Posts Tagged Canadian Living

Eggplant Gnocchi w/ Brown Butter and Pine Nut Sauce

March 29, 2011 at 7:59 pm · Filed under Main Dish, Vegetarian ·Tagged ,

Source: The Vegetarian Collection by Allison Kent

I never made the Pine Nut Sauce that is suggested (and listed below) with this recipe, but instead used a Sage-Walnut Butter and a Balsamic Syrup.

Makes 2 servings (I got 3.5)

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp pine nuts
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Eggplant Gnocchi:
1 large eggplant, (about 1 lb/500 g)
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
Eggplant Gnocchi: Peel eggplant and cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes. Place on parchment paper–lined baking sheet; toss with salt. Roast in 350°F (180°C) oven, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is very soft, about 40 minutes.

Transfer eggplant to food processor; purée until fairly smooth with some chunks. Add egg; pulse, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, until smooth. Transfer to bowl; stir in 3/4 cup (175 mL) of the flour, adding just enough of the remaining flour to create soft dough.

Turn dough out onto floured work surface; knead a few times, adding more flour if necessary to prevent sticking, just until dough holds together. Shape into log; divide into quarters. Shape each quarter into 3/4-inch (2 cm) diameter rope.

With sharp knife, cut each rope diagonally into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. (Make-ahead: Freeze on baking sheet for 2 hours or until firm; scrape into resealable freezer bags and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

In large skillet, melt butter over medium heat; fry pine nuts until lightly toasted and butter just begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.

Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi, stirring gently, until they float; boil for 5 minutes.

Return skillet to medium heat; using slotted spoon, scoop gnocchi into hot pan. Add parsley, lemon juice and 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the cooking water; toss to coat.

Nutritional Info (with Brown Butter and Pine Nut Sauce)
Per serving: about –
cal 488
pro 12 g
total fat 21 g
sat. fat 9 g
carb 65 g
fibre 7 g
chol 123 mg
sodium 968 mg

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Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

January 26, 2011 at 6:00 pm · Filed under Main Dish, Poultry, Poultry, Slow Cooker ·Tagged ,

Source: Canadian Living – The Slow Cooker Collection by Elizabeth Baird

As always I ended up doubling the sauce. I loved how easy this was to make!

Makes 6 servings in a 4.5 – 6 quart slow cooker.

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
12 chicken thighs, skinned
4 cups thinly sliced onions
1/2 cup orange juice*
1/2 cup sodium-reduced chicken stock*
2 Tbsp mild curry paste*
3 cloves garlic, minced*
1 Tbsp grated gingerroot*
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour*
* doubled
Topping:
2/3 cup thinly sliced red onions
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lime juice or lemon juice
3/4 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander

DIRECTIONS
In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken. Transfer to slow cooker. Drain fat from pan.

Fry onions, stirring occasionally, until almost softened, about 10 minutes; scrape over chicken.

Whisk together orange juice, stock, curry paste, garlic and ginger; pour into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced.

Scrape onions off chicken. With slotted spoon, transfer chicken to platter; cover and keep warm. Whisk flour with 1/4 cup (50 mL) water; whisk into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until thickened, about 15 minutes. Pour over chicken.

Topping: Meanwhile, sprinkle onion with salt ; let stand for 15 minutes. Rinse in cold water; pat dry. In small bowl, toss onion with lime juice. Top each serving with yogurt then red onion. Sprinkle with coriander.

Variations
Small Batch Indian-Spiced Chicken:
Use 10-cup (2.5 L) slow cooker. Halve recipe; cook for 4 hours or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced. Makes 2 to 4 servings.
Stove-Top Indian-Spiced Chicken: Brown onions as directed; transfer to bowl. Brown chicken; top with onions. Add stock mixture; cover and simmer until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 45 minutes.

Transfer chicken to platter; keep warm. Reduce flour to 1 tbsp and whisk with 2 tbsp water; whisk into pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour over chicken. Prepare topping as directed.

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Artichoke Pesto Linguine

January 16, 2011 at 7:00 pm · Filed under Main Dish, Vegetarian ·Tagged ,

Source: The Vegetarian Collection by Allison Kent

This fresh pesto comes together in minutes while the pasta is cooking. Its light taste and spring-green colour brightens up any table. Since you need only a small amount for this dish, you can freeze half for another use.

Another use = a dip! I added 1/4 cup of Feta cheese to the leftovers and warmed it all up, and it was delicious.

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS
12 oz linguine
2 jars (6 oz.) marinated artichoke, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS
In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for about 8 minutes or until tender but firm. Reserving 3/4 cup of the liquid, drain and return to pot or place in serving bowl.

Meanwhile, in food processor, pulse together artichokes, parsley, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, oil, salt and pepper until smooth. Transfer half to small airtight container and reserve for another use. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

Add remaining pesto to pasta along with enough of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten; toss to coat.

Nutritional Info
Per serving: about –
cal 454
pro 14 g
total fat 14 g
sat. fat 2 g
carb 68 g
fibre 6 g
chol 3 mg
sodium 445 mg

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Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken

January 8, 2011 at 10:58 am · Filed under Main Dish, Poultry, Poultry, Slow Cooker ·Tagged

Source: Canadian Living – The Slow Cooker Collection by Elizabeth Baird

Makes 4 servings in a 4.5 – 6 quart slow cooker

Loved this recipe and as Canadian Living says –

This family-friendly chicken needs lots of rice to soak up its tangy orange sauce. With youngsters, this recipe will feed six.

INGREDIENTS
2 green onions
1 each sweet red and green pepper
3 carrots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
8 chicken thighs
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup each liquid honey and soy sauce
3 Tbsp tomato paste
3 Tbsp cornstarch

DIRECTIONS
Chop white parts of onions; place in slow cooker. Thinly slice green parts; set aside.

Seed, core and cut red and green peppers into 1/2 inch pieces. Add red pepper to slow cooker; set green pepper aside.  Add carrots and garlic to slow cooker.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high; brown chicken, in batches if necessary. Transfer to slow cooker.

Drain fat from skillet.  Add orange juice; bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from bottom of skillet. Whisk in honey, soy sauce and tomato paste; scrape into slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Cover; cook low until juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 4 hours. Skim off fat. Move chicken and pepper to 1 side of slow cooker.

Whisk cornstarch with 1/4 cup water; stir into liquid in slow cooker.  Stir in green pepper.

Cover and cook on high until thickened and green pepper is tender-crisp, about 15 minutes.

**Make-ahead: let cook for 30 minutes. Refrigerate, uncovered, in airtight containers until cold. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Sprinkle with reserved onions.

Nutritional Info
Per serving (without skin): about –
cal 516
pro 27 g
total fat 19 g
sat. fat 5 g
carb 63 g
fibre 4 g
chol 93 mg
sodium 2470 mg

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Vegetable Biryani

January 7, 2011 at 10:34 am · Filed under Main Dish, Vegetarian ·Tagged , , ,

Source: The Vegetarian Collection by Allison Kent

Another hit from Canadian Living.

This curry-scented vegetable, lentil, dried fruit and nut pilaf is a symphony of textures and flavours. It’s great on its own, but you could also serve each plate with a spoonful of plain yogurt or Raita. Serve with Naan bread if desired.

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Serves: 4 (I feel like we got 6 -8 servings)

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup dried green lentils
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp curry paste (I used a mild curry powder)
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
2 cups small cauliflower florets
1 cup basmati rice
1/4 cup raisins
2-1/4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup green peas
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds (optional)

DIRECTIONS
In saucepan of boiling water, cook lentils for 10 minutes; drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute nion until deep golden, 6 minutes. Add carrots, garlic, curry paste, salt and pepper; saute until fragrant,
3 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, rice, raisins and lentils to coat.

Add stock and bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice and vegetables are tender, 20 minutes. Stir in peas and warm through, 4 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds (if using).

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Slow Cooker Indonesian Chicken in Peanut Sauce

November 17, 2010 at 10:46 am · Filed under Poultry, Slow Cooker ·Tagged

Source: Canadian Living – The Slow Cooker Collection by Elizabeth Baird

Makes 4 servings in a 4.5 – 6 quart slow cooker

This was an easy and tasty recipe. I love that I could just dump the ingredients in the slow cooker and walk away! (You can also use a Dutch oven to make this.)

INGREDIENTS
8 chicken thighs
5 carrots, sliced
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/4 cups water
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 cup cup frozen peas
1 tsp white wine vinegar
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup chopped unsalted peanuts

DIRECTIONS
Pull skin off chicken and discard. Place chicken, carrots, onions and garlic in slow cooker.

I doubled the sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together water, peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger and hot pepper flakes; pour into slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low until vegetables are tender and juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 4 to 5 hours. Skim off fat.
(Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minute. Refrigerate, uncovered, in airtight containers until cold. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.)

Add peas and vinegar; cover and cook on high until steaming hot, about 10 minutes. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and peanuts. (Skipped the garnishing.)

Nutritional Info
Per serving: about –
cal 655
pro 48 g
total fat 39 g
sat. fat 8 g
carb 34 g
fiber 9 g
chol 115 mg
sodium 1,467 mg

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Healthy 10-minute Pizza Crust

January 28, 2010 at 4:10 pm · Filed under Main Dish ·Tagged

Source: Canadian Living’s Best – Easy Cooking

I was so happy to stumble upon this recipe as it was easy to make and very tasty.  I love that the dough only needed ten minutes to rise!

The dough can be stored in a plastic bag coated with cooking spray in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using.

Sorry, no photo – we were hungry.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 -1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rising (instant) yeast, (or about 1 tablespoon/15 ml)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup – 1 cup hot water, (~125°F)

DIRECTIONS
In a food processor, with dough blade, combine whole wheat flour,1 cup all-purpose flou yeast, salt and sugar. With motor running, gradually pour in oil and 3/4 cup water, beating and adding up to 1/4 cup more water if necessary to form dough into ball. Process for 1 minute.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into 12-inch circle, and top as desired.

Cook at 500F for 12 to 15 minutes.

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Breakfast Drop Cookies

July 20, 2009 at 9:49 am · Filed under Breakfast ·Tagged ,

Source: Canadian Living’s Best – Easy Cooking

I love having these around for the days I’m too busy to grab breakfast.

Breakfast Cookie

INGREDIENTS
1 cup 100% bran cereal
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (I used 1/2 this amt.)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup raisins
1 tbsp ground flax seed (my own addition)

DIRECTIONS
In bowl, combine cereal with milk; let stand for 10 minutes.
Beat in egg, sugar, oil and vanilla.
In large bowl, combine all-purpose and whole wheat flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; stir in carrots and raisins. (Add flax seed, if using)
Stir in cereal mixture just until moistened.
Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto lightly greased baking sheet; flatten slightly with fork.
Bake in 400 F oven for 15 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched.
Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes; transfer to rack and let cool completely.

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