Author Archives: Chatty Kathy

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About Chatty Kathy

Living in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in BC, we have an abundance of fresh food to cook with, and believe me, I do! We have 5 daughters, 3 grand daughters, and lots of honorary daughters ...I love cooking for family and friends and they all keep me busy in the kitchen. Here is hoping that this blog will allow my entire family to access those recipes they ask for, and maybe even enjoy a few travel photos!

Pasta

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Hand making your own pasta is a labour of love …. and tastes simply divine!

It helps if  you have pint size helper around….                  

1 cup all purpose flour

2 cups 00 flour

3 eggs

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

7 tbsp COLD water

Pulse the flour in a food processor a few times, to give it a little air, and fluff it up a bit.

In a measuring bowl combine eggs, oil and water – beating lightly.

Slowly pour the wet mixture into the food processor, while the flour is being aerated.  The mixture will form a ball, attached to the blade.  If this doesn’t happen, and the dough is wet and sticky, just add bits of flour until it does.  If the dough is too dry, just add water, 1 tbsp at a time until it forms a ball and holds on to the blade.

Turn onto floured surface and knead for a minute by hand.  The dough should feel soft, smooth and just a bit stretchy.  It is important to let it rest before shaping your pasta.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.   If using within a few hours, just let it rest at room temperature.  The dough is good in the fridge for a couple of days, and can be frozen for up to a month or so – allow to defrost in the fridge then bring to room temperature.

When ready to roll, cut your dough into 6 pieces to make it easy to work with.  Keep the pieces you aren’t using either in plastic wrap or in a floured tea towel.  Working with 1 piece at a time, flour well, and roll through your pasta press at the largest setting.  Once you have worked it down a couple of settings fold in triple, and return to a large setting to run it through again.  This seems to knead the dough that little extra bit and makes it so tender.  Continue putting through your roller until you end up on about (on mine anyway) setting 3.  This works well for putting through the shaper to make spaghetti, linguine etc.  Make sure to flour well before putting through press – adding flour as necessary to make your dough easy to handle.

If you don’t have a pasta press you probably aren’t going to the trouble of hand making pasta … but if you are …. just use a rolling pin or wine bottle, whatever you have on hand and roll the dough until thin enough and cut into strips.  Really not hard!

Keep all the prepared pasta covered on a floured tea towel until ready to use.  Or if you have one of these handy drying racks you can put it to use – I used to have wooden spoons strung out all over the kitchen before I got this gadget from Hayley, Mike and Sloan.

 

Bring LOTS of water to a boil, then add 2 generous TBSP salt.  Stir in fresh pasta and cook pretty much just until it rises to the top – taste …

To serve, have your pasta sauce simmering away in a saucepan beside the pasta pot and gradually add the pasta to it – adding pasta water as necessary.  Stir the pasta through the sauce, taste and season as necessary with salt and pepper.  Finish with a grating of fresh cheese.

This is enough pasta to serve 6-8 people.

Here it is served my Italian Pot Roast …. look for that yummy recipe too!

Fettuccine Alfredo ….ish

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I love pappardelle pasta – if you make (or buy good quality) pasta these hearty noodles are so perfect for holding on to a sauce.  Tonight’s version was a way of using up leftover chicken from my Moroccan Spice Chicken. Another favorite to serve with the alfredo is panko crusted chicken – love the crunchy texture with the creamy pasta.

500 gm pappardelle pasta

kosher salt

1/2 cup butter

2 leeks (white and tender green parts) thinly sliced

1/2 cup sliced red onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup good white wine

1 tsp mustard powder (or dijon mustard)

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup cheese (I like to use mostly parmesan reggiano, but you can add a bit of other cheese as well, mozzarella, ementhal, romano … etc)

chili flakes

salt and pepper

cooked chicken/prawns/ham – whatever you have left in the fridge … or leave it as is – you will still think it is the best alfredo!

Melt butter in saucepan – add leeks and onions, cooking until tender and translucent.

While onions are cooking, add your pasta to the boiling water and cook just until al dente.  Remove from heat, drain and keep warm.

To your onions, add garlic cloves, mustard, white wine, chili flakes to taste (start with 1/2 tsp and see how you like it!), and cream.  Heat through, remove from heat and stir in cheeses. If you are adding any of the cooked protein, this is the time to do it.

Toss it all together, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with extra parmesan cheese to grate over the top.

Grilled Vegetables

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One of the best ways to enjoy fresh seasonal vegetables is to grill them – often just right on the grilling surface and don’t mess around with them too much!

 Let the fresh flavour speak for itself.

Zucchini likes to be brushed with a little olive oil, and sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground pepper – while tomatoes like just a little olive oil and save the seasoning for after they come off the grill.

Cauliflower can get a little tough on the grill so I like to steam it a bit first, until almost cooked.  Toss with a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice to keep that bright whiteness, and season with  bit of salt and pepper.

Asparagus is happier if you just grill it right on the cooking surface naked … then dress it up with a drizzle of your best olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon, season with salt and pepper.  Added flavour punch comes from occasionally treating it to a bit of freshly grated Parmesan and/or toasted nuts.

Moroccan Quinoa Salad

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SALAD

3 cups cooked quinoa                                                                         

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed well

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1/2 cup each finely diced red, yellow and orange peppers

1/3 cup diced sun dried tomato

1/2 cup olives

GARNISH

1/4 cups chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

DRESSING

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

Toss cooked quinoa with vegetables into bowl.  Drizzle with dressing, and just before serving mix in the fresh herbs, garnishing with the toasted almonds.

Serve with Moroccan Spice Chicken

Moroccan Spice Chicken

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MOROCCAN SPICE RUB

Combine all ingredients and blend well:                             

  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • lemon juice
  • olive oil

Massage chicken with olive oil and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice then  rub spice ingredient both under the skin and over – sprinkle into cavity as well.

This works really well on a beer can chicken holder – you can either do it on the bbq or in your oven @ 375 degrees, for approximately 20 minutes per pound.

If you roast it in the oven fill a roasting pan with sliced red onions and a couple of lemons (halved).  Pour in enough chicken stock to cover onions.  Baste the chicken half way through the cooking with this liquid.

If you don’t have a beer can chicken holder – just lay the bird on the onions and let the juices run.

When the chicken has reached a temperature of 180 degrees, remove from heat and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

If you have cooked the chicken with the onions, reduce the                                     onions and liquid to make a soupy delicious onion jam to serve alongside the chicken.

Look for my Moroccan Quinoa Salad to serve this with, along with grilled

vegetables, simple, easy and fantastic!

Chicken and Chorizo Paella – Casa Katarina style

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Once upon a time I had a really fun Spanish Tapas Bar … one of our specialties was Paella.  We served either a meat paella, a seafood paella, or the specialty of the house – Paella Parellada combining the best of all!

Olive oil

2 cups rice

4 cups good quality chicken stock (1 tsp saffron threads & 1 tsp turmeric powder added)

3 chorizo sausages, thinly sliced

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 stalks celery, finely sliced

1 zucchini, quartered and sliced

1/2 red and yellow pepper – diced

1/2 cup sliced green beans

1 tsp each dried oregano, parsley, basil

1/2 cup whole olives

1/2 cup quartered artichoke hearts

salt and pepper to taste

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped

lemon wedges

Remember – all recipes are just guidelines!  Use whatever vegetables and meat you have on hand.  This particular recipe is for a meat paella – but feel free to do this with your own appetite in mind.  One of our favorites is a seafood paella – and so impressive!  Watch for a photo of that one of these days …..

Heat olive oil in paella pan (or other casserole style dish that is not too deep and can be used on both the top of the range and in the oven).  When oil has heated, add onions and sweat just until translucent.  Add chicken breast and cook until almost cooked through – stirring just enough to allow bits of carmelization on the meat.  Add the fresh vegetables and saute lightly.  Stir in dry rice, seasonings and stir for a few minutes to allow the rice to heat up a bit, and brown lightly.

Heat chicken stock and dissolve saffron threads along with turmeric powder.

Slowly pour 3 cups of chicken stock into rice/vegetable/meat mixture and allow to cook just until most of the liquid has been absorbed.  Stir in the chorizo sausage, olives and artichoke hearts.  Add the rest of the chicken stock if needed.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Go creative – add thinly sliced colored peppers to the top around the dish before covering with tin foil, or your lid, and baking at 350 just until rice has full absorbed and is fluffy.

Saute tomatoes only until heated through and pile in the center of your paella – scatter with scallions and parsley.

Be sure to serve with fresh lemon wedges to be squeezed over top – this really brings out the flavour!

Quinoa Couscous Salad

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Here we go again – salads without exact measurements, but a general idea.  Recipes are really just ideas on a sheet of paper, what is important is taking them and making them your own – use ingredients that you love!

equal portions of cooked quinoa and couscous

quartered and thinly sliced cucumber

chopped tomato

chopped black olive

diced red onion

feta cheese

fresh basil, mint and dill

salt and pepper

DRESSING

juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

6 tbsp good quality olive oil

1 generous tsp dijon mustard

1 garlic clove

salt and pepper to taste

Toss all salad ingredients together first and allow to sit for a few minutes while you mix up the dressing.  Whisk all dressing ingredients together, and toss with salad … TASTE for salt and pepper, and only add as needed – remember the olives and the feta cheese are salty all by themselves!

Feta Greek Chicken Burgers

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You are going to love these Greek style chicken, pork burgers

studded with herbs and feta cheese!  

Great dinner when served with Quinoa Couscous Salad

Burgers are really just ideas … following are the ingredients in my burgers, with an approximate portion plan:

equal portions ground chicken and hot italian sausage meat (approx 1 pound each)

2 tbsp minced basil

2 tbsp minced mint

1 large minced garlic clove

3 scallions, sliced fine

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp each of salt and pepper

Lightly toss all ingredients together until just mixed.  Do not overmix your meat or it will end up with the texture of a meatloaf!  Form burger patties and place onto lined baking sheet.  Set aside, either in freezer or fridge until you are ready to grill and they have had time to rest.

Grill on greased surface until cooked through.

Serve with:

Grilled thin slices zucchini (lightly coated with olive oil, salt and pepper)

Grilled thick tomato slices (dusted with salt and pepper)

Coat each side of your pita style bun with a generous dollop of mint/dill yogurt sauce:

MINT/DILL YOGURT SAUCE

1 cup greek style yogurt

1/2 cup grated, drained cucumber

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp finely chopped dill

1 tbsp minced mint (try to say that a few times!)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, and put in fridge to set up and allow flavours to blend.

Coconut Chili Vegetables

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This recipe was created spur of the moment, when I needed another dish to round out dinner – Chinese Grilled Pork and Fried Rice … even with all the chopped vegetables in the rice dish, we needed more greens.  This was so simple, and could easily be turned into a full meal by adding any protein you were inclined to add.  The best thing is the simplicity – throw it all in a pot!

1 cup coconut milk                               

1 tbsp sambal oelek

1 tbsp minced garlic

bok choy

chinese mushrooms

red onion

Heat coconut milk, garlic and sambal oelek just until boiling point – add onions.  When slightly tender stir in the rest of your vegetables and allow to simmer just until cooked through – being careful not to overcook them or they will lose their vibrancy and wilt.

Chinese Grilled Pork and Fried Rice

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It is May, which is usually when I would prefer to be grilling dinner, or doing anything that doesn’t involve a lot of chopping in the kitchen … however – such a rainy day I didn’t mind the chopping involved in any Chinese dinner!

PORK TENDERLOIN

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 pound pork tenderloin
1/4 cup hot and sweep bbq sauce

PORK:   In ziplock bag, add soy and oyster sauce, ginger and garlic, and sesame oil. Add pork and let marinate for at least 1 hour in fridge, but much better if left over night.

Heat grill to medium-high, and grill pork on both sides until done. Heat remaining marinade to 165 degrees F and use to baste meat as it cooks. When meat is almost cooked through, glaze both sides with hot and sweet bbq sauce and let finish cooking while sauce caramelizes on meat. Remove from grill, allow to stand for 10 minutes, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

RICE

4 tablespoons canola oil                                                     
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced snap peas
1/2 cup peeled, diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 cups short-grain white rice, cooked and cooled
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

RICE:  While pork is standing, heat oil in wok or large skillet on high heat until oil almost begins to smoke. Add ginger, and all vegetables except garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked, then add garlic. Before garlic browns, add rice and mix rapidly so rice does not stick to sides of wok or pan.

Once entire mixture is thoroughly combined, push to the side of your wok or frypan, and pour beaten eggs  into a hot spot …. toss until cooked through, and toss with the rice/vegetable mixture.   Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil.  Toss well until combined through and rice looks well coated.

Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

If you are would like an additional vegetable dish to round out this meal check out my coconut chili bok choy!