BBQ Baked Beans with Smashed Sweet Potatoes

I've been watching a lot of Jamie Oliver these days. Besides doing social media really well, Jamie's new book Save With Jamie is my new favorite. In fact, this week I'm bringing you a few of his recipes that I'm trying out. Honestly, it's really hard not to just cook the entire book, which by the end of 2014 I just might. There's so much good stuff in there!


I love baked beans, but my other recipes involve the slow cooker, and one needed maple syrup (which I'm out of), so I thought I'd try this one. I wasn't sure about the sweet potatoes in it. Would that work? Would they taste weird? The answers are yes, they work-and they are delicious. Are they weird? Not at all. In fact the slight sweetness of the sweet potatoes against the sort of spicy beans is a really wonderful combination. We had it with some Buckeye Beans Cornbread from The Missing Ingredient, and it was perfect for soaking up any extra sauce. If you can find this cornbread, it's really tasty!


Serves: 6

Time to prepare: 15 minutes

Time to cook: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 red onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chile ( I used a birds eye chile without the seeds)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
1 level tsp cumin seeds
4 small sweet potatoes
3 1/4 cups of passata or one 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
two 14 oz cans beans (I used kidney and black beans)
1/3 cup BBQ sauce
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 oz Cheddar cheese, grated
crusty bread or cornbread
sour cream or plain yogurt

Directions:

In a large, deep frypan, saute the onions, garlic, chile, and carrots with the paprika and cumin seeds in a bit of olive oil until softened and they get a bit of color, about 10-15 minutes or so. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 F.

Pour in the passata, BBQ sauce and beans. Some passata will stay in the jar so add a little water, give it a swish and add to the pan.  Give it all a good stir. Transfer the lot to a 9x13 baking dish.

Remove the leaves from the rosemary sprigs, toss them with a little oil, and sprinkle on top. Put the entire thing in the oven. It is going to look soupy, but I promise you that the extra liquid will evaporate and it will be nice and thick. You may even want to add a little more water if if looks a bit dry.

Prick the sweet potatoes, rub them with olive oil, and set them on a small pan to roast beside the beans in the oven. Let it all cook for an hour, stirring the beans occasionally.

When it's finished, sprinkle the cheese over top, slice down the middle of the sweet potatoes and give them a squish, then set them right in the beans. Pop the whole thing back in the oven for the cheese to melt. Serve with crusty bread or corn bread, and even a bit of sour cream for people to dollop on their portion if they wish.


Adapted from Save with Jamie

Read More

Chicken Chow Mein, Jamie Oliver Style

I had planned to make this recipe a long time ago, but had forgotten about it until just recently a high school cooking class that I work in made it. Faced with 30 teenagers chopping, frying, and loving every minute of it, I knew I just had to make this at home. What better time to have chicken chow mein than for my birthday dinner?

The beauty with stir fries is that they come together really quickly, and this can be made and on the table in no time. Also, you can change the ingredients if you wish. Don't like bok choy? Use broccoli. Water chestnuts gross you out? Don't use them. Try a little red pepper, or maybe some sugar snap peas. Switch pork for the chicken, if you like. Leave out the mushrooms, it's entirely up to you. Just keep in mind that denser veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and snap peas should be blanched (or rather, dipped in hot water briefly) before you toss them in the stir fry or they may not cook as much as you'd like.

Adapted from Jamie's Food Revolution

1 inch long piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 fresh red chile, seeded and minced (I use tiny Thai chiles)
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips (I used 2 chicken breast halves)
2 green onions, sliced
1 bok choy (I used 3 baby ones, split in half)
4 cremini or shitake mushrooms, sliced
4 oz chow mein noodles
1 tsp cornstarch
1 eight oz can sliced water chestnuts
2-3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
small bunch of fresh cilantro
2 limes

First, prep your ingredients for your stir fry because once you get going, it comes together rather quickly. I like to assemble things by the stove, all ready to pop in the pan when I need it. Take the cilantro and pick off the leaves, then chop the stalks and set aside.

Get a large pot of water boiling, and add your noodles and bok choy. Cook for 2 minutes and then remove them from the water and set aside. Keep a little bit of water and set it aside as well.

Using a large wok or frying pan, add some oil and let it get really hot. Toss in your chicken and stir it around for a few minutes, until it browns a little. Toss in the chile, garlic, cilantro stalks, mushrooms, half of the green onions, and ginger, continuing to stir for about 30 seconds or so. Add the the cornstarch and water chestnuts, stirring to keep things from sticking to the bottom. You CAN add the water chestnut juice as well, but I don't. If you do you'll have some broth in the bottom of the pan.

Take your pan off the heat and stir in the soy sauce, then zest your lime right into the pan, cut it in half and give a good squeeze. (I love lime!) Toss in the drained noodles and bok choy, adding a little of the water you cooked them in if you want a little more sauce. Give it a taste and add a little salt and pepper or more soy sauce if you need it. Sprinkle the fresh coriander leaves over top and toss well. Serve with extra lime wedges to squeeze over top.

Serves two, generously.

Read More

Butternut Squash and Chorizo Soup

Truth be told, I haven't been a fan of any of Jamie's soups from his Food Revolution Cookbook. Oh sure, they were okay but there seemed to be something missing. This soup, chock full of smokey sausage, sweet squash and a hint of curry is hands down one of my favorite recipes in the entire book. I made a few small changes, namely not pureeing the whole thing but reserving some delicious chunky veggies to add a little more texture, and using butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes.

Amazing. But be warned, the soup does get hotter from the curry and chorizo as it sits, so be prepared!

Adapted from Jamie Oliver

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 3/4 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 heaped tsp curry powder
6 cups chicken stock
300 grams of chorizo sausage, chopped into bite sized pieces

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat and add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, squash,and chorizo. Give it a good stir, and then add in the curry, and mix it well to coat. Turn the heat to about medium, and put the lid on the pot slightly askew. Let it cook for about 10 minutes, checking and stirring every now and then to make sure that it's all cooking and nothing is burning. The veggies will go all soft and delicious smelling, at which point you will be tempted to just stick your head into the pot and slurp up all these soft, spicy, deliciously fragrant vegetables.

Meanwhile, heat up the chicken stock in another pot so that it's good and hot.

Once your veggies are softened to the point where the carrots are soft but still hold their shape, pour in the broth. I have reduced the amount in this recipe, but you can always feel free to add more. I like my soup fairly thick, so you can eyeball it at this point. Give it a good stir to loosen any tasty bits that may have found their way to the bottom of the soup pot. Simmer gently for a few minutes to make sure all the veggies are cooked through.

Now, at this point you can go about your soup two ways. You can, theoretically, use a blender or an immersion blender to blitz the whole thing into submission and silky smoothness. Or, if you are like me and adore a more chunky soup, get a slotted spoon and fish out about 1/3 - 1/2 of the bits of veggie and sausage. Set them aside in a bowl, then process the remaining soup until smooth. Add the reserved veggies and sausage back to the soup, give it a stir, and there you go. Done!

Makes 4-5 servings

Read More

Lemon Herb Chicken with Mash

Adapted from Jamie's Recipes, via the new iPod app

14 oz baby white potatoes (I used larger potatoes, just cut them into quarters)
2 tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 green onions, sliced
small bunch of fresh basil
1/2 fresh red chile, seeded and minced (I was out of chile-I sprinkled in some hot pepper flakes)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (use 3 chicken breast halves, which was more than enough)
lemon
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 oz frozen corn
pat of butter

Cut your potatoes in half, or quarters if they are larger, and put them in a pot of boiling, salted water. Cook for about 15 minutes or until they are tender.

Meanwhile, mix together the tomato, chopped green onion, basil, and chile. Stir together. Pour in a bit of olive oil, then the red wine vinegar, and stir. Season with a bit of salt and pepper, stir, and taste. Set aside.

Next, score the chicken breasts lightly on one side in a criss cross pattern. Then lay them out on your cutting board and cover them with cling film. Why? Well you're going to pound those babies until they are nice and thin-ish. (about 1/2 inch).

Season the breasts with salt and pepper, then zest your lemon right over top, sprinkling the lemony bits down onto the breasts. Pick off the thyme leaves and sprinkle them on top too. Drizzle with some olive oil.

Check your potatoes. They should be almost tender by now. In the last few minutes of cooking, add the corn and continue to cook until both are tender. Drain, and let the veggies steam dry a bit before dumping them back into the hot pot. Mash them up with a bit of butter, but be gentle. Then stick a lid on those babies to keep them warm.

Heat up your fry pan over medium heat with a little olive oil in it. Fry up the chicken breasts, about 3 minutes per side, until they are cooked through.

Serve the corn and potato mash with the chicken breasts, and spoon the tomato mixture over top.

Serves 2-3.

Read More

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

Last week Hubs and I took off for an adults only trip to Calgary, Alberta to visit Jake's older sister and to get a long ride on that swanky new motorcycle that Hubs bought awhile back. By the time we came home I wanted something simple, yet delicious to eat and found a stray head of cauliflower kicking around the crisper. When I asked Jake what he wanted me to make with it, he promptly pulled out my Food Revolution book and pointed to this recipe. It's delicious and topped with bacon, makes a great lunch!

Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
8 cups of cauliflower florets
1 3/4 quarts of chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp English mustard
8 oz sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste
crispy, crumbled bacon for garnish

In a large soup pot, pour in a glug of oil and let it heat up. Toss in your carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and cauliflower. Saute them up until the onions are golden and the carrots have softened but are still holding their shape.

Meanwhile, pour your stock into a different pot and heat it up until it's simmering. When the veggies are finished cooking, pour in the stock and stir to bring up all the nice bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until everything is well softened.

Blitz everything with a hand held immersion blender, or use your blender and process until it's well pureed and creamy. Stir in the mustard and cheese until well combined. Taste and add some salt and/or pepper if you need to.

Top with a bit of crispy bacon and you're off to the races!

Serves 6-8

Read More

Tandoor Style Chicken Kebabs

We've been on a bit of a curry kick in our house lately. Maybe it's my family roots showing through-my great grandparents, from the Crimea area of Russia, were missionaries in India. My grandmother was actually born there. The orphanage that my great grandparents started is apparently still there today, although I've never personally seen it.

This recipe is great-the kebabs are really mild, so if you are not making these for kids you can bump up the heat by adding some minced chili or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the marinade. I can just imagine how delicious they would be on the grill! I served them with warm naan bread, a scoop of Greek yogurt and mango chutney, and fresh cilantro.

Adapted from Jamie Oliver

140 g yogurt (use Greek yogurt. It's thick and works well)
25 ml olive oil
60 ml tomato passata
1/2 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp each garam masala, chili powder, smoked paprika (I used regular), and tumeric
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10-12 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2 cm cubes (I used 2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes)

In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, olive oil, passata, ginger, garam masala, chili powder, paprika, tumeric, and garlic together. Add your chicken and mix until well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. I let mine sit all day, so I think that even overnight would be good.

Thread the chicken onto skewers and grill, turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until they are cooked through. I cooked mine on a foil lined broiler pan under my broiler set to high, turning and keeping a close eye on them so they didn't burn. I think they took about 10 minutes in the oven.

Makes 4 servings

Read More

Asparagus Soup with Poached Egg on Toast

With a pound of asparagus hanging out in my fridge, I wanted to find something delicious to make so for this week's Food Revolution Friday, I tried this great recipe from Jamie Oliver's website. It's very easy and delicious-at first the idea of a poached egg on toast with the soup seemed a little weird, but the creamy egg mixed with the soup, and the crunchy toast, topped with salty prosciutto (my idea) was just the thing this evening. We loved it!

Adapted from Jamie Oliver

800g asparagus
2 medium white onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 leeks, washed well and chopped
2 liters of vegetable or chicken stock
ciabatta bread
8 eggs
125 g prosciutto
butter

Snap off the woody ends on your asparagus and throw them away. Next, trim the tops of your asparagus and put them aside. Take the stalks and chop them into 1 inch long pieces. Set aside.

Slice up the leeks, then wash them thoroughly because they sometimes get gritty dirt between the layers. Set aside.

In a stock pot, heat up a little olive oil and fry up the onions, celery and leeks until they are soft but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped asparagus stalks and the broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let simmer with a lid on for about 20 minutes.

When the 20 minutes is up, use an immersion blender to blend up your soup so it's nice and smooth. Season carefully with salt and pepper. Then gently bring the heat back up and add the asparagus tops, stirring and letting gently bubble until they are tender crisp. Remove from the heat.

Fry up some bits of prosciutto until crispy and sprinkle over the soup if you wish.

Poach 1 egg per person, and serve with buttered, toasted bread and the poached eggs. It's best in a shallow bowl-my bowls are deep and so the egg practically slid right into the soup.

Serves 8

Read More

Jamie Oliver's Quick Salmon Stir Fry

I've been in the mood for curries lately, and this one fit the bill the other night. It's fast, it's full of flavor, and it's helping me use up that jar of Patak's Tandoori Paste in the fridge!

Seriously though, we loved it; Jake especially. He greedily snarfed down three helpings, then laid claim to the leftovers.

Wow, Jamie. This one is GOOD!

Adapted from Jamie's Food Revolution
1 cup basmati or wild rice
3/4 lb salmon fillet, skin off and bones removed, cut into 1 inch chunks
handful of unsalted shelled peanuts, whirled up in your food processor to small bits
1 clove garlic, minced
thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 fresh red chile, seeded and chopped (the seeds make it spicy. I omit them)
small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
vegetable oil
1 heaped tablespoon of Patak's tandoori paste
a handful of snow peas
1/2 a 14 oz can of coconut milk
handful of bean sprouts
1 lime

Cook rice according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, put a wok or fry pan on high heat and add some oil to the pan. When it's good and hot, start cooking up your ginger, garlic, and chile. Move it around to keep the garlic from burning. Add the curry paste and continue to stir and cook for another 30 seconds.

Throw in your cubed salmon and stir for about a minute, then pour in your coconut milk and add the snow peas. Cook together for a bit longer until the fish is cooked through, then taste and see if you need to add any seasonings.

To serve, top your rice with some of the salmon stir fry, then sprinkle on the bean sprouts, cilantro, and bits of peanut. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over top.

Serves 2

Read More

Lazy Man's Lasagna

Sometimes the best recipes just happen when I am in the mood for something. With the weather more February-ish than summer like, a cheesy baked pasta dish seemed like just the thing. The funny thing is that this is a combination of different recipes all rolled into one!

Now, don't be scared off by the length of this recipe. You can do it in parts-the meatballs can be frozen ahead, and so can the sauce. Just thaw, toss with some cooked pasta, bake, and serve.

The meatballs:
(adapted from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution)

1 lb lean ground beef
12 cream or plain crackers (like Jacobs), whirled up in the food processer until fine
2 heaped tsp dijon mustard
1 large egg
sea salt and pepper
1 chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 handful coriander, chopped finely

In a large bowl, mix together the crackers, mustard, egg, salt and pepper, chili, garlic, and coriander. Add the beef and with your hands, smoosh it all together until it's well blended. If it feels a bit dry, add about a tablespoon of water.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and then roll out the mixture into walnut sized balls.

Bake them at for about 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Cool. You can even freeze them at this point, just thaw before you are going to use them again.

The Sauce:
(original recipe by Scattered Mom)

two 28 oz cans of tomatoes (1 whole tomatoes, 1 crushed)
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup good wine
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 chili, seeded and chopped

Put a good glug of olive oil in a fry pan and heat it up. Add in your onion, garlic, celery, chili, and red pepper. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the veggies are softened. Add your oregano, basil, some salt and pepper, then the brown sugar and red wine vinegar. Stir and allow to coat all the veggies before dumping in the tomatoes, wine, and tomato paste. Smoosh up the tomatoes with your spoon. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it bubble and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has lost that watery look

Let it bubble and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's good and thick and isn't watery. (about 1/2 hour)

The rest:

350 g fresh spinach and cheese filled ravioli
Parmesan Cheese

Mean while, cook a package of spinach and cheese filled ravioli (about 350 g) according to the package directions. Rinse with cool water and drain well. When the sauce is finished cooking, gently mix it with the ravioli and meatballs in a large bowl. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish, and sprinkle the top with some freshly shaved Parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 F for about 20 minutes or until bubbling.

Serves 4

Read More

Jamie Oliver's Chicken and White Wine Stew

This is truly a delicious, ridiculously simple stew. I've never seen one this easy in my life, and it's hands down my new favorite. Most stews have chicken broth, potatoes and the like, which make it a more hearty dish but this one is a light, tasty one with tender pieces of chicken and lots of veggies. I LOVE it.

Make sure you get a good wine for this one, because that is much of your broth. I used Sawmill Creek's Sauvignon Blanc, and it was delicious. The only changes I made was to add a little more flour, some garlic, and peas.

Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
2 stalks celery
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp all purpose flour
one 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
salt and pepper
2 cups white wine
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 lb of boneless, skinless, chicken thighs cut into 1 inch cubes
a handful of frozen peas

In a large pot with some olive oil in the bottom, saute your carrots, onions, garlic, and celery until softened (about 10 minutes). Stir in the flour and chicken. Add the wine, tomatoes, and thyme, stirring to bring up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot.

Bring to a boil and then cover and turn down to low to simmer gently for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes, adding a bit more liquid if needed and removing the thyme springs. Stir in the peas just before serving and heat through.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Read More

Jamie Oliver's Evolution Carrot Salad

One change I've made when I'm cooking dinner is to make more salads. Not just one salad per meal, but instead of a starchy potato, rice, or pasta dish, I'm making TWO salads. Jake and Hubs are loving it, too and we are really getting a lot of great veggies!

This salad is simple, but good. The only thing that I changed is I reduced the amount of olive oil. Love ya Jamie, but your salads are a bit oily for me.

4-5 large carrots, peeled and grated
3 Tbsp olive oil (original recipe called for 6 Tbsp)
salt and pepper to taste
sprigs of fresh mint and coriander, chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice (I zested a lemon and then squeezed the juice from 1/2 the lemon into the salad)
handful of sunflower seeds, toasted
2 or 3 small clementines, peeled and cut into thick slices (didn't use them as I couldn't find any at the store, but I think they'd be delicious!)
crumbled feta

Just toss everything together in a bowl. Yum!

Serves 4

Read More

Jamie Oliver's Chicken Kebabs

You have probably noticed that we love kebabs in this house. When you have a variety of food "issues", such as some people who won't eat beef, for instance, kebabs make a very adaptable dinner. I can throw some chicken ones together for John, and then do beef for Jake and I. Or I can make a spicy, curry, or otherwise ethnic flavored one for myself, and a herbed one for John. It just makes cooking for people with specific food tastes a lot easier. The page I found this recipe on also had recipes for fish or lamb kebabs, which look delicious!

These kebabs were supposed to have zucchini in them, but I forgot to buy it so I just left the zucchini out. Besides, I'm not a big zucchini fan so it wasn't too big of a loss. Don't be afraid to use a fresh red chili-I was at first, but if you seed it the heat isn't that bad. If my husband, who hates spicy food, will eat it and love it, I'm sure you will too.

Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Best Marinated Chicken Kebabs

1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
8-10 sticks of fresh rosemary (I skipped this part because my rosemary plants aren't big enough to lop off that much. But I highly recommend you try this if you can get your hands on some)
1 handful of fresh coriander
1 handful of fresh mint
3 cloves of garlic
6 green onions
1 red chili, seeded (even without the seeds, it provided some heat. If you love super hot, leave the seeds in)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
sea salt and cracked black pepper
olive oil

In a food processor, whiz up your coriander, mint, garlic, onions, chili, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. Add a few good glugs of olive oil to loosen it up.

Combine the mixture with the cubed chicken in a large bowl and work the paste right into the meat. Cover and allow to chill for about an hour.

Thread your chicken pieces onto the rosemary sticks or onto skewers then place on a greased BBQ (or in my case, a foil lined broiler pan) and grill/broil. Turn them occasionally and watch carefully, until they are cooked through. I just get a knife and chop through one of the larger pieces to check them.

Makes 6-8 kebabs

Note: These are fantastic the next day in a lunch box, pulled off the skewer and packed with some salad.

Read More

Jamie Oliver's Omlettes

The TV show Food Revolution might be over, but Jamie Oliver is still going strong. On Friday he posted a quick omlette recipe in his Twitter stream and challenged followers to try it. We didn't get a chance on Friday, but it was all I could think about all weekend. Omlettes? Easy. Even Jake made one in Foods class and he got an 'A'. I could make one...and the thing about omlettes is you can have fun filling them. The one pictured here has turkey bacon, sharp Cheddar, and diced green onions.

We switched to turkey bacon awhile ago. At first Jake protested a little, but once he got used to it, he now declares that he prefers it to pork. There's far less fat and calories, so it's healthier. Our favorite brand is Butterball. I cook it up in a little olive oil to make it extra crispy.

So, how do you make yourself an omlette? You will need:

2 eggs
pat of butter (about a tbsp)
salt and pepper
small bit of shredded cheese
1/2 scallion, minced finely
2 slices of turkey bacon

In a skillet over medium heat, gently cook the turkey bacon in a small amount of olive oil until they are lightly browned. Remove to paper towel and blot. Chop into smallish pieces.

Either wipe the skillet clean, or get a different skillet and melt the butter over low heat until bubbling. Pour in your eggs and move the pan around so that they spread out. Continue to cook on low, moving the egg a little bit to allow the raw egg to run underneath and cook. Once the egg is pretty much cooked through, sprinkle your cheese, scallion bits, and bacon in the center. Gently fold in half with a spatula. Don't worry if yours falls apart a bit, it takes some practice!

Slide onto a plate, garnish with any leftover bits of bacon, cheese, or scallions, and eat!

Makes one omlette.

Read More

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!

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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

Read More

Jamie Oliver's Broccoli Salad

I'm trying to expand my salad repertoire and this was a really good place to start. Broccoli is Hub's favorite veggie, and he really only likes it steamed.

You can only imagine how often we have steamed broccoli in this house. I was beginning to hate it. But tossed with tomato and fresh chives, and then doused with olive oil, dijon, and white wine vinegar and dressed up with salty bacon?

Oh, talk to me, baby.

So since my guys won't eat pork (including ham or bacon), I used turkey bacon. You don't need as much as called for in the recipe, because the slices are bigger. I'd just eyeball it if I were you. Otherwise, I followed everything to the letter.

Adapted from Jamie Oliver

2 large heads of broccoli
8 pieces of bacon, fried up and crumbled
3 tomatoes, seeded and finely sliced
bunch of chives (with flowers if you can get them), chopped (keep the flowers aside)

Dressing:

2 tsp dijon mustard
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1/2 clove of garlic, peeled and finely grated

Cut up your broccoli into little florets. Don't waste the stalk, either! Cut off that woody end piece, then cut it in half lengthwise and slice it.

Put on a pot of water to boil because you need to blanch the broccoli.

Blanch: To cook in boiling water briefly and then drain, run broccoli under COLD water immediately to stop the cooking process. You want the broccoli to still be crunchy.

Blanch your broccoli for 30-60 seconds so it's still crunchy.

Lay some paper towel out on a cookie sheet and spread the drained broccoli on it to dry. Jamie had stated that this was a really important step, and he was right! I even changed the paper towel after a few minutes when the original sheets got pretty wet.

In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together. Set aside.

Toss the dried broccoli, tomato, and chives together. Douse with the dressing and toss. Add your bacon bits.

Serve!

Makes 6 servings

Read More