrooms
  • 3 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 cup napa cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 2 green onions, sliced thin
  • 1 package of spring roll wrappers (20)
  • 1 egg, whipped up in a bowl
  • 1 wok
  • canola oil
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
Instructions
  1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the soy sauce, fish sauce and cornstarch. Add in the ground beef and mix well. Set aside to marinate while you prepare and slice your other ingredients.
  2. Thinly slice your napa cabbage, leafy parts only. Peel and grate your carrots. Let carrots sit on a paper towel to absorb some of the moisture. Slice onions.
  3. Heat 2 tsp of sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add your ground beef and cook until beef starts to get a nice golden brown. Sprinkle on sugar, add garlic, ginger and mushrooms. Continue to cook another couple of minutes until flavours well combined. Remove from heat and onto plate and let cool.
  4. In second pan add 1 tsp of sesame oil. Toss in cabbage, carrots and onions. Cook approximately 3 minutes until vegetables soft. Remove from heat and set aside in pan to cool.
  5. Once meat and veggies are cool mix together. Mix in cilantro. Set aside.
  6. Place spring roll wrapper in a diamond shape with a corner facing you. Place 2 tablespoons of filling near corner - that will be plenty. Fold over corner and roll tight.
  7. Fold over right and left side trying not to allow any pockets. Keep it tight and roll until it looks like an envelope then stop. With your finger rub a little egg wash along the out edge of the wrapper as though you were licking an envelop. Continue rolling and ensure sealed. Set aside and keep under plastic wrap.
  8. Carry on until all rolled. Do not stack. Keep all under plastic wrap until ready to cook.
  9. When you’re ready to fry, heat up 1½″ of canola oil to 350F. I like to use my wok.
  10. Carefully drop spring rolls in frying 4-5 at a time and turning constantly for even browning.
  11. Once they are golden brown place on a rack to cool down and drain.
  12. Serve with Thai Chili Sauce or your favourite dipping sauce.

Mushroom-Beef-rolling
2 tablespoons of filling on the wrapper

 

Mushroom-Beef-blend
Little envelope ready for some egg wash

 

 

Spinach Artichoke Dip

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With so many variations of Spinach Artichoke Dip out there, how do you find just one to love?!

This recipe was inspired by Liz of OMA’s Gourmet Garlic. We started bantering back and forth on this thing called twitter, maybe you’ve heard of it, and I learned she sells garlic grown in her garden in Aldersyde, Alberta.

Growing garlic runs in the family Liz explains, her dad received some garlic from a Russian friend in the mid ’80’s and grew it for years in his backyard garden. Her mom carried on with the growing of the garlic after her father passed away. In 2003 Liz received some garlic from her mom and decided to plant some of the cloves in her own garden. They started to sprout and 9 cloves produced 9 bulbs of garlic. This is where Liz’s story begins.

 

OMA's Gourmet Garlic
OMA’s Gourmet Garlic

 

Garlic is planted in the Spring over 6-8 weeks as this offers the best harvest, Liz says. The garlic cures for four – six weeks before selling the fresh begins in October and November.

Today this naturally grown garlic is sold to several local Chefs, restaurants and stores in fresh or dehydrated forms. And if she’s not busy enough tending her garden and weeds, Liz writes a column affectionately called the ‘Tales of the Stinking Rose, in the Wild Rose Country’ in ‘The Garlic News’, a quarterly Canadian publication.

I recently met Liz for the first time when I picked up some garlic granules and dehydrated garlic. She had me taste just 1 or 2 itty bitty specks of the granules before I left. That’s all you need Liz said and by golly she was right. I was my own sweet stinking rose for the rest of the day from those two little itty bittys samples.

OMA’s Gourmet Garlic is available fresh and dehydrated (powder, granules or spice mill grade). You can find her on Facebook: OMA’s Gourmet Garlic.

I used a light sprinkling of the garlic granules in this Spinach Artichoke Dip. This is a small recipes and serves two nicely. Or one who doesn’t want to share.

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Spinach Artichoke Dip
Author: 
Recipe type: snack, game day, potluck
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 5 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 14.5oz can of artichoke hearts, rough chopped
  • 1 8oz block of cream cheese
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup + ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • ½ cup old white cheddar cheese, grated
  • red pepper flakes
  • garlic granules or garlic powder
  • ¼ cup water
  • Cooking spray
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375F.
  2. Spray a small casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  3. Over medium high heat add a sprinkle of water. Toss in your fresh spinach and cook 1-2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Put on cutting board and rough chop. Toss into bowl.
  4. Add artichokes through white cheddar cheese reserving ¼ cup parmesan cheese. Mix well.
  5. Toss in a pinch of hot pepper flakes and sprinkle of your garlic granules or powder. Gently mix in and pour into your prepared dish.
  6. Bake for 20-30 minutes and during the last couple of minute sprinkle on the ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Serve hot with your favourite chips or crackers.
  7. Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/creamy-artichoke-and-spinach-dip-recipe.html?oc=linkback

 

 

Grilled Garlic Chicken

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Since about mid January we’ve had mild weather here in Calgary. It’s very unusual for this time of the year as we typically have tons of snow on the ground. I kid you not. In my world we would have 2-3 months of cold winter and snow with the rest of the year sunny and green.

With warm weather comes serious spring fever. Last weekend we did yard work and cleaned up the yard in preparation for planting and Spring. My rhubarb is popping up and I’m ready to start seeding the lawn and eager to start planting. The kids have already advised they will each be having their own pepper and tomatoe(s) plants again this year. Sun and warmth feels so good. With this warmer weather we find we want to grill all the time. Fish and soy sauce are always on hand here and since we are die hard grillers (we will grill in any weather unless it hits -20), it’s not the first time we fired up the BBQ this year. We served up this chicken with our Green Rice.

I prep the food, my husband tends the grill. We make a good team. The longer this chicken can marinate, the more flavour you get.

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Grilled Garlic Chicken
Serves: 4
 
The flavours in this chicken shine when allowed to marinate up to four hours or overnight. If you do not have the time, give the chicken at least 30 minutes to get cozy with the marinade.
Ingredients
  • 6 bone in/skin on chicken thighs
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro
  • 2 tbsp garlic
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp water
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Loosen the skin on your chicken thighs with your hand keeping skin intact. Put into plastic storage bag & set aside.
  2. In a small food processor or blender, combine cilantro, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce and a pinch of salt and pepper. Puree until you have a smooth liquidy paste.
  3. Pour marinade into storage bag with chicken and smooshie the bag to combine. Close and store in refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
  4. When ready to cook ,preheat your grill to medium high. Cook thighs over high heat until brown then move over to indirect heat and continue to cook 20-25 minutes or until cooked through (juices run clear).
  5. Remove to plate and set aside to rest.

 

Grilled Garlic Chicken
Grilled Garlic Chicken

Butternut Squash Soup with Tamarind

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It was clean out my pantry day and I have had a butternut squash rolling around on the floor for about 2 months. My mom used to roast butternut squash and serve it simple with shaved parmesan, salt & cracked pepper. Oh and a maybe just a lil butter drizzle on top.

While roasting this bad boy, I started sorting through two shelves of canned items. Way at the back of one shelf I found a jar of Tamarind Chutney. I love tamarind and practically inhale it whenever we go for Indian food. Only thing is this jar had well expired. You know what, this did not deter me. I opened the jar and sampled. About three tablespoons of samples later I decided it was safe to eat. And a little spicy however on the taste buds.

To make this soup is easy. Rough chop your onion, carrots and garlic as it’s all going to get pureed anyways. Toss them in with some olive oil and cook until just lightly softened. You could add chopped uncooked squash in with the onions and carrots if you don’t feel like roasting your squash first. The roasting however did impart a great flavour.

Important to note while the tamarind chutney is spicy, well when you eat it right out of the jar, it is not overpowering in the soup but yet adds a subtle hint of heat and incredible depth of flavour. We have a 16 yr old German Student living with us right now who does not like spicy food. She gave me two thumbs up on and loved the soup indicating it was not very spicy at all. We added in some more tamarind chutney right into our soup bowls. Seriously could inhale that stuff and it’s my new favourite condiment. Watch for it in everything (ha ha just kidding).

A simple soup for busy nights or cold days.

How often do you clean out your pantry?

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Butternut Squash Soup with Tamarind
Author: 
Recipe type: dinner, soup, lunch, appetizer
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled & chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled & chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cups stock
  • 4 cups cooked butternut squash
  • 2 tbsp tamarind chutney
  • Salt & pepper
  • ½ can coconut milk
  • Cilantro
Instructions
  1. Heat large pot over medium high heat.
  2. Add olive oil, onion and carrots. Saute for a few minutes and then add your garlic. Cook until vegetables start to soften.
  3. Add stock and bring to a boil.
  4. Drop to a simmer, add cooked squash, tamarind and a pinch of salt & pepper. Cook another 5 minutes.
  5. Stir in coconut milk and remove from heat.
  6. Puree soup in blender or with hand immersion blender. Reheat if needed.
  7. Sprinkle on some chopped cilantro and serve while hot.
Notes
Preheat oven to 375. Peel and cut up squash into 1 inch cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread onto parchment lined baking sheet. Stir about half way and bake for 30-45 minutes or until squash is soft.

 

 

BBQ Shrimp from the Creole Cajun Chef

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I’ve been following the Creole Cajun Chef Tommy for quite some time on social media. His photos and recipes caught my eye immediately and kept it intrigued. My husband and I went to New Orleans for our honeymoon pre Katrina and had the time of our life. New Orleans and the people will always hold a soft spot in our hearts. The food, well, it speaks for itself.

I’m sure you can’t hear me drooling while I write this post. I love shrimp. I was raised near the coast of Northern British Columbia (NBC) and we regularly went crabbing off the docks near Prince Rupert and enjoyed many a freshly caught prawns, meal. Head on, tails on, All in.

I was very honoured when Chef Tommy agreed to do a Guest Post on my blog. I love how easy his recipe for BBQ shrimp is, yet sounds like it packs an incredible amount of flavour! Pleased to welcome, Chef Tommy!

Tommy Centola, the Creole Cajun Chef, is a New Orleans native who has been cooking since he was eight. Having learned the basics from his mentor, his mom, Tommy is a self taught chef, cooking New Orleans multicultural cuisine. He has worked in numerous restaurants, developing dishes and menus with his unique vision. His Crabcake recipe has been featured in the Thomas Kinkade cookbook and Louisiana Cookin’ magazine. His cookbook, You Can’t Keep New Orleans Out Of The Cook, has been enshrined in the Culinary Hall of Fame. With over 300 recipes, Tommy’s blog, www.creolecajunchef.com, is continually growing with two new recipes added each week. He and his wife Peggy currently live in Searcy, Arkansas. He works for Sysco foods, helping his customers have successful businesses.

From Tommy: This is one of my wife’s favorite dishes. Every time we come back from New Orleans, we always have three pounds of large heads-on shrimp to cook for dinner the night we get home. BBQ Shrimp is not shrimp that are cooked on a pit and covered with sauce. They are cooked in a highly seasoned, not spicy, combination of olive oil and butter. Make sure you have plenty of French bread to dip into the sauce. You can use headless shrimp, but you will not get the flavors that are released from the head.

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BBQ Shrimp from the Creole Cajun Chef
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds 15-20 or larger Shrimp Head & Tail on
  • 1 ½ pound Butter (6 sticks)
  • 1 ½ cups Olive Oil
  • 8 Tablespoons Garlic, Chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons Basil Leaves (Dry)
  • 4 teaspoons Salt
  • 3 teaspoons Lemon Juice
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
  • 4 Tablespoons Ground Black Pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Oregano (Dry)
  • 2 teaspoons Thyme (Dry)
  • 2 teaspoons BBQ Seasoning
  • 1 Tablespoon Creole Seasoning
Instructions
  1. Melt butter in Olive Oil in a large pot.
  2. In a bowl, combine all other ingredients, adding shrimp last.
  3. Cook in a pot over Medium High Heat for 10 minutes.
  4. Serve in bowls with plenty of French bread to sop up the sauce.

 

Honey Ginger Chicken

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Chicken recipes are always enjoyed in our house. The kids loved this honey ginger chicken I made the other night, enhanced with garlic, oyster sauce and fish sauce. A sweet and savory combination that required no marinating. Brushing the sauce on during cooking did the trick. And since we busy parents don’t always have time to marinate meat before we cook it, it’s the perfect quick meal to make after a busy day.

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Honey Ginger Chicken
Author: 
Recipe type: dinner, lunch
Serves: 5
 
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger, fresh
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ⅓ cup oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ tsp hot sauce
  • pinch of salt & pepper
  • 10 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
Instructions
  1. Preheat grill to medium high.
  2. Mix ginger through hot sauce in a bowl. Set aside.
  3. Lay chicken thighs out on a platter or tray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle on a little of the honey ginger sauce.
  4. Over medium high heat grill chicken for about 10-15 minutes turning at least once. Baste regularly with honey ginger sauce.
  5. Remove from grill and let rest. Serve immediately.

 

 

 

Roasted Garlic & Sausage Casserole

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This year I was asked to be part of The Great Cream Challenge 2014. This cross Canada recipe challenge pairs 3 Canadian Food Bloggers against each other in a special monthly cooking challenge. At the beginning of the year you pick three challenges (one per month) to participate in using real cream, and then let the recipe testing madness begin.

My first challenge was in January and called The Slow Cooker Challenge. I made a Dulce de Leche Bread Pudding and came in 2nd out of 3 bloggers. It was a ton of fun.

My second challenge quickly followed and this Roasted Garlic & Sausage Casserole, was my recipe submission for April’s The Family Brunch Challenge. A little more labour intensive with a few extra steps, but it is well worth it and perfect for a special Mother’s Day or Father’s Day Brunch at home. This time I placed…..2nd out of 3 bloggers! Foiled again ha ha but at least I lost to another Alberta Food Blogger. My 3rd and final challenge is coming up in June, so who knows, maybe third times a charm? I’ve had a great time either way and loved the friendly competition with my fellow food bloggers.

To save time you can cook up your sausage, potatoes, roast your garlic, and toast your bread cubes the night before. Assemble all the next morning and Bob’s Your Uncle. Or Fred.

Either way family breakfast casseroles started with my mom and this family breakfast casserole is a fun tradition I have continued with my own children. This version has some roasted garlic, fresh tomatillos, and is topped it with cooked bacon and fresh eggs.

It’s definitely luxurious, but then everything in moderation, right?

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Roasted Garlic & Sausage Casserole
Author: 
Recipe type: Brunch, breakfast, lunch, dinner
 
Ingredients
  • 4 croissants, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 225 gr or 5 pork sausages
  • 3 cups yellow potatoes, cut into same sized cubes
  • 2 tomatillos (or 1 red tomato), chopped
  • 1 bulb garlic
  • 1½ cup old cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1½ cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
  • 6 eggs + 4
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tsp chives, chopped
  • ⅓ cup cooked bacon, chopped
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Spray or lightly grease an 8 x 8 baking dish. Set aside.
  3. To roast the garlic, cut ¼ - ½ inch off the top of the garlic bulb. Place on tin foil. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Wrap tightly with foil and roast in oven on baking sheet for 50-60 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
  4. Place croissant cubes on baking sheet. Place in 350 F oven and toast for 5 minutes. Stir pieces and toast for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
  5. Remove sausage from casing and place in sauce pan over medium high heat. Break it up with a potato masher until it resembles smaller crumbles. Cook about 5 minutes and add your chopped onion. Continue to cook until sausage has browned and onion is soft.
  6. In a second pan over medium high heat, pour a drizzle of olive oil. Add potatoes and cook, stirring for about 5-10 minutes allowing potatoes to brown slightly and crisp. Turn heat down, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and let potatoes cook for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour ¼ cup of stock into the pan and place a lid on. Let steam until most of the stock has been evaporated. Remove lid and test for doneness. If needed let them cook another 5-10 minutes until soft. Remove from heat and pour into bottom of greased casserole dish.
  7. In a medium sized bowl lightly beat your eggs. Add in milk, cream, chives and a pinch of salt and pepper.
  8. On top of potatoes add your browned sausage and onions. Sprinkle on a little cheese and add your croissant cubes, nestling them into the potato and sausage mixture. Squeeze your roasted garlic out of the bulb and drop all over casserole. Sprinkle on tomatillos. Pour on egg mixture and let sit for about 15 minutes allowing bread to soak up some of the liquid.
  9. Sprinkle on the rest of the grated cheese, cover with aluminum foil and place in 350 F preheated oven for 35 minutes. Carefully remove dish from the oven and aluminum foil from the top. With the back of a spoon make 3-4 indents in the bread mixture. Crack one egg at a time into a small custard dish and slowly pour one egg into each indentation. Carefully sprinkle cooked bacon around the eggs. Return dish to oven and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the egg whites are set and yolk still runny.

 

Slow Cooker Beef & Barley Stew

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One thing we love to do as a family is fondue. Husband used to fondue as a kid, I was introduced to fondue in the 90’s, and currently own at least 4 or 5 fondue pots. A fondue variety is so much fun, especially when it includes broth, cheese and chocolate all in one night. When we beef broth fondue we add flavour enhancers like ginger and garlic to the broth plus we’ve usually marinated the beef and add those marinating juices as well. As the broth cooks down it intensifies the flavour.

Beef Stew is a comfort food we can’t get enough of. If you do not have leftover fondue broth, beef broth is just as delicious, and you can easily toss some additional garlic, and ginger into the pot as it cooks away.

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Slow Cooker Beef & Barley Stew
Recipe type: Main, Slowcooker, Supper, Entree
 
Ingredients
  • 1-2lbs stew beef (1/2-1 inch cubes)
  • oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3-4 med sized carrots, chopped
  • ¾-1 cup barley
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp ginger, minced
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. In a skillet over medium high heat add your oil and brown/quick sear your beef in small batches. Remove from pan and place in slowcooker. Continue until all beef is browned.
  2. Turn heat down, pour a little more oil into pan and add your onions, carrots and celery stirring for about 5 minutes. IN the last 2 minutes add your garlic. Pour in a splash of beef broth and scrape up all the brown bits from the pan. Add contents of saucepan into slowcooker with beef.
  3. Pour in the remaining beef broth. Add your bay leaves, soy sauce, ginger and a pinch of salt & pepper. Give a stir and pour in your barley.
  4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

 

Slow Cooker Beef Chili

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I make a couple different versions of chili. When I was single my favourites were Veggie Chili, and a Four Bean Chili. Enter the meat eater I married, and this is now one of our family favourites since it is slow cooked all day in the crockpot allowing the flavours to marry creating the most delicious tasting beef chili. We also make a mean chicken chili.

In this recipe I only add 2 tbsp of chili powder..any more makes it quite spicy, and I want the kids to eat it! Hubs likes to add more chili powder to his bowl after the fact to give it more heat. While I don’t quite understand this method since the spice would be a little raw for my liking, I don’t question bizarre behavior ha ha!

There are many ways we like to enjoy eating our chili keeping it fun for the kids: in a bread bowl, on nachos with melted cheese, in scoops (taco chips), chili dogs, chili on mac & cheese, chili on a pizza (yes it’s good), chili fries, like a sloppy joe on a bun, with corn muffins or better yet Chili Cheese Corn Muffins, in lasagna, and even on perogies. Don’t be afraid to experiment since a little chili goes a long way!

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Slow Cooker Beef Chili
Recipe type: Supper, Lunch,
 
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds or cumin
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp chili powder (or more if you like it spicy)
  • ½ tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 5 cups tomato sauce
  • ½ cup beef broth
  • 1 can (19oz) red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 can (19oz) black beans, drained & rinsed
Instructions
  1. Over medium-high heat add your oil to a saucepan. Add beef and cook until nicely browned. Add to your slowcooker and put lid on.
  2. In same pan add oil and onions cooking until soft. Drop in garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, allspice and cocoa powder stirring for a minute or two. Next add your worcestershire sauce, beef broth, tomato paste and tomato sauce stirring well. Bring sauce to a boil scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
  3. Take pan off heat and pour over beef in slowcooker. Add your beans and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours or until hot & bubbling.
  4. Once ready bring slowcooker stoneware to table and serve.
  5. Add whatever crunchies & fixins you like!
Notes
Fixins can be anything you like: chopped jalapeno peppers, chopped cilantro, chopped bell peppers, chopped purple onion, chopped green onion, shredded cheese, hot sauce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream. Find the combo that works for you!

 

Hoisin Ginger Pork Tenderloin

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Pork Tenderloin is a delicious & lean cut of meat you can cook and prepare several ways. Try grilling it with this sticky honey hoisin sauce and end up with a moist, flavourful dinner. We double the recipe making extra for leftovers the next day. Use it in a Vietnamese style sub adding in fresh bean sprouts, cilantro, cucumber, carrots and the leftover sauce, slice it thin and add it last minute to hot broth, or warm it in some leftover BBQ sauce.

Serve with a simple salad, roasted potatoes or fresh veggies.

hoisin-ginger-pork-v3

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Hoisin Ginger Pork Tenderloin
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner, Lunch, Main,
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Pork Tenderloin
  • 1-2 tbsp oil
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp ginger, fresh & minced
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or sherry)
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. In a bowl mix together hoisin sauce, ginger, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, honey and garlic. Set aside.
  2. In a skillet, heat oil over high heat. Season pork with salt & pepper. When the oil is ready quick sear your pork tenderloin on all sides.
  3. Brush pork with your sauce and grill over low heat on natural gas BBQ for about 15 minutes turning and basting as you go with more sauce. Grill for about 30 minutes or until a thermometer registers 170F (and a hint of pink remains).
  4. If you have leftover glaze discard.
  5. When done put your pork on a platter and tent it for at least 5-10 minutes before serving.

 

Simple Chicken Fajitas

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Mexican style food is something our family adores. I’ve tried many different versions of chicken fajita’s and always found the flavours are rather bland. So after playing with some spices most of us would have in our pantry, I was able to get the flavour I was hoping for. Plus the family enjoyed the meal so much my daughter asked for it for lunch the next day at school (now that is unusual).

Fajita’s for our family are a quick & easy supper on an activity night. These are truly yummy.

If you are making these for the Wild Rose D-Tox you will have to eat them without the tortillas, sour cream, cheese and any pickled peppers.

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Simple Chicken Fajitas
 
Ingredients
  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp lime juice, fresh
  • canola oil
  • ½ cup spanish onion, sliced
  • 1 cup pepper (red, green, orange, yellow), sliced
  • whole wheat flour tortillas
Instructions
  1. In a ziplock bag combine chili powder, oregano, salt, cumin, garlic, lime juice and a little oil. Seal bag and smoosh to combine flavours. Add your chicken and smoosh a little more. Refrigerate for a minimum 15 minutes or longer if you have time.
  2. Put your onions and peppers in a bowl. Pour on a little oil and season with salt, pepper and a little cumin.
  3. Take chicken out of marinade and drain. Put on greased BBQ and grill approximately 6-7 minutes per side on med-high until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from heat and let rest under cover.
  4. Meanwhile on a preheated BBQ grill topper or stove top grill pan add some oil and your onion/pepper mix. Give it a little more s&p and saute for about 4-5 minutes or until veggies tender crisp. Set aside in a bowl.
  5. Get all your fixin’s ready, heat up your flour tortillas (10 seconds in microwave, or toss on grill), slice your chicken, grab some peppers/onions and you are ready to assemble your chicken fajita.
Notes
Fixins: shredded lettuce, diced tomato, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, hot peppers (banana or jalapeno), shredded cheese, chopped cilantro

Grilled Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa

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There’s nothing more annoying and satisfying at the same time as walking outside of your house and immediately being hit with the aroma of a neighbour’s BBQ grilling up something fabulous. Makes you want to run back in, find some meat and slap it on the BBQ. These marinated grilled pork chops with pineapple salsa are quick, easy, and pair deliciously with a fresh, tasty salsa.

Salsa come in all flavours, shapes and variations. We tend to eat more fresh salsas over the summer months with the endless bounty of fresh fruit available. My kids adore this pineapple salsa made with fresh pineapple so much so they ask me to send it with them to school for lunch.

I like to make extra pork chops so I have leftovers the next day. And a delicious way to use them up is to cut leftover pork chops into thin slices and put them into a wrap. You could add a little BBQ sauce, and some leftover pineapple salsa for a delicious lunch.

Serve this dish over rice, steamed chinese noodles or even cooked, seasoned barley/lentils.

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Grilled Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa
Author: 
Recipe type: lunch, snack, camping
 
Ingredients
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
  • 4 tsp vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 pork chops
  • Pineapple Salsa:
  • ½ pineapple, peeled, cored and cubed
  • 1 green onion, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup diced red/purple onion
  • 2 tsp lime or lemon juice
  • ½ cup (or less) cilantro (chopped)
  • ½ Jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
Instructions
  1. In ziplock bag, mix together lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, oil and garlic. Add chops, turning to coat. Zip up bag and let marinate for a minimum of 10-15 minutes before grilling.
  2. Remove from marinade and place chops on BBQ over medium-high heat. Close lid and grill, turning once, until juices run clear when pork is pierced and just a hint of pink remains inside. Serve with salsa.
Notes
Pineapple Salsa: In bowl, stir together pineapple, green onion, red onion, lime juice, cilantro and jalapeno. If you like heat leave the seeds in the jalapeno adding it all to the salsa.

 

 

Oven-Roasted Vegetables

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It seems like I make a variation of these oven roasted vegetables every Thanksgiving, Easter or Christmas. It’s easy and delicious. We like our vegetables to have a little bite to them, and you can add or remove any you want in this dish.

I also add brussels sprouts to the mix (cut in half), but since they tend to cook faster, I add them for the last 30 minutes of cooking to ensure they are not overcooked.

Stir occasionally as the veggies roast and if you need to add a little more olive oil or salt do so. Season as you go! I sprinkled the vegetables with fresh chopped parsley before serving.

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Oven-Roasted Vegetables
Author: 
Recipe type: side
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Sweet Potato, peeled & cut into cubes
  • 1 Fennel Bulb, washed, trimmed and cut into cubes
  • 6 Small potatoes, washed & quartered
  • 3 Parsnips, peeled & sliced into cubes
  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
  • 1 bulb garlic, peeled and separated into cloves
  • 1 large turnip, peeled and cubed
  • 1 red onion, cut into chunks
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp coarse salt
  • ½ cup fresh or dried herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary)
  • Fresh parsley, chopped - optional
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425F.
  2. In a large bowl mix first 8 ingredients with oil, vinegar, salt and herbs.
  3. Toss into a large jelly roll pan or dish, spread out and season with salt, pepper and another drizzle of olive oil.
  4. Roast, uncovered for 30-60 minutes, pending size of cubes and tossing occasionally until veggies are lightly browned and tender.