Last time I went home to visit my mom, I made a delicious pork tenderloin one night. Before I made it, we couldn’t decide whether I should make both pieces that were in her freezer, or just one. Because I always opt on the side of “have enough to feed an army if you need it,” I made both of them. Of course, we only ate one and at the end of the meal we were left with an entire fully cooked pork tenderloin. And the next night, we proved that you don’t always need a picnic or shoulder roast to make pulled pork sandwiches. These were the easiest ones I’ve ever made, and they were tasty too!
1.) If tenderloin is cold, warm it up in a 350 degree oven for 20 – 30 minutes. Then, using two fork, pull pork apart until you have shredded the entire tenderloin. You can also pull it apart with your hands, much the same way you would with traditional pulled pork.
2.) Place barbecue sauce in a pot and heat over low-medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
3.) When both the pork and the sauce are hot, place shredded pork into the sauce and stir to thoroughly coat all of the pork in the sauce. Divide evenly among all four hamburger buns.
I sometimes find that chicken can be a somewhat boring ingredient. I mean, it doesn’t really have a whole ton of flavour on its own and I rarely order it in restaurants, simply because I eat so much of it at home. At the same time, it can be one of the most comforting dishes on the planet if you know what to do with it. Roasted chicken is one of my very favourite meals, and in the past I’ve called it the ultimate comfort food (and I still do!) Aside from just comfort, roasted chicken is also great for leftovers. The bones can be used for chicken stock and the meat can be used for just about anything. This chicken pot pie is one of my go-tos.
Ingredients:
2 9″ flaky pie crusts 3 cups roasted chicken, cubed 1 large carrot, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, sliced 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour 4 cups chicken stock 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons dried oregano 2 tablespoons dried thyme 1 egg, beaten lightly with 1 tablespoon of water Salt Pepper
Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.) Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot add the diced carrot, celery, onion, and garlic. Stir to coat everything in oil and then saute just until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted chicken, the oregano, and the thyme. Stir to combine everything.
3.) Add the 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and allow to melt. Sprinkle the flour over top and then mix so that everything becomes lightly coated in flour. Allow to cook for 2 minutes.
4.) Slowly whisk in the chicken stock, making sure there are no lumps as you pour in the stock. Bring entire mixture up to a simmer. Taste, add salt and pepper, and taste again. Adjust seasoning if necessary and remove from heat.
5.) Roll out the pie crust so it’s about 1/4″ inch thick. Using a cookie cutter or rim of large glass, cut out circles and press them, one by one, neatly into the muffin tin. Press them to the sides a little bit as you do. Using a fork, make small holes at the bottom of each small pie crust. This will help it bake evenly and will prevent it from bubbling up in the oven. Roll out the second pie crust and again with a cookie cutter, cut out circles, hearts, stars, or any other shape that you like.
6.) Ladle the chicken pot pie mixture into the pie crust in the muffin tin, making sure you leave about 1/2″ border of crust above the pie filling. The mixture will expand slightly, and you want to make sure the mixture doesn’t overflow.
7.) Place one shape you’ve cut out with a cookie cutter onto each of the small chicken pot pies in the muffin tin. Brush the shape, as well as the edges of the pie dough, with the egg wash you’ve made.
8.) Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until the filling is hot and bubbling and the pie crust is golden brown.
Chicken fingers don’t last for very long in my house. I have two children who are like finger monsters and eat them just about any chance they get. But I also have a husband with a very limited palate (I don’t know, is that a nicer way to say he’s picky?) and my homemade chicken fingers top his list of favourites. So while I don’t typically have chicken fingersleftover after dinner, when I do, I like to do more with them than just reheat and serve. With this crispy Caesar salad recipe, you should too.
Ingredients:
4 – 8 chicken fingers 1 head of Romaine lettuce 1 cup store bought or homemade croutons 3 slices bacon, chopped 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese Lemon slices, for garnish
For the dressing:
1 head of garlic 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon anchovy paste 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon Worcestershire 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon lemon juice Salt Pepper
Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop the top off the head of the garlic, drizzle with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Place in the preheated oven and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, until the cloves are soft and golden brown.
2.) While garlic is roasting, prepare the rest of the salad. Place chopped bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp. Move to a plate lined with paper towel and set aside.
3.) When garlic is just about done roasting, place chicken fingers on a baking sheet and pop them into the oven for just a few minutes to warm them through.
4.) Remove garlic at the end of the cooking time and unwrap from foil. Over a bowl, squeeze the garlic cloves out of its skin and mash them slightly. Add mayonnaise, anchovy paste, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Stir to combine all ingredients, taste, and add salt and pepper to taste.
5.) Bring the entire salad together. In a very large bowl, place the Romaine lettuce and salad dressing and mix to combine very well. Add in the bacon, the Parmesan cheese, and the croutons and mix once again. I like to do it this way because I want the bacon and croutons to just be “kissed” by the dressing, and not drenched in it. Place the salad in a large serving bowl or on a large serving platter.
6.) Remove chicken fingers from the oven and place directly on top of salad in a decorative way. Add lemon garnishes, if using.
So you’ve purchased a beautiful loaf of Italian or French bread to sop up your spaghetti sauce one night, and now you’re left with half a loaf that you just don’t know what to do with. Well, you could just continue buttering it and serving it as a side to any dish, but you could also do something a little more interesting. You could turn it into croutons for your next Caesar salad, soup, or even panzanella salad.
A word about croutons though. While you can add just about any seasoning and spice that you choose, do not forget the garlic! I did one night when I had my in-laws over for dinner and my father-in-law brought up the garlic-less croutons for the rest of the evening (he’s a big kidder, that one.) So whether you use roasted garlic, garlic powder, or just mince some into the bread while it’s cooking, for the love of God, do not forget this all-important ingredient. And to be honest, it really does make them taste a lot better.
Ingredients:
1/2 loaf Italian or French bread, cut into cubes 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons garlic powder 1 tablespoon onion powder Salt Pepper
Directions:
1.) Melt butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium heat. When melted, add cubed bread and toss to coat as much of them in the fat as you can (you won’t be able to cover every corner so don’t worry about this too much; just get as much as you can.) Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, and toss. Cook until the croutons become golden brown and crunchy, tossing every once in awhile to cook evenly.
I’ve lived in a lot of different places during my life. From small towns to big cities, I’m starting to think that I’ve done them all, and I love it. Because of this somewhat nomadic lifestyle of mine, I’ve been able to see what different regions have to offer, and there’s been something specific I’ve loved about each one. Currently, I’m in Perth, Ontario and I have to say, this farm country has the best sweet corn I’ve ever tasted. Best of all, it’s in season right now!
When I first got here a little over a year ago, I heard so much about this sweet corn, and how I’d never find anything else like it. And I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical. Really? I mean, it’s corn. What does it have that all the other ears of corn I’ve tasted in my life didn’t? I soon found out, it does have something a little bit special. And it is in fact some of the sweetest, juiciest corn I’ve ever tasted. It wasn’t long before I was spending the summer hunting down the stuff to turn it into grilled corn, corn casserole, and corn chowder. But I still like it best when it’s left raw, as it is in this mango and corn salsa I created. I tell you, after serving this with chicken or fish, I take the whole bowl and start eating it up with a spoon.
Ingredients:
3 ears of sweet corn 1 mango, cut into a small dice 1/2 cup cucumber, cut into a small dice 1 green onion, sliced Zest and juice of one lime Salt Pepper
Directions:
1.) One by one, place the flat end of each ear of corn onto a cutting board. Starting at the pointy end of the ear and moving down towards the flat base, run a sharp knife along the cob, so that the kernels come loose as you do. Repeat with remaining ears of corn.
2.) Place corn in a large bowl and add mango, cucumber, and green onion. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top, and then zest and juice lime over top. Stir to combine all the ingredients and then you can have it sit in the fridge for an hour or two to combine the flavours, or serve right away.
When I first heard of this thing known as bread salad, or “panzanella,” I didn’t know quite what to make of it. I guess that’s par for the course with me, as I might be the only person I know that doesn’t like croutons on my Caesar salad. But, getting through hard crunchy bits that hurt my teeth aside, if you put a bunch of bread in a bowl and then pour dressing over top of it, wouldn’t the bread go soggy? And who wants to eat a bowl of soggy bread? Nonetheless, it was a dish that interested me, and it is Italian after all – a food type that has a very special place in my heart. So I had to give it a try. I don’t know how it happens, but the bread doesn’t manage to get all that soggy. You may get a piece every now and then that does, but for the most part, your croutons will stay crispy and being a big fan of salads, I have to say that this is one that is truly delicious!
Ingredients:
4 cups croutons 2 large tomatoes, diced 1 red bell pepper, chopped in a large dice 1 green bell pepper, chopped in a large dice 2 green onions, sliced 1 cup basil leaves, torn 3 tablespoons capers, drained
For the dressing:
1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon mustard 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1.) Start by making the dressing. Place the garlic, mustard, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a blender. Blend for a minute or two, until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
2.) Place the croutons, tomatoes, bell peppers, green onions, basil leaves, and capers in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over top and mix to thoroughly combine.
You can expect to see a lot of zucchini recipes on the site in the next few weeks. That’s right, it’s zucchini season! And while this vegetable can be somewhat pricey in the grocery stores, if you can find a farmers’ market or a vegetable stand, they typically sell for about a dollar apiece. (And they might be cheaper at the grocer’s now, I just rarely even look at them when I’m in there during the summer months.) Remember when you’re choosing a zucchini to choose one that’s small to medium in size. The bigger they get the woodier they get, and they start to lose a lot of their flavour.
Ingredients:
2 small green zucchini, cut in half and then quartered 1 large egg 1/4 cup bread crumbs 1/4 cup panko 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Salt 2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
1.) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.
2.) In a large bowl combine the bread crumbs, panko, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the egg lightly.
3.) One by one, dip the zucchini pieces into the egg, coating entirely. Then drop them into the bread crumb mixture and turn to fully coat. As you’re finished breading, place the zucchini sticks onto the prepared baking sheet. When all zucchini has been breaded, lightly drizzle with olive oil.
4.) Place in the preheated oven and bake for 5 before turning and baking for another 5 minutes on the other side.
5.) When zucchini is finished baking, remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with a bit more salt.
It seems my entire adult life I’ve been trying to find new ways to cook potatoes. The only side dishes that dear hubby really likes are rice and potatoes, leaving me constantly trying to find new ways to stave off boredom when it comes time to prepare (and eat) them. I’ve only done this technique once and it’s already one of my favourites. And it’s no surprise that it comes from the Queen of Cooking and Crafts, Martha Stewart. It can be found in her Martha Stewart Living Cookbook, and I have to say, if you’re a foodie and haven’t yet checked out this book, you should.
When I first hefted it up onto my counter, it reminded me largely of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It’s an encyclopedia of food and cookery, filled with 1,200 different recipes along with tips, techniques, and just a vast, vast knowledge of different ingredients and cooking methods. Like Mastering though, while she includes the most basic recipes (including mashed potatoes) she also provides new and fresh recipes – recipes that will leave you asking yourself “Why didn’t I ever try doing this before?”
That’s how it was for me with these potatoes. They come out of the oven just like roasted potatoes, but they’re covered in water and, due to the high heat, come to a rolling simmer while in there. Martha calls them “Lemon Roasted Potatoes” in the book, but as I only had orange juice on hand, I used that instead, and they were absolutely delicious. And I did also change a couple of other things (why do I wince when I say that in this particular instance and hope that Martha never, ever finds out?) I used smaller potatoes than the Idahos the book calls for, and I also kept the skins on instead of peeling them. What can I say? I wanted roasted potatoes, and mine always end up with their skins intact. But it’s really the technique that is sheer genius, and I kept completely true to it.
Ingredients:
6 – 10 small potatoes, washed and quartered 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1.) Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and place the potatoes in a 10 x 15″ baking dish. Add 1 cup of water and the olive oil, orange juice, oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss the potatoes until they are well coated.
2.) Place in the oven and bake, uncovered, until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife and brown on the edges, about 40 minutes. Turn the potatoes halfway through for even browning; add more water if all the liquid has been absorbed.
When you get tired of eating banana bread for your breakfast or snack, or just happen to have several zucchinis in your fridge like I did, turning them into a delicious loaf is a good way to use them all up. If you’re worried about all the sugar in this recipe, don’t be. I did some fast math on this one and 2 3/4 cups of sugar going into three loafs that make about 8 slices each, equals out to about 1.75 tablespoons of sugar in each slice. Of course, that’s not including the chocolate but if you are worried about it you can always substitute the chocolate for nuts or fruit (my sister puts dates in her zucchini bread and it’s really good.) Here’s another tip, too. If you don’t want your chocolate or nuts to sink the bottom of the dish as they inevitably will without some interference on your part, gently fold them into the loaf batter at the last minute rather than just sprinkling them on top like so many recipes call for.
Ingredients:
3 eggs 1 cup oil 2 3/4 cup white sugar 3 teaspoons vanilla 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 3 teaspoon cinnamon 2 cups shredded zucchini 3 cups flour 1 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
1.) Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease three loaf pans by coating all sides with butter and then lightly flouring. Set aside.
2.) Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
3.) In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, place eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla and beat until all ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
4.) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer with the mixer running and mix for several minutes until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
5.) Add the zucchini to the mixture, followed by the chocolate chips.
6.) Place in the oven and bake for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted into the centre of each loaf comes out clean. (I kept checking on mine after the hour mark to make sure I didn’t overcook them.)
7.) Remove loaf pans from the oven and place on wire racks to cool before turning the loaves out of their pans.
As we saw a few months ago during Cauliflower Week here on the site, there are tons of creative ways you can use this vegetable. You can turn it into tots, or fried rice, or even pizza. You really can use it for just about anything – even turn it into baked potatoes as I did when I made this loaded cauliflower just last night. And it’s super quick, and super easy.
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, broken up into florets 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated 3 slices bacon, chopped 2 green onions, chopped 1/2 cup sour cream Salt Pepper
Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and either spray a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray, or brush with oil.
2.) Place chopped bacon in a skillet and cook, over medium heat, until bacon is brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
3.) Place cauliflower florets into a medium-sized pot and fill with salted water. Bring to a boil and cook just until cauliflower is fork-tender.
4.) Drain cauliflower and place florets in a single layer in the casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle grated cheese over top, then bacon and green onions. Place the cauliflower in the oven and cook for 5 – 10 minutes, just until the cheese has melted. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and top with dollops of sour cream.
