Monthly Archives: April 2019

Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

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Looking for a quick, easy, but absolutely delicious dinner that doesn’t look easy or quick?? Here you go!

Thai Satay 5

We used full chicken thighs tonight for a super quick easy dinner, only marinated for 20 minutes, and they were still delicious!

If you want an amazing appetizer, thread these on skewers and serve with the sauce on the side ….. everybody loves a great peanut sauce.

Ingredients

  • 400 g/14oz coconut milk

MARINADE:

  • 600 g / 1.2lb chicken thighs , boneless skinless, cut into bite size pieces or full chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 2 tsp red curry paste
  • 1 tsp salt

Thai Satay 1

THAI PEANUT SAUCE:

  • 2 tbsp red curry paste
  • 3/4 cup natural peanut butter, smooth
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp of chili flakes (to your taste)
  • 3/4 cup  water(approximately – start with 1/2 cup and thin if necessary)
Thai Satay 2

When I’m cooking Thai food, I always use palm sugar, it adds such a complex sweet flavour.

Thai Satay 3

SERVING:

  • 2 tbsp peanuts finely chopped

  • SERVING:

    • Pour some sauce into a bowl. Sprinkle with some peanuts – stir some through if you want.
    • Pile satay skewers onto a platter, sprinkle with remaining peanuts, coriander and chilli.

    • Serve with sauce on the side for dipping.  Lime wedge for squeezing.

      If cooking on a BBQ or over charcoal, soak skewers for 2 hours in water.

    • THAI CHICKEN SATAY SKEWERS:

      • Mix together the chicken and Marinade with 1/4 cup of coconut milk, then set aside for at least 20 minutes, or overnight.
      • Thread onto skewers – I do 4 to 5 pieces each.
      • Heat 1.5 tbsp oil in a large non stick pan over medium high heat.
      • Cook skewers in batches for 3 minutes on each side until golden.
      • If using full chicken thighs, grill over medium heat until cooked through.
    • Thai Satay 4
    • Don’t miss this step!  Toast peanuts, chop and use as a garnish – so worth the extra effort.  Any nut, toasted, tastes better.

    • THAI PEANUT SAUCE:

      • Place remaining coconut milk and Peanut Sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium low heat.
      • Stir to combine then simmer, stirring every now and then, for 5 minutes.
      • Adjust consistency with water – it should be a pourable but thickish sauce.
      • Cover with lid and keep warm while cooking skewers.

    • Thai Satay 6

  • Have you been to RecipeTinEats website?? Her recipes are amazing – easy but complex.  This is a great example of an easy weeknight dinner that is incredibly delicious.  This peanut sauce makes way more than you need, but can be kept in the fridge for another night, or freezes well.

Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Soup

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On a cool night, this creamy soup is just perfect.

Chicken Mushroom Soup 5

I forgot to add the chicken tonight, and it was still delicious.  It could be completely vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

INGREDIENTS:

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
    • 2 stalks celery, diced
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    • 4 cups chicken stock
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1/2 cup cream
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • slivered green onions
  • cooked and crumbled bacon

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
  2. Melt butter in the stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaf and chicken thighs, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
  4. Stir in half and half until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more half and half as needed until desired consistency is reached.
  5. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, rosemary, green onions and bacoN, if desired.

Chicken Mushroom soup 2

Chicken Mushroom soup 1

I used crimini and white white mushrooms tonight, but you could use any mushroom.

Chicken Mushroom Soup 3

Chicken Mushroom soup 4

I love the way soups are taken over the top with the garnishes.

 

Raspberry Macaroons

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Raspberry macaroons

So pretty, these raspberry macaroons are absolutely delicious.

  • 1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 Package (6 ounces) Driscoll’s Raspberries
  • 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 4 packed cups unsweetened shredded or fine flake coconut (7 ½ ounces/212g)
  • 1 Tsp. salt
  • 1 Tsp. vanilla extract
  • 6 Ounces dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1 Tsp. coconut oil
  • PREHEAT oven to 325˚F.
  • LINE two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • PLACE 1/4 cup sugar to a medium bowl.
  • ADD 1 package raspberries.
  • MASH mixture with a fork or muddler until berries are broken down.
  • SET ASIDE raspberry mixture to macerate, about 2 minutes.
  • PLACE remaining 1 cup sugar into bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment.
  • ADD 4 eggs whites.
  • WHISK mixture on high speed until foamy.
  • ADD raspberry mixture, 4 cups coconut, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
  • WHISK until well combined.
  • ADD more coconut as needed to make sure all liquid is absorbed into mixture.

    Raspberry macaroons 4

    Depending on how juicy your raspberries are, it may take up to a cup of additional coconut in order to get the right texture.

  • SCOOP 2-tablespoon-sized macaroons onto prepared baking sheets.
  • PRESS and PAT surface of macaroons with fingertips to ensure they look tidy and don’t crack while baking.
    Raspberry Macaroons 5
  • BAKE for about 30 minutes or until the tops are dry and lightly golden brown and ROTATEsheets halfway through bake.
  • PLACE baking sheets onto cooling racks.

    Raspberry macaroons 2

    Bake until just lightly golden.

  • ALLOW macaroons to cool for about 10 minutes.
  • PLACE 6 ounces dark chocolate into a microwave safe bowl.
  • ADD 1 teaspoon coconut oil.
  • HEAT chocolate mixture in microwave for 15 seconds.
  • STIR chocolate mixture.
  • CONTINUE heating and stirring chocolate in microwave in brief intervals until completely melted.
  • DIP bottoms of macaroons into melted chocolate.
  • DRIZZLE tops of macaroons with remaining melted chocolate as desired.
    Raspberry Macaroons 1
  • CHILL macaroons in refrigerator until chocolate is set, about 20 minutes.
  • ALLOW macaroons to come to room temperature before serving.Raspberry macaroons 3

I watched a video on Instagram from feedfeed, and they made these macaroons with blackberries – they looked so delicious, and I had everything already in the house, as long as I worked with raspberries instead of blackberries – the recipe came from Driscoll’s Berry website.

Beautiful Barley Bowl

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Beautiful bowl 7

This bright and beautiful bowl is packed with intense flavour and crunchy bits along with the chewy barley combined alongside pickled radish & ginger.

Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup miso paste
  • 4 tsp honey
  • 3 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp wasabi paste
  • 2 tsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup minced cilantro (use the stems!)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and give it a good whiz until it is bright and creamy.

Beautiful bowl 1

Gather all the dressing ingredients together and it will take just a few minutes to combine.

Beautiful bowl 2

Use the stems of the cilantro, that is where the most flavour is – mince it first before blending.

Beautiful bowl 3

Bright, fresh, green – this dressing is a flavour packed bomb.  I’m sure it would be great on anything as well as this bowl …. I’m going to put it to use in whatever way I can find.

Pickled Radish:

  • 6-8 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Slice radishes, and sprinkle with salt and sugar, then pour the rice vinegar over.  Allow the radishes to sit for at least 10 minutes.

Beautiful bowl 4

Barley:

  • 4 cups water
  • 1 tsp chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp miso paste
  • 1 1/2 cups pearl barley

Bring water, miso and stock to a boil, then add the barley.  Bring to a slow gentle boil and allow barley to cook until just tender – about 25-30 minutes.  Rinse under cool water and allow to drain.

This recipe was inspired by Whitewater Cooks, and her Beautiful BC Bowl with salmon ….but you can do whatever you like with it.

YOUR BOWL:

If you are cooking a protein, marinade in some of the dressing, and then grill until cooked.  Grilling is by far the best – the honey will stick to any fry pan you use!

Beautiful bowl 6

This is as customizable as your fridge!  Use what you’ve got – tonight we had leftover flank steak so that made our protein, but honestly without a protein you will enjoy this just as much.

Assemble bowl with the barley, protein of choice and an assortment of toppings.  Tonight we used:

  • roasted peanuts
  • roasted sesame seeds
  • avocado
  • sliced snow peas
  • halved cucumber slices
  • slivered green onions
  • sautéed mushrooms
  • sautéed red onions & sweet peppers
  • cilantro, roughly chopped
  • nori sheets – roasted lightly and slivered

Everything about this bowl is a delight!  Customize it to your tastes.

 

Oven Roasted Chicken Breasts

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These chicken breasts will convince you that a quick delicious meal can be on your table in 20-30 minutes.  In the time this takes to roast you can have some rice made and vegetables sautéed for a complete dinner.

Chicken breast 2

These chicken breasts were so moist that the juices just glistened.

JUICY CHICKEN BREASTS – super easy, super quick and delicious!

  • Always season your chicken breast, not just salt and pepper but choose your favorite spices and herbs. Make sure to pat the chicken dry first before seasoning because moisture causes steam which will prevent your chicken from browning.
  • Don’t be afraid to add a little bit of fat like olive oil or butter. Chicken breasts need some fat to keep them juicy and flavorful.
  • If you’ve got the time, brine your chicken for 2 to 4 hours in a solution made with water, salt and other things you may prefer like soy sauce or beer. Basic brine ratio is 1 tbsp salt to 1 cup of water.
  • Baking time can vary depending on the thickness of the breasts, so invest in an instant read thermometer for best results. Cooking time is generally 20 to 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 165 F degrees.
  • It’s important to take it out of the oven right then and allow it to rest for all those juices to evenly distribute throughout the chicken breast.
  • Save the pan drippings and use them to drizzle over the chicken for extra flavor!
Chicken Breast

I used paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasonings as well as salt and pepper.  The secret is to use way more seasoning than you think you will need, and top with a pat of butter.  That butter seeps down into the chicken and also helps to create those delicious pan juices.

I don’t usually love plain chicken breasts without stuffing, or crispy skin but these breasts are so moist and delicious I loved them, and so will you.  I found this recipe on “Jo Cooks” and couldn’t believe how quick and easy it was for this amount of flavour.

Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

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Oatmeal cookies 6

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1½ cups quick-cooking rolled oats
  • 1/2  cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup cranberries
  • 1 cup coconut, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Oatmeal cookies 1

Make sure you beat the butter, sugar, egg & vanilla mixture until it is fluffy before stirring in the dry ingredients.  Only stir until everything is combined.

  1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
  2. In a bowl of a standup mixer, cream together the sugars and butter. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Slowly add the flour mixture and continue to mix in batches. Stir in the coconut, oats, cranberries and walnuts.

Oatmeal cookies 2

  1. Using a 1¼” cookie scoop (or small spoon) drop small balls on a ungreased cookie sheet spacing 2″ apart. Bake for 12-14 min. or until golden brown. Cool on cookie racks. Store in airtight containers. Will freeze well.

Oatmeal cookies 4

Oatmeal cookies 5

Crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle, these oatmeal coconut cookies are fantastic!

 

Bright Crunchy Thai salad with Peanut Lime Dressing

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Brighter skies, longer days, and warm temperatures mean I’m looking for meals that are lighter and feel so good to eat!  The flavours of this dressing are so good you are going to want a big batch to keep in the fridge – use it to dip any fresh vegetables in.

Sesame chli lime cashews 3

Served tonight with some lightly garlic buttered prawns …. a perfect meal.

Dressing

  • juice of 2 limes
  • zest of 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp Ponzu sauce
  • 3 tbsp sweet chili sauce
  • 1 – 2 tsp grated or minced garlic (to your taste)
  •  1 tbsp grated or minced ginger
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup cilantro (the stems are perfect for this, they pack so much flavour – just mince a bit before putting in the blender
  • 1/3 cup roasted peanuts

Combine all ingredients in blender and whiz up until smooth and creamy.

Gather up all the vegetables that scream fresh to you and make an awesome crunchy salad.

Lightly seasoned cashews make a fantastic crunchy topping!

In a frypan combine:

  • 1 1/3 cups cashews
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

Sesame Chili Lime cashews

Toss and heat until cashews are lightly browned and then cook for a further minute with:

  • 1 tbsp honey
  • zest of 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp black sesame seeds (lightly toasted)

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Sesame chli lime cashews 2

This dressing makes more than you will need.  If you want to make a complete meal out of this, then scoop out about 1/2 cup and marinate a protein for grilling.  It works equally well with flank steak or chicken.  I haven’t tried it with tofu, but I’m sure it would be great.  Grill steak or chicken and allow to rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.  Cool before serving with the salad.

Chocolate Chip Crisp Cookies

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Cookies 6

Cookies are such a treat!  You can convince yourself (quite easily) that you are eating a nutritious cookie with the addition of wheat germ and rolled oats ….. (insert eye roll).

  • 1 3/4 cups unbleached flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup white sugar (granulated)
  • 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup large flake rolled oats (not instant)
  • 1 cup puffed rice cereal
  • 1/2 cup wheat germ
  • 1 – 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cups chopped pecans

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, set aside.

Cookies 1

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand held blender, beat the butter for 1 minute.  Beat in the sugars until the mixture is quite light and fluffy.  Scape down the sides and beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Blend well between the 1st and 2nd egg.  Beat in the vanilla and remove the bowl from the stand.

Cookies 2

You can see how fluffy the butter, sugars and eggs are – now is the time to work it by hand.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the dry mixture just until combined.  Stir in the oats, cereal and wheat germ.  Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.

Cookies 3

You don’t want to over mix cookie dough – stir just until combined.

Drop the batter in heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.  You should be able to get about 12 cookies on a regular cookie sheet.

Cookies 4

What are those coloured bits you ask?  I had coloured rice crisps …..

One sheet at a time, bake in the centre of the oven until set and lightly browned around the edges.  My oven took 11 minutes, but check after 9 – ovens can be so different!  Cool the cookies on the sheet, set on a wire rack for about 5 minutes before removing to a separate wire rack to cool completely.

The results are best if you allow the cookie sheet to cool slightly before putting the next batch on to bake.

Cookies 5

So many schools have restrictions on nuts these days – you could always replace the pecans with raisins (but not in this house) or dried cranberries.