Yet Another Chili Recipe

Posted on May 2, 2013 by amy

Wait. Am I really blogging two days in a row? Wow!

Bella’s surprised but not as much as she will be once she sees she’s being stalked by a sheep!

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Sneaky Sheep

Anyway, here’s another chili recipe – and since we love chili so much, it probably won’t be the last. This time I decided to go lighter on the tomato base and play up the beef aspect more. Again, I’ve said this many times, but I don’t really measure for these types of dishes so everything below is a rough estimate and it’s meant to be a base from which to jump off of and make your own creation. And it’s FODMAP friendly -  no onion and garlic-infused olive oil instead of pieces of garlic.

Beef Chili with Beans

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 2 cans of beans (I used borlotti)
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 1-2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • dash of Worcestershire sauce
  • dash of hot sauce
  • dash of whiskey (this time I used Bushmills Irish Whiskey)
  • 2-4 cups of beef broth
  • salt/pepper to taste
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Cooking away

Directions:

  • heat the olive oil and add the celery, sauté for a couple minutes, stirring frequently
  • add beef and season with salt and pepper and cook through
  • add beans and tomatoes
  • add all seasonings (herbs, spices, and sauces) and stir
  • add broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover and let simmer for 30-60 minutes
  • server over boiled rice

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Sorry, these photos aren’t great cause I used my phone and the camera on it has seen better days! 
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Hello and Beef Noodle Soup!

Posted on May 1, 2013 by amy

Just poppin’ in to say ‘hello’!
Boy it’s been busy – between class projects and travelling, phew! Here’s some awesome shots from a couple of recent weekend trips I’ve been on:

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Gorgeous Deer!

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Probably my favorite photo of the year.

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I will never get tired of these views.

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Even in the rain still so magical and beautiful.

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Wild goat!!

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Yes- we had to cross this!

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stunning

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I can barely stand the cuteness!

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baby precious lamb, nibbling my finger. Definitely off eating lamb for a bit…

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yea beach – love the colors

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mama Kathleen

Sorry, lots more photos then I planned on sharing…but there were just too many to choose from!

OK, finally – here’s a lovely, easy, yummy recipe for a meatless noodle soup. As you know sometimes with soups, chilli and the like I don’t always bother to measure, so this is all rough estimates. Also, you could use chicken broth or veggie broth, throw in some meat, or use whatever veg/seasoning/herbs you have on hand. And of course you can de-spice it or spice it up even more! Consider this a base. And as usual (soon to be a much larger theme of the blog) this is FODMAP friendly for those with IBS and sensitive tummies. What I love is that this comes together quickly and while it cooks you can read, watch TV, clean, workout, or write the blog post about it (as I’m doing right now) and when you’re done you have a gorgeous soup waiting for you.

Beef Noodle Soup

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Ingredients:

  • 4 cups of beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 small chunk sliced ginger
  • 1 dried Serrano chilli
  • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
  • 3 small bok choy bunches, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 green onion, sliced
  • garlic infused olive oil
  • 1 tspn ground ginger
  • pinch of cinnamon
  • pinch of hot chilli powder
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ready-cooked noodles or quick cooking egg noodle
  • salt/pepper to taste

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Directions:

  • heat oil
  • sauté green onion, then add ginger, carrot, celery and sauté for a few minutes, stir frequently
  • add salt/pepper, ground ginger, cinnamon, chilli power, and chilli flakes, mix well and let saute another minute or so
  • add beef broth and bay leaves and bring to a boil
  • lower to a simmer, cover and let simmer for 30-60 minutes
  • about 10 minutes before serving at bok choy and noodles
  • serve and you if you have them on hand provide Sriracha sauce, cilantro and fresh limes for fresh garnish

I’ll put up a final photo of the dish as it looks once served on Instagram. What is your favorite quick soup for nights when you don’t have time to do lots of cooking?

 
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Life in Instagram

Posted on April 10, 2013 by amy

I probably don’t have any readers left. But, just in case, or in spite of that, I figured I’d throw up some fun Instagram photos of life lately! Things have just been beyond busy, crazy, and exhausting. Class work has taken over completely. Hoping things will settle down a bit soon, but we’ll see. And quite honestly I just haven’t cooked anything or eaten out anywhere worth blogging about lately.

In the meantime, I haven’t forgotten about my wee little blog. In fact, I think about it often. Although it currently has to take a back seat to other things I don’t plan to give it up. I will be back in full force – now whether that will be sooner or later is still to be seen. But, I have been thinking a lot of the direction and focus of the blog. Once I am able to devote more attention, the focus is going to shift a bit and perhaps a new design is in order. Yes, I think a new design is definitely in order. Now the main topic of the blog will still be food! But, it will just be coming from a more focused viewpoint.

Anyway, until that day is here. I’ll continue to pop in from time to time so say ‘hi’ if you’re still with me! :)

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Veggie Noodle Soup

Posted on February 28, 2013 by amy

What do you do in February? Make soup of course! Here’s a great ‘recipe’ for you. I put it in quotes since you really can add in anything to this and make it your own. I went heavy on the starch in this particular soup. So, use it as a guide.

As usual I have made this FODMAP friendly and have noted in the ingredients list things that can be replaced. If you’re still scratching your head regarding FODMAP, well I’m hoping to write a series soon on what it is, why folks follow it, and how even if you don’t need to follow such a diet, there are some great health benefits for you regardless!

Sadly, the photos I took didn’t transfer onto my computer properly, so I’m left doing this one photoless. Trust me when I say it looked good and tasted great as well.

Vegetable Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

  • chicken or vegetable stock
  • 3-5 carrots, chopped
  • 2 small heads or 1 large head of bok choy, chopped
  • 10-20 green beans
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 can of tomatoes, with juice (can be plain or seasoned)
  • 2 green onions, chopped (can use regular onion here)
  • 5-8 small white potatoes, chopped
  • 1 can white beans (cannelloni or another kind)
  • 1 cup barley, soak before cooking
  • 1 cup of pasta of any kind (short pasta)
  • 2 tablespoons or so of garlic infused olive oil (or 3-4 heads of garlic)
  • 1 tspn of oregano
  • 2 bay leaves

Directions:

  • heat oil
  • add in potatoes, carrots, and green onion, sauté
  • add in barley and stir to coat with oil (almost like a risotto)
  • add in tomatoes (both fresh and canned)
  • add in 1-2 cans of chicken stock and add water if more liquid is needed
  • add in salt, pepper, oregano, and bay leaves
  • bring to a boil and cover and reduce heat allowing to simmer for 30-60 minutes
  • add in bok choy, zucchini, green beans, pasta, and beans
  • simmer until veggies and pasta are cooked through and serve
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Philadelphia Cream Cheese Lemon Chicken Pasta

Posted on February 6, 2013 by amy

Here is yet another really simple dish to make on a weeknight that is super tasty and filling. This is one where you’ll definitely go back for seconds. Although cream cheese is definitely on my don’t-eat list, I couldn’t resist making this dish in spite of that and just made sure to take some meds as needed. It also didn’t feel too unhealthy since I used the reduced fat cream cheese.

Philadelphia Cream Cheese Lemon Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups penne pasta
  • 1 cup green beans
  • 2 large skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces.
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup Philadelphia Light with Garlic & Herbs
  • 4 tbsp chicken stock

Directions:

  • Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water as directed on the packet. Five minutes before the end of the cooking time add the beans to the pasta. Drain when cooked.
  • Meanwhile, cut the chicken breasts into slices. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the chicken. Cook the chicken until it is browned and cooked through. Then stir in the lemon juice.
  • Add the stock and Philly. Heat gently until the Philly has melted and formed a sauce but do not boil.
  • Add the pasta and beans to the lemony chicken mixture and stir together. Serve immediately.

To cut down even further on prep time, I bought pre-cut chicken. You can also use any veggie: broccoli florets, asparagus, zucchini, etc.

Do you ever use recipes from the websites of cooking or food products?
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Sausage Stew

Posted on February 3, 2013 by amy

I saw this recipe on one of those morning talk shows, and it looked so good, and easy (a key deciding factor for recipes these day) that I decided to try it for myself. I did this on a Sunday night as it does require a bit of cooking time in the oven. But it definitely can be done on any other night when you can get an early start so you leave yourself plenty of time for cooking.

Winter Sausage Stew

Ingredients:

  • 6-8 sausages
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil (I used garlic-infused)
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 apples, cut into wedges (with skin on)
  • 2 cups red potatoes cut into wedges (with skin on)
  • 2/3 cup chicken stock
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Heat oil in pan and brown sausages for a couple of minutes, then set aside in a baking dish
  • Add onion and sauté until softened
  • Add apples and potatoes and a little salt/pepper and cook for about 5 minutes or so until your fruit/veg are browning up some.
  • Add them to the baking dish with the sausages.
  • Pour in the chicken stock and add the rosemary sprigs
  • Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Uncover and check if the dish is dried out add a little more stock then cook for another 15-20 minutes.

I made some roasted Brussels sprouts for a side dish (halved and topped with olive oil/salt/pepper). Also, I replaced the regular onion with a green onion sliced lengthwise as onions are high on the list of foods I have to avoid. So, if you use green onions pull them out before adding the potato and apples as they tend to burn a bit more since they’re not as juicy as a regular onion.

The apples tasted so good and added a really mild sweetness and great contrast to the savoury sausage and the texture of the potatoes.
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Breaded Turkey Cutlets: Dinner Made Easy

Posted on February 3, 2013 by amy

Here’s a really really easy dish that is perfect for a weeknight and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. Great for those busy folks, such as myself!

Breaded Turkey Cutlets with Rice & Veg

Ingredients:

  • two eggs, beaten lightly
  • 1-2 cups flour
  • 1-2 cups Panko bread crumbs
  • turkey or chicken cutlets
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • vegetable of choice
  • quick-cook rice or other grain (ie, quinoa, barley, etc)

Directions:

  • get water boiling for vegetables and add them in to cook (this may depend on the veggie. I did zucchini and I like mine cooked well, so I started them before the cutlets so they’d be done at the same time)
  • put flour in one bowl, eggs in another, and bread crumbs in a third.
  • line the bowls up from right to left along side your stovetop.
  • heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan
  • with a fork, dredge turkey cutlets one at a time in the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and place in pan to cook. I did mine about 3 cutlets at a time.
  • add more oil if your pan gets dry while cooking cutlets
  • boil rice
  • plate and serve

I added a bit of red pepper chilli flakes to the bread crumbs, which gave a nice bit of heat (just a little). You could add all kinds of herbs or spices if you wanted to kick up the flavor.
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Taking a Mini-Break

Posted on January 17, 2013 by amy

Well folks, what can I say? I feel terrible for not blogging lately! But, the truth is that I haven’t eaten much lately worth blogging about. It’s either been take out, frozen meals, ready-made meals or repeats of recipes I’ve already done (ie, Enchilada Pie, Pastitsio, and Hearty Soup). Things have just been TOO busy with class, sightseeing, social life, work, etc…I’m hoping to get back to a more regular blog schedule – at least gracing these pages once a week! But until things settle down a bit and I can find more time I hope you’ll allow me a little break and I’ll plan to be back as soon as I can. So, PLEASE don’t go too far! :)

Cool photo from our Christmas Break!
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Singapore-Style Noodles

Posted on January 7, 2013 by amy

 

Last night I decided to experiment with Vermicelli noodles and make Singapore-style Noodles. E. loved them, I was less excited about the results. But having been my first time working with this type of noodle I suspect a bit more practice will do the trick. Either way it wasn’t a terribly bad dish in my opinion and E. really enjoyed it so figured I’d include my ‘recipe’ – I put that in quotes as I didn’t measure anything as I cooked so this recipe is more a pinch of this and a pinch of that type of dish. So, all measurements are rough and the recipe included is more of a guide than an exact recipe. Add in as much or as little of each ingredient as you desire to create the type of flavor you like most.

Singapore-Style Noodles

Ingredients:

  • Package of vermicelli noodles
  • 2-4 chicken thighs
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 1-3 tablespoons garlic-infused oil (or regular olive oil and 3-4 cloves garlic)
  • 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons rice wine
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
  • a couple dashes of Sriracha
  • 2-4 tablespoons of water

Directions:

  • Cook vermicelli noodles according to package direction. Set aside.
  • In a wok or large pan heat garlic-infused oil. Add chicken and cook through. Pull chicken out and set aside to cool. Once cool, cut into strips.
  • Add a bit more oil to the pan, add in green onion and sauté.
  • Add noodles and remaining ingredients and about 2-4 teaspoons of water. Add more water if needed to keep noodles from burning on bottom of pan.
  • Put chicken back in at the end, mix up, and serve

Do you have any suggestions for cooking vermicelli noodles?
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Salmon Two Ways

Posted on January 2, 2013 by amy

Here’s another super quick and easy dinner that’s also pretty good for ya too. I love that this took no time at all! Since E. wanted no rice I put his salmon over a salad that I made with a bag of mixed greens and then added pomegranate seeds and pistachios w/ a home made dressing of 1 part olive oil, 1 part balsamic vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of grainy mustard with salt/pepper to taste. For mine I had a little bit of the salad on the side and then did a quick-cook rice that took 2 minutes in the microwave. Maybe a bit of cheating, but the salmon dish was all me and the shortened time in the kitchen on these busy days was worth it!

Salmon Two Ways

Ingredients:

  • 2 salmon steaks
  • 2 tomatoes, rough chopped
  • handful of parsley, chopped
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 green onion, thinly sliced
  • salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

  • Add all ingredients in a bowl and marinate the salmon steaks (I only let mine sit for a couple of minutes, but if you’re more organized, letting it soak for a good 10-15 minutes will let it absorb more flavor).
  • Heat a pan on medium-high heat and add in all ingredients from the bowl. Cook salmon about 3-5 minutes (depending on thickness) on one side. Then flip and cook on other side until all the fish is cooked through (will be a light solid pink versus being translucent).
  • Serve over rice, salad or with any other side of veggies/grain as desired.
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