The Year of The Hash

I do love eggs. I had already eaten them for two meals today and was contemplating including them in a third when I decided to post this recipe. That yolky goodness adds dimension to any dish, which is why I've posted my fair share of egg dishes. It's also not the first time in recent history that I've tried a hash casserole. You can thank Jamie Oliver for this somewhat repetitive post. I'm now following him on Instagram and have been making nothing but Jamie's recipes ever since. Pictures really do sell a product and his are phenomenal. Hope you enjoy this one as much as I do!

Giant Veg Rosti

From: http://www.jamieoliver.com

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 600g potatoes
• 3 large carrots
• 1/2 t dijon mustard
• 1/2 lemon
• extra virgin olive oil
• 100g frozen peas
• 100g baby spinach
• 4 large eggs
• 50g feta cheese

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Peel the potatoes and carrots and grate them either using a box grater or a grating attachment of a food processor. Add a pinch of salt and toss the mix well.  Set the potato, carrot mix aside to allow the salt to draw water from the vegetables. After a few minutes and using your hands, squeeze out as much water from the potatoes and carrots as you can.

In a bowl, combine the lemon, dijon, one-and-a-half tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  In another bowl, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and toss in the potato and carrot mixture. Season the mix with salt and pepper and spread the mixture into a baking dish about 9" X 13". Roast the veggies for about 35 minutes or until they're golden on the surface.

To prepare the peas, either blanche them in boiling water for two minutes or microwave them for three. Add the peas and spinach to the bowl with the prepared dressing and toss well. Poach the eggs to your liking. I needed a little coaching from Jamie Oliver: www.jamieoliver.com
To finish the dish, place the salad on top of the hash, follow with the eggs and crumble the feta over the baking dish.

A few more eggs to go!

Hard Cider Braised Chicken

Apples and thick cut bacon trim chicken thighs along with a creamy cider-dijon sauce. It is rich to be sure, but you just can't be good all the time. For this recipe I ended up having to buy much more chicken than required and didn't have enough other ingredients to double the recipe. With the remaining chicken, I used some leftover wine to create a version of coq au vin and I was impressed with the results. That recipe will need a little refining, but I will attempt to get that out soon. This hard cider braised chicken is a delicious Sunday meal and makes for great leftover too!

From: http://stripedspatula.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4-6 bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 2 apples peeled, cored and cut into slices
• 2 large shallots cut
• 3 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
• 2 cups hard apple cider
• 2 T dijon mustard
• 1 t stone ground mustard
• 1 large sprig fresh sage
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/4 heavy cream
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven and then add the chicken, skin side down and brown for five minutes each side until golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour off all but two tablespoons of fat from the pan and return pan or dutch oven to the heat. Add apple wedges and sauté over medium heat until just the apples begin to brown. Remove the apples from the saucepan and set them aside. Add shallots and bacon to the saucepan until the bacon is cooked through and the shallots are soft. Slowly pour in the cider, whisking as it's being added in order to release the bacon bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the dijon, ground mustard, salt and pepper and blend it in with the existing ingredients. Add the chicken, sage and thyme to the liquid. Cover the pan and bake for 25 minutes.  Add apples to the pan and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove chicken and apples and tent with foil. Discard the thyme and sage from the mix. Return the dutch oven to the stove and bring the liquid to a simmer. Whisk in the cream and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and then place the apples and chicken on a bed of egg noodles to serve.

Soups Galore

There is something decadent about serving two soups in one sitting. It must be the prospect of choice that gets me a bit excited. It's also pretty easy to make two at once, because the bases are usually similar. These two work well together and can be modified quickly with additional ingredients to suit your diet. I'm already planning to make the kale soup again with barley or noodles and some chicken so I can eat it as its own meal.


Lemony Kale & White Bean Soup

From:  http://www.forkknifeswoon.com

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 T unsalted butter
• 1/4 t dried rosemary
• 1/4 t dried thyme
• 1/8 t dried oregano
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• kosher salt or black pepper
• 2, 15 oz  cans of cannelini beans
• 1 1/2 cups chopped kale

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook until translucent and then follow with the garlic.Add the butter and as it melts, add the herbs. Let the mixture cook for another minute or two until the onions have browned a bit.

Add the lemon juice and stock, bringing to a boil and then lowering the heat to simmer. Allow the soup to simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the kale and white beans and simmer for another 5 minutes to warm all the ingredients. Serve the soup with crust bread.

Spicy Tomato, Lentil & Chorizo Soup

From: http://www.eatwell101.com/

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 chorizo, sliced
• 3/4 cup of uncooked red lentils
• rinsed 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stick celery, chopped
• 1/2 t grated ginger
• 1 t ground cumin
• 2 t paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper
• 2 litres vegetable stock
• 1 lb ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 T tomato paste
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh cilantro for serving

Method

In a sauce pot, heat the olive oil then add the onion, garlic and celery, cooking them until they're soft. Add all the spices, tomato paste, chorizo and lentils, mixing well until all the ingredients are well combined. Finally, add the stock and tomatoes, bringing the mix to a boil and then reducing to simmer for about 40 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Before removing from heat, add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with cilantro and more of that crusty bread.

Honey Garlic Chicken

After a trip to MEAT, a new barbecue restaurant in Edmonton, I went looking for a fried chicken recipes I could

From: http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net

Serves 4

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• sea salt 
• pepper
• 1 cup panko crumbs

Honey Garlic Sauce

• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T soya sauce
• 1 t sriracha
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 2 green onions, chopped

Method

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and spray it with cooking spray. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Season well with salt and pepper. Crack the eggs into a bowl and mix them with a fork to combine the egg whites with their yolks. Pour the panko crumbs into a second bowl. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then the panko crumbs and place on the baking sheet. Once all of the chicken has been breaded, place the chicken in the fridge to allow the pieces to set. Heat the oven to 400F. When the oven is ready, remove the chicken from the fridge and bake it for 30 minutes.

To make the honey garlic sauce, whisk the honey, garlic, soya and sriracha together in a saucepan on medium heat. Combine the water and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Add the cornstarch mixture in with the sauce, mixing well.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from oven and toss the chicken in with the sauce.

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.

Roasted Cauliflower with Mushrooms

Side dish or entree: you pick. Add some sun dried tomatoes in olive oil for a touch of sweetness or swap out the watercress for cilantro to give the curry a bit more punch. There are any number of ways to modify this dish, but frankly, it was delicious without any additional ingredients. I served this as a side dish with a filet of cod and give the pairing two thumbs up.  


From: http://thesmoothielover.com

Serves 4 (as a side dish)

Ingredients

• 2 cups cauliflower, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 t salt
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped into bite size pieces
• 2 t olive oil
• 1/2 cup roasted cashews
• handful of watercress leaves
• 1 t curry paste 
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 400F.  In a bowl, add the tablespoon of olive oil, salt and cauliflower, tossing until the all cauliflower is coated with the oil.  Place the cauliflower on a cookie sheet and roast until golden; about 20 minutes. While the cauliflower is roasting, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the mushrooms in and toss until coated in the oil.  Saute the mushrooms for about 4 minutes and then set them aside. When the cauliflower is roasted, remove from the oven and combine it in a large bowl with the curry paste. Add the mushrooms, cashews and watercress and season the dish with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Pasta Alternatives: Bacon Bolognese-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes & Zucchini Spaghetti

I recently came across two ideas for traditional pasta-based dishes that have omitted the pasta for other ingredients. If pasta doesn't sit well with you, these alternatives may help you enjoy some old Italian favourites. If you're just looking for something a little different, these recipes are also a little different.

Bacon Bolognese-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Adapted from: http://cafedelites.com/
Serves 8

Ingredients

• 4 medium or 2 large yams/sweet potatoes
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 500 g bacon 
• 1 kg ground beef
• 398 ml of tomato sauce
• 1 T vegetable stock powder
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil, chopped

Method

Cook the bacon in a frying pan or oven at 375F until crispy. Remove from the heat and chop finely when cooled. Set the oven to 450F.

In order to bake the sweet potatoes with the prettiest results, bake them whole after cleaning them with warm water and poking a few holes in them. I sliced my very large potatoes in half in order to reduce the amount of baking time. With this method, the exposed flesh develops a skin that needs to be removed and discarded before serving.

While the potatoes are baking, sauté the onions, garlic and other vegetables in oil on medium heat until translucent. Add the ground beef and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the beef has cooked through. Add the tomato sauce, stock powder and bacon, mixing well.  Once the potatoes are baked, cut each of them in half, vertically and scoop out the potato until only half an inch lines the skin. Combine the potato in with the bolognese mixture.

Scoop the bolognese into the potato skins until filled and top with parmesan cheese. Broil on high for 5 minutes. Remove and top with chopped basil.

As tasty as they look.

Zucchini Pasta Primavera

A friend of mine recently purchased the Paderno spiral slicer (https://paderno.com) and has been raving about her re-inspired pasta dish that replaces spaghetti with zucchini noodles. Yep, the spiral slicer will give you long, spaghetti-like noodles from a zucchini. I had to give it a try. I wasn't interested in buying another appliance, but I had alternatives.

In the adjacent picture, I used the julienne slicing disc attachment on my KitchenAid food processor. I also experimented with a simple vegetable peeler and while neither tool gets the same results as the spiral slicer, it provides a viable substitute. This version is vegetarian, but my friend usually adds a few Italian sausages to her recipe. You need a good shot of protein in this dish to fill you up. I would add toasted pine nuts, or roasted chick peas if sausage doesn't work for you.

Adapted: From my head!

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 small zucchinis
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 T olive oil
• handful basil, chopped
• handful cherry tomatoes, sliced
• salt and pepper to taste
• grated parmesan to taste

Method

Slice/grate the zucchinis using the tool of your choice. For the vegetable peeler, I left the skins on and kept the end on the zucchinis to give me something to grip while I peeled. For the julienne slicer, I also left the skin on, but cut the ends off each of the zucchinis.

Warm the olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Sauté the garlic for a minute and then add the zucchini, tossing it thoroughly to coat it with the oil.  Let the zucchini heat up for about 2 minutes. I opted not to cook it further in order to keep the texture of the zucchini somewhat al dente. Too much heat time in the pan will also extract the water from the zucchini, causing the dish to get soggy. Add the tomato and basil, tossing well and remove from heat. Season with salt, pepper and parmesan cheese.