Christmas Dinner 2013

Christmas Dinner 2013

By far this year's Christmas has been the most memorable thus far, mostly due to the ice storm that hit most of Southern Ontario three days before Christmas. On Saturday night freezing rain poured down on the city from morning til night and into the next morning leaving Toronto in a sheet of ice reeking havoc on the electricity wires. On Sunday we woke up to a cold, dark and icy city wondering what kind of Christmas is was going to be this year. Thankfully, all of my family received our electricity back before Christmas Eve and our thoughts and prayers were with those who were without. By Christmas Day everything was almost back to normal. The ground was now covered with fresh, fluffy snow creating a winter wonderland. This year, we celebrated Christmas Day at my sister's house and to help out with the preparations we all pitched in on the cooking. Efi was in charge of making the roasts; Turkey and Roast Beef. My Mom and I were responsible for the fixings. My Mom made the stuffing and I cooked up my Festive Green Beans and Winter Roasted Potatoes. For an appetizer I baked up a couple dozen Tres Quesos Empanadas. 

Festival Green Beans

2 lbs fresh green beans
8 cocktail tomatoes, quartered
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
5 slices of bacon, chopped
1/2 tbsp mint
salt 
pepper
canola oil

1. Stem the green beans for 10 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a large wok, saute onions, garlic and tomatoes until tomatoes are softened.

3. Season with mint, salt and pepper. Throw in the green beans and continue sauteing until green beans are coated.

4. Crisp up the bacon in a separate pan, drain and add to the green beans. 

*Serve warm

Winter Roasted Potatoes

3 lbs mini yellow flesh potatoes, quartered
1 red onion, sliced
1 tbsp mince garlic
salt (generous)
pepper
1 tsp sage
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
olive oil
1/3 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. Put all the ingredients in a large roasting pan. Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes.

3. After 45 minutes uncover the pan, lower the heat to 425F and continue roasting for another 15 minutes to allow the potatoes to slightly crisp up.

Festive Green Beans

Winter Roasted Potatoes

Avocado Oil

Today's favourite ingredient is Avocado Oil. For the past year or so many chefs, health food advocates and doctors alike have been singing the praises of this light, nutty cooking oil that is taking the food lovers on an exciting adventure. Aside from the Avocado Oil health benefits, it is a nice alternative to some more traditional cooking oils such as canola or safflower oil. Since Avocado Oil has a high smoke point it is a better oil to stir fry with then your average canola oil which will prevent the oil from burning which produce toxins that lead to things like heart disease and cancer. Celebrity doctors, such as Dr.Oz recommend adding Avocado Oil to your diet to help promote healthy hearts because it is loaded with antioxidants and is 100% cholesterol free. http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/best-oils-use-your-kitchen

This is all good news for people who want to lead healthy lifestyles but want to continue eating delicious food. The delicate flavour of the Avocado Oil is perfect for a fresh green salad garnished with cilantro or used in a stir fry. A few days ago as I was walking the aisles of one of my favourite stores, I came across this huge bottle. I was surprised that Costco carried this trendy oil and that it was at an affordable price. Only $9.99 for 1 litre of 100% Avocado Oil. Since purchasing this incredibly versatile cooking oil I have used it in a dressing for my traditional Peruvian Avocado Salad - Ensalata de Palto, as a base for my Aji de Gallina and tonight I am using Avocado oil to saute dandelion leaves with green onions and garlic which I am then going to dress with an avgolemono - lemon egg drop.

Jamie Oliver Dips

Every once in a while I come across a new food item that I got excited about. A couple of weeks ago is was my delicious gift of Oaxaca Chocolate courtesy of Mary Luz Mejia. Several months ago it was Skotidakis Jalapeno Yogurt Dip introduced to me by my Mom. My latest find comes from a new line of Jamie Oliver products at Sobey's. The last time I was supplying in Sutton, Ontario I decided to visit the local Sobey's Supermarket on the hunt for Jamie Oliver's assortment of Dips made with Greek Yogurt. On this most auspicious day I was pleasantly surprised to learn that upon purchasing one Jamie Oliver Dip I would receive one package of Satosi Nan Bread. How delightful! I was in supermarket heaven. I love getting freebies. With this great buying incentive I bought not one Jamie Oliver Dip but all three - Italian White Bean Dip, Indian Curry Dahl and Moroccan Hummus. Each dip has its distinct flavour and topped off with a type of relish to compliment each dips main ingredients. The Italian White Bean Dip is complimented with a Sun dried Tomato Relish that gives the buttery flavour of the white beans a nice tang. The Indian Curried Dahl is dressed with a lemon and lime chutney which brings out the spices of the curry and lingers for a while longer on your tongue. I love it! I have never eaten such a unique flavour combination. Since my parents are super amazing I gave them the Moroccan Hummus which was paired with Harisa. The little hit of spice was perfect for my Dad who eats hot chilies like candy. To enjoy my favourite new dips I toasted the Nan Bread and paired my afternoon snack with a small bowl of pimento olives and pickles. Yummm!

Christmas Baking with my Sister

There are a lot of things I love about Christmas. I love the decorations. I love the sharing of time with loved ones. I even love the all Christmas Music Radio Station, CHFI 98.1. But most of all I love creating new traditions or observing old ones. Every Christmas season I use to make Melamakarona with my Mom. Those are traditional Greek spice cookies. This Christmas season my sister, Efi and I started our own Christmas tradition of making a variety of sugar cookies for all to enjoy. I don't usually blog about baking because that is not my forte (perhaps that should be on my resolution list). My sister is the baker in the family. Efi can make almost any type of dessert you can imagine or having a craving for. Hands down I love her cheesecakes; baked and unbaked. Lately she has been making our family birthday cakes putting the professionals cake makers to shame. My sister is a Baking Wizard and I'm glad we got a chance to start this family tradition. Not only did we have a nice time baking the cookies but I learnt something new. I learnt how to make a variety of sugar cookies. We started out with our basic sugar cookie.

Basic Sugar Cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1. Combine together.

1 egg
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar

2. Beat in the mixer until smooth

3. Add the dry ingredients a bit at a time until crumbly.

4. Using a spatula get all the dough out of the bowl and form into 7 inch logs. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour before cutting.

5. After an hour cut the log into 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch disks and place on a lined baking sheet.

6. Bake for 12 - 16 minutes in a 350F preheated oven.

We decorated our Basic Sugar Cookie with melted chocolate and a variety of nuts. We chose chopped pecans, sliced almonds and shredded coconut.

To change it up a bit we made a few batches of Maple Walnut Sugar Cookies. If you love the taste of maple syrup and walnuts this the cookie for you. The maple syrup gave this basic cookie some personality. For this delicious variation to the Basic Sugar Cookie simply

7. Omit 1/2 cup sugar and the vanilla. Add 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

We also made Cherry Pistachio Sugar Cookies for even more variety. For this delightful little cookie just add 1/2 cup each dried cranberries and chopped pistachios. Mix them into the dry ingredients before adding into the dough. 

Oaxaca Chocolate

Every now and then I am blessed with receiving an incredible delicious and unique ingredient or food item. When I first met my husband he introduced me to Aji Amarillo. Several months ago my Mom shared Skotidakis Jalapeno Yogurt Dip. Just a few days ago, while cooking with my new friend Mary Luz Mejia she gave me a box of Oaxaca Chocolate. Aside from loving anything chocolate I accepted willingly this delicious gift because it came from a special place Oaxaca, Mexico and the story Mary told me brought me back to my Mom's home town of Veroia. Upon presenting this gift to me, Mary told me the story that in this town there is a shop that grinds your own concoction of chocolate. Not one box of chocolate is ever the same for each family that uses these services. You might want dark chocolate combined with toasted almonds and cinnamon, while your cousin might prefer milk chocolate with vanilla and cinnamon. As Mary was telling me this story I remembered a coffee shop in Veroia that did the same thing with the Greek coffee. It's amazing that Oaxaca, Mexico and Veroia, Greece are oceans apart but they have this one amazing service to their customers in common. Muchas Gracias Mary! We have been enjoying each cup as if we were in Oaxaca ourselves.

Burrito de Lentejas

  

One of my favourite things to do with food is combine different ingredients into traditional dishes. To my delight the concoctions I create are usually a success. A few days back I was thinking of what to do with my left over lentils. Remembering a conversation I had with my husband about a popular Latino eatery - Mucho Burrito, I decided to use the left over lentils as a filling for my burritos. Along with my lentejas I added finely chopped coleslaw (thanks to my wonderful Dad who is crazy amazing at chopping coleslaw), homemade salsa fresca and shredded marble cheddar cheese. To compliment my lentejas burritos I made a refreshing coleslaw. Of course we washed everything down with our favourite Peruvian soft drink, Inca Cola.

Lentejas

1 cup of lentils
1 onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tbsp paprika
1 cup tomato pulp
4 cups of chicken stock
salt
pepper
olive oil

1. Place the lentils in a medium sauce pot and bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes.

2. Add the onion, garlic, cumin and paprika. Stir together and let the onions sweat a little 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the tomato pulp and chicken stock. Lower the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for 30 minutes.

4. Lastly, season with salt, pepper and olive oil

This is a perfect recipe for lentils that you want to eat over rice, as my husband likes to do. If you are going to use these lentils as your filling to your burritos like I did, you want to cool them down so that they thicken slightly. This will help with the stuffing of the burrito.

Burritos de Lentejas

2 cups cooked lentils
1 cup coleslaw
1/2 cup salsa fresca
2 cups shredded marble cheese
4 large tortillas

1. To assemble first spoon on a good helping of salsa fresca on the bottom of each tortilla. Followed by the coleslaw, then 1/2 cup of lentils in each tortilla and topped with the cheese.

2. Fold and place on a lined baking sheet. Dress with leftover salsa fresca and cheese.

3. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350F preheated oven.

Salsa Fresca

1 pint of cherry tomatoes
1 cup tomato pulp
juice of 1 lime
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt
pepper
1 tbsp oregano

Through all the ingredients into a blender and blend together until smooth.

Eleni's Coleslaw

4 cups chopped cabbage
1 carrot, grated
juice of 1 lime
salt
pepper
1 tsp dried mustard
1/2 bunch cilantro
olive oil

Place all the ingredients into a large salad bowl and toss.

Black Eye Bean Stew

Now that both my husband and I are nearing or in our 40s, it is important for me to provide nutritious meals. With our busy lives often leading a healthy lifestyle is challenging. Although we maybe not have time to be as active as we would like to be, at least I can make food that is delicious and good for us too. If you are looking for an alternative ways to cook healthier for your family here is a stew that is hearty, healthy and delicious.

2 cups of black eye beans
4 cups of water
4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups of tomato pulp
1 large carrot, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 cup of shredded cabbage
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp basil
1/2 tbsp thyme
1 tsp sage
salt
pepper
olive oil

1. Place black eye beans in a large stock pot, cover with 4 cups of water and boil for 60 minutes or until softened.

2. Once the beans are softened, add the vegetables and stir in the seasonings. Pour the chicken or vegetable stock and tomato pulp in the pot. Simmer for 60 minutes.

3. Season with salt and pepper and splash of olive oil. Serve with crusty bread.

Meat Sauce with Spinach for Spaghetti

It seems that every food blog, magazine or show has a great idea on how to pack in more nutritious ingredients into favourites. One our favourites is meat sauce with spaghetti. It is a classic for many families however I tried a new recipe that not only was tasty but healthier. The combination of fresh tomato pulp and spinach is perfect for men who are concerned about their prostate health. Of course the ground meat adds protein to the dish making it a hearty meal for all.



1 lbs ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt
pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tbsp oregano
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cups of tomato pulp
1 bunch of spinach, finely chopped
olive oil

1. Saute onion and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the seasonings and stir in the ground meat. Cook for 10 minutes or until brown.

2. Pour in the tomato pulp and simmer for 15 minutes on medium heat.

3. After 15 minutes add the spinach the sauce pot a little bunch at a time as to not overflow the pot. Once all the of the spinach as been incorporated into the sauce continue simmering for another 15 minutes.

4. Serve this delicious and nutritious sauce on your favourite pasta and sprinkle with your favourite hard cheese.

Holiday Empanadas

Holiday Special

Lentils and Kale Soup

Now that I am falling in love with the leafy green called Kale I am finding all kinds of ways to prepare this super food. Every Monday is lentils day at the Herrera family because we like to observe some Peruvian traditions. Turns out that the Peruvians eat lentils every Monday so that it brings them money. Although we are eating a healthy dinner every Monday I am still waiting for the jackpot at the end of the week. All kidding aside, here is another delicious way to prepare kale.

2 cups of lentils

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 tbsp mince garlic

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp paprika

1/2 tbsp mint

1 cup of tomato pulp

4 cups of chicken stock

2 cups of chopped kale

salt

pepper

olive oil

1. Place the lentils in a medium size stock pot with enough water to cover the lentils. Bring the water to a boil. Lower to a simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Stir in the onions, red pepper and garlic. Allow to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes with the lentils. 

3. Now add the seasonings: cumin, paprika and mint. Stir into the lentils.

4. Next pour in the tomato pulp and chicken stock. Continue simmering the lentils for another 30 minutes.

5. After 30 minutes you may need to add more water so make sure you keep a kettle of boiled water near by. At this point you want to add the kale, salt, pepper and olive oil. Simmer for another 15 minutes.

Garides tou Fournou

For a quick, simple and delicious seafood dish try my Garides tou Fournou. This versatile dish can be paired with your favourite pasta or rice. Serve it as an appetizer on toasted pita triangles or Melba toast. Why not enjoy the savoury shrimp on their own with a slice of crispy bread. The tanginess of the cooked tomatoes compliments the salty feta and the garlicky olive oil in a way that makes you ask for seconds.

2 lbs of shrimp

1 onion, diced

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tbsp minced garlic

200 g crumbled feta

olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

oregano

pepper

1. Preheat oven to 452F.

2. Clean and rinse shrimp. Place in a rectangular Pyrex dish. Add all the other ingredients. Mix together and bake for 30 minutes.

3. If there is too much juice in the dish uncover and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Remember to lower the heat to 400F.

Mushroom & Spinach Chicken Caccitore

There is nothing more satisfying than a bowl of baked pasta. This dish was inspired by a recipe I saw in the latest Chatelaine magazine. My Mushroom & Spinach Chicken Caccitore is a perfect way to introduce more vegetables in your diet with the iron rich spinach.




1 package of rotini pasta
1 lbs chicken breast bone in
1 pint of mushrooms, chopped
1 bunch of spinach, chopped
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 tbsp basil
1/2 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp rosemary
salt
pepper
olive oil
200 g of Mozzarella cheese, shredded
200g of Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven at 425F. Dress the chicken breasts with olive oil, basil, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Roast chicken for 30 minutes at 425F.

2. Meanwhile cook the pasta al dente about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and place in a deep casserole dish. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

3. Add the mushrooms, spinach and cream of chicken soup. Pour in the pasta water and stir together.

4. Once the chicken in finished cooking cut in bite size pieces and add to the pasta and veggies. Mix in 3/4 of the cheeses.

5. Before putting the casserole dish in the oven top the pasta with the remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes at 400F.

Homestyle Gyros

The other day I was craving Gyros from my favourite Gyro place on the Danforth, Messinis but I wasn't able to make it down there. Since I wasn't able to enjoy a gyros from Messinis I decided to make my own version of the popular Greek pita sandwich. Although, I don't have a gyro cooker the seasonings I used to flavour the pork tenderloin hit the spot. Of course, my homemade tzatziki, sliced tomato and red onion completed the sandwich.

9 pork tenderloin chops, sliced thin

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp minced garlic

juice of 1 lemon

salt

pepper

1 pack of Greek Pita

tzatziki

sliced tomato

sliced red onion

1. Place sliced pork tenderloin in a medium and marinade with the lemon juice, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Marinade overnight or for a few hours before cooking. This will ensure that your meat will be tender.

2. Stir fry the pork pieces until cooked through and browned nicely.

3. Serve on a heated pita. Spread some tzatziki on the pita first, then place a few pieces of the pork gyro and lastly garnish with the sliced tomatoes and red onion.

4. You can pair this home style gyro sandwich with your favourite fries or as I did, Roasted Garlic Potatoes.

Roasted Garlic Potatoes

4 large yellow potatoes, wedges

olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

salt

pepper

oregano

1. Preheat the oven to 450F.

2. Season the potatoes wedges with the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano. 

3. Place on a lined baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.

4. After 45 minutes reduce the heat to 425F and continue to roast for another 15 minutes so that the potatoes crisp up.

Kale & Quinoa Salad

Every year there seems to be a new super food being advertised. Last year it was quinoa for obvious reasons. It is high in protein and low in gluten; perfect for those wanting add more protein in their diet and less gluten. The year before it was Swiss Chard. Every cooking show, magazine and blog added Swiss Chard to everything under the sun to boost anti-oxidant potential. This year the super food is Kale. Kale is from the cruciferous vegetable family and it is excellent for those who want to add more fibre to their diets. Not only does it help to reduced cholesterol levels but it is high in anti-oxidant agents. To read more about this super food check out the link I provided.
Kale - super food

I must admit that the first time I ate Kale I did not like it because it was way too bitter and tough for my tastes. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind bitter vegetables such as Rapini and Dandelion Leaves but there was something off about this particular dish that did not sit well with me. This summer my parents planted Kale in their garden and since the early fall we have been enjoying this cruciferous vegetable more frequently. Like any other ingredient out there; if you do not prepare it well it will not be edible. Last week, I tried my hand at a Kale & Quinoa Salad inspired by a recipe I found on another blog Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. As the link suggests, I steamed the kale before adding it to the salad because I wanted it to be less bitter and more softer.

1 bunch of kale

1 cup of kale

2 cups of chicken stock

1 can of black beans 

1 red pepper, diced

1 red onion, diced

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 tsp chia seeds

3 tbsp chicken stock

juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp garlic mince

2 tbsp olive oil

salt

pepper

1. Chop the kale as thinly as you possibly can and steam for 5 minutes. Set aside in a large bowl to cool.

2. In a small sauce pan boil 2 cups of stock and cook the quinoa for 15 minutes on low. Once you see the bubbles on the top of the quinoa you know it is ready. I like to cover the quinoa with a paper towel to absorb the excess liquid.

3. In the same bowl you put the kale in add the rinsed black beans, diced red pepper, diced red onion and the chopped cilantro. Mix gently together.

4. Once the quinoa is cooked add it to the salad bowl.

5. In a small mixing bowl prepare the salad dressing. Add the chicken stock, lime juice, chia seeds, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper and olive oil. Mix well and pour over the ingredients in the salad bowl.

6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on its own or as healthy side to your favourite protein dish. I paired it with Tilapia that I cooked in the oven.

5 tilapia fillets

2 tbsp soy sauce

juice from 1 lime

2 tbsp canola oil

1/2 tsp cumin

salt

pepper

Mix the fish marinade in a small mixing bowl and brush on the tilapia fillets. Preheat the oven to 425F and bake for 25 minutes covered with a tin foil. After 25 minutes, remove the tin foil and continue baking for 15 minutes to brown the tilapia slightly.

Turkey Vegetable Soup

Turkey Vegetable Soup

After Thanksgiving I usually have a pound or two of turkey leftover. Some people make turkey sandwiches out of the leftover turkey which is a great idea but my favourite dish to make with my left over turkey is a hearty vegetable soup. This year my Turkey Vegetable Soup is a bit different due to the soup base I made out of the turkey juices and roasted vegetables from the pan. The flavours of the celery, carrots and onions pureed with the seasoned turkey juices gave my soup a heightened level of yumminess. Since all my ingredients were already cooked the only ingredients I had to add were the frozen medley of harvest veggies and another 4 cups of chicken broth. Within minutes my Turkey Vegetable Soup was ready to enjoy with crispy bread.

Ingredients

1 to 2 lbs of roasted turkey, shredded
4 cups of roasted vegetable puree
4 cups of chicken stock
2 cups of frozen veggie medley
1 sweet potato, diced
2 yellow potatoes, diced

1. Strain the turkey juices from the roasting pan and scoop out the roasted vegetables. Place the turkey juice and roasted vegetables in a blender and puree until smooth.

2. Pour the roasted vegetable puree along with 4 cups of chicken stock into a large stock pot. Add the sweet and yellow potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. At 30 minutes of simmering add the shredded turkey and frozen veggies. Simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Serve warm with your favourite bread.

The Real Greek Yogurt

Lately every yogurt company is pumping out their own version of "Greek Yogurt" and some are pretty good but nothing measures up to Skotidakis Greek Yogurt. Skotidakis Greek Yogurt reminds of the yogurt back in Veroia; thick, creamy and tart. To please the sensitive palates of the Canadian consumer Skotidakis pairs their authentic yogurt with a variety of sweetening agents. Of course the only place where you can find this variety of Greek Yogurt is at Costco. A few weeks back I decided to do some shopping at my neighbourhood Costco and I was giving a set of coupons as I entered the doors. It took me a few seconds to scan the coupons to be pleasantly surprised that they were offering a case of 12 Skotidakis Greek Yogurt for $7.99. At that price there was no way I was leaving that warehouse without a case of this fantastic product. I was so excited to dig into this yogurt that I sample all three varieties in a matter of minutes. The case has 4 cups of the Classic Honey, Blueberry Pom and Cran Raspberry. My favourite of the three were the Classic Honey and the Blueberry Pom. Aside from the authentic taste of the yogurt what I really like about this product is that the makers have separated the sweetening agents giving me choice on how much of the sweet stuff I want added to my yogurt. Brilliant idea Skotidakis! If you love Greek Yogurt you have to try this Real Greek Yogurt.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2013

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian readers! I hope you had a thankful Thanksgiving. It was a beautiful weekend here in the GTA. The sun was shining and the fall colours were spectacular. Our table was loaded with our favourite Thanksgiving fare: Roasted Turkey, Stuffing, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and a new addition - La Canadiana Empanadas. I want to thank my Mom and sister for their help in setting up the table and contributing to our feast. Thank you Efi for your delicious Apple and Pumpkin Pies. They made for a comforting end of the meal.

The day before Thanksgiving I was stopped by another customer who wanted to know how to cook a turkey. I was delighted to help the man as he wanted to give his family a Canadian experience. However, I felt a bit anxious for the man because he decided to purchase a whole turkey. Even for the seasoned home cook roasting a whole turkey can be a daunting activity. This Thanksgiving I thought I would be good to myself and roast turkey breasts instead of a whole turkey to save on time. The recipe below is the cooking directions I gave to this new Canadian. Try it next Thanksgiving if you want to save time in kitchen so that you can enjoy your guests.

Roasted Turkey Breast

2 turkey breasts

3 celery stalks

3 carrots

1 onion, quartered

 4 to 5 garlic cloves

3 to 4 bay leaves

1/2 lemon

1 tbsp basil

1/2 tbsp sage

1/2 tbsp thyme

1 tbsp rosemary

olive oil

1 cup chicken stock

salt

pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. Pour a good helping of olive oil over the turkey breast and then squeeze the lemon over the turkey breast as well. Sprinkle on all the dried herbs and rub into the turkey breast. Make sure to get all the crevices so that every inch of the turkey gets the aromatic pleasures of the seasonal herbs: basil, sage, thyme and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Place the celery, carrots, onion, garlic and bay leaves on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Pour in the cup of chicken stock. Last place the turkey breasts on top of the vegetables.

4. Start roasting the turkey at 450F for 30 minutes. This allows the skin to crisp up straight away.

5. After 30 minutes of cooking at 450F, lower the heat of the oven to 400F and continue roasting for 1 hour. Lowering the temperature of the oven and cooking the turkey for a long period of time will ensure you have a moist bird. 

6. After the 1 hour of roasting, uncover the roasting pan and continue roasting for another 30 minutes so that the top of turkey browns up nicely. The internal temperature of the turkey breast should be in between 82F and 85F to be cooked through.

Thanksgiving Contest - The Draw

Good Morning Readers! I hope you have recovered from your Thanksgiving Weekend. I had a busy and full weekend. Thankfully I had time to draw the winners of my Thanksgiving Contest. The lucky winners are Georgina Tziavaras and Jenny Barlas. One of my empanadas will be renamed Georgina's..... and Jenny won 1 free dozen empanadas for her next event. Check out the video.



The Draw

Warm Chickpea and Spinach Salad

       

Warm Chickpea and Spinach Salad

In my previous post I was writing about one of my favourite prepared food items, the PC BBQ Chicken. Here is the side dish that I paired this yummy chicken with. Warm Chickpea Salad. Although I used this salad as a side dish you can always eat it on its own for a vegetarian option. Why not try it with grilled salmon or BBQ pork chops? Whatever your fancy this warm salad will hit the spot. The nuttiness of the chickpeas goes well with the softness of the spinach and the briny feta. Not only is it delicious but very good for you too. This salad is loaded with protein and iron. 

1 can chickpeas, drained and washed

1 bunch of baby spinach

100 g feta, cubed

3 tomatoes, cubed

1 onion, diced

3 to 4 garlic cloves, diced

olive oil

salt

pepper

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp mint

1 tbsp parley

1. After draining and rinsing the chickpeas pour them into a large salad bowl.

2. In a saute pan brown the onion, garlic and tomatoes together to create a quick sauce. Add the seasonings: salt, pepper, oregano, mint and parsley. *If you have fresh herbs on hand you need a small bunch of each.

3. Once the onion has softened slightly add the spinach, lower the heat and cover for 5 minutes. This will help reduce the spinach quickly. Toss together after 5 minutes. Pour over the chickpeas.

4. Toss together gently. Add the feta last so it doesn't melt.