My new Cast Iron Pot.......What to cook?

Hi Everyone,

Sorry it has been a while, I will have to get you all caught up with my new recipes. My most recent and exciting recipe is in my new cast iron pot.  It was on sale at Canadian Tire.  I brought it home and I thought...oh...hot Italian Sausages... so that got the ball rolling for my chicken and sausage stew!  SO YUMMY!

Here is what you need...

• 10 4 to5 inch long sausages ( I like it spicy but you can use your fav)
• 2 chicken breast or 6 thighs (depending on what you like)
• 4 celery sticks chopped
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth
• 1 cup of Quinoa
• 1 cup of dices potatoes
• 2 tbl spoon of olive oil
• Seasoning of your choice

First you want to cook the sausage and chicken till it is cooked 75%, you can do this in a frying pan.  When 75% cooked chop into 1/4 or 1/2 inch pieces.

Put the olive oil in the bottom of the cast iron pot, and turn heat to low, when the oil heats up add the potatoes for about 3 minutes

Then add the carrots, celery and half of the broth.  When the meat is done and cut add it to the pot.

Let cook for about 10 minutes, then add the quinoa seasoning and the rest of the broth.

Keep on low for 45 minutes to an hour.  And walla!  you have a really tasty dish.

My husband could not wait...it smelt so good, every 5 minutes he would say...is it done now can we have some.

Great for a winter dinner party, packed with protein and is low in fat!  Stay tuned for more great tasting and easy recipes.

Vegetables never tasted so good....

Best veggy's for any meal.....

Well hello everyone, I would like yo say happy spring but...it is lost somewhere out there, it is April 11th and we are still in the minus for weather here...freezing snow warnings here in Burlington Ontario...what is that about.

I decided to do a spring detox and at the same time slowly start to reintroduce foods back in and see how my body likes it.  This way I know what foods to avoid and what food are good for me.  Well in this process, I have cut out everything at first...so the first 2 or 3 days no...dairy, meat, wheat, poultry, yes that means cheese...I know I love cheese and not caffeine, or alcohol...torch-er I know right...was was not that bad!

And in doing this I have found a new love for Vegetables, I tell you, they have never tasted so good...here are 2 really quick and easy recipes that I would encourage you to try.

1 bunch of Kale or spinich
3 garlic cloves
1 onion (chopped)
1 cup of mushrooms (chopped)
your fav. seasoning

Grab a frying pan, poor a little bit of olive oil in it and the minced garlic...I always add a few extra, I love garlic.  throw in your onion and mushrooms, let them cook for about 2 min, the one handful at a time add the Kale or spinach, stiring it constantly.  when it is all soft and mixed in, you are done.

Great for a side dish, or on its own.

Next is the roasted veggy's

3 Carrots
2 Onions
2 Zucchini
2 cups Mushrooms
Seasoning to taste
pre heat the oven to 375 degrees, get one large or to smaller cookie sheets, spray them with non stick spray.  Chop up all of your veg, put them in a large bowl, add 4 table spoons of olive oil, and add your seasoning.  put them on cookie sheets and cook for 40min, flipping half way.

You will love this one, it makes about 4 to 6 serving depending on the size.

These are recipes to keep in mind when you are having a vegetarian to dinner...or if you are trying to eat more healthy.

Stay tuned for more delish detox food!

Grilled Salmon and Indian side dish......

Happy Friday everyone.....I made the most amazing meal last night and it took no time at all.

To tell you the back story on this one......I was at costco...once again...it sounds like I go a lot but I do not...it is just when I do go I load up and then slowly use the items I buy. 

So the last time I was there loading up, I bought this grill for the gas stove that I have been looking at buying for a while and that is also a griddle...grill on one side and griddle on the other...$28.99 and to just give you an idea on the deal this was...I have seen them in other stores for $68...sure they might be a little thinker but with being thicker they will be much more heaver and harder to clean and maneuver......so this one was a great deal...and steal...lol....pardon the pun!

And as well I picked up these GLUTEN free seasoned salmon.  This is a big deal as well because being gluten free you can not buy anything pre seasoned...they normally use wheat for filler....so these were GREAT!

I think that you know where I am going with this....Salmon on the grill.....oh yes I did.....8 minutes a side and it was done.....

And for the side dish...

1 chopped large onion
1 chopped lage red pepper
1 cup chopped carrot

In a wok add 2 table spoons of olive oil and 3...or 4 minced garlic cloves....I love garlic, if you do not so much you can just use just 1.

Once the garlic starts to sizzle throw in the chopped onion, pepper and carrot and cook as you are getting the grill heated....FYI if you just get the salmon (you can cook it in the oven or even microwave) I am not a fan of the microwave.....but what ever floats your boat.....or you can go with another protein of sorts for the meal.

Once the veg get almost all cooked....tender..about 15 minutes on med/high, you can add other seasonings...I like cumin for a Indian taste....you can do salt and pepper if you like a more blan dish...or you can heat it up with some cayenne pepper ....YUMMY!

And for presentation...
I start with a large Thai bowl and add the veg at the bottom
then Salmon to the side
I through a few sweet potato and beet chips for color and crisp but you could use crackers or regular chips....what ever you have on tap!!...they just add a little sumin sumin.....

there you have it......My husband loved it so much he actually took himself away from the leafs game to tell me so......lol......

The veg worked out for 4 side dishes and I cooked 4 Salmon...so you got a family of 4 you are good to go...I pack the other 2 for our lunches the next day....double yummy!

For the love of healthy quick cooking......Cheers!

Lamb Chops.....Who knew?

Happy new year everyone, sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I was preoccupied with getting married...lol...yes I am back at you as a misses....not miss.  So now that I am married I have a husband to cook for....not that I did not cook for him before but I can call him my husband...just sounds more serious....lol....

Anyway, we were at my husbands Aunts place in Florida (she winters there from Nova Scotia) and she introduced me to Lamb Chops.....I have never tried them before...you have to give me some slack on this one because I was a vegetarian for a long time....just getting caught up on all my meat products....lol...

She did them 4 min a side on the BBQ and they were so delicious.  Sided with a salad and asparagus...the best dinner ever.....Thanks Auntie!

So now here we are back home in -20 weather....we are not going to use the BBQ....HA! I found them at costco...best place to buy meats if you are not sure on what you are buying or what cut....good place to go...can not go wrong there.

So I did them on the stove....still 4min a side...still very good.  I have to say with just a bit of olive oil and garlic...they just melt in your mouth.

You can side them with my good old smashed potato......see recipe further down my blog.

I promise to write more often now that all of the festivities are over.

Much love to all!

Sweet Potato Lasagna (Gluten free)

1 pound of ground turkey

1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 onions
6 garlic cloves
1 cup salsa (I like it spicy but it is up to you)
1 cup of low fat mozzarella cheese(or you can use dairy free cheese)
2 medium size sweet potato, slices in 1/4 in slices like chip size
2 tbl spoon crushed chilli pepper
1 tbl spoon Italian seasoning
2 tbl olive oil
Per heat oven to 350 degrees

1. Cut up peppers and onions, as well you can any other vegetable that you would like to add, zucchini, eggplant...I have even added bok choy before because it was in my fridge and through it in.

2. In a frying pan put in the olive oil and 3 minced garlic cloves, just as garlic starts to brown add chopped veg.  sautee for 10 minutes till soft

3. At the same time you are doing the veg. get another frying pan spry with non stick spay and add the ground turkey.  Just before it is all cooked add 3 garlic cloves, chilli and Italian seasoning, finish cooking.

4. In a 9 X 13 baking dish, spray with non stick spray, place a layer of sweet potato on the bottom uncooked

5. when meat and veg are cook mix them together and put half of the mixture as a layer on top of the layer of sweet potato

6. Next put a layer of half the salsa, then half the cheese, then another layer of sweet potato, meat and veg mix, salsa ....do not put the last layer of cheese on till the last 10 minutes of baking.

7. place dish in heated over for 40 minutes, add the last layer of cheese and put back in for another 10 minutes.

It is great for a dinner party, just add salad and bread.  ENJOY!!!  This is a hit!

Fabulous Fudge

So this is my ever so popular fudge....I have yet to find someone that does not like it...and it is the easiest to make.

Ingredients
400g of 70% to 85% dark chocolate (do not be afraid of the dark chocolate....my fiancee did not know the difference and it is better for you)
300g can of condensed milk
1/2 cup of raisins ( optional)
1/2 cup of nuts (to your liking as well optional)

Unwrap chocolate and place in a microwavable safe bowl

Microwave 1 to 2 min at a time and stirring in between till all the chocolate is melted

add condensed milk and microwave for 30 more seconds

stir in any extra raisins or nuts that your would like to add

Spray a non stick spry in a 8x8 or 9x9 dish

pore mixture into the dish and even out.....let stand in fridge for 30 min and take out to cut into 1 centimeter by 2.5 centimeter pieces and then put back in fridge for at least another hour.

If yo do not cut before it is to hard to cut after.

And enjoy......caution....bring to many to work thinking you will share....you will not, you will eat them all yourself.  These baby's are that good. 

Fast Indian!!! It is fast!!

HI all,

So I had a late night last night!!! I was teaching a meditation class till 8:45pm so you can imagine what time I got home at. Anyway, I was hungry........what to do...I do not want to be unhealthy and knock back fatty cheese and crackers with a glass of wine. I need a good protein dinner.....

I went to my freezer and saw what my options were....Chicken thigh's...4 of them (I buy them in packs of 12 and then before I but them in the freezer I put them in zip lock bags in groups of 4...makes it easier to defrost in nights such as this one) . I but them in a bowl of really hot water and they take about 10 min.

Simply cut them in strips and then in half.

Get a frying pan, little bit of olive oil and throw the chicken in to cook.

In my cupboard I always keep on hand ready to go Indian food packs...you can get them in SOOO many different flavors and food base. I try to keep a lentil, potato and rice one on tap at all times....WHY?
Lentil...makes for a good dip
Potato....side dish
Rice ...Stir fry
(FYI...you open the pack and all you do is poor it in a dish and eat...you can heat it up if you like but it is ready to eat)
So in this case..you guest it...stir fry

Back to the chicken in the frying pan...add 3 garlic cloves minced and 1 table spoon of tumerac
When chicken is cooked added rice mixture
Heat for 2 minutes and serve.

I was done in 15 min...and that was not rushing at all.

I have to say it was so tasty and I will have to make it again... I know I say this knowing I normally never make the same thing twice.

Till next time eat healthy and laugh lots.
Much Love