Chickpea Couscous

After watching that first episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, I wanted to make something healthy and wholesome for dinner. Looking through the cupboards and fridge, I realized I had enough to make a variation of a couscous dish from the Best of Bridge that I've made numerous times before.

Chickpea Couscous

- 1/2 red onion, chopped

- 1 large red pepper, chopped

- 1 clove garlic, chopped

- 1/2 tsp paprika

- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

- 2 carrots, chopped

- 1 cup frozen green peas

- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

- 2 tomatoes, chopped

- 2 cups liquid (ideally broth, I used water)

- 1 cup couscous

- can of artichoke hearts, chopped

- 3 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

- juice of half a lemon

In saucepan with tight fitting lid, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion and red pepper until they begin to soften, about 2-5 minutes.. Stir in cayenne pepper, paprika and garlic. Cook one minute. Add carrots, chickpea's, green peas, tomatoes and liquid. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add couscous, cover and simmer for one minute more. Remove from heat and keep covered for 5 minutes. Stir in artichoke hearts, parsley and lemon.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

I just finished watching the first episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. It can be found here on CTV's media player.

I'm a big fan of Jamie Oliver and some of the stuff that he has done in England to help people understand and care more about their food. I'm anxious to see how he does with the North American version of this show. It seems to be a bit of a mix between meeting up with families, going to community groups, and of course helping out the school system. It really does blow my mind that kids are being fed such horrible food on a daily basis. For adults to be eating this stuff is one thing, but kids are not given a fighting chance when they are having pizza, chicken nuggets, french fries and white bread as their staple diet. This is the kind of thing that makes me so passionate about bringing food and cooking back to the house, and bringing people together around the kitchen table.

I was lucky growing up in a family where having dinner together meant something, and helping out in the kitchen was an every day occurrence, and not just for special occasions. I try every day to remember how lucky we are to live in a city and a country where we can access good healthy food, and where we have the time (and it doesn't take a lot of time) to make healthy meals every day. I'm not saying that I'm perfect, and by no means is that the case. I love going out to eat, and when I'm at the movies, you'll find me with some popcorn. Rather, it's a matter of making the right choices, and not seeing meal time as an inconvenience, but rather a time to come together and sit down for a few minutes, uninterrupted. When I was growing up, and the phone rang at dinner time, you didn't get up from the table to take the call. Whoever answered the phone took a message, because dinner time was family time (plus who wants their food to get cold!).

I guess that first episode of that show got me kind of riled up. Change is a difficult thing to provoke, and Jamie Oliver has his work cut out for him. I admit that I shed a tear or two watching it, and thinking of all those kids who are already so unhealthy at such a young age. But, at the same time there's a feeling of hope, that a real food revolution is upon us. We will move away from the fast food coma we as a nation (Canada is just as bad as the US) have been in, and start to appreciate home cooked food again.

I'm doing my part everyday, and I hope you are too!

Broccoli and Asparagus Soup

I saved the stalks from the broccoli I used for last night's casserole so I could make some soup for dinner tonight. On the way home I picked up some asparagus and had enough stuff at home to put something together quickly. There's really not a lot to the soup, so it's easy enough to make after work.

Broccoli and Asparagus Soup

- 4 cups broccoli florets and stems, chopped

- 4 cups of chopped asparagus spears

- 1 onion, chopped

- 4-5 cups of liquid (I used part veggie stock, part

water)

- 1 1/2 - 2 cups of milk

In medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter and a tbsp of olive oil, saute onion for 5 minutes, until softened. Lower heat if needed. Add broccoli and asparagus, season with a bit of sea salt and pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add veggie stock and water. Simmer, uncovered for 20 - 25 minutes.

Transfer soup to a large bowl. Blend soup in batches, returning to saucepan. Over medium-low heat, stir in milk, simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste.

Of course, this soup begs to be enjoyed with a grilled cheese sandwich. Pick up some fresh bread for the sandwiches, it makes a huge difference!

Sunday Night Dinner - Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

We spent the weekend in Whistler for my staff post-Games celebration. It was a lot of fun, lots to celebrate, and skiing was phenomenal. Arriving back, I was exhausted and just wanted some comfort food for dinner, and something that would be very easy to make so I could have a nap. Remembering a casserole we used to have as kids, I thought I would try my hand at it. I had asked my mom for the recipe a few years ago, and luckily had saved the email! My sister's and I loved this dish, until one of my sister's went downstairs while my mom was preparing it and saw that it included cream of mushroom soup. So funny how kids will love something until they know what's in it. This recipe originally comes from my godmother, and has been adapted because I didn't read the entire recipe before I started (again, I was really tired and do not recommend that).

Mom's Chicken and Broccoli Recipe

- 4 - 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

- 4 - 6 cups chopped broccoli florets

- 3 cups (approx) shredded cheddar cheese

- 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

- 1/2 cup of vegetable broth

- 2 tbsp melted butter

- 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs

In greased casserole dish, place broccoli florets. Cut chicken into a bit larger than bite size pieces. In cast iron pan, cook chicken on medium until no longer pink inside, about 6-10 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. Place on top of broccoli.

Cover with shredded cheese. In bowl, mix mushroom soup with vegetable broth, pour over entire dish. Top with mixture of melted butter and bread crumbs. Bake in 350 oven for 35 minutes.

I served this over rice, and it was really good, and I have a feeling it will taste even better for lunch tomorrow.

Where has Reebs been...

Hey everyone,

I know it's a been a long time, this is actually my first post in 2010! It's been a very busy couple of months though. I was working on the Olympic Winter Games, which didn't leave much time for cooking or blogging. Prior to that I was busy trying my hand at making aprons, for friends and family for Christmas.

Keep your eyes on the blog, as there will be some changes coming, including some new features, and maybe even some more aprons, oven mitts and other fun kitchen stuff.

Now that things have quieted down a little, I'm looking forward to having time to cook, sew, eat out and enjoy all the things I love doing.

Reebs