272/365 what's for dinner...

so very delicious mango-sesame chicken

ingredients:

cooked brown rice

sesame seeds (2 tbsp) olive oil ( 1 tbsp) boneless/skinless chicken breast/cut into strips (1 lb) garlic cloves, minced (4) ginger (1/2 tsp) black pepper (1 tsp) mango, peeled and diced into cubes (1 mango-approx a cup) chopped tomato ( 1 1/2 cups) juice of lime (1/2 lime, 1 tbsp).

the how:

TOAST sesame seeds over medium heat in a non stick fry-pan for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

REMOVE seeds from pan (I poured them onto a small plate to cool)

POUR oil into the fry pan. ADD chicken strips. STIR.

SPRINKLE garlic, ginger, black pepper over chicken

COOK until chicken no longer pink

ADD diced mango to fry pan. SAUTE mango for approx. 2 minutes.

ADD tomatoes. STIR.

SQUEEZE lime and STIR.

COOK for approx 5 minutes until tomatoes are HOT.

SERVE over rice. GARNISH with toasted sesame seeds.

*adapted from Clean Eating magazine (Fall 2008)

207/365 What's for dinner returns...

with a heck yeah

this is a VERY yummy dinner

and it is even from an

over the top

healthy cooking recipe book

what?

I know, who knew?

as a non rule follower

I made a few changes

(because I forgot to pick up a few ingredients)

and renamed it...

no, fish, no fish...yes fish sauce thai chicken fried rice**

ingredients:

4 tbsp coconut oil (it called for coconut butter but I am thinking oil is the same thing as it worked fine for me)

4 green onions,chopped (original recipe called for 2 Shallots and 2 scallions but I forgot to figure out if a green onion and scallion are the same thing & didn't get any shallots)

3 teaspoon minced garlic

2 boneless/skinless chicken breast cut into 1/4 inch strips

1 large red pepper,cut into ribbons

2 Tbsp fish sauce

3 Tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

2 cups brown rice (cooked)

handful fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

pinch of pepper flakes

the how:

HEAT coconut oil in large frying pan (original calls for a wok)

ADD onions, STIR FRY for a minute or so

ADD garlic, chicken and red peppers, STIR FRY for 4-5 minutes

ADD fish and oyster sauces, STIR FRY into the mixture.

ADD basil and cooked brown rice***

STIR FRY until heated through.

SERVE hot and garnish with the cilantro and red pepper flakes.

Serves 4 (approx 2 cup servings)

Calories (390) Protein (31g) Total Fat (15g) Trans Fat (0) Fiber (3g) Sugar (2g)

* adapted from The Eat Clean Diet Recharged by Tosca Reno. I have her first book as well and they are very good, as long as I remind myself to not get discouraged as I am not ready to except I am a sugar addict but other than that I follow many of her principles. You will find her books chalk full of nutritional information and other than the Lentil disaster I have had good luck with the recipes I have tried.

** my name for this recipe came from a great memory I have from about 15-16 years ago when a group of us were out for my best friend Kim's birthday. Her sister/my friend Krista is highly allergic to shellfish/fish. We had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant and when Krista ordered she confirmed numerous times that her dinner had no shellfish/fish and she was told every time...no fish no fish no fish...

two bites into her meal and her lips begin to swell and her throat is getting thick, we did not have her epi pen and as a constant worrier I am trying to figure out the quickest route to the hospital. She stops eating it, drinks some water and decides that she can probably just wait it out.

we ask our waiter about what was in her dish and he says "no fish, no fish" ....we are all perplexed until someone asks...what about the sauce?

our waiter replies with..."fish sauce"

we still giggle over this to this day.

when I saw fish sauce in this recipe it is the first thing I thought of.

apparently I will not be serving this to Krista.

*** I use brown minute rice (10 minutes) when I am in a pinch for time. There are no other ingredients listed then brown rice so I am hoping there is not too much junk when it is processed.

77/365 yet another no soup for you What's for DInner

so good for me, no good for Scott, African Peanut Soup

you may remember this from a post I did a couple

of weeks ago when my friend Margaret made it

for me for lunch.

after many missed attempts to make this

we finally got it together tonight

and Scott whipped it up.

once again, another soup that Scott is not impressed by

but Kaeden and I loved it

this really is one of my favourite soups.

It was pointed out to me by a friend

that there is a very unhealthy amount of sodium

in the original recipe (1179 mg per serving)

so I made a few adjustments

not only to bring down the sodium but

also to make it more suitable for

Operation Healthy Family.

the original recipe is here

my take on it:

the ingredients:

olive oil (1 tbsp)* minced garlic (1 tsp) can of no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained (28 oz) can of tomato paste (6 oz) creamy peanut butter-we used 100% natural, no added salt or preservatives (1/2 cup) reduced sodium chicken broth (4 cups) balsamic vinegar (1 tbsp) cayenne pepper (1/4 tsp) Instant Brown rice (1 cup)** chopped green onions (approx 6) chopped peanuts (1/4 cup).

the how:

HEAT olive oil in a medium skillet, add garlic

STIR and COOK for a minute or so

ADD the tomatoes, tomato paste, peanut butter, broth, balsamic vinegar & cayenne pepper

STIR (or whisk) together

BRING to a boil

ADD the rice

REDUCE heat to low

COVER

COOK for 20 minutes

POUR into individuals bowls

GARNISH with green onions and peanuts

* I have nothing against peanut oil (listed in the original recipe) but apparently the places I shop are not very worldly as I suffered the same fate as when I tried to find Mango Chutney. I decided olive oil would work just fine.

** Minute Rice, even when it is brown rice, no preservatives added, it probably not the best choice but as it takes so long to cook regular brown rice, I found the minute rice to be a good compromise of not using white rice & still getting some benefit from using brown rice.

~ this soup is better on day 2, hence why I am very excited for lunch tomorrow!

64/365 a what's for dinner road trip

this weekend is a scrapbook retreat

in the mountains with the girls

& we decided to go into Canmore for dinner

at a very highly recommended

restaurant, crazyweed kitchen (website here)

great atmosphere, kick arse service and

the food, oh the food,

it was what culinary dreams are made of.

first up was fresh twisted rolls

served with lemon garlic butter

if there is shrimp on a menu

than I am probably ordering it

and my lemongrass shrimp and crisp vegetable salad

did not disappoint,

there is a good chance I will drive back out to

Canmore just for this salad.

Casi and her mom shared pork balls that you wrapped in the lettuce, there was some serious raving going on about these.

~ Casi and I had Thai Chicken (served with Basamati rice) for our main course. It was (almost) too pretty to eat!

~ Linda was the one who suggested we eat here and she had her favourite, Oscar Wilde Pizza (I am not a pizza fan, especially with tomato sauce but the slice I had was absolute heaven)

Tara had the Red Curry Seafood bowl, I didn't snag a taste of this one but she (and Casi) loved it.

~ operation healthy family has me partaking in H2O at dinner, but the other girls had wine.

Casi, just becasue I really liked this picture.

54/365 no soup for you...

Scott was not a fan of tonight's dinner

so he had a big bowl of salad

but I (and the kids) really liked it

Japanese Chicken Rice Bowl

ingredients:

instant brown rice (2 cups) . water (2 cups) . olive oil (1 tsp) .reduced sodium chicken broth (2 cups) . white sugar (2 tbsp) . soya sauce (3 tbsp) . seasoned rice vinegar . egg whites (2) . egg (1) . package of skinless/boneless chicken breast stir fry meat ( approx. 3/4 pnd) . fresh white mushrooms ( 1 1/2 cups) chopped green onions (approx 6)

the how:

PREPARE rice/water as per directions on the package.

MEANWHILE, HEAT olive oil in a large frying pan,

ADD mushrooms and chicken, when mushrooms are brown and chicken cooked (5-7 minutes) remove from heat and set aside.

In large skillet, COMBINE chicken broth, sugar, soya sauce, rice vinegar and BRING to a BOIL.

REDUCE heat to low (allowing liquid to simmer)

in a small bowl lightly BEAT the egg and egg whites together until just mixed

GENTLY pour egg mixture into the simmering liquid. DO NOT STIR.

SPRINKLE green onions on top

when egg starts to firm up, GENTLY stir.

ADD chicken/mushrooms.

STIR together.

in LARGE bowls, add 1/2 cup brown rice to each bowl

add 1 CUP of soup mixture on top.

~ 262 calories, 4 grams fat, 50g Carbs, 22g Protein, 3 g Fiber

~ The original recipe calls for Mirin which can be found in the Japanese section but if I can't find Mango Chutney at my local stores I am certainly not going to find Mirin :) but seasoned rice vinegar is a good substitution.

~ as previously mentioned, Scott did not like anything about this meal, the rice, the sauce, the chicken etc... but the rest of us really enjoyed it.

~ it is very quick (15-20 minutes) and easy to make. I will make it again, maybe for lunch or something when Scott's not at home.

~ recipe adapted from my my new favourite website, Eating Well.

53/365 What's for lunch...

one of the best meals I have had in

a very long time

made even better by the fact that I didn't

actually make it.

I was invited over to Margaret & Owen's for

lunch and baby snuggles.

Lunch by Margaret

Giggles and Snuggles by Owen.

African Peanut Soup

the recipe is from the Real Simple website and can be found here.

Thanks again Margaret for a great (even though it was very quick) visit.

ah, just wondering, has this changed to a cooking blog?

yes, I can see why one might ask

but as I embark on operation healthy family

I have found some really good recipes

and just feel the need to share...

tonight's is more of a summer salad perhaps

but as you know I am not a rule follower

and it went great with the ribs Scott made

(before I receive hate comments about why an invite was not put out for the famous ribs, Scott was trying a new technique and while they were fall off the bone tender, he didn't make his usual sauce and it was greatly missed, so next time we will have fall off the bone & the famous sauce, then invites will be sent!)

Sweet Potato (and Yam) Salad

ingredients:

sweet potato (1 large)* yams (2 medium to large)* white vinegar (2 tbsp)*fresh lemon juice (1 tbsp, approx half a lemon)* green onions - chopped (5)* celery stalks - chopped (3)* English Cucumber -chopped (approx half of the cucumber)*chopped fresh cilantro (1/2 cup)* non fat plain yogurt (1/2 cup)*sunflower seeds (1/4 cup)

the how:

PEEL and CUT sweet potato and yams into half inch cubes.

in a large pot BOIL potatoes in water until tender (but not overcooked, approx 15 minutes).

once done, DRAIN and SET aside to COOL.

MEANWHILE,

MIX vinegar & lemon juice together in a large serving bowl.

ADD onion, celery, cucumber, cilantro. TOSS together.

ADD cooled sweet potatoes/yams and non fat yogurt. GENTLY MIX.

SERVE with a sprinkle of the sunflower seeds.

~ recipe states it serves 4 but I seriously don't know who they are feeding as I gave Scott 2 cups, Kaeden and me one (and a cup was a filling serving) and I still have 4-5 cups left over.

~ apparently my new pastime is giving my poor Sobey's a hard time , first I asked for mango chutney which confused the heck out of them and this time I asked for an explanation between the difference of a Yam and a Sweet Potato as according to google they are not one in the same. To make matters worse, the label they had over the sweet potatoes looked just like a yam. The poor kid had no clue, I had him asking a manager and looking in a manual but he was stumped for an answer at the end. I felt bad for the stress I caused so I just ended up buying both and using both in the salad.

~ one serving has 128 calories, 3 grams fat, 19 grams carbs, 4 grams protein, 3 grams fiber.

~ recipe adapted from "The Eat Clean Diet" cookbook by Tosca Reno

a mini what's for dinner

mini spinach frittatas

ingredients:

finely chopped onion (1/2 cup) *extra virgin olive oil (1 tsp)*chopped spinach (1 1/2 cups)*egg (1) * egg whites (4) *reduced fat cheese, grated (1/4 cup)*seasoning (I used greek seasoning but anything would probably work)

the how:

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees.

SPRAY a mini muffin pan (24 muffins) with nonstick cooking spray.

SAUTE the onions in the oil until soft.

ADD spinach and cook until wilted.

REMOVE from heat.

MEANWHILE, in a medium bowl WHISK the egg and egg whites.

ADD cheese and seasoning.

ADD onions/spinach and MIX.

SPOON the mixture into each mini muffin cup, filling them half way.

COOK for 15 minutes.

~ each mini frittata has 11 Calories, 0.4 gram Fat, 0.5grams, Carbs, .02 grams Fiber 0.2g, 1.3 grams Protein

~ I had 6 for dinner with a cup of vegetables (beets) and was very satisfied. However, this is a light meal and may be better suited for lunch or to have on hand for snacks.

~ recipe adapted from this website (http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/appetizersandsnacks/r/minifrittatas.htm)

20/365 a sloppy what's for dinner with Joe

day 4 of operation healthy family

got sloppy with a side of yummy

I was NOT going to do yet another food post

but this was SO good you must give it a whirl

and I don't even like sloppy joes and I ate

the whole thing and packed more for leftovers tomorrow.

Sloppy Joes with Creamy Coleslaw

first up the sloppy joes:

ingredients

lean ground beef (1 lb)*large onion, finely diced (1)*chopped white mushrooms(2 cups)* diced tomatoes (2 cups)*flour (2 tbsp)*water (1/2 cup)*cider vinegar(1/4 cup)*heinz chili sauce (1/4 cup)*ketchup (1/4 cup)*whole wheat hamburger buns (8)

the how:

in a large frying pan, COOK ground beef, onions, mushrooms for approx 8-10 minutes (until all moisture has evaporated)

ADD tomatoes and flour. STIR.

ADD water, cider vinegar, chili sauce & ketchup

BRING to a SIMMER

REDUCE heat to LOW and stir occasionally until sauce is thickened (about 8-10 minutes)

SERVE WARM on the buns

~ 233 calories, 6 grams fat, 31 carbs, 5 grams fiber

the Coleslaw:

ingredients

reduced fat mayo (3 tbsp)*non fat plain yogurt (3 tbsp)*dijon mustard (3 tbsp)*cider vinegar (2 tsp)*sugar (1 tsp)*salt&pepper (to taste)*bag of coleslaw (approx 5 cups)*raisins (1/2 cup) *silvered almonds (1/2 cup) * chopped apple (1 - I like Granny Smith)

the how:

COMBINE mayo, yogurt,mustard,cider vinegar & sugar in a large bowl

SEASON with salt and pepper

ADD coleslaw mix, raisins, silvered almonds, chopped apple & MIX

SERVES 6 (3/4 cup servings)

~ 123 calories, 14 grams carbs, 4 grams fat, 3 grams protein

19/365 it might just be a What's for Dinner Week

a whole lot of crazy curry chicken deliciousness

yep, that's really what I am calling

dinner on Day 3 of Operation Healthy Family.

I may have been pushing my luck yesterday with the whole wheat pasta

and spinach snuck into their Mac and Cheese but

today it was a love fest all around.

this recipe will be in our regular line up for a long time to come

ingredients:

chicken broth (2 cups)*water (2 cups) * boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 pnds, approx 6 small ones) *reduced fat mayo (1/2 cup) * non-fat plain yogurt (1/2 cup) * mango chutney (1/2 cup) * curry powder (approx. 2-3 tsp) * granny smith apple/cored and chopped (1) * raisins (1/4 cup) * silvered almonds (1/4 cup)

BOIL broth and water in a large shallow pan

ADD chicken and reduce heat to LOW

SIMMER (partially covered) until the chicken is no longer pink (approx 15 minutes)

PUT cooked chicken in a shallow pan (I used a 9x13 glass pan) pour cooking liquid over the top.

REFRIGERATE until chilled (at least 1 hour, but I left it overnight)

AFTER it is chilled, REMOVE from liquid & DICE (throw out the liquid)

MEANWHILE,

STIR mayo, yogurt, mango chutney & curry powder in a medium bowl until blended.

I made this the night before as well and covered it.

OK, now we are FINALLY ready to put this yumminess all together.

MIX chicken, dressing, raisins, almonds & apples together

STUFF into whole wheat pita - we served with spinach and alfalfa sprouts.

~ my Sobey's apparently is not very "worldly" and they (2 young teens) had no idea what chutney was "umm, well...umm Mangoes are in the fruit section" yes I realize that but I am looking for mango chutney? "uhh yeah, I am not sure what that is" so someone else says she will go find it... she brought me back mango jam, she says "uh sorry I could only find jam, not the jelly" I started to say again that I was actually looking for Chutney but decided I would just make it work with the mango jam.

~ this recipe was also adapted from Eating Well, they have a great website with numerous good recipes (click here)

~ recipe serves 6 (so sad though, no left overs for me! it was gobbled up very quickly)

~ one serving has 279 calories, 8 grams fat, 27 grams carbs, 24 grams protein, 1 gram fiber

18/365 a return of What's for DInner?

Baked Mac and Cheese with a twist of healthy

day two of "Operation Healthy Family"

and I am glad I had to run out of bowling

while my family ate dinner tonight as I am not

sure what the feedback was on this

healthy overhaul of a family favourite.

If it counts for anything,

I really liked it and

it is nice and healthy

& there is lots for me to take for lunch tomorrow!

the ingredients:

dry breadcrumbs (3 tbsp) *extra virgin olive oil (1 tsp)* paprika (1/4 tsp)* whole wheat elbow macaroni (2 cups) *frozen spinach-thawed ( one 16oz package) * 1% milk (1 3/4 cups)* flour (3 tbsp)* shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)* low fat cottage cheese (1 cup)* ground nutmeg (1/4 tsp)* sliced tomato (1 medium) * salt & pepper to taste*

the how:

BOIL large pot of water.

PREHEAT over to 450 degrees.

SPRAY an 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

MIX breadcrumbs, olive oil, paprika in a small bowl. SET ASIDE.

PLACE spinach in a strainer and press out excess water. SET ASIDE.

COOK pasta for 4 minutes (or almost tender), it will continue cooking during baking. DRAIN when done. SET ASIDE.

MEANWHILE, HEAT 1 & 1/2 cups of the milk in a saucepan until steaming.

WHISK remaining 1/4 cup of milk and 3 tablespoons of flour in a small bowl until smooth. ADD to HOT MILK and COOK, STIR constantly, until sauce thickens.

REMOVE from HEAT and stir in cheddar cheese.

STIR in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt & pepper.

ADD cheese sauce to cooked macaroni. STIR.

POUR half of macaroni/cheese into the sprayed baking dish.

SPOON the spinach on top.

PLACE half of the sliced tomatoes.

POUR remaining macaroni/cheese on top.

PLACE remaining sliced tomatoes.

SPRINKLE breadcrumb mixture on top.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes.

~ I may try fresh spinach next time, not sure it will work, but I found the thawed spinach to have a strong taste.

~ this recipe was adapted from the Eating Well website (here)

~ per serving: 576 calories, 22 grams fat (11g sat) 63 gr carbohydrates, 37 grams protein, 9 grams Fiber

~ not an everyday meal due to the amount of carbs/fat but a real nice substitute to Kraft Dinner!

~ it states it makes 4 servings but I think it is closer to 6. I gave Scott a larger portion and still had enough for lunch tomorrow.

11/365 What's for Dinner

warm potato salad - take 1

this is my first but not my last attempt at warm potato salad

it was good, but not perfect.

as this is one of my goals (to make the BEST warm potato salad)for 2010

I will keep you posted as there will probably be a few attempts

I have to say though that "the" one will most likely have bacon involved in it!

ingredients:

2 lbs mixed baby potatoes (blue, yellow, red) cut in half

2 cups baby tomatoes

4 green onions - sliced

1/2 medium red onion - chopped (of course, Kaeden helped me out with this by slap chopping it for me)

1/2 cup low fat honey dijon salad dressing

the how:

BOIL potatoes in water

MEANWHILE, combine onions (red & green), baby tomatoes and honey dijon dressing in a large bowl.

DRAIN cooked potatoes

ADD to the onion/tomato/dressing bowl

MIX

SERVE WARM.

355/365 What's for Dinner Monday

Kaeden's SLAP CHOP special

he LOVES his new slap chop

and he has chopped EVERYTHING in our fridge that can be chopped

for the second night in a row Kaeden chopped & Scott cooked

the ingredients:

anything that can be chopped!

(Kaeden used onion, celery, carrot, tomato and ham)

Shredded Cheese

eggs

milk

salt/pepper

the how:

call Kaeden to come over with his Slap Chop

he will turn your vegetables, meat into little bitty pieces

MIX all vegetables, meat, cheese, eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl

POUR into a large frying pan

SCRAMBLE until cooked

SERVE with toast.

* the BEST thing about this meal, hearing Kaeden repeat the commercial while chopping. He had me in tears ( "this onion making you cry, it's making me cry") thanks Miranda (Kevin and Logan) for all of the entertainment value in this gift!

348/365 flying by the seat of my pants "What's for Dinner" Monday

dinner in a potato

first a disclaimer: as I was flying by the seat of my pants and had no idea what the finished project was going to be the how and the what may not be ideal. I tried really hard Miranda to document what the quantities I used were but this really is a guess as you go type meal.

the ingredients:

small - medium sized chopped yellow fleshed potatoes (approx. 5)* large newly dug white potatoes (5) * small thinly sliced red onion(1)*sliced mushrooms (1 cup)*Kraft 3-Cheese Ranch Dressing (approx 3/4 to 1 cup)* 500 grams chopped (bite size pieces) cooked ham *shredded

medium cheddar cheese (approx. 2 cups)* sliced green onions (5)

how I did it:

in a medium sauce pan, BOIL the yellow fleshed potatoes

meanwhile, COOK the 5 large White Potatoes in the Microwave

while the two sets of potatoes are cooking,

in a medium fry pan, MELT butter,

ADD mushrooms and sliced red onions, saute until brown

in a LARGE BOWL, add cooked yellow fleshed potatoes & all contents from the frying pan (melted butter, onions, mushrooms).

by this time the other potatoes should be cooked. CAREFULLY remove from microwave and slice the top of the potato off (Scott used a clean oven mitt to hold the potato). DIG out as much of the potato as you can without breaking the skin and put in the BOWL with the other cooked potatoes.

PLACE the hollowed out potatoes on a COOKIE SHEET (I used my stoneware bar pan)

AT THIS TIME you should now have:

~5 hollowed out potato skins on a cookie sheet (that you can set aside for now)

~a large bowl with potato flesh & the melted butter-mushroom-onions saute

ADD the 3 cheese ranch dressing to the bowl and mash (I use a handmixer but don't over beat as it will turn gluey (and yes I talk from prior experience!)

ONCE it is mashed, STIR in all but 1/4 cup of the green onions, diced ham and 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Using a small spoon, start packing the mash mixture into the potato shells, BE CAREFUL not to split the skin, as you can see in this next picture I heaped the mixture in and then on top of the potato...

BAKE in a 400 degree oven for approx 30 minutes (it will get nice and browned)

REMOVE from oven, top with remaining cheese and green onions.

If you wish, you can serve with sour cream but I am not sure it will need it.

I have reread this twice to make sure it makes sense, but I am on so much cough medicine I am a bit concerned, please contact me if something does not make sense.

This throw together recipe is a "make it again" hit in this house:

Scott: definitely but maybe as a side dish (served with a salad and/or piece of chicken)

Shelby: disagreed that you needed anything else as it had all food groups and was filling but keep in mind this is the girl that will just eat a POT of mashed potatoes if she could.

Matt: liked it, said it was a keeper.

Kaeden: said he wasn't a huge fan, but he ate all of the insides out and just left the shell.

341/365 What's for dinner goes simple...

bbq chicken. baked potato (sour cream/chives). cream corn.

it was awful nice of Scott to dig out the bbq

and cook with snow up to his knees.

nothing like laughing in the face of winter

with bbq for dinner!

334/365 What's for Dinner Monday...

so easy, it almost makes itself - chicken dinner (crockpot)

not the healthiest recipe that has been showcased

but it is quick and very easy which is

perfect as the busy holiday season approaches,

and most importantly it received rave reviews

ingredients:

4-6 skinless/boneless chicken breasts*salt/pepper/Mrs. Dash*cream of mushroom soup(1-10 oz can)*cream of cheddar/broccoli soup (1-10oz can)*cream of chicken soup (1-10 oz can)*drained,canned whole mushrooms(2 cans)*sour cream (1 cup/250 ml)

~ I used all low fat soups and light sour cream

~ I served on toasted french bread but it would also be good on rice

the how:

PLACE chicken breasts in crock pot

SEASON chicken with salt/pepper/Mrs.Dash

in separate bowl MIX all 3 soup cans and the 2 cans of mushrooms

POUR on top of the chicken

COOK on high for 3-4 hours or 7-8 hours on low

PRIOR to serving STIR in sour cream (I also broke the chicken into smaller pieces with the spoon)

SERVE on toast, rice, pasta

a bonus recipe as I am a cooking fool these days

Gingerbread Muffins

this is a brand new recipe to me

I have had the cookbook, The 250 Best Muffin Recipes by Esther Brody for years and have made a few but haven't really tried anything different then the usual Bran Muffins.

I was moved to try this one as the gingerbread holiday season is just around the corner and I have a good friend who loves gingerbread.

Without further ado...

the ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour (1 1/2 cups). All Purpose Flour (1 1/2 cups). Packed Brown Sugar (1/3 cup). Baking powder (3 1/2 tsp). Ginger (2 tsp). Cinnamon (3/4 tsp). Salt (1/2 tsp). Egg (1). Milk (1 1/4 cups). Molasses (1/2 cup). Melted Butter (or margarine - 1/2 cup).

the how:

in a large bowl, COMBINE both flours, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt

MAKE a well in the center

IN a 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup (or any other medium sized bowl) WHISK Egg, milk, molasses and melted butter.

ADD to dry ingredients. STIR until moist.

SPOON batter into a stoneware muffin pan (or a greased/papered muffin tin), FILL to top.

MAKES 12 muffins

BAKE In preheated oven for 20 minutes.

I had a little taste and thought these were very good. However, as I am not a huge gingerbread fan, I will be giving a couple to the friend who inspired me to make these and see what she thinks.

~ recipe from The 250 Best Muffin Recipes, Esther Brody, Page 173

327/365 What's for dinner tonight...

Shelby's favourite, Thai Chicken Pizza

this is an easy and better yet, delicious recipe

it has been Shelby's favourite since the first time I made it (over 5 years ago)

and it is a frequent request

ingredients:

Olive Oil (1 tsp). Chicken Breast(1/2 lb, cut into bite size pieces). Mrs Dash seasoning (1 tsp). red chili pepper flakes (a titch). curry powder (1/2 tsp). Low Fat Creamy peanut butter (3 tbsp). Light Soya Sauce (2 Tbsp). water (1 tbsp). pizza crust (12 inch, I used a whole wheat cooked Sobey's crust). chopped green onions (3). can of mushrooms (1). chopped tomato (1). grated Mozzarella cheese (1 cup)

the how:

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F

HEAT oil in frypan

ADD chicken, COOK until no longer pink

ADD Mrs.Dash, Chili Pepper Flakes, Curry - STIR and SET ASIDE

SOFTEN peanut butter in microwave (approx. 15 seconds - I use a 1 cup Pyrex measuring cup but any glass/ceramic dish will do)

ADD water, soya sauce & STIR

PUT pizza crust on a pizza pan (or a cookie sheet)

SPREAD sauce over pizza crust

TOP with chicken

ADD chopped green onion, mushrooms and tomato

TOP with Mozzarella cheese

BAKE for 5 minutes in oven

after the 5 minutes, SET oven to BROIL

WATCH carefully, remove when cheese begins to bubble.

SERVE with fresh cut vegetables

~ adapted from Cooking for the Rushed by Sandi Richard

326/365 today I am loving...

~ these muffins

Just a quick post tonight as I have a few creative projects rambling around in my head and I am finding it hard to stay focused on anything but them.

However, as a consolation prize for the short post I have included the recipe. If there are ever old bananas hanging around, this recipe is the first thing requested by my family.

the ingredients:

All Purpose Flour (1 3/4 cups). White Sugar (1/2 cup). Baking Powder (1 Tbsp). Salt (1/2 tsp). Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (3/4 cup). Egg (1). Oil (1/4 cup). Milk (1/4 cup). Mashed Ripe Bananas (approx. 3 medium/1 cup)

the how:

PREHEAT oven (400 degrees F)

in a large bowl, MIX flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips

MAKE a well in the center

BEAT egg in a medium bowl (until frothy)

MIX in cooking oil, milk & bananas

POUR into well (dry ingredients)

STIR only to moisten (batter will be lumpy)

FILL muffin cups ( I use my 12 cup stoneware muffin pan)

BAKE for 20-25 muffins.

~ recipe from Company's Coming, Muffins and More

320/365 a what's for dinner work in progress...

Mediterranean Chicken Parcels

I bought a new chicken recipe book today from Indigo

that was on sale...

that might have been a warning sign

but I flip through and find a few different ones that look good

and very easy

this may have been another warning sign

I started with the Chicken Parcels as I thought Kaeden would get a kick out of having an individual meal in a foil packet. What's that saying about good intentions...

anyways I will share the ingredients and the how as the finished product was very good and will also share at the end how I am going to try to make this next time...

ingredients:

Olive Oil *6 skinless/boneless chicken breasts* 2 cups sliced mozzarella cheese*3 1/2 cups sliced zucchini*4 large tomatoes sliced*salt*pepper* I also used a titch of greek seasoning from Epicure*small bunch of torn fresh basil leaves*

the how:

PREHEAT oven to 400 degrees

CUT 6 pieces of tin foil (approx. 12 inches square), spray with olive oil PAM (or lightly brush with olive oil) SET aside.

DIVIDE the tomatoes and zucchini between the pieces of foil, season with salt, pepper, greek seasoning

SCATTER basil over the vegetables (in each package)

MEANWHILE make slash marks in intervals on each chicken breast (use a sharp knife but be careful you don't cut all the way through)

PLACE the sliced Mozzarella between the cuts in the chicken (I made about 3-4 slashes per chicken breast).

PLACE a piece of chicken (with the cheese) on top of each vegetable package

WRAP in the foil to enclose the chicken and vegetables

PLACE on a cookie sheet and BAKE for 45 minutes (recipe said 30 minutes and I chose to go longer as my tin foil packages seemed quite big).

**** this is where it goes sideways, when we opened the packages, the chicken was very white (like it was poached) and not quite cooked and there was lots of liquid.

we left the packages open and cooked them for another 15 minutes trying to brown & cook the chicken and decrease some of the liquid.

It was very flavourful and if you like basil and chicken, then this will probably be a keeper.

Next time I am going to dump the tin foil packages & lay the vegetables, basil on my stoneware bar pan (I am sure a cookie sheet or a roasting pan would work the same) drizzle with olive oil & place the chicken on top and bake for 30 minutes.

I will let you know how it goes!

** recipe adapted from Easy Chicken, by Love Food books, pg 121