Romesco Chicken with Kale Mashed Potatoes

Having a little comfort food doesn't have to mean foregoing nutrition and quality ingredients. In fact, I'm a firm believer that it enhances the recipe. I spent the afternoon catching up on new British murder mysteries. No better time to wolf down some nachos with fresh salsa, guacamole and chopped jalapeño, olives and sharp cheddar. And brownies. And beer. And some leftover Doritos. And more brownies. Even junk food can dig a fresh twist.

To continue today's theme we have Romesco chicken with kale mashed potatoes. Crispy skinned chicken thighs in a tangy pepper and tomato sauce with ground almonds (pumpkin seeds if you have nut allergies) and plenty of garlic. Comfort at it's finest, as long as you're willing to put the Doritos down long enough to make it.

From: http://avocadoadaynutrition.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

Potatoes

• 1 1/2lb yukon potatoes, quartered
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• salt and pepper

Chicken

• 1lb chicken thighs, skin on and bone in
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
• 1 jar roast red peppers, drained
• 1 15oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Method

Fill a large pot with water, a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil for 7-10 minutes, until softened. Throw in the kale and boil another minute. Drain the potatoes of water, add the chicken stock, yoghurt and mash with a fork or standing mixer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the chicken, heat a frying pan with a tablespoon of oil on medium-high heat. Place half the chicken in the pan, skin side down and let cook for 5 minutes or until skin is browned. Flip and cook another 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and cook the other half of the chicken. Once complete, set the chicken aside and wipe down the pan. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and the garlic and heat for 30 seconds. Add the crumbs and almonds, combining well with the garlic. Pour into a food processor or blender and add the peppers and tomatoes. Blend until well combined.

Return the sauce to the frying pan and place the chicken thighs on top. Add a little chicken stock to thin the sauce to your desired consistency and stir to coat the chicken. Serve on top of the potatoes with a little flat leaf parsley sprinkled over top.

Khow Suey: Burmese Noodle Soup

Check out my bowls for a minute. Yes, I said my bowls! BOWLS!! Home Sense, people! Get on it!

On to the subject of this post: Khow Suey.  Apparently Khow Suey is an egg noodle dish served with either curried chicken or beef, coconut milk and an assortment of condiments. This particular version is more of a soup with a number of colourful vegetables in it. While it has deviated somewhat from its roots, it looks and tastes like a hot damn.

Wait for it......

Another bowl shot! Those colourful vegetables sure compliment my lovely new bowls.

On the subject of colourful vegetables, my friend Scott started growing peppers on his patio this year. His interest in all things pepper-related got a little out of hand, as his patio and indoor plant growing operation could be a candidate for the next episode of Hoarding: Buried Alive. One night, we were rummaging through the fridge looking for a snack and wound up preparing a dish of cheese, crackers and sliced jalapeños. I tried not to be impressed, but the flavour combination was pretty terrific. Now I can't seem to get enough of the hot stuff in almost everything I prepare. I can't eat enough heat.

I wouldn't call this dish a hot number, but there is plenty of opportunity to heat things up. Garnishing each serving with jalapeños is a great way to use up the insane number of chili peppers I seem to have on hand. The coconut-curry combination helps combat the heat and just compliments the flavour altogether.

Whether heat is your thing or not, Khow Suey offers a wholesome chicken and vegetable soup with a ton of dimension. Frankly, nothing will make your new bowls 'pop' in photographs quite like it either.

Adapted from: http://www.spicechronicles.com

Ingredients

• 2 T vegetable oil,
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1T fresh ginger, minced 
• 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 t dried coriander powder
• 1 t cumin
• 1/2 t turmeric
• 1 t cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup pureed tomatoes
• 2 T tamari
• 750ml chicken broth
• 250ml coconut milk
• juice of one lime
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• rice noodles

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, cooking until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and spices, cooking until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and tamari and combine well. Pour in the broth and coconut milk and simmer for about 5 minutes. Squeeze the lime juice into the pan and pour in the chopped cilantro.

Boil 3 cups of water in a large pot. Add rice noodles and simmer for two minutes. Use a set of tongs to remove the noodles and place them in serving bowls. Ladle portions of the soup on top and add handfuls of cilantro and sliced jalapeños to garnish.

Chickpea Veggie Bowl

My work colleagues have a step challenge underway and it's breeding all sorts of other good behaviours, one of which is healthier eating habits. Frozen meals are being traded in for salads and home cooking is back in style. Hallelujah!

I tweaked my own diet earlier this year and a few key changes have stuck.  I cut out sweets after most meals and with the exception of holidays and a few weak moments, haven't deviated from this plan. I now crave sweets less and find that my tolerance for all things sugared has changed.  Desserts I used to love seem too sweet for me now.  I also cut back my alcohol intake, which has fattened up my bank account and trimmed my waist line.

This recipe celebrates the progress I and my colleagues have made to eat well in order to live better. Build on it or modify as required. I topped my veggie bowl with a spoonful of olive tapenade to give it a little extra dimension. Chili sauce (sambal oelek), a dollop of sour cream or humus would be nice with it as well.  Pair it with rice or noodles if you want more substance and of course, add some chorizo or chopped ham to it if meat isn't optional for you.

Adapted from: http://eathealthyeathappy.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cooked chick peas
• 2 T olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 bunch of asparagus, chopped
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup of fresh basil, chopped
• juice of half a lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Saute the garlic for about half a minute, then add the onion, allowing it to cook for two minutes. Toss in the pepper, zucchini and asparagus and stir well to coat the vegetables with the oil. Let the vegetables sit for about two minutes. Add the mushrooms and cover the saucepan with a lid, keeping in the heat for another three minutes. Add the chickpeas, the basil and lemon juice and toss until they are combined well with the other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Serve with a spoonful of chili sauce or olive tapenade on top.

Winter Panzanella & Roasted Red Pepper & Lentil Soup

A belated happy new year to you! May your pots not stick and your belly be full. That is as wise a saying as I could come up with.

I am, like everybody else, back on the good-for-you-food bandwagon. I have traded my party shoes for runners and swapped trips to the wine bar with trips to the yoga studio. Actually I still hit the bar, but after yoga.

This year however, my partner in crime, Ruedi has gone walkabout for six months and while I'm excited for him,  I am missing my food Hoover. Nobody can suck back leftovers like Ruedi. In my haste to get groceries this week, I neglected to downsize these first recipes of the year in consideration of his absence. I should have known when the original recipe for the salad below called for six, count 'em, six freaking beets that I would wind up with way too much food!

So...while I was able to freeze the soup, I will never make the panzanella again. I ate this dish a total of eight times this week. It was great the first time, lovely the second time and doable the third time. After that, I felt like I was just choking it down to rid myself of the leftovers. I know Ruedi will be surprised that I ate all of the leftovers, because I rarely eat an item more than three times after I've made it. Well Ruedi, I did it. 

So, enjoy these lovely dishes, because despite the fact that I'm over them, they are great recipes and healthy ones at that. The panzanella has so many options for variation. If I was to make it again, I'd play around with different kind of vegetables, throw in some roasted cashews or seeds and cheese would of course make a good addition too. When doesn't it?

As for the soup, the tanginess of the peppers combined with pesto gives it a zing I really enjoyed. The original recipe calls for basil, but I couldn't find any nearby. I had loads of pesto on hand, so I opted to throw that into the soup instead.

Winter Panzanella

From: http://blog.kj.com


Ingredients

• 6 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 6 medium beets. peeled and cubed
• 2 fennel bulbs, chopped
• 2 cups butternut squash chopped
• 1 shallot minced
• 4 cups bread, cubed
• 2 cups kale, finely chopped
• 1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Toss the bread cubes with a generous amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Combine the carrots, fennel, beets and squash in a bowl and toss with more olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Place the vegetables on another baking sheet and roast them for about 30 minutes or until the edges are browned.

In a large bowl, combine the bread and roasted vegetables with the kale, shallots, parsley and apple and pour a generous amount of balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the mix. Add some coarse salt and fresh ground pepper and toss the salad well. Serve immediately.





Roasted Red Pepper & Lentil Soup

Note that you'll need to prepare the roasted red pepper sauce as part of this soup recipe. It can be made a day in advance if needed.

Adapted From: http://cali-zona.com


Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

• 4 large bell peppers
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1 small shallot, diced
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 T pesto
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t paprika

Method

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the peppers in half and remove their seeds. Place them face down on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 25 minutes or until the skin begins to blacken and bubble. When cooled, peel the skin off of the peppers.

Blanch the tomatoes by dropping them in a pot of boiling water for about a minute. Once removed and cooled, peel the skins from the flesh.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the garlic and let it flavour the oil for a few seconds. Follow with the onion and shallots, sautéing until translucent. Add the wine and simmer until reduced and syrupy in texture.

In a food processor or blender, combine the peppers, tomatoes, onion mixture and pesto and puree the ingredients. Pour the mixture back into the pan and add the lemon juice, pepper and paprika. Allow the sauce to simmer for about ten minutes and season to taste with coarse salt.

The Soup

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups red lentils
• 1 batch roasted pepper sauce (recipe above) 
• 8 cups water
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 t hot paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a strainer, rinse the lentils well. Add them to a large pot with the eight cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium to allow the lentils to cook for 25 minutes. Once the lentils are soft add the remaining ingredients and allow to cook on medium heat for another 5-10 minutes.

Spicy Potato Hash

I drove from Calgary to Edmonton yesterday afternoon and from jacketless to parka weather in just over 300 km. I'll never get over the unpredictable weather this province offers. So, while I mourn the loss of warmer temperatures, I will try focussing on the perks of winter: mainly, comfort food.  Here come the cozy stews, casseroles and hearty meals. Oh, and the wine! I look forward to the full-bodied reds that will accompany my weekend dinners.

This one-dish meal offers one a chance to use up those vegetables lurking in your fridge. If you've got leftover carrots, herbs and/or celery, adding them to the hash can only lead to good things. I added chilis too but if heat's not your bag, just omit them. I also threw in some eggs to use up the few I had remaining. I've got a soft spot for yolks that ooze over food and this casserole was a good platform for yolky eggs.

Adapted from: http://www.twogreenpeas.com

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 t canola oil
• 2 medium yukon gold or white potatoes, diced
• 2 medium red potatoes
• 3 cups of chopped vegetables of your choosing (I used yellow and red peppers)
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed
• 1 t chili powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1/4 t ground cumin
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 2 green chilis, diced

Garnishes (pick a few)

• 1 avocado
• 1 jalapeno 
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 green onions, chopped
• lime wedges

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the oil on medium heat in a large cast iron skillet or pot if, like mine, your skillet isn't large enough to hold all the ingredients. Add the onions, stirring well until they become translucent; about 5 minutes. Once cooked, mix in the spices until they are well combined with the onions. Toss in the potatoes and cook for about 10-15 minutes until they are edible, but not so soft that they can be mashed. Add a little oil or water if the potatoes start to stick to the base of the skillet. Once the potatoes are golden, add the beans, chilis, vegetables and a tablespoon of water and allow to cook for 5-7 minutes. If you've used a skillet, transfer it to the oven to bake for about 10 minutes. I poured the hash from my pot to a large casserole dish before transferring it to the oven. After 10 minutes, remove the hash from the oven and crack a few eggs over the surface of the hash. Return the casserole to the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the eggs have had a chance to cook to your desired consistency.  Serve with some of the garnishes noted above.

Ready for Some Lighter Fare?

Ho, ho, ho....hold on a second here. I'm stuck in the wrong season. Let's back up to the six week-long downward spiral of unhealthy eating. The egg nog, the turkey, gravy, wine, wine, wine, sweets and that was just one meal we're talking about here.  My indulgence has come to a grinding halt as of today. Maybe a meal that doesn't prompt an immediate nap afterwards. How about a dish that isn't paired with Alka-Seltzer? I'll miss the good food, but I need a little normal.

Enter the following quick, easy and healthy recipes to kick off resolution season. Our soup and salad combo took me forty-five minutes to prepare and I wasn't even moving at my usual speedy pace. I've found a few other recipes of a similar vain and will share them a little later this month.

Black Bean Soup

You'll notice the picture doesn't display a bowl of blackish soup, but rest assured, there are indeed black beans in there. If heat isn't your bag, remove the chilies from the recipe and add everything from diced tomatoes to potato to thicken or enrich this basic recipe.

Adapted from: http://www.abeautifulmess.com/

Serves 4 small portions

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• 1/3 yellow onion, chopped
• red or yellow pepper, chopped
• 2 chilis in adobo
• 1/4 t cumin
• salt & pepper to taste
• 28 oz can black beans
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro for serving
• Sour cream for serving

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the pepper and onion, sautéing until the onions are translucent. Add the cumin, salt and pepper, incorporating the spices in with the vegetables. Stir in the chilies and as much adobo sauce as your taste buds can handle.

Pour in the vegetable stock and the black beans, bringing the soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for two minutes. Remove from heat and puree if desired. The original recipe leaves the soup as is, but I chose to blend it. Add handfuls of chopped cilantro and sour cream to individual servings.

Farro & Kale Salad

Farro can sometimes be tough to find, so alternatives such as quinoa or barley are also good options. I found farro at Bulk Barn, but it was pricier than expected. I enjoy the chewy texture of farro and the fact that it cooks quickly. Worth a try if you haven't had farro yet.







Adapted from: http://www.abeautifulmess.com/

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked farro
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped kale
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped cucumber
• 1 cup dates chopped
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 3 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 T honey
• salt & pepper to taste

Method

Bring the farro and four cups of water to a low boil for about twenty minutes. Once the farro is of a chewy consistency, remove it from the heat and rinse it in cold water.

Place the kale in a large bowl and drizzle half of the oil overtop. Mix in the oil to help soften the leaves a little. Combine the cucumber, dates, sunflower seeds, salt and pepper to the farro and kale mix. Add the remaining oil, mixing well and serve immediately.

Stuffed Bell Peppers & Portobello Mushrooms

Pre-Oven

This goes beyond cheating, but I felt pretty comfortable with it considering I had been donated a box of readymade potatoes. Of the two veggies, I preferred the stuffed portobellos and would likely stick to mushrooms the next time I make like this. I think the nice surprise with this recipe is that it's got a number of vegetables in it. You can beef this up with ground chuck or turkey, or actually follow the recipe and add shrimp to the top of the casserole (I forgot to thaw my tiger prawns, so that limited my options).

I have developed an aversion to anything a little too easy lately because I don't know what's in it. Instant potatoes and pre-shredded Tex-Mex cheese are the two offenders here. If you're a purist, go for the real ingredients. If you're a cheater like me, use the insta-food just this once and pound back a beer while your preparing this bad boy. You're a wild one and don't you forget it! 

Post Oven!

Adapted From: http://www.thewickednoodle.com

Ingredients

• 2 bell peppers 
• 2 portobello mushrooms
• 24 oz instant potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups Tex-Mex cheese
• 1/4 t ground cumin
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• Kernels from 2 raw ears of corn
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 large heirloom tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 small, white onion, diced
• 1 T adobo sauce
• 1/4 t kosher salt

Method

Heat oven to 400F. Slice peppers in half, lengthwise and seed them. Remove stems from mushrooms and place them along with the peppers face up in a casserole dish, 9"X13" or larger. 

In a mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, half a cup of the grated cheese, corn, zucchini, cilantro and cumin. Spoon the mixture into the peppers and mushrooms. The potato mix should be heaving over each of its receptacles. 

In a separate bowl stir in the tomatoes, onion, adobo sauce and salt and spoon the mixture around the peppers and mushrooms. 

Bake uncovered for thirty minutes, then add the remaining cheese to the tops of the stuffed veggies and return to the oven for ten minutes or until the cheese has browned a little. 

Peanutty Green Beans

I had purchased green beans a little over a week ago and had forgotten about them. Of course a week later, the beans had aged enough that I didn't think they would be ideal served neat. While still edible, I went looking for a way to spice them up. Ta-da! This peanut sauce was divine and surprisingly light when served with the beans. We served this with barbecued chicken and some chopped fresh tomatoes.   Definitely a favorite summer meal!

From: http://keepyourdietreal.com

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 450 g fresh green beans 
• 1 T honey
• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 1 t sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T fresh grated ginger
• 1 T peanut butter
• chopped red pepper to garnish

Method

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the green beans for approximately 2 minutes. You may want to blanch these for less time if your beans are fresh. Strain the blanched beans in a strainer and rinse well with very cold water to stop the beans from cooking any further. 

In a separate bowl combine the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, garlic, ginger and peanut butter. Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Add the beans to the dressing and toss well. Top with the chopped red pepper and either serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled. 

Basil, Goat Cheese, Tuna, Red Pepper, Spinach and Mozzarella Orzo

I might obsess about food a little...


Mmm, maybe a lot. I don't know of too many individuals that mull over their meal plans as much as I do, although I know my female colleagues definitely talk about what they should have for dinner near the end of the day. If I don't have a stocked fridge, I feel naked in the food department. At times like this you may here remarks such as:
"Well, I guess I should just raid the vending machine, because that's as good as it gets tonight for this cook".


The reality is usually quite different, although I didn't feel that way when I got home last night. We had goat cheese, mozzarella, rice, orzo, old spinach, two red peppers, half an old shallot, some fresh basil I had forgotten about and many other ingredients. I had been dying to do something with a can of tuna we bought for a backcountry hike and never used, so this recipe took shape pretty quickly. 


My new cast iron skillet (perfect murder weapon, by the way) was coated with olive oil so that the garlic and shallots could saute themselves silly. While this was happening, I let the red pepper roast face down on a cookie sheet in the oven for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Once the garlic and shallots were sauteed, I added the goat cheese and chicken stock to the pan. Once the cheese had melted the orzo went in and was tossed to mix with the cheese sauce. The spinach, chopped roasted red pepper and tuna followed about 2 minutes later to mix with the other flavours. I topped this off with some grated mozzarella and basil and mixed them in well. Salt and pepper was added to taste. Call it a modern day tuna casserole.


Serves 4-6


Ingredients

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 150g of goat cheese
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups orzo cooked
• 1 red pepper
• 2 cups baby spinach, packed
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella
• 3 T basil, chopped
• 1 can of tuna
• salt and pepper

Black Bean & Two-Cheese Quesadillas

From: Stern, Bonnie. Heartsmart 2006 p 197.

Serves 6

• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 sweet red pepper, preferably roasted, peeled and chopped
• 1 T chipotle puree
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
• 2 T chopped fresh chives or green onions
• 2 T shredded fresh basil
• 1 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 cup soft unripened goat cheese or feta
• 6, 10-inch whole wheat tortillas

Combine black beans, tomato, red pepper, chipotle, garlic, cilantro, chives, basil, Monterey Jack and goat cheese. Place tortillas on counter in a single layer. Spread filling evenly over half of each tortilla. Fold unfilled half of tortilla over filled side and press together. Grill quesadillas for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. You can also bake them in a single layer on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 400F for 7-10 minutes, or cook for a few minutes per side in a lightly oiled non-stick skillet or grill pan.

Thai Red Curry Chicken

Adapted From: Stern, B. Heart Smart 2006. p 238. Random House of Canada Limited. Canada.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 t vegetable oil
• 2 T red thai curry paste
• 1 large onion, thickly chopped
• 2 carrots, thickly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups green beans, cut in half
• 2 potatoes cut in 2-inch chunks
• 1 sweet red pepper, seeded and cut in chunks
• 2 jalapenos finely chopped (seed and chop only one if heat is a concern)
• 1/2 lb mushrooms, trimmed
• 1 stalk lemongrass, cut in 2-inch pieces smashed (Use 1T lemongrass puree if you can't find the real thing. The puree is in the produce section of the grocery store)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 T Thai fish sauce
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 6 cups cooked white rice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large, deep non-stick skillet or Dutch over on medium-high heat. Brown chicken pieces for about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet.

Add curry paste and cook for 30-60 seconds, or until fragrant. Add onion, carrots, garlic, potatoes, red pepper, green beens, jalapenos, mushrooms and lemongrass. Cook for about 1 minute. if vegetables begin to stick, add 1/4 cup of stock now.

Add stock and fish sauce to skillet. Bring to a boil. Add chicken pieces. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. 

Remove chicken and vegetables from skillet (discarding lemongrass if you used the real thing), cover and keep warm. Return skillet with stock to heat. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until 1-1 1/2 cups of stock remains. Add coconut milk and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or until thickened.  Serve over warm rice.

Artichoke & Red Pepper Melt

Artichoke and Red Pepper Melt

Serves 2

Adapted from http://pinchofyum.com;

Ingredients

• 2 slices whole wheat bread, crust on the outside
• 6 T hummus
• 1 red pepper, roasted and sliced
• 1/2 cup artichokes, drained and chopped 
• 1/2 cup fresh spinach
• 4 T mozzarella cheese (I found smoked mozza at the market and used this)

Method

Divide toppings between the two bread slices in this order: hummus, red pepper, spinach, artichokes, and cheese.  Broil at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with cayenne and serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork

Yum. This tastes just as you think it would: creamy, tangy and full of lovely flavours. I served this with basmati rice, roasted peanuts and cilantro as the recipes mentions, but there are so many options for altering this recipe, you could make it a million times over in a slightly different way. 


Adapted from http://letsdishrecipes.blogspot.com


Serves 6

• 1 (2 pound) pork loin
• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chili sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 2 cups snow peas
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup chopped green onions or cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
• 2-3 limes, cut into wedges
• Cooked rice or rice noodles

Lightly grease a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.  Place pork loin in slow cooker.  In a medium bowl, stir together the teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, chili sauce, ginger and garlic. Pour the teriyaki mixture over the pork loin.  Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Whisk the peanut butter into the juices in the slow cooker. Return the pork to the slow cooker, along with the sliced peppers and snow peas and cook for 30-60 minutes more, until vegetables are tender but still crisp. Serve over rice or noodles with green onions, peanuts and lime wedges to garnish. 

Killer Coleslaw

This is my contribution to a potluck tomorrow. A long-time favorite of my family's and so easy to put together. This baddie tends to be a hit with picky eaters too and since this party is for co-workers who don't do vegetables, I'm hoping it's a success.


Adapted from: The Best of the Best: Best of Bridge


Serves 8-10 


Slaw:

• Savoy cabbage finely chopped
• Red pepper finely chopped
• 6 green onions sliced
• 1 package of asian freeze-dried noodles (chicken flavour)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• Package of seasoning from the noodles

Combine the first three ingredients for the coleslaw. Crush the package of noodles and throw into a fry pan. Toast the noodles until golden brown, adding sunflower seeds to heat. Combine with the slaw ingredients. Mix the dressing ingredients well and add to the slaw. Serve immediately.


Sesame seeds or sliced almonds would also serve well with this salad.