Sunday Night Dinner - Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken

One of our neighbours has this incredible rosemary plant - it is almost a tree to be truthful. Gracious neighbour that they are, they have given us free reign to trim from it when we'd like. This comes in real handy when putting together any type of chicken dish.  Last Sunday I had a friend over, and wanted to prepare something that wouldn't take a lot of time, but had a lot of flavour. Grilling chicken can be tricky, because it is easy for it to dry out. This is why a good marinade is your best friend when it comes to grilling. For this recipe I cut the chicken into cutlet sized pieces, and pounded the thicker ones so it would cook more evenly.

Sunday Night Dinner - Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Strawberry Mango Salsa

We arrived back from a very relaxing week in Maui early this morning, after a red-eye flight. I'm not a huge fan of red-eye's, and this was the first one we took with a toddler. She did surprisingly well, but we all needed to go straight to bed when we got home. On days like this I usually opt for take-out or scarfing whatever is leftover from the box of mac and cheese I make for Molly. However, I was inspired today by a friend who is doing a 30 day challenge to eat clean. We were chatting about it earlier today and it made me think twice about my dinner. So instead I took a look at what I had picked up at the grocery store today, and decided to make a grilled pork tenderloin and put that together with a strawberry mango salsa. We had to buy mango's at the grocery store today because Molly fell in love with them in Maui. Now these ones definitely weren't as good as the ones in Hawaii, but paired with fresh local strawberries they really added a lot to our dinner.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin (all measurements approximate)
- 1 small pork tenderloin
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2-4 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard

Mix all ingredients together, minus the pork, in bowl. Add pork and turn to coat. Let marinade for 15-30 minutes. When it is time to grill, use the following 7-6-5 method (adjusted if the pork tenderloin is larger). Preheat grill on high. Add pork and close lid for 7 minutes. Open lid, turn pork and cook 6 minutes with lid open. Turn pork, turn off BBQ, close lid and leave for 5 minutes. No further tenting required. Serve with salsa, recipe below.

Strawberry Mango Salsa
- 1 ripe mango, diced
- 4-5 strawberries, diced
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey

Mix all ingredients and let sit for 10 - 20 minutes while pork is cooking.

Sunday Night Dinner - Chicken, Mushroom and Artichoke Heart Pasta

Brent came home from a grocery run with a large jar of marinated artichoke hearts, and I really only needed a small jar for appies I'm prepping for our annual Christmas party. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with the extras, and then realized I had chicken and mushrooms in the fridge. Thrown together with a hard, yet creamy, cheese a friend had brought over last weekend - I really wish I remembered what it was called - and a box of pasta, and we had a fantastic Sunday night dinner.

Sunday Night Dinner - Three Bean and Beef Chili

Chili is such a versatile dish. After making it a few times you can start to play with what you include. It's also a great dish to make using what's left in the fridge from the week. Tonight after a very long day working on an accounting assignment I was really tempted to forego making dinner and order a pizza, but decided to throw together a quick chili. Very glad I did because now we also have lunch for tomorrow!

Sunday Night Dinner - Creamy Vegetable Curry

I recently purchased the Oh She Glows cookbook on a recommendation of a friend. It's a vegan cookbook, and I've tried a few recipes and so far they have all been great. I'll admit I'm a little intimidated by some of the recipes, especially with any new ingredients or elements I haven't done before. One of the things many recipes call for is this 'cashew cream', and I finally decided to try it out. When using raw cashews in this way, you need to make sure to soak them overnight or at least 3-4 hours, so you do have to plan ahead a little. This recipe also had quite a bit of chopping so it was a great Sunday night meal. I used hot curry powder, but mild would work if you didn't want it as hot. I will definitely make this again.

Sunday Night Dinner - Baked Chicken Legs

Earlier this summer we purchased a freezer pack of meat from Two Rivers Specialty Meats in North Vancouver. It was part of a fundraiser in support of Potluck Cafe Society, a Social Enterprise whose mission is to 'transform lives by creating jobs and providing healthy food for people living in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside'. It's a great organization and we were happy to support it, and even happier when we started using all of the great local meat we had purchased. Among the sausage, pork chops, bacon and ground beef there were chicken legs. I had never really cooked chicken legs and the first time we decided to just throw them on the BBQ. It would be an understatement to say that neither of us were too happy with them, and I thought, well, what am I going to do with the remaining 2 packs?

Luckily for us, I recently purchased Michael Smith's Family Meals cookbook. I kept thinking, maybe I'll put this on my Christmas wish list, but I just couldn't resist when it was 50% online, so I snapped it up. When it arrived I knew it was a good purchase. The book is full of tips for making cooking and eating more of a family affair, as well as great hints on quick snacks and meals for the whole family. I decided that in order to ensure this was indeed a good purchase, I would try and cook a new item each week from the book. This week I chose the 'Slow-Baked Chicken Legs with Barbecue Flavours'. Wow, it was such an easy dish, and I think we will definitely be making it again. This is a weekend dish, as it does take 3 hours to slow-bake, but it was so worth it. Plus it gave me a new appreciation for chicken legs.

Sunday Night Dinner - Quick Sausage Cacciatore

Another weekend of classes, and so I put Brent in charge of Sunday night dinner. After deciding to go for drinks after a long day of Financial Reporting I got home just in time to put the little one to bed, and Brent had prepped everything for dinner. Unfortunately I forgot I was sending him out to pick up a baby backpack carrier I'd purchased from a swap site, so I ended up finishing up the dinner myself. The recipe said it was a '20-minute' dish, but that must have been a typo, since the instructions clearly make it take at least 30 minutes. Easy enough to put together, and made enough for dinner tonight with leftovers for lunch tomorrow, which is great for the start to a very busy week!

Sunday Night Dinner - Mini Meatloaves

I've made mini meatloaves before, and in the past I've cooked them in muffin tins with mashed potatoes on top. This recipe I tried is from the March issue of Canadian Living, and unfortunately the timing was really off. The recipe also includes herbed potatoes as a side, and I had everything timed out perfectly so that the meatloaves, potatoes and the pea's I was making would all be ready at the same time. However, the meatloaves took twice as long to cook. I think I will do this recipe again, but will follow the modifications I made below. The original recipe called for 8 mini loaves, I would divide them into 12, and each serving would then have 3. Same amount, but I think they would cook much quicker. Overall still a pretty quick recipe to put together from beginning to end, as long as you prep everything before turning on the stove or oven!

Sunday Night Dinner - Quick Pasta Sauce

Life has been pretty busy for us, and for the past couple of weeks I've lacked in the wanting to cook department. Luckily we had quite a few items in the freezer (chili, stew, perogies) so we were still able to eat alright, in between the take out Indian and Greek and Thai. Today I'd had enough, so planned meals for the week and then realized I forgot about tonight's dinner. I took a quick inventory, and while we had a frozen bag of tortellini, I wasn't sure what to do about a sauce. I modified one I've been making for a few years with what I had on hand, and the results were quite lovely.

Sunday Night Dinner - Mushroom and Feta Fusilli

I had class all weekend so Brent was in charge of dinner. Saturday night we ordered in, and tonight he put together a pasta dish I had suggested. It was simple but nice, and I didn't have to cook or clean anything up! We used almond milk so it had a bit of a nuttier flavour.

Sunday Night Dinner - Asparagus Ricotta Frittata

To continue on the new recipe trend, here is one from - surprise, surprise - Canadian Living. This recipe is from the Make It Tonight book - full of lots of great recipes that are quick and easy to prepare. The frittata is very flavourful, and with a simple spinach salad makes a great dinner. The only issue I had is that my pan was too large, so the frittata was a little thin. However, it still tasted great, we just had to have seconds! Next time I will probably just add some more eggs and ricotta, and perhaps a little more asparagus to fit in my cast-iron pan.

Sunday Night Dinner - Retro Style

For dinner tonight I decided to go old school and make meatloaf. We didn't have meatloaf a lot growing up, to be honest I can't remember having it at home ever. This recipe is nice because it makes about 4 servings, which is perfect because meatloaf isn't something I could eat every day, although I'm sure Brent would be happy with more leftovers!

Sunday Night Dinner - Black Bean Rice Bowl

In an attempt to get back into cooking every day I spent half an hour yesterday going through recipes I'd cut from magazines but have never tried, and made a meal plan for the week (taking into account our schedule for the week). I wrote about how planning can be so helpful when dealing with hectic schedules in this post here about 2 years ago. It always comes down to planning, and in the fall when things are getting busier it becomes so much more important. I also get really excited about trying new recipes and eating good home cooked meals every night. Tonight's dinner was not a disappointment, it was easy and quick, with just enough leftover for lunch tomorrow. A couple of modifications could be made if you wanted - tossing some cubed chicken with the spice mix and cooking that together would add a bit more protein, or adding some shredded cheddar cheese on top would also be good. However, the way the recipe is below does make it vegan, if that's your thing. Either way, we will definitely make this one again.

Sunday Night Dinner - Spicy Sausage and Rice

Now that our 30 Day Dinner Challenge is over, I've been really enjoying coming up with recipes based on some of the leftover ingredients we have in the freezer and cupboard. It's difficult at times for me to blog these recipes because I am notorious for not measuring or timing anything. So with a warning that all measurements and times are approximate, here is our Sunday night dinner from this week.

Slow Cooker Squash and Chickpea Curry

This is a great dish to make when you know you are going to have a busy week ahead. It's simple and with a big batch of rice will last you for 3 or 4 days. Another great recipe courtesy of Canadian Living.

Slow Cooker Squash and Chickpea Curry

- 2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 small squash)

- 2 cups diced peeled potato

- 1 can (19oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

- 1 tbsp vegetable oil

- 1 onion, diced

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tbsp minced fresh gingerroot

- 2 tbsp mild or medium curry paste

- 1 can (400 ml) light coconut milk

- 1 cup vegetable stock (there is enough flavour that you can use water if you don't have stock on hand)

- 1/4 cup natural peanut or cashew butter

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 2 cups packed shredded Swiss chard

- 1 cup frozen green peas

- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Combine squash, potato and chickpeas in slow cooker.

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Fry onion, garlic and ginger, stirring occasionally until onion is light golden, about 5 - 7 minutes. Add curry paste; cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add to slow cooker.

Add coconut milk and stock to slow cooker; stir in peanut/cashew butter and salt. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in Swiss chard and peas. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes or until Swiss chard wilts. Sprinkle with coriander and serve over rice.

Sunday Night Dinner - Roasted Squash Soup with Apple and Brie

I made this soup to serve as a first course for dinner on Saturday night. While it takes a couple of hours from start to finish to make, it is a great soup and we had enough left for Sunday Night Dinner as well as lunches for work this week. The original recipe from Best of Bridge calls for chicken stock. I used vegetable stock I'd made and frozen a couple of weeks ago. Chicken stock is definitely saltier, and any stock you buy at the grocery store has more salt than homemade. I found I definitely had to season with more salt than I expected, but still great flavours!

Roasted Squash Soup with Apple and Brie

- 1 large butternut squash

- 1 carrot

- 1 medium onion

- 1 leek, white portion only

- 2 tbsp butter

- 8 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)

- 1 apple, peeled & chopped

- 1 bay leaf

- 1 tsp sugar

- salt and pepper to taste

- 8 oz. brie cheese

- snipped chives

Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place cut-side down on pan and bake at 350 F until tender, about 45 minutes.

Chop carrot, onion and leek into 1" pieces and place in large pot. Gently saute with butter, being careful not to brown. Add cooked squash to vegetables. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add apple, bay leaf and sugar. Simmer, uncovered for 40 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and puree soup in batches. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve slice off rind of brie and cut brie into 1/2" pieces. Place cheese in bottom of bowl and fill with hot soup. Garnish with chives.

Sunday Night Dinner - Lentil Soup and Mom's Cheese Biscuits

I've said it before and I'll say it again. A really great meal can be found in a good soup. Add a salad one day, sandwhich or a wrap another, and you have a few days of lunches and dinners. The best way to have soup though, is with cheese biscuits. I remember loving the biscuits at Red Lobster. They were so good you would go for the lunch special (unlimited soup and garden salad) because you also got cheese biscuits. Unlimited! We may have left with a few in our purses...

As good as those may have been, hands down nothing beats my mom's cheese biscuits. I remember making these for the first time, that was when I learned about cutting butter into a dough recipe. I have no idea where my mom got this recipe from, and I should really have it written down in more than one place, because it's awesome!!!

Mommy Cavanagh's Cheese Biscuits

- 2 cups flour

- 4 tsp baking powder

- 3/4 tsp salt

- 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

- 1 cup water

- 1 1/2 cups grated old cheddar cheese

Mix together dry ingredients in bowl. Using 2 knives or a pastry blender, cut in butter until crumbly. Add water and cheese and stir just to moisten.

Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet.

Bake in 425 F oven for 15 minutes, checking at 10 minutes. These will disappear quickly as soon as they cool.

Sunday Night Dinner - Skillet Chicken Cobbler

We're now a couple of days into Fall, and the start of the rainier season in Vancouver. Now I'm not sure what my feeling will be in March and April, but in the Fall I sometimes absolutely love when it rains, when it really pours. This morning waking up and hearing what sounded like a monsoon outside (to my sleepy head anyways), was so relaxing.

With the rain also comes the wet socks, chilly weather and comfort food. Oh the comfort food. Tonight I decided to try a new recipe from the October issue of Canadian Living. Awesome selection of recipes in the Sizzling Skillets article, and this is the first one we've tried.

Skillet Chicken Cobbler

- 1 tbsp each vegetable oil and unsalted butter

- 1 onion, chopped

- 8 oz button mushrooms, quartered

- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in bite-size pieces

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- salt and pepper

- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

- 2 ribs celery, chopped

- 2 carrots, thinly sliced

- 1 bay leaf

- 1/2 tsp thyme

- 1 cup frozen peas

Topping:

- 1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 3 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed

- 1/2 cup buttermilk

In 10-inch ovenproof skillet, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat; cook onion and mushrooms, stirring often, until mushrooms are lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes.

Add chicken, garlic, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until chicken is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in floor, cook 1 minute. Add broth and bring to boil, stirring. Stir in celery, carrots, bay leaf and thyme; reduce heat, cover and simmer until thickened and vegetables are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minute. Stir in peas, discard bay leaf, remove from heat and set aside.

TOPPING: In bowl, whisk together flour, baking power and salt. Using pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until crumbly. Drizzle in buttermilk, stirring just until soft sticky dough forms. Turn out onto floured surface; knead 6 times or just until smooth.

Roll out into 6-inch square; brush with 2 tsp buttermilk. Cut into 6 biscuits and arrange over chicken mixture. Bake in 375 F oven until top is golden and filling is bubbly, about 35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Sunday Night Dinner - Pork and Broccoli Stir Fry

Because I love BBQ'ing pork tenderloin so much I often don't think about using it in other dishes. But pork tenderloin lends itself so well to a stir-fry, especially when you throw in some ginger and hoisin sauce.

Pork and Broccoli Stir Fry

- 1 pork tenderloin

- 1tbsp vegetable oil

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tbsp minced gingerroot

- 3 cups chopped broccoli florets and peeled stems

- 2 carrots, sliced

- 1 red pepper, sliced

Sauce:

- 3/4 cup vegetable stock

- 2 - 3 tbsp hoisin sauce

- 1/3 cup of water

- 2 tbsp tamari

- 4 tsp cornstarch

- 1 tbsp rice vinegar

In small bowl or measuring cup whisk together ingredients for sauce. Set aside - you will need to whisk again before adding to stir-fry.

Slice pork in half lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices. In large wok or skillet, heat oil over high heat; stir-fry pork until just a hint of pink remains, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Add garlic and ginger to work; stir-fry over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add vegetables and 2 tbsp water; cover and steam about 3 minutes, until tender crisp.

Return pork and any accumulated juices to wok. Stir sauce into wok and cook, stirring, until thickened and glossy, about 2 minutes.

At this point I add some Farkay noodles that I've already cooked and cooled. This would be great over rice as well.

Sunday Night Dinner - Market Ribs

What a full weekend! We hit up the new North Shore Green Market Friday night at the Shipbuilders Plaza before going to see Super 8. Saturday was work, a friends film preview, and watching Teen Wolf on TV while bbq'ing some steaks. Today was a whirlwind, highlights included a hike at Lynn Canyon Park, and dinner, put together from Farmer's Market finds. We had ribs courtesy of Gelderman Farms, picked up at the Main Street Market on Wednesday, mashed potatoes with new potatoes, and an awesome salad with fresh cucumbers, strawberries, and fabulous microgreens found on Friday night.

For the ribs we went with a super easy recipe, adapted from one of Michael Smith's. One of my favourite things about Michael Smith's recipes is the disclaimer:

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don't like, try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour; you have to add your own!

Such good advice!

Oven-Baked Ribs

- 1 or 2 racks of pork baby back ribs

- 1 can tomato paste

- 1 cup orange juice

- 1 cup brown sugar

- 1/4 cup dijon mustard

- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar

- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

- 1/4 cup Tamari

- 2 heaping tbsp's chili powder

Cut ribs into 2-3 rib portions. Place in large roasting pan. Whisk together all ingredients and pour over ribs. Cover with foil and bake until ribs are tender, about 2 hours.