Galleries

This One-Bowl Recipe Makes Two Family Favourites that Take You from Weekday to Weekend!

Posted in Meal planningFormat Post format: GalleryLeave a comment

You have to love it when the same 8 simple ingredients make two different meals that everyone in the family is likely to enjoy.  That’s definitely the case for the recipe I’m posting today, and the great news is that you are likely to have most of this on hand already:

  • Ground chicken
  • chopped onion
  • breadcrumbs
  • eggs
  • salt
  • Pepper
  • dry mustard
  • and a little tomato juice

Combine it all in a bowl and it will turn into a wonderful Chicken ‘Meat’ Loaf for a weeknight meal and some very tasty Chicken Sliders to barbeque on the weekend!  If you make a double batch, you can have the loaf for dinner and freeze the sliders for later.  One prep, one clean-up, and you get two meals!

The inspiration for this recipe is my Mom’s meatloaf.  Mom made a very tasty traditional meatloaf that I enjoyed very much.  One of the things I like to do with my cooking is to occasionally take those traditional dishes and use some different ingredients.  Ground beef was a staple in my Mom’s time and since then we’ve learned that limiting red meat in our diets is a healthy choice. So, a number of years ago, I decided to try ground chicken in Mom’s meatloaf instead of ground beef and I ended up loving it so much, that I always use ground chicken now for this loaf.  The tender consistency is very pleasing and it’s lighter tasting than the beef. The dry mustard and the tomato juice add a nice tang and additional flavour.

As with a lot of the things my Mom makes, there is not a recipe written down.  She goes a lot by look, feel and taste – and experience! So, when I first started making meatloaf I couldn’t get it to stick together, which was frustrating.  The egg and breadcrumbs act as a binder and I seemed to be using the same amounts as my Mom, but my loaf would crumble into pieces every time it was cut, rather than staying in a nice slice that you could easily plate.  It would look like ground beef crumble rather than a loaf.  I definitely didn’t have the same touch as Mom! So, the solution I came up with was to use two eggs instead of one and ever since then, I can get nice full slices from my loaf. 

Chicken meatloaf
Chicken loaf served with roasted potatoes and salad

If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, put the loaf in the fridge for a few hours to get it nice and cold.  Then, slice it thinly to use in sandwiches for lunch. It tastes great and is a healthy alternative for anyone who is trying to limit the use of cold cuts.

 

Another great thing to do with this same recipe is to turn it into chicken sliders.

unnamed
Tasty chicken sliders for your next BBQ

I love the smaller size of a slider compared to a large burger because it doesn’t look so daunting to eat.  And, if you are hungry after one, you can certainly have another! They’re a great size for little kids and adults who may not have a huge appetite.  And, those who have a larger appetite can have 2 or 3! When we are cooking these for a crowd, I usually plan for 2 sliders per person and add 2 more to the total.  That should account for some people eating one, most people eating 2 and a few might have 3….or more! With this plan, everyone has enough to eat and we sometimes have leftovers also.

I found this handy slider press that gives you the option of 1, 2, or 3-ounce sliders.  It’s by a company called Outset and I bought it at Kitchen Stuff Plus.  It helps me make the patties the same size each time, which makes the cooking easier too because they’ll all be done at the same time.

This is a long weekend in Canada that is considered to be the unofficial start to summer for most of us, so there are likely to be lots of backyard BBQ’s going on if weather permits…so give this recipe a try and let me know how you like it.  This easy and tasty recipe makes a ‘meat’ loaf for 4, or 6 sliders of 3 ounces each.  Whip up a batch of sliders.  They freeze well too!  Click here for the recipe.

Happy cooking, friends!  Enjoy the long weekend, fellow Canadians!

 

 

Chickpea Tomato Penne for a Meatless Monday

Format Post format: GalleryLeave a comment

Chickpea Tomato Penne

  • Servings: 4 to 6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

IMG-4470
IMG-4468

Here’s a “Pasta e Fagioli” of sorts that is perfect for a ‘Meatless Monday’.  It’s quick, tasty and satisfying. Homemade tomato sauce is best, but if you don’t have any, grab some from your favourite Italian bakery or gourmet store.  Or, omit the tomato sauce all together and dress it with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and fresh herbs.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ⅓ cup chopped onion (I use Vidalia or sweet onion.  Green onions would work too)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried
  • 1 grilled zucchini (chopped) – you can also use uncooked zucchini
  • About 450 grams cooked penne
  • About ⅓ cup pasta water
  • About 1 litre of tomato sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Saute onion and garlic in hot olive oil until soft and fragrant (about 2 to 3 minutes)
  2. Add chickpeas to the pan and cook to combine flavours about 3 minutes.  If using uncooked zucchini, add it to the pan and cook for another minute or two.  (Grilled zucchini can be added at the end). Add a little salt and pepper
  3. Reduce heat to low and cover
  4. Add penne to large pot of boiling salted water and cook until ‘al dente’ (about 10 minutes)
  5. While pasta is cooking, heat tomato sauce in another pot
  6. Drain cooked pasta, reserving about ⅓ cup pasta water
  7. Return pasta to the large pot.  Add chickpea mixture, pasta water, grilled zucchini and tomato sauce.  Toss to combine. Serve in heated bowls with grated parmesan and fresh herbs

Variations:  

  • Instead of adding tomato sauce in step 7, add extra virgin olive oil, a bit of lemon juice, lemon zest and fresh herbs
  • Add whole baby spinach leaves at the end to either version
  • If you’ve got leftovers, put them in an oven safe dish, top with parmesan and mozzarella and bake in oven until cheese melts for a cheesy casserole version

recipe by: everydayhomegourmet.blog/  

 

 

Save that Ham Bone for Pea Soup

Format Post format: GalleryLeave a comment

Pea Soup

  • Servings: 8 to 10
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

fullsizeoutput_695

Don’t be put off by the cooking time…this is passive cooking time so you won’t be working the whole time, just monitoring the pot!  You can make the ham broth one day and finish the soup the next day if time is an issue. This soup is a delicious way to make use of your leftover ham and get all the goodness and nutrients out of that ham bone from your baked ham family dinner.

 

Ingredients

  • 450 to 600 grams of whole yellow peas or split yellow peas
  • Ham bone
  • Diced ham (pulled from the bone of your baked ham)
  • 6 to 8 litres cold water
  • 1 cooking onion (optional)
  • 2 large carrots (optional)
  • 1 large celery stalk with leaves (optional)
  • 1 bay leaf (optional)
  • 10 whole peppercorns (optional)

Directions

  1. Soak peas overnight in cold water
  2. Place ham bone in a large stock pot and fill with cold water (about 6 to 8 litres)
  3. Optional:  add cooking onion, one carrot, celery stalk, bay leaf, peppercorns to pot
  4. Simmer 1 ½ to 2 hours
  5. Remove ham bone (and all items from step 3, if using).  Let broth cool and place in fridge overnight
  6. Remove broth from fridge and skim off and discard any fat that has formed on the top
  7. Heat broth.  Drain peas and add to the hot broth.  Cook for about 1 hour or until peas have softened and broken down slightly
  8. Dice one large carrot in small pieces and add to soup in the last 15 minutes of cooking, along with diced ham

 

Tips:  This should be a fairly thick soup, (like a potage) but if you find the soup is too thick for your liking, add a little water or broth to reach your desired consistency

 

recipe by: everydayhomegourmet.blog/  

Chinese Fondue

Format Post format: GalleryLeave a comment

Chinese Fondue

  • Servings: 4 to 6
  • Difficulty: very easy
  • Print

img-3941
img-3945

Fondues are a great communal dinner that are very easy to prepare and promote lots of conversation.  Guests cook food at their own pace and eat as much or as little as they choose. Serve with rice, salad and fresh bread.  Once you are done with all the cooking, the broth will have great flavour. So, crack a fresh egg in it and whisk it up and then you can serve little bowls of egg drop soup at the end of the meal.  It’s so tasty, but don’t forget to let everyone know you are doing this so they save some room to enjoy it! Clean up is a breeze and if you are lucky to have uncooked leftovers, you’ve got the makings of a great stir fry for the next day!

Ingredients

  • 2 litres quality chicken broth  (You can make your own broth or use best quality low salt broth available at your grocery store)
  • 1 small head broccoli, cut into large florets
  • 12 large cremini or white mushrooms cut in half (leave whole if using smaller mushrooms)
  • 1 each green and red, orange or yellow pepper cut into large chunks
  • Optional: also include cauliflower and/or brussel sprouts
  • ½ pound paper thin slices of beef per person (ask for Chinese fondue meat, or use stir fry strips)
  • 3 or 4 cooked shrimp per person (heat in broth or serve cold with cocktail sauce)
  • Dipping sauces (see directions below for recipe ideas)
  • 1 egg

Directions

  1. Heat up about 2 litres of good quality chicken broth on the stove.  Transfer to your fondue pot and light the flame beneath your pot. Follow directions and cautions on your fondue pot for using fuel correctly
  2. Cut vegetables in large enough pieces to stay on the fondue fork.  
  3. Arrange meat and vegetables on a platter.
  4. Prepare your favourite rice and salad to serve with the meal, and perhaps some fresh bread
  5. Serve with dipping sauces:  Two favourites are two parts steak or BBQ sauce with 1 part mayonnaise and a teaspoon of honey, and cocktail sauce if you are having shrimp.  Be creative with your sauces and make up your own recipe…we also like Asian sesame, ginger or peanut sauces…use spicy sauces if you like it hot
  6. At the end of the meal, crack an egg in the pot.  Whisk for 1 minute and serve small bowls of deliciously flavoured soup, thanks to all the meat and veggie cooking!

Equipment needed:  Fondue pot, 2 fondue forks per person, bowls for dipping sauces (some fondue pots have lazy susan with bowls attached), fondue fuel

recipe by: everydayhomegourmet.blog/  

Hearty Breakfast Casserole

Format Post format: GalleryLeave a comment

Christmas Morning Time Saver

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

IMG-3871

This may look like more ingredients and more steps than my usual recipes, but if you remember that you are basically making a ham and cheese sandwich with an egg mixture poured over, it will seem simpler than it looks!  The picture shows white bread, but I have used whole wheat bread many times and I prefer it because it keeps you full longer! Serve with fruit.

Ingredients

  • 16 to 18 slices of whole wheat bread, crusts removed
  • 8 thin slices of lean cooked ham
  • 6 to 8 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
  • 6 eggs
  • 3 cups milk
  • ½ to 1 tsp dry mustard
  • ½ tsp ground pepper (black or white)
  • 1 to 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Dash of tabasco sauce
  • about ¼ cup minced onion
  • about ¼ cup finely chopped green pepper
  • Corn flakes or Special K
  • ¼ pound butter

Directions

  1. Layer a 9×13 inch buttered glass baking dish with bread.  Cover dish entirely. Place ham and cheese over bread and top with another layer of bread, as if making a sandwich
  2. In a bowl, beat eggs.  Add milk and beat briefly to combine
  3. Add pepper, Worcestershire, Tabasco, onion and pepper and stir to combine
  4. Pour mixture evenly over the sandwiches.  Cover and let stand in refrigerator overnight
  5. In the morning, melt butter and pour over top.  Cover entire dish with the corn flakes
  6. Bake uncovered for 1 hour in a preheated 350 degree oven.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving
  7. Drizzle with maple syrup (optional)
  8. Serve with fruit

 

Tips:  When I’m pressed for time, or just making this for hubby and me, I do not cut the crusts off.  It doesn’t look as neat, but I find the heartiness of the crusts satisfying and more filling.

Variations:  use whole wheat or white bread; use Swiss cheese, or your favourite cheese; omit ham for a vegetarian version

posted by: everydayhomegourmet.blog/  

Brussel Sprouts with Prosciutto and Pine Nuts

Format Post format: GalleryLeave a comment

Brussel Sprouts with Prosciutto and Pine Nuts

  • Servings: 8 to 10
  • Difficulty: very easy
  • Print

IMG_1239

A colleague brought this dish to a potluck a number of years ago and I begged for the recipe.  This is a fresh, tasty and colourful side dish that has become a hit with many people in my family.  We serve it with our Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys, but you can certainly serve it as a side dish any time. No matter how much we make, it gets eaten up.  With only 5 ingredients, this is a healthy and clean tasting dish!

Ingredients

  • 40 medium to large brussel sprouts
  • 10 slices cured prosciutto, sliced paper thin
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup pine nuts
  • ⅛ tsp, or less, ground pepper

Directions

  1. Toast pine nuts in a non stick pan over medium heat until golden brown.  (You could also do it on a baking sheet in the oven). Remove from heat and set aside
  2. Wash and dry brussel sprouts.  Trim end and slice in half, lengthwise
  3. Heat olive oil in non stick pan.  Add brussel sprouts to pan. Stir to coat and cook until bright green and fork tender.  (If pan is drying out as brussel sprouts are cooking, add a splash of water rather than adding more olive oil).  Stir frequently
  4. Slice prosciutto into pieces and add to pan, along with pine nuts.  Stir to combine and heat through.

 

Tips:  1) Watch pine nuts closely if doing them on the stove…they can go from golden to burnt quickly!!  2) Cover brussel sprouts with a lid before adding prosciutto and nuts to speed up cooking time slightly

posted by: everydayhomegourmet.blog/  

 

Slow Cooker Apple Pork Chops with Potatoes, Carrots and Kale

Format Post format: GalleryLeave a comment

Slow Cooker Apple Pork Chops with Potatoes, Carrots and Kale

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: very easy
  • Print

IMG-2923

This is a great one pot meal with a slightly sweet taste.  Tasty, nutritious and gluten-free! If you have vegetables and broth left over, use an immersion blender and turn the leftovers into soup!  If you don’t want the soup, use 6 pork chops and the recipe will provide enough vegetables for 6 servings.

Ingredients

  • 4 centre cut pork chops
  • 1 small sweet onion (or half a large one), sliced
  • 2 medium apples, skin on and sliced
  • 15 to 20 mini yellow flesh potatoes (or use large potatoes and cut in 1 inch pieces)
  • 2 to 3 large carrots, sliced on an angle
  • 3 to 4 cups chopped fresh kale
  • 2 cups dry white wine
  • 1 cup low salt chicken broth
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • about ½ tsp of sea salt
  • about ¼ tsp ground pepper

Directions

  1. If you have a slow cooker with a browning option, quickly brown the pork chops in a little olive oil.  Once they are lightly browned add the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat
  2. Remove pork chops and set aside  
  3. Add the apples to the onion.  Next add potatoes, and carrots.  Return pork chops to the pot
  4. Pour in broth and wine.  Then add bay leaves, salt and pepper. Stir lightly to combine the liquids
  5. Add the kale and cover
  6. Cook on low for about 4 hours to 5 hours

Tip:  If you don’t have the browning option on your slow cooker, just add the uncooked pork chops on top of the apples and onions and add all ingredients.

recipe by: everydayhomegourmet.blog/  

Chicken Piccata Spaghettini with Sundried Tomatoes and Capers

Format Post format: GalleryLeave a comment

Chicken Piccata Spaghettini with Sundried Tomatoes and Capers

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print

unnamed

This is a fast, light tasting and hearty dish for all seasons!  It’s not hard to make, just takes a few steps and some confidence if you haven’t made pasta without the tomato sauce.  Make it gluten-free by dredging chicken in cornstarch instead of flour and use gluten-free pasta)

Ingredients

  • About 450 grams of spaghettini
  • 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter (for cooking chicken)
  • About ¾ cup chicken broth
  • Splash of white wine (about ⅛ cup)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • About a half cup of sliced sun-dried tomatoes packed in seasoned oil
  • About ¼ cup capers
  • Grated parmesan cheese
  • Chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions

  1. Boil salted water for pasta in large pot
  2. Slice chicken breasts lengthwise and then in half or thirds if the breast is very large
  3. Place flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper.  Dredge chicken in seasoned flour
  4. Heat butter and olive oil in frying pan until hot
  5. Place chicken in pan and cook until golden brown, then turn over and do the same on the other side.  (Butter and oil together will prevent the chicken from getting too brown)
  6. Remove chicken to a plate and cover
  7. Add pasta to the boiling water and cook until ‘al dente’ (about 5 or 6 minutes)
  8. Add sundried tomatoes and capers to the pan juices and sautee for about 3 minutes while stirring
  9. Add wine, lemon juice, chicken broth and about a tablespoon of the seasoned oil from the sundried tomatoes to the pan.  Stir to combine.
  10. Return the chicken to the pan.  Cover and cook until pasta is done.
  11. Remove pasta from pot.  Reserve about ½ to 1 cup of pasta water
  12. Add pasta and pasta water to pan.  Stir to combine. Cover and cook for another minute or two to combine flavours
  13. Serve in heated bowls sprinkled with parmesan cheese and Italian parsley
  14. Enjoy!  (I didn’t want to end on 13 steps!!)

Tip:  Using pasta water and heated bowls will allow your light sauce to stick to the pasta

recipe by: everydayhomegourmet.blog/  

Broccoli Apple Salad

Format Post format: GalleryLeave a comment

Broccoli Apple Salad

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: very easy
  • Print

Broccoli, apple, red onion, pine nuts, rice vinegar (1)

I came up with this recipe when I had lots of broccoli and wanted to use it in a different way.  I checked the fridge to see what was there and this is what I created…try it with grilled or roasted meats of any kind, as well as burgers.  It could also be a great accompaniment to a traditional quiche or frittata.

Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 cups chopped broccoli
  • 1 apple, skin on, cut into about one-inch pieces
  • about ⅛ cup thinly sliced red onion (the thinner, the better!)
  • about ⅛ cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

Dressing:

  • a little less than ¼ cup olive oil
  • about ½ cup rice vinegar
  • about ½ tsp salt
  • about ¼ tsp ground pepper

Directions

  1. Toast pine nuts until golden brown, about 4 minutes in pan on the stove on medium.  Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Set aside to cool
  2. Combine broccoli, apples, onions and nuts in a serving bowl
  3. Add oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and combine well
  4. Let sit for at least 15 minutes to allow dressing to absorb into broccoli, especially if using raw broccoli

Variations:  Use raw or lightly steamed broccoli.  Use walnuts or pecans instead of pine nuts, or make it nut-free.  Keeps nicely in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days

recipe by: everydayhomegourmet.blog/  

Anytime Egg Plate

Format Post format: GalleryLeave a comment

Anytime Egg Plate

  • Difficulty: very easy
  • Print

Anytime Egg Plate

This dish can be breakfast, lunch or dinner.  When it’s breakfast, I keep the flavours simple – olive oil, sea salt and a bit of pepper.  If it’s lunch or dinner, add herbs and spices to taste. This plate can be seasoned to the flavours of many cultures!  This plate is also a good gluten-free option. And, as a bonus, this meal is quick to clean up if you use the same pan for the eggs as you did for the veggies and rice.

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs per person
  • ⅓ cup cooked brown rice person
  • ⅓ to ½ cup chopped vegetables per person
  • 1 tsp to 1 tbsp olive oil (or butter if you prefer)
  • ½ avocado, sliced per person

Directions

  1. In frying pan, saute ¾ cup fresh vegetables in olive oil until hot but still crisp.  Add cooked rice and a sprinkle of sea salt and ground pepper. Remove mixture from pan, cover with a lid and set aside.  (Because eggs cook quickly, this mixture will stay warm until eggs are cooked and you are ready to serve)
  2. Add a little more olive oil or butter to pan.  Add eggs and cook to desired doneness on each side if doing over easy eggs…(only a minute or so on each side if you like a runny yolk)
  3. Remove eggs, rice and veggies to a plate.
  4. Slice half an avocado, tomato, or other fruits

Variations:  If you don’t like over easy eggs, choosing scrambled, fried, poached or hard-boiled eggs would work too.  Use any vegetables or seasonings you like! Add chopped fresh herbs to kick up the presentation and elevate the dish to another level!

recipe by: everydayhomegourmet.blog/