Blueberry Tarts

Over on Food Revolution Friday, the lovely Alex posted a link to her recipe for blueberry pie and I got to thinking....

I have blueberries. I have tart shells. Together they could make blueberry TARTS.

(Psst...I've never made blueberry tarts. Ever. This was totally an experiment. Let's take a look at how they turned out, shall we?)


How about a little closer up?


These were AMAZING with a capital A, and I would SO serve them warm with a scoopful of Chapman's frozen yogurt. Swoon!

I improvised with the recipe a bit-taking a blueberry pie recipe and changing the measurements so that it would work for the 15 tart shells I had, but I easily could have filled 20.

Filling:

20 pre-made tart shells
5 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 1/4 tsp lemon juice

Toss together in a bowl. Fill your tart shells. Don't be shy here, those blueberries cook down so fill those suckers as fill as you can get them.

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter

Stir the flour, cinnamon, oats, and brown sugar together in a bowl. With a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. I found it hard to get this topping on the tarts when they were piled high so I just did the best I could, allowing the bits to fall all over the cookie sheet. Then I took out a clean cookie sheet and transferred the tarts to that one to bake on.

Bake in a pre-heated, 375 F oven for about 30 minutes. Keep a good eye on them. They should be bubbly, and the topping lightly browned.

Makes 20 tarts

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Citrus Grilled Pork (or Chicken) Kebabs

These kebabs are delicious; basted with a honey mustard glaze, the orange pairs up nicely with the tender chicken. I especially loved the Mediterranean rice salad with it, with it's bits of fresh mint and orange vinaigrette dressing. You can broil these in your oven or do them on the BBQ!

Adapted from Every Day Food January/February 2009

1 lb boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes (or pork tenderloin)
2 navel oranges, cut into chunks
salt and pepper
olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup French's bold and spicy deli mustard

Thread the oranges and chunks of chicken/pork onto 6 inch skewers. Set aside.

In a bowl, stir together the honey and mustard. Divide the mixture between two bowls. One is your glaze, one is your dipping sauce.

Line your broiler pan with foil and set the rack to almost the top in your oven ( I think I had it one from the top). Turn the broiler on to high and let it heat up.

Put the skewers on the pan and brush them lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

When your broiler is hot, put the pan in. Broil them about 3-4 minutes, then turn, and broil for a few minutes longer. Chicken is tricky to broil, it gets dried out fast so keep an eye on it. When the chicken is opaque on all sides, brush with the glaze. Let it cook a little longer, continuing to brush with glaze and broil until the kebabs are cooked through (about another 3 minutes per side).

Serve with reserved honey and mustard mixture for dipping.

Serves 4

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Tuna Tomato Pasta

When I first read this recipe, I thought it sounded weird. Tuna? In a pasta sauce? Ew.

I was wrong. With a hint of lemon, some spice from hot pepper flakes, and no fishy taste at all, this is one really good pasta sauce. It's cheap too, because most of the ingredients are sitting right in your pantry. We love it with whole wheat spaghetti and lots of shaved Parmesan.

1 onion
2 garlic
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can of chunk tuna
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes and juice (I used my own canned tomatoes)
2-3 tbsp tomato paste, depending on how juicy you like it
pinch hot pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/3 cup black sliced olives, drained
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind

Saute the onion and garlic over medium heat in a bit of olive oil, stirring, until it is soft and translucent.

Stir in the tomatoes, mashing them up with a spoon so they aren't quite so chunky. They'll cook down, don't worry about it too much. Add the oregano, pepper, hot pepper flakes, tomato paste, and sugar. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to let it simmer.

I let mine simmer about 20 minutes or so, until it was sufficiently thick and not so watery looking. I hate watery pasta sauce. I also added another table spoon of tomato paste just to get it perfect. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

I know. So picky! Gah!

Stir in the lemon rind, olives, and balsamic vinegar. Then add the tuna just before serving. I like to toss the pasta in a huge bowl with the sauce before serving, then grating fresh Parmesan over each plate.

Serves 4

**Leftovers are fantastic!

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Minestrone Soup

This is one of Kevin's most favorite soups. I hadn't made it in awhile, so I thought it would be fun to whip up for lunches, and this time it turned out especially good. I think it's because I added a good pinch of hot pepper flakes, and I used Mott's Garden Cocktail instead of V-8 juice. Don't get me wrong, I love V-8 juice, but somehow the Garden Cocktail added much more flavor. The bonus is that this soup is so amazingly easy, you'll wonder why you've never made it before.

If you pair this up with grilled cheese sandwiches, it's a delicious meal!

Adapted from Crazy Plates

3/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup diced celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes and juice
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups Mott's Garden Cocktail juice
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup green cabbage, chopped fine
1 cup zucchini, chopped
1 can (14-19 oz) kidney beans (or chick peas), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup dry whole wheat macaroni
1 bay leaf
2 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
pinch hot pepper flakes

In a good sized soup pot, add a bit of olive oil and let it heat up before you dump in your onions, celery, and garlic. Stir and let it cook until the veggies are softened up.

Next, just add everything but the beans and the macaroni. Stir it all in and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, partially cover, and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Stir in the macaroni and beans, and simmer 10 minutes more until the pasta is tender.

Serve!

Makes 8 servings

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Jamie Oliver's 1 Cup Pancakes

This morning Jamie Oliver tweeted that "if you do anything this weekend, make these pancakes with your kids." He's so right! They are SO easy. Kids could make them almost by themselves! Also it doesn't make a lot so you aren't left with a pile of uneaten pancakes. I made these this week after a really busy day and served them with frittata and turkey sausages. They were delicious!

1 egg
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
2 tbsp butter

Whisk the egg and milk together in a small bowl. Set aside. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Dump the milk mixture into the flour mixture and whisk it all until you get a nice smooth batter.

Melt 1 tbsp of the butter in a non stick pan, then when you are sure it's good and hot, ladle the batter into the pan. If you are going to make blueberry pancakes, this is when I dot the top with blueberries (fresh or frozen). Flip the pancakes over when they are golden brown and the top begins to get bubbles. Cook the other side until nicely browned. Continue, adding more butter if you need to.

On Jamie's site, he offers a fantastic way to eat them with mangoes, bananas, lime, and a coconut yogurt. I highly recommend you try it!

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Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

When you are looking for something quick that will use up veggies in your fridge, a stir fry is ideal. With my non-beef eating Hubs out for the evening, Jake and I decided to take advantage of the situation and make this delicious broccoli and beef stir fry! Yum! Once I had the rice made and everything chopped, I swear it took me only minutes to throw together.

A good trick is to have everything prepped and ready to go right at the stove so that you can just add it right when you need it.

Adapted From Food Network Magazine March 2010

1 lb lean steak, trimmed and sliced thinly against the grain
3 cups of broccoli florets, blanched (dunked for 30 sec in boiling water and then run under cold water so they were still a bit crunchy)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
salt and pepper
2 scallions, chopped (separate the white and light green bits from the dark green)

sauce:
1/2 cup chicken broth (I subbed in beef broth because I was out of chicken)
pinch of hot pepper flakes
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp dry sherry

I don't have a wok, but instead a good fry pan. Non stick would be ideal and then you can use less oil, but I don't have one. You can adjust the oil used to the kind of fry pan you have.

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set by the stove.

Heat your plan with a few glugs of oil in it and add your beef a bit at a time. Thinly sliced bits of beef don't need to be cooked long; just enough to turn them brown. Only put in a bit at a time so the pan doesn't get crowded and the meat has a chance to caramelize a little. Remove the bits as they cook to a plate.

Once all your beef is cooked, toss in your garlic, the white/light green parts of the green onion, and ginger. Turn the heat down to medium and watch it carefully, stirring so that it doesn't burn, and cook for about 1 minute. You may need to add a bit more oil to the pan.

Add the broccoli. Stir fry for about 1 minute. Add the beef back into the pan, stirring. Turn the heat up a bit to medium high, and pour in the sauce. I usually start by pouring 1/2 the sauce in, stirring, and seeing how "juicy" the dish is. If I want more, I can always add more. The sauce will bubble and become thick.

Serve immediately! You can garnish the dish with the green parts of sliced green onion, peanuts, or sesame seeds.

Serves 2 with a bit of leftovers

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Scattered Mom's Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

For the longest time, I bought jarred spaghetti sauce. I think it was because I've always found the home made kind to be a bit...watery? Anyway, I didn't have time to run to the store and so I threw this together with what was in my fridge and it turns out, it was the best spaghetti sauce ever. In our opinion. You can tweak it to turn out however you'd like!

Sauce:

1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
1 small sweet red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
2 tsp sugar
1/3 cup red wine
800 ml canned tomatoes and their juice (I used home made canned ones)
one 5 oz can tomato paste

meatballs (this part of the recipe was adapted from Looneyspoons)

1 lb lean ground turkey
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp minced onions
2 tbsp chopped parsley
3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 egg white


Start with the sauce:

In a small amount of oil, saute the onion, red pepper, celery, and garlic until the veggies are soft. Stir in the mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring, while they soften (about 5 minutes).

Add the basil, oregano, thyme, pepper flakes, some salt and pepper. Cook 1 more minute. Stir in the tomatoes, wine, tomato paste, and sugar. Break the tomatoes up with your spoon. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer. I admit that I didn't pay attention to how long I allowed it to simmer, but I'm guessing anywhere between 30-45 minutes when the sauce didn't appear watery anymore, but instead thick and delicious looking.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs.

Mix the breadcrumbs, onion, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and egg white in a large bowl. Add the turkey and gently mix it all together until well incorporated (I just use my hands). Line a baking sheet with foil and then shape the meat by teaspoons into little balls.

I like my meatballs small so you feel like you are getting lots of them. Bake in a 375 F oven for about 15 minutes until browned and cooked through.

When your sauce is ready, you can toss in the meatballs and stir it all together. Serve over hot cooked pasta with lots of Parmesan cheese.

Yum!

Makes about 5 servings.

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Jamie Oliver's Crunchy Garlic Chicken

I know, I know-the chicken looks pink. It was the light! Honest!

When I was 19, I worked for White Spot. My favorite dinner there was the chicken fingers, with a baked potato. Loved them! For years, I've tried to find other breaded chicken dishes that are not deep fried, but still have that lovely flavor, but nothing ever really quite cut it.

Well-until I made Jamie Oliver's Crunchy Garlic Chicken, of course.

Kevin's assessment? They were a million times better than the breading out of a packet, didn't go completely soggy, and are great cold in a lunch box.

You win, Jamie. Totally. We're all now Food Revolution Devotees, if you can keep giving us recipes that are so delicious, quick, easy, and cheap to make.

Okay so how did I make these?

Pre-heat your oven to 475 F. Yes, you are reading that right. It's supposed to be hot.

Get a whole, boneless, skinless, chicken breast. Cut it in half. Place each 1/2 onto a cutting board and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Pound that baby until it's about 1/2 inch thick or so. Then get a sharp knife and lightly score the underside in a criss cross fashion (I don't know why he does this. Makes it cook faster?)

Then, get:
6 cream crackers
4 sprigs parsley
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp cold butter
pinch of salt and pepper
zest of 1 lemon

Whirl it all in a food processor until it resembles coarse crumbs. Dump it out onto a plate. Set aside. On another plate put a heaping tablespoon of flour. Set aside. In a bowl, beat an egg. Set that aside.

Get your chicken breast halves and dip each half first in the flour, then the egg, and then the crumb mixture, making sure to coat the whole piece of chicken. Place on a foil lined baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes until cooked through.

Serve with lemon wedges

Makes enough for 2 servings! I doubled the breading and coated 4 chicken breast halves, and we had lots plus leftovers. Like I said, leftovers are amazing in a lunch or sliced and put on salad.

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S'mores Cookies

These cookies, at first glance, seemed to be a bit weird to me, but being the adventurous girl I am, I thought I'd try them. Made with whole wheat flour instead of white, the additions of buttermilk and molasses gives them a slight graham crackerish flavor, and then with the chocolate, marshmallow, and walnuts, they do taste like s'mores. Just a less messier version and without campfire smoke. They were really good! Next time I might sub unsalted peanuts for the walnuts.

The method for these isn't your usual cookie method so leave the mixer on the counter. I do have a few tips before you proceed though, so read carefully.

1. Leave the marshmallows on the counter for 2 days to make them stale. They will hold up better when you bake them. I know, I know...they'll probably get eaten. Hide them. Do your best!

2. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper. Never used the stuff before? Get some, it's cheap. You can't make these cookies without it or you will be chiseling them off the pans.

3. When you take the cookies out of the oven, let them sit there on the sheet to set up a bit. The marshmallow needs to cool and harden just a bit so you can remove them from the pans and if you are too fast to remove them, they will stick and fall apart.

Okay, ready?

Adapted from Bon Apetit Feb 2008

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tbsp dark molasses
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips (I used semi sweet)
1 cup stale mini marshmallows
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a different bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, molasses, and vanilla. Add the melted butter and whisk. Dump the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until evenly moistened. Fold in the marshmallows, walnuts, and chocolate chips.

Scoop by just leveled tablespoons, about 3 inches apart, onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. The dough will be really sticky. Bake them for about 11-15 minutes until puffed and golden, dry to the touch but still soft.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to sit on your stove top to cool for about 5 minutes before removing to racks. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.

Makes 3 dozen

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Kids Cook it: Egg in a Hole

When I was a kid, this was one of my favorite things to make. It's so easy! I admit that I was reminded by the cover of this month's Food Network magazine, as I stood in line at the grocery store. Theirs looked more "photo worthy", but I think mine is likely more edible because I ate it right after I took the photo.

What do you need to make a serving of 1 of these per person at your table?

-a non stick pan
-thick slices of bread (one per person) a heavier, thick bread is better. I used home made maple oatmeal.
-eggs (one per person)
-butter or margarine

Using a biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or even the top of a small glass, cut a hole out of the center of your slice of bread. Set aside.

Heat up your fry pan. Spray with a little cooking spray.

Butter both sides of your bread. Set it in the hot-ish fry pan to toast a little. (otherwise, the egg will be cooked but the bread won't be toasted)

When both sides of your bread are really lightly toasted, crack your egg right into that hole in the center. Let it cook until kinda set on the bottom before flipping over and cooking the other side, until the egg is cooked to however 'hard' you like it. Mine was well cooked, but it was delicious!

Serve with sausage or bacon.

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Chicken Pitas

This is another really quick, easy dinner that older kids could make. Just whip up some tiny spiced chicken patties, then stuff them into pitas with veggies and a drizzle of tzatziki. I get frustrated trying to find good pitas here, because the ones that I buy tend to fall apart. Jake suggested I try wraps next time instead-maybe that would work. At any rate they were really yummy! The patties can be made a day ahead, even. I haven't tried freezing them, but I'm pretty sure you could do that too.

Adapted from Every Day Food April 2010

1 lb ground dark meat chicken (I used turkey)
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten (I just used 1 whole egg)
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (if you don't like it spicy, just reduce this. I used 1/4 tsp)
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp olive oil
pita pockets
sliced tomatoes, cucumber, and lettuce
tzatziki

In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, spices, egg whites, and chicken. Mix well. Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with foil, and brush with 1 tbsp of olive oil.

Divide the chicken into 8 portions and form into slightly oval, flat-is patties. Set on the baking sheet. Drizzle them all with the remaining tbsp of olive oil.

Now, heat up your broiler. Place the rack at the highest spot and turn in on. When it's good and hot, cook the patties until they are browned...about 4 minutes or so, and turn to cook the other side. When they are cooked through, remove and let cool.

Serve two patties per pita, stuffed with cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce. Drizzle tzatziki over top and enjoy!

Serves 4

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Jamie Oliver's Mexican Bean Wraps

So, the week got away from me and before I knew it, Friday was staring me in the face. Friday?!? Already? Actually as I'm writing this, Friday is almost over here on the West Coast.

This week I decided to try Jamie Oliver's Mexican Bean wraps. I believe they were the same wraps that he made for the kids at the Huntington Elementary school in that last, do or die meal before they finally allowed him to stay longer.

Good one, Jamie! They were really good!

I admit, Jamie's recipes have a few techniques that make me stop and scratch my head. I mean..make up what looks like a fairly bland mixture of beans and onions, and then puree half of it? What's that all about? It all comes down to trust. Okay, he's the chef, I'm going to try it.

Every time, every single time so far, I wonder why I bothered questioning at all. Why? They were yummy! Not just that, but both Jake and I took them in our lunches the next day and they were equally as delicious. I did change things up a bit and added more chili powder, some fresh cilantro, and slathered them with our favorite salsa. I know, I know..I just can't leave well enough alone.

These are SO MUCH better than canned re-fried beans. I can't even BEGIN to tell you. Don't even bother with canned, re-fried, loaded with salt (and look like dog food) beans. These are SO cheap, and so easy to make, your kids could make them FOR you.

Adapted from Jamie Oliver

1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed (I minced it)
a pinch of chili powder (I um...used about a tsp-we wanted a bit of spice!)
1 tsp tomato puree (I used tomato paste)
480 g of tinned kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I used a scale and weighed them. Turns out about two 14 oz cans?)
150 g of tinned tomatoes (again, I used a scale. It wasn't much, actually)
salt and pepper
1/2 green pepper (I used yellow)
1/2 red pepper
5 large flour tortillas (I used whole wheat)
150 g cheese ( I didn't even measure...lolol!)

With a bit of oil in your fry pan, saute up the onion and garlic until it's nice and soft. Add the chili powder. Stir it around, then add in the kidney beans, tomato puree, and canned tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and cook until the juice from the tomatoes is cooked off.

Remove from the heat and set aside. Scoop half of the bean mixture out of the pan and put it in your food processor. What, you ask? Really. I'm serious. Process 1/2 of the bean filling until it's a paste.

Saute up your peppers a bit so that they are soft-ish too. Add them to the other half that you didn't process-the chunky beans and bits of onion, etc. Stir.

Lay 5 flour tortillas out on the counter, and divide the pureed bean paste between them. Spread the pureed beans on the tortillas. Top with the chunky bean/pepper mixture. I added a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, and then topped each with some cheese. Roll them up and place in a greased baking dish.

Bake them for about 20 minutes at 400 F until hot, browned, and delicious. Serve topped with salsa and a sprinkle of cheese.

Makes 5 wraps.

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Chicken Goulash

This recipe has been around in our house for a really long time. Pieces of chicken simmered in a delicious sauce, served up with herbed dumplings, pasta (or rice), and a green salad, all comes together for a really yummy meal. This picture really doesn't do the dish justice; whole wheat noodles always look somewhat beige no matter what I do.

It's delicious. Cheap to make. Makes a LOT, and so there's often leftovers. You can even freeze the leftovers if you want, except for the dumplings. The dumplings are kind of like baking powder biscuits, cooked right in the sauce. I like them, and Jake looooves them.

Adapted from the Easy Gourmet

one 2 1/2 to 3 lb chicken, cut into pieces (skinned) or 750 g or boneless chicken breasts, cut into serving sized pieces. (breasts tend to get dry so if I use them, I cut back on the cooking time a bit. Boneless, skinless thighs are really good and stay tender)
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp paprika
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 large tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 medium sweet bell pepper, sliced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 bay leaf
pinch ground nutmeg

herbed dumplings (recipe follows)
2/3 cup sour cream


Mix the flour with some salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.

Heat up a large, deep, saucepan and melt the butter and oil together. Dredge the chicken pieces and add them, one by one, sauteing over medium high heat until they are browned. . You might need to do this in batches. When the pieces are browned, remove them to a plate. Add a little more butter or oil, and add the onion to the pan. Saute over medium heat until it's soft, watching the bottom of the pan so things don't get too brown and burn. Throw in the paprika and continue to cook and stir, then add the leftover flour from dredging your chicken. Cook for about a minute or two, then slowly stir in the chicken stock, stirring well, It will thicken up slightly from the flour almost right away. Add the tomatoes, sweet pepper, tomato paste, sugar, marjoram, bay leaf, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then add your chicken back to the pot before covering and turning down the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes if you are using chicken pieces with bones or chicken thighs. If you are using boneless breast, I'd simmer for about 15-20 minutes because you are going to put the entire thing in the oven later.

Meanwhile, make the herbed dumplings!

1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter (cold)
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
4 tbsp of cold water

Mix the flour, baking powder, parsley, and salt together in a bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in the water until you have a soft dough. You may need to add a bit more-sometimes I add as much as 5 tbsp.

Divide the dough into about 8 pieces and form each one into a ball.

Heat the oven to 350 F.

Pour the chicken and sauce from the pan into a deep (10 cup) casserole dish. Arrange the dumplings around the edge of the dish and on top of the chicken. Cover and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the dumplings are risen and cooked.

Spoon sour cream into the middle of the casserole dish and serve

Makes 4 servings.

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Whole Wheat Maple Oatmeal Bread

I don't often make bread because let's face it, the process takes a lot of time and effort. Every now and then I get the urge to make bread, and this long weekend I decided to try out a new recipe. The result? Definitely the best home made bread I have ever eaten. So much so that I am seriously considering making this EVERY weekend so that we have some around to devour during the week.

Now that must be some good bread, people. Try this. You MUST!

Adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2008

1 cup plus 2 tbsp warm water(105-115 F)
1 egg
2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup pure maple syrup (B grade is best)
½ tsp maple extract
2 cups flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp salt
2 tsp quick (instant) rising yeast

Measure out 1 ½ cups of each of the flours, the oats, yeast, and salt into a large bowl and whisk together. Set aside. In a large heavy duty mixer with a dough hook, combine the ingredients in the order listed. Add the flour mixture and let it combine until the mixture comes together into a sticky dough, stirring in the remaining ½ cup of each of the flours if needed. It should take about 8 minutes.

When I did this I didn’t need quite all the flour, and I chose to take the dough out of the mixer and knead it by hand for about 5 minutes. At first it seemed a bit tough and hard to work with, but once I got going it became smooth and elastic.

Grease a large bowl with some butter and put your dough inside.Cover with plastic wrap and put it in a cold oven with the light on to rise for about 1 ½ hours.

Butter a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.Take your dough out of the oven and punch it down, kneading it for a few minutes to get the air bubbles out.Shape it into a log about 8x3 inches, and plunk it in the loaf pan.Cover it with plastic film that you have buttered, and place the film, buttered side down, over the pan. Set it back into the oven to rise for about 45 minutes.

When your bread is sufficiently risen, take it out of the oven and turn the oven ON to 350 F. Bake the bread in the center of the oven until golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped; about 30 minutes. Cool in pan for about 15 minutes and then remove to rack and cool completely.

Store on the counter wrapped in foil or in cling wrap.

Makes one amazingly delicious loaf that is perfect for sandwiches and toast.

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Rosemary Roasted Beets

Okay so I decided to try something new. I'm not really a beet fan; mostly because they turn me purple and all, but the thought of roasting them with rosemary and garlic sounded yummy, so the recipe sucked me in.

The instructions said to chop up the garlic, but I think it would be better to just leave the heads whole, because then you could squeeze out the roasted garlic and have the mellow chunks to meld in with your beets. But whatever. I chopped. I even raided the rosemary bush of mine that actually survived the winter and snipped off a few branches.

Sure Karen, kill the ivy that you had for a year and was doing wonderful because you forget to water it until it's practically a dry withered mess, but the rosemary lives.

Anyway. Back to beets. It's easy. A bit messy, but easy. And they were good, too!

Adapted From Canadian Living

You will need:

6 beets
4 cloves garlic
3 tbsp fresh rosemary, plus some more to sprinkle over top when they're done
2 tbsp oil
salt and pepper

Wash the beets to get the dirt off, dry them with paper towel, and cut the greens off, leaving about an inch attached to the beet. Make a packet out of foil but making a square then folding the sides but leaving one end open. Put the beets inside with the garlic, rosemary, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a drizzle of 1 tbsp of oil. Close up the end, put them on a cookie sheet, and place them in a 350 F oven for an hour to roast until they are very tender.

When finished, carefully open the packet and let them cool slightly. Peel off the skin carefully-you can use gloves, but I didn't. Make sure to wear an apron or old clothes to keep yourself from being covered in beet juice. Cut the beets into thick slices and serve with the juices, bits of garlic and rosemary spooned over top.

Makes 6 side dish servings

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Potato Leek Soup

Adapted from Crazy Plates

Got a bunch of veggies in your fridge? This is a great soup. If you blend it smooth, the kids will have no idea what kind of veggies they are eating. You can top it with bacon bits for a little extra hit of flavor, too. Try serving with some crusty bread and broccoli salad for a bit of extra crunchy goodness.

1 tbsp butter
2 cups sliced leeks (white parts, plus 1 inch of green part)
1 cup chopped celery
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups peeled, diced Yukon gold potatoes
1 cup chopped carrots
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup buttermilk

Leeks can be a bit gritty. Put them in a colander and run them under cold water to wash them well before you use them.

In a large soup pot, melt the butter and saute the leeks and celery for about 5 minutes, until they are cooked through. Add the potatoes, carrots, chicken broth, thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil; reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes until the veggies are cooked through.

Blend the soup with an immersion blender, in a food processor or blender until it's as smooth as you like it. Pour it back into the pot and stir in the buttermilk. Heat through and serve.

*This soup doesn't freeze well, it tends to separate

Serves 6

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Last week I found an old issue of Bon Appetit in the Foods room at school. On the cover was a stack of pancakes, loaded with blueberry sauce. Immediately I knew I had to have it, and asked about borrowing it for the weekend.

Wow. I think I need a subscription. Three recipes in two days later, I'm now a die hard Bon Appetit fan. Why didn't I ever look at this magazine before? Why didn't I ever pick it up when I was in line at the grocery store?

I had never made Chicken Tikka Masala before, and shying away from Indian food because it's spicy and Hubs won't eat it, I made this for Jake and I Saturday night. Obviously my newness to the world of Indian food came through in the end because while it's spiced very nicely and deliciously, this is by no means a hot curry. It's more like a tomato sauce spiced with ginger, garlic, cumin seeds and coriander, paired up with lightly spiced chicken marinated in yogurt. Grill the chicken on the BBQ, serve with veggies and naan bread, and you have yourself a really tasty dinner!

Adapted From Bon Appetit, Feb 2008

Masala sauce:

3 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
3 cups chopped tomatoes (about 3 medium)

Chicken Tikka:

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp olive oil, plus additional for brushing
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided
1 tsp salt, divided
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper, divided (I used MUCH less. You can adjust this to how you like it)
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder, divided
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp garam masala
chopped cilantro

First, you need to marinate the chicken. In a bowl, stir 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cayenne, and 1/4 tsp dry mustard. Toss with the chicken. Cover and chill for about 30 minutes.

Then, whisk together the yogurt, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp ginger and 1 tsp garam masala with 1 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cayenne, and 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder. When the chicken has finished marinating in the first mixture, toss it with the yogurt mixture; cover, and chill for about 3 hours, stirring every now and then.

Masala sauce:

Heat up some oil in a fry pan and saute the onion with cumin seeds until golden. Add your garlic and ginger, stirring; add the coriander. Dump in the tomatoes and reduce the heat, continuing to stir and simmer until it makes a thick, chunky sauce. I didn't actually use fresh tomatoes, because I didn't have any. Instead I used 3 cups of my own home canned tomatoes and some of the juice. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

When you are ready to cook your chicken, pre-heat the oven to 375 F. Throw the skewers on the BBQ until dark brown; about 2 minutes per side. Transfer them to the oven on a grill pan and continue to roast until the chicken is cooked through; about 15 minutes. I just cooked mine under the broiler in my oven, which explains why they weren't dark brown in the slightest.

Serve the skewers with the sauce and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

Serves 6

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Jamie Oliver's Parmesan Chicken with Proscuitto

If you haven't figured out by now, we are prosciutto junkies. I know, I know..it doesn't make sense since Jake won't really eat ham or bacon, but mention prosciutto and he drools. Maybe because it sounds more gourmet, I don't know. As soon as I saw this recipe though, I knew without a doubt that Jake would be all over it.

And rightfully so, because it was downright delicious. I admit, I was skeptical of Jamie's method with this one. It seemed a bit weird but I decided to trust him and just go for it, and it worked. Awesome.

Adapted From Jamie Oliver

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
1 lemon
1 1/4 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
fresh thyme sprigs
6 slices of prosciutto
olive oil

Using a sharp knife, gently score each side of the breasts in a criss cross pattern. I know. Sounds weird, but it works. Season with pepper. You don't need salt, the prosciutto is real salty. Sprinkle on some thyme leaves, then zest your lemon over top. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

Lay the prosciutto over top of the chicken, a piece at a time, overlapping them. Top with more thyme leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

Now here comes the sort of weird part...lay a piece of plastic film over the breasts and give them a good whack with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or fry pan until they are about 1/2 inch thick all over. Seriously! Just do it.

Fry up in a pan with some olive oil, starting with prosciutto side down, until cooked through. The prosciutto will get nice and crispy.

Serve with some lemon wedges. Delicious!

Makes 2 servings

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