Chicken Breasts and Cauliflower Saute

Sometimes on a busy weeknight the fastest way to get dinner on the table is to pull out your skillet and make a quick chicken saute. To get the chicken to cook more quickly and evenly, I like to give them a bit of a bash on my cutting board until they are the same thickness all the way through. Just make sure to give the board a good wash and line it with parchment or something first so you don't transfer chicken juices to your veggies. Another trick? Do all of the above and then turn the board over for extra insurance. Personally, I have two boards-one for meat, one for veggies. That helps, too.

Adapted from Every Day Food

3 boneless, skinless, chicken breast 1/2's. (about 1 per person)
salt and pepper
3/4 lb of cauliflower (about 1/2-3/4 of a head), cut into small florets
1 onion, sliced
splash of white wine
2 cups grape tomatoes
3 tsp grainy mustard
lemon

Lay the chicken out onto a cutting board or other solid surface, cover with cling film or parchment, and gently bash it at bit with a rolling pin until the breasts are all about 1/2 inch thick.

Saute the chicken breast 1/2's in olive oil over medium heat until cooked through. Set aside. In the same pan, stirring occasionally, saute the onion and cauliflower until the onion is golden, about 7-10 minutes. I added a splash of white wine and stirred up all the bits left behind from the chicken. Next, add the tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, cover and continue to cook until the veggies are tender.

Add the chicken back to the pan and heat through, then remove chicken and set aside on a plate. Stir the mustard through the veggies, zest the lemon, cut it in 1/2 and squeeze the juice over top, stirring. Remove from the heat and serve.

This was really very quick and delicious, and left us with a bit of leftovers to enjoy in lunches tomorrow.

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Split Pea and Ham Soup

Sometimes all you need is a bit of soup on a blustery day. This one freezes well and is dead cheap to make, so it's nice to have around when you have a busy day or need something quick to re-heat for lunch. In a pinch you could substitute cooked bacon or crumbled and cooked sausage for the ham.  You don't really have to make the croutons, but they make a nice touch if you are eating it immediately and are a great way to use up leftover stale-ish bread.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 tsp ground thyme
1 (900 ml) tetra carton of ready made chicken broth
1 (eight oz) can of chicken broth
1 bag (1 lb) green split peas
1 cup ham, cubed
fresh thyme sprigs
2 tbsp butter
4 slices of whole wheat bread, crusts removed, cubed
salt and pepper

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil and then saute the carrots, onions, celery, and ground thyme until softened. Stir in split peas, tetra pack of broth, can of broth, a can of water, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, cover, and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the peas are tender.

Puree 1/2 of the soup in a blender, then pour back into the pot. Add ham and fresh thyme, stripping the leaves off and putting them in the soup (throw away the twigs). Salt and pepper to taste. Stir and heat through.

Melt the butter in a fry pan and add cubed bread; toss and toast over medium heat until crispy. Serve with soup.

Makes 6 servings

This recipe was adapted from Every Day Food April 2007.

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Spicy Chicken & Mango Wraps

Sometimes it's just too hot out to cook. I married two recipes for this one; spicy chicken tossed with a lime mayo, mango, green onion, sweet red pepper and romaine get tossed together into a pesto (or plain) soft flour tortilla. The heat of the chicken and the sweetness of the mango, along with the crunch is a combination hard to beat. Don't make these ahead, as the lettuce will go soggy. These do make a great patio dinner or a light lunch.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast 1/2's
4 cups romaine lettuce, shredded
1 sweet red pepper, cored, seeded, chopped
1-2 mangoes, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
large sized flour tortillas (you can use plain, whole wheat, or even pesto is good)

Marinade:
1 tsp grated lime rind
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ancho chili powder (regular is fine, but ancho gives it a smokiness that you can't beat)
1/2 tsp salt
tiny pinch of cayenne pepper (more if you like it hot)
2 tsp liquid honey

Dressing:

2 limes
Miracle whip...about 1/2 cup
1/2 tsp sugar

Cut chicken into bite sized cubes and marinate in the fridge overnight.

The next day, cook chicken until no longer pink (this can mean you can put them on skewers and BBQ or broil them, or even whip them up in a fry pan). Let cool.

Combine chicken with the red pepper, mango, and about 4 cups of lettuce in a bowl. Set aside.

In a different bowl, mix together the Miracle whip with sugar, zest the limes into it, then cut them in 1/2 and squeeze the juice in. Stir well.

Toss the dressing with the chicken salad, adding however much you wish. Some people like lots of dressing-me, not so much.

Divide it between four wraps, roll them up, and enjoy.

Serves four

*Filling is best eaten the same day; it goes all mushy and soggy if you try to keep it.

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Ginger Lime Salmon Kebabs

I don't often make salmon on skewers, but decided to try this for a change of pace. The dressing isn't that strong so I think you can let it sit for the full 30 minutes, but not any longer than that or the acid will begin cooking the fish. This would be really good with some fried rice or an Asian style noodle dish. Don't be discouraged if you don't have a BBQ-neither do I. My broiler in the oven makes a nice substitute.

Adapted from Canadian Living

1 1/2 lbs skinless center-cut salmon fillets
1 piece (1 inch) ginger root, minced
1 hot red or green pepper, seeded and minced
3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2 tbsp sodium reduced soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp vegetable oil
pinch sugar
4 green onions, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
4 lime wedges

Cut salmon into 1 1/2 inch cubes to make 24 pieces

In a large bowl, mix together ginger, hot pepper, coriander, soy sauce, lime juice, oil and sugar. Add salmon and toss to coat; let stand for at least 10, but no more then 30 minutes.

Beginning and ending with green onions, thread salmon, red pepper and green onions loosely onto 4 metal skewers, reserving marinade.

Place on greased grill over medium heat; brush with marinade. Close lid and grill, turning twice, for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested. Serve with lime wedges.

Makes 4 servings

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Martha Stewart Double Chocolate Brownies

I have rarely ever met a brownie I didn't like, and these are no exception.

Taken from the book Cookies, by Martha Stewart

6 Tbsp butter, plus more for the pan
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9x9 inch square baking pan.

Put butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a double boiler and stir until butter and chocolate have melted. Cool slightly.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed until pale, about 4 minutes. Add the chocolate mixture; mix until combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, scraping down the side of the bowl. Mix until well combined.

Pour batter into pan, spreading evenly. Bake until a cake tester comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet; about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about three days.

Makes 9 large, 16 small

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French Toast

After raving about this recipe over at Notes from the Cookie Jar, I just had to mention it over here. French Toast is one of my favorite breakfast things, but I didn't realize that for the longest time, I was making it wrong. These freeze really well so you can whip up a batch, then freeze them for mornings to just pop into a toaster and voila! French Toast! One thing that I don't like about French toast is a soggy middle. The trick to avoiding it in this recipe is the little bit of time the bread spends in the oven-don't skip that step! It's totally worth it.

Adapted from Alton Brown via Good Eats!

1 cup of half and half
3 large eggs
2 Tbsp honey, warmed in the microwave for 20 sec
1/4 tsp salt
eight 1/2 inch slices of day old French bread, allowed to sit on the counter over night to get a bit 'stale'
4 Tbsp butter

Pre-heat oven to 375 F

Mix together the half and half, eggs, honey, and salt. Pour into a pie plate.

Dip bread into mixture, about 30 sec per side. Then put them on a cooling rack (the kind you'd use for cookies), over a pan to catch the drips for 1-2 minutes.

Melt the butter over medium low heat in a non stick saute pan. Place the bread slices, about 2 at a time, in the pan and gently cook until golden on both sides. Remove from the pan and place on a rack in the oven for about five minutes. Repeat until all are cooked, then serve with fruit, syrup, or whipped cream.

Makes 8 slices

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Buttermilk Biscuits

Nothing beats a good biscuit, especially if you have a delicious jam to go with them. This recipe from Canadian Living's Weekends Cookbook Special, bake up light, buttery, and flaky in hardly any time at all. I like to use real buttermilk for this recipe, because it gives you the most flavour. The trick with biscuits is to handle them as little as possible, and make sure to use really cold butter. Follow those rules and you'll be rewarded with light and fluffy biscuits, every single time.

2 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold cubed butter
1 cup buttermilk (in a pinch use regular milk with 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice)
1 egg

Pre heat oven to 400 F

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Cut in the butter with two knives or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk, then stir it into the flour mixture to make a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead gently until just until it comes together. Pat into a 1 inch thick round and then cut into rounds with a 3 inch cookie cutter. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.

Remove to rack and allow to cool.

Makes 9-12 biscuits

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Mango Butter

Once I started making home made jams, I've never been able to go back to store bought. This recipe was found in a wonderful book titled Prizewinning Preserves, by Yvonne Tremblay. I've been drooling over the pages, and already have over a dozen recipes bookmarked!

Sweet, tropical, and oh so delicious, this fruit butter is positively delectable spread on warm baking powder biscuits. Try it; I promise that you won't be disappointed!

4 lb firm ripe mangoes (about 5-6 medium)
1 1/3 cups apple cider, orange juice or water
4 cups sugar
2 tbsp lemon rind
1/3 cup lemon juice

Peel and chop the mangoes, and place in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot. Add juice (or cider, water); bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, simmering 15-20 minutes until fruit is very soft, stirring occasionally.

Put the fruit through a food mill, food processor, or even puree it in a blender (which is what I did) until smooth. Return to the dutch oven.

Stir in sugar, lemon rind and juice. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; boil gently for 35-40 minutes or until thickened. (*Basically I planted myself by the stovetop and stirred this very often, making sure that it didn't burn and turning the heat down if I felt it was getting too close to burning). Continue to reduce heat and stir often, especially towards the end of cooking time.

Test for doneness. Basically this means that when you take a spoonful of the fruit butter and set it on a small plate, no liquid should seep out around the edges.

Ladle into sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch of the rim; wipe rims and apply prepared lids and rings; tighten just until fingertip tight.

Process jars in boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Let rest at room temperature until cool. Check seals, and refridgerate any unsealed jars for up to three weeks.

Makes five 250ml jars

Never canned before and need tips on how to sterilize jars and prepare lids? This site has some great information.

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Thai Chicken and Noodles

I can't tell you how much I love this recipe. The glazed chicken, rice noodles, crunchy veggies, and peanuts make it better than any take out I've ever had. We've made this often in the summer as a light dinner, slurping bowls of it down with cold drinks. Make sure not to overcrowd your pan with the chicken, it needs to be hot for the marinade to thicken up and glaze the pieces of chicken.

Adapted from Every Day Food May 2008
Marinade:

4 scallion whites, thinly sliced (keep the greens for later)
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup soy sauce (low salt)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes (or a few dashes of hot sauce)

Combine all in a bowl. Use 1/2 of it to marinate 1 1/4 lbs of sliced boneless, skinless, chicken breast. Reserve the other half. (you can sub pork or beef for the chicken)

Noodles:
3 1/2 ounces rice vermicelli
2 carrots, sliced into ribbons with veggie peeler
1/2 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 cup fresh torn basil
1/2 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced

optional toppings:
chopped peanuts
scallion greens
red pepper flakes

In a large fry pan, saute the marinated chicken in a small amount of oil until cooked through. Don't crowd the pan, the marinade will thicken and become a nice glaze. Transfer to a plate.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the noodles until tender (according to the package). Drain and rinse. Divide among the plates. Top with pieces of chicken, carrot, cucumber, basil, red pepper, and other optional ingredients. Drizzle with reserved marinade.

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