Back Again!

Our apologies for not updating this blog in quite some time! We haven't given up or forgotten about it, nor have we stopped trying new recipes and making delicious meals...Our excuse is just that getting down to the typing end, especially once we've already fallen behind, is just time consuming. I (Elana) have been under the weather and exhausted and Mike's been picking up my slack. We have since made Babotie, Chicken Cacciatore, Traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs (except we used ground chicken instead), and some amazing slow cooker meals and stir fries. I know what I'll be doing my next day off!

Until then,

God bless!

Elana and Mike

Next Up...

This week we are making cashew chicken pancakes! Stay tuned!

Peppercorn Steak

This steak from "The Joy of Cooking" was delicious and we had it with green beans and mashed yucca (very similar to potatoes but with more nutrients, lots of iron, and calcium which means that the iron is actually better absorbed by your body). Truth be told, I was not a huge fan of the yucca myself but Mike thought it was even better than potatoes but it's worth a try. 

I loved the tingly-ness and spice of the peppercorns in the steak!

4 good-sized steaks (1/2 pound to a pound each, allow for 1/2 pound per person)
Salt
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, canola oil, or other high smoke-point oil
3 Tbsp black peppercorns, cracked
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or onions
1/4 cup cognac or other brandy
1 cup beef broth or stock (for gluten-free version use gluten-free stock)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1 Sprinkle salt generously over both sides of the steaks and let them come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

2 Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. (Use a pan that can handle high heat. Cast iron works well for this, or anodized aluminum.) When the oil begins to smoke, take the pan off the heat. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels (steaks brown better if they are patted dry first) and place in the hot pan. Return the pan to the heat and turn the heat down to medium-high. Sear, without moving the steaks, for at least 4 minutes. Try to pick up a steak with tongs, and if it comes clean, flip it and turn the heat down to medium. If it sticks to the pan, let it cook for another minute or two on that side.

For this recipe, we sear on one side on high heat, and cook on lower heat on the other side. This way you get great flavor from the seared side, and better control over how done you want your steak by cooking the other side more slowly.

3 Use the finger test for doneness or a meat thermometer. For rare, remove the meat from the pan when the inside reaches 120°F, for medium rare 125-130°F. Once the steak is done to your liking remove the meat to a baking sheet and sprinkle on a generous portion of crushed black peppercorns on both sides of each steak. Tent with aluminum foil and let the steak rest while you are preparing the sauce.

4 Make the sauce. Add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the brandy and as it boils, deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon (helps to have one with a straight edge) to dislodge all the browned bits. Once the brandy is almost cooked away, add the beef stock and turn the heat to high. Boil the sauce down until there's a noticeable trail when you drag a wooden spoon through the center of it (4-5 minutes).

5 Pour in the heavy cream and resume boiling. Again, boil down until you can make that telltale trail from the wooden spoon. Turn off the heat and add the parsley and any remaining black pepper (no more than 1 Tbsp, the rest should have already been used to pepper the steaks). Taste for salt and add if needed.

Pour the sauce over the steaks right when you serve.

Serves 4-6, depending on how big the steaks, and how hungry the eaters.

Chicken and Ricotta Cannelloni

So this was our recipe for last Thursday...it does take a little longer to make so leave yourself enough time for starters. One word of advice-make enough sauce! We made enough sauce but then decided as we had extra cannelloni to make a second dish of it and divide the sauce up between the two dishes-not a good idea! Our first batch was pretty dry and as there was not a lot of sauce on top, the tops of the cannelloni were exposed and got a little dark in the oven. The next day we made the second batch but before doing that I just made a light alfredo sauce (cream and/or milk + flour) and made sure the cannelloni were all covered and it was delicious!

Also, the recipe does not call for salt at all...not while you are cooking the meat, the vegetables, or making the sauce. I understand it's to keep it healthy but if you use only a little it goes a long way and does not compromise the overall healthiness of the meal. I made up for it by adding it to the sauce I made on day 2 and it was perfect!

Also, the recipe doesn't say this, but you can also tweak the ingredients to make different flavours of cannelloni. Try spinach and ricotta, or adding broccoli, etc.

Also, the recipe only calls for 1/4 cup of Mascarpone cheese but the smallest tub is 250 g. Save it and make a small tirimisu for dessert.

300 g ground chicken
50 g red pepper, seeded and finely diced
1⁄2 small leek, finely chopped
50 g frozen peas
250 g reduced-fat ricotta cheese
50 g mascarpone cheese
1 egg
5 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives or basil, or a mixture
pepper to taste
24 x 7.5 cm instant cannelloni tubes, about 185 g in total
Sauce
4 cups low-fat milk
1⁄2 onion, studded with 4 cloves
1 bay leaf
1⁄8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pepper to taste
1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
Topping
1⁄2 cup fine fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
1⁄4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions

1. To make the sauce, pour the milk into a heavy-based pan. Add the onion, bay leaf, nutmeg and pepper. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, cover and set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a frying pan over medium-high heat, cook the chicken until white and crumbly. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Place the diced red pepper, leek and frozen peas in a heatproof bowl, pour in enough boiling water to cover them and leave for 30 seconds. Drain the vegetables well.
4. Beat the ricotta, mascarpone and egg together, then mix in the chicken, the drained vegetables, herbs and pepper.
5. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the flavourings from the cool milk. Whisking constantly, sprinkle the flour into the milk. When incorporated, return the pan to medium heat and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, whisking frequently, for about 3 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Spread a layer of sauce on the bottom of a 30 x 20 cm (13 x 9 in.) ovenproof dish. Use a teaspoon to fill the cannelloni with the chicken mixture. Arrange in a single layer on the sauce in the dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over. For the topping, mix together the breadcrumbs and Parmesan and sprinkle over the chicken and ricotta cannelloni. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until the topping is golden and the sauce bubbling. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

preparation time 35 mins
cooking time 55 mins
serves 6

Nutritional informationPER SERVING
447 calories
32 g protein
17 g total fat
9 g saturated fat
120 mg cholesterol
43 g total carbohydrate
13 g sugars
3 g fibre
372 mg sodium
Adding vegetables to cannelloni fillings will “stretch” a small quantity of protein food, such as chicken. Frozen vegetables are better than canned vegetables as they retain more vitamins. However, when fresh or frozen vegetables are not available, use canned vegetables to contribute fibre, flavour and bulk.

Coming Up This Week!!

Chicken and Ricotta Cannelloni!! Also from "Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart!" Stay tuned!

Ways to Save!

I just thought I'd include a short note about ways to save when grocery shopping. My mom and dad (The Mazzarolo's) are super frugal shoppers-they get a substantial amount but the pay very little. One simple thing is to always look for the pink (or whichever colour your store uses) reduced stickers. I'm always careful when buying reduced meat, but they get their salad dressings, nut butters, snack foods, etc...ridiculously cheap because they get them reduced or on clearance. If you try to match up coupons with sales-even better. Couponing can be a LOT of work, however, and very time consuming, so unless you get one of the coupon books in the newpaper (P&G or the Smartsave ones) that come with pages of coupons, or you know of a store that always offers printable coupons (like Michael's Arts and Crafts) there are easier ways.

Many grocery stores will price match, most noteably-Freshco. Freshco happens to be the most convenient store for us to as it's right near the corner where I nanny three (adorable!) little girls so we'll often go on our way home from work. We bring our Metro, Longo's, No Frills, Food Basics, and Sobeys flyers with us (pre-marked and with everything written on a list) and it's ridiculous how much we save.

Today for example, I splurged and bought a bunch of the 450 ml Bolthouse Farms Smoothies because they were half price, and I picked up broccoli, cucumber, bananas, 2 Liberte Mediterranean Style Strawberry Yogurt, the oh-so-pricey Mascarpone cheese, Ricotta cheese, and Parmesan Cheese (for our next cooking venture!) and so much more for under $50 and half of what we budgeted. It's easy, not so time consuming as couponing and why pay full price when you don't have to.

Have a great day!

Today's Groceries (note: there is not a lot of produce as we bought most of that at the end of this past week):
p.s. This is also including 3 types of (expensive) cheese which wouldn't be in a regular grocery bill and four smoothies!

Brandy Chicken with Apples

This dinner is another great one from "Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart." Serve with wild rice and green beans.

2 medium shallots, finely chopped
2 tart apples, peeled and cut into 5 mm slices
1 cup of apple juice
3/4cup reduced-salt chicken stock (liquid!)
1 tbsp Calvados (apply brandy or apple juice-we just used regular brandy)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken breasts, about 150 g each
2 tbsp reduced fat cream (we just used regular table cream)

1. Lightly coat a large frying pan with non-stick cooking spray (a healthy recipe for that which does not include preservatives, etc. is just a bit of whatever cooking oil you have in a spray bottle) and set over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the apples and saute until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the apple joice, stock, and Calvados. Cook, stirring, until the apples are tender, 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Wipe the frying pan clean.

2. Meanwhile, combine the flour and pepper in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken breasts with the seasoned flour, pressing with your hands so the flour adheres and the chicken is flattened evenly.

3. Lightly coat the frying pan again with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned and almost cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side (ours took longer as we had bigger pieces). Return the apple mixture and any juices to the frying pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the cream, remove from heat, and serve.

Nutrition Info:

365 calories
40 g protein
13 g total fat
4 g saturated fat
127 mg cholesterol
20 g total carbohydrate
13 g sugars
1 g fibre
247 mg sodium

Buying Spices

Just a little note on buying spices-get them at the Bulk Barn, except when a recipe calls for fresh spices (like the cilantro in the Chili Lime Pork Chops recipe or the Coriander in the Chicken with Lemongrass recipe). We purchased our powdered spices (chili powder, pepper, etc) at the Bulk Barn and literally for the price of one shaker with a specific spice that you might buy at a grocery store we got a substantial amount of eight or nine different spiced at Bulk Barn. Just our recommendation for any fellow penny pinchers out there!

Chicken with Lemongrass

This dish, from "Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart," is so interesting and tasty. It's in between a soup and a stew and has a nice blend of spicy and sour flavours. Lemongrass adds the citrus while light coconut milk adds richness without compromising the healthiness of the recipe. We doubled this to have leftovers and it doubles quite nicely. Another highly recommended dish!



1 small chili pepper, split open lengthwise but left whole
1 garlic clove, cut in half
1 cm piece of ginger cut into 4 slices (very inexpensive-we paid $0.07 for a larger chunk than we needed)
2 stalks of lemongrass, bruised and cut in half (also cheap-$1.49 for a palk of 6 or 8 stalks)
650 g bone-in chicken pieces, such as breasts or thighs, skinned
1 shallot (basically an onion), finely chopped (p.s. I, Elana, hate onions but because it's so finely chopped and mixed in so well, it is actually great and wouldn't be the same without it!)
250 thin, green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise with a vegetable peeler into thin strips
1.3 cup reduced-fat coconut milk
finely grated rind and juice of 1 lime
pepper to taste
2 tbsp fresh coriander to garnish

1. Place 4 cups of water in a saucepan over high heat. Spear the chili, garlic and giner on a wooded cocktail stick or skewer (it makes them easier to remove later) and add to the pan together with the lemongrass. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside to infuse for about 30 minutes.

2. Return the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the chicken pieces, shallot, and green beans, and poach for 12-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked (test with the tip of a knife-the juices should run clear). Add the zucchini slices for the last 2 minutes of cooking.

3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken, beans, and zucchini to a warmed bowl. Add a little of the poaching liquid to keep them moist, then cover tightly and keep warm.

4. Return the liquid to a boil and add the coconut milk, stirring until it dissolves. Continue boiling for about 5-6 minutes or until the liquid had reduced by about one-third.

5. Remove the chicken meat from the bones and shred it roughly. Return the chicken meat, beans, and zucchini to the soup and stir, then reheat briefly. Stir in the grated lime rind and juice. Season with pepper.

6. Divide the chicken and vegetables among four soup bowls. Spoon the liquid over, discarding the lemongrass and stick of chili, garlic, and ginger. Sprinkle with coriander and serve.

Note: You can also add Chinese noodles to the dish if you like. Boil them for 3 minutes, drain, and then add to the reduced liquid when you add everything else in step 5.

Nutrition Info:

365 calories
40 g protein
13 g total fat
4 g saturated fat

Enjoy!
127 mg cholesterol
20 g total carbohydrate
13 g sugars
1 g fibre
247 mg sodium

Chili Lime Pork Chops with Cilantro Cream

Don't be alarmed by any of the names of the recipes we chose! They may sounds fancy and exotic and expensive, but they are generally quite budget friendly. I found this recipe in the Milk Calendar produced by the Dairy Farmers of Canada and the picture looked great and it sounded tasty-it was even better than we thought it would be! We made this one for the first time several weeks ago and have had it twice since then! So here it is...enjoy!

1 tbsp (15 mL) chili powder
2 tsp (10 mL) grated lime zest
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
4 thick (about 1-inch/2.5 cm) boneless pork loin chops
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter, divided
1 onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 tsp (10 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) 10% half-and-half cream
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp (30 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
Pepper
Lime wedgestructions

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

In a small bowl, combine chili powder, lime zest and salt; set half aside. Rub remaining chili powder mixture over both sides of pork chops.

In a skillet, melt half of the butter over medium-high heat; sear pork chops for 1 to 2 min per side or until browned; transfer chops to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast in oven for about 12 min or until just a hint of pink remains inside.

Meanwhile, return skillet to medium-low heat and melt remaining butter, swirling to coat. Sauté onion for about 5 min or until softened and starting to brown; add remaining chili powder mixture and sauté for 1 min.

Whisk flour into cream and gradually pour into pan, stirring. Simmer, stirring, for about 3 min or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and lime juice and season to taste with pepper. Spoon sauce over rice onto serving plates and top with pork chops; garnish with lime wedges to squeeze over top.

Nutrition Info:

Per serving

Energy: 363 Calories
Protein: 44 g
Carbohydrate: 8 g
Fat: 17 g
Fibre: 1.3 g
Sodium: 369 mg

Top 5 nutrients provided by a serving of this recipe

Nutrient and % DV*

Calcium: 8 % / 88 mg 
Selenium: 131 %
Thiamin: 103 %
Vitamin B6: 85 %
Niacin: 68 %

If you do try this recipe (and we strongly recommend it) let us know what you think and share any of your recipes with us!