Stuffed Zucchinis - GV Style

THURSDAY, APRIL 29TH, 2010

4-4.5 stars (out of 5 - simple, yet impressive and delicious!)

GV gave me this recipe at one of our many in-between-patient meetings, where we love to talk about anything but the stress of our internship! This is really a simple recipe that looks super impressive and tastes just as good. I love the heartiness of it, and the blend of all the flavours.

Ingredients:

Medium sized zucchinis
1 shallot per (whole) zucchini, finely chopped
Butter
1 slice of white bread per zucchini (whole), torn into bite-sized pieces
Splash or two of milk or cream
Shredded cheese (either Havarti or Gruyere)*
Salt and pepper

{*Note. I have made these two times: the first was with Gruyere cheese, which was great; this time I made it with Havarti, which was also good and browned easier. Basically, any good, strong cheese will work, depending on your preference}.

1. {Preheat oven to 350 or 375F} First, I cut the zucchinis in half, and scooped them out. I chopped the zucchini "insides" and set them aside.

2. I then heated a pan over medium heat, and added butter. Once it was hot, I added the shallots and cooked for about 3-4 minutes.

3. Once the shallots were semi-cooked, I added the zucchini "insides" and cooked for about 3-5 minutes.

4. As this was cooking, I tore the bread into small pieces, and added a dollop of milk so that the bread-milk mixture was moist, but not soggy.

3. I then added the cooked zucchini/shallot mixture to the bread...

4. ... and stirred in the cheese, mixing everything well.

5. I then stuffed the zucchini halves with the mixture...

6. ... and topped with extra shredded cheese.

7. I then placed them in the oven for about 10-14 minutes.

Final product:

Overall, I found these to be a delicious accompaniment to any meal, or as a main part of a meal (which I did as a replacement to a meat, served with a salad). The flavours and textures are ideal, and they are simple to make (and hard to mess up!) which I love. These will definitely become a regular in our household. Thank you, GV!

Cod: Baked with Dill and Lemon Sauce

THURSDAY, APRIL 29TH, 2010

4.5 stars (out of 5 - so simple, and so good!)

I wanted to make another fish dish for several reasons: 1) I wanted to expand my "repertoire"; and 2) I wanted to start to make more healthy dishes for SB. I saw this recipe in "Company's Coming" and it looked easy and delicious. Fortunately, it was!

Ingredients:

Cod fillets (boneless) - up to 4 @ ~150-200g (I used 1x 250g)

1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dill weed (dry)
1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/3 cup grated Havarti (or old cheddar) cheese

1. {Preheat oven to 350F} First, I mixed the sour cream, lemon juice, garlic salt, and dill together in a small bowl, and set aside.

2. I then grated the cheese... and placed the fish fillets in a baking sheet (with sides), spooning the sour cream mixture over top...

3. ... and sprinkling with cheese.

4. I then placed the fish in the oven for about 12-15 minutes (depending on the size of your fillet... for a 250g fillet, I needed 16 minutes).

5. After the fish was basically cooked, I placed the oven on broil for 2-3 minutes to slightly brown the cheese...

6. ... and served it with a side of couscous (or rice) and asparagus.

Overall, this recipe was SOOOO simple and (apparently) really good. SB really liked all of the different flavours, and also I loved how it didn't make my entire flat smell like fish! I will definitely do it again.

Tomato Chicken Casserole

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2010

4 stars (out of 5 - simple, stress-free, and pretty darn good!)

I hadn't cooked a new meal in a while (and had been, quite frankly, a bit lazy), and SB asked me what was going on.... I didn't know! I guess I have been a bit busy and stressed, but I decided to make sure that I made time to cook some new meals, as I know how much satisfaction I get out of it. This was my first attempt in a while, but an easy one. It's one of those "canned soup" recipes... but I refuse to feel bad about them - they always turn out well. This was no exception - the meat was moist and well-cooked, and (most importantly) it was stress-free.

Ingredients:

Meat:

Bone-in chicken (skinned)*
Garlic powder
Salt Pepper

Mix:

1 can (284mL) tomato soup
1 can (284mL) cream of mushroom soup
1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped
1 bunch green onion (or chives), chopped finely
1 v. small onion, chopped finely

{*Note. I used about 1 lb. or less of chicken... basically, do whatever you want up to 3 lbs (original recipe) because I had a lot of extra sauce. I think my basic guideline would be to have as much chicken as I could line my casserole dish with.}

1. {Preheat oven to 350F}. First, I placed the chicken in a 3qt (3L) casserole dish.

2. Next, I sprinkled with salt, pepper, and a good coating of garlic powder.

3. I then mixed the tomato soup and mushroom soup in a medium bowl...

4. ... and added the tomato and 2 types of onions...

5. ... and stirred well.

6. I poured the mixture over the chicken, and placed it in the oven, covered, at 350F for about 2 hours (flexible - no stress!).

New oven!

Look at how my casserole dish now fits in!

7. I served it with rice, but mashed potatoes also worked well. After the photo, I added a side of green beans (and a salad in a separate plate).

Overall, this was a super good, super easy recipe, and I was glad I tried it (despite my reservations about using the soup mixtures). SB really liked it, and the meat was super tender. I guess it can't really be considered anything close to a gourmet dish, but I would serve it to some of my good friends I was trying to make a good meal for (and at the same time being able to socialize!) ;)

New Apron!!

I couldn't resist posting a pic of my AMAZING birthday present from MM - a very stylish apron. It's actually so nice that I don't want to get it dirty (and also, I would like to sew a back on it and wear it out!). Thanks, MM, for the beautiful and very thoughtful gift :)

Green Beans

TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2010

3.5 stars (out of 5 - an okay, but not too exciting veggie dish - perhaps better if I don't overcook!)

I wanted to try another recipe from Pioneer Woman, and also expand my repertoire of vegetable sides (I'm always using asparagus!). SB really likes green beans, so when I saw this recipe I thought it would be perfect. It was pretty good, but because I was also making another dish (fish - see following post), I didn't plan the timing so well, and they ended up being a bit overcooked. If there was one thing I could improve right now, it would definitely be my timing of dishes (or lack thereof!). Here is the link to the original recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/fresh-green-beans-one-way/

Ingredients:

1 lb green beans*
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chicken or veggie broth
1/2 tsp salt
Ground black pepper

{*Note. I probably used a bit less... see picture.}

1. First, I washed the green beans and snapped the stems off.

2. I then chopped the onion fairly finely...

3. ... and the red pepper (again pretty finely).

4. I then heated up the oil and added the butter over medium-low heat.

5. When it was hot, I added the onion and the garlic, and cooked for about one minute.

6. I then added the green beans and stirred. I cooked these for about one minute (until they were bright green).

7. I added the broth and the red pepper, and stirred (salting it as needed).

8. I then turned the stove to low-medium heat, and cooked it covered (leaving it open a crack for the steam to escape)for about 30 minutes (to your liking).

Final product (slightly overcooked)

Overall, I enjoyed the green beans, but would keep a better eye on them so that they don't overcook. They're not too terribly exciting, but I guess it's a nice alternative to my regular ol' asparagus. I'll make them again and try to get the timing better.

White Roasted Fish w/ Lemony Asparagus

TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2010

3.5 stars (out of 5 - with the possibility of 4.5 stars with said improvements!)

I decided to try out a Jamie Oliver recipe; my friends have made some of his things, and they've always been delicious. I also felt like being really adventurous, and cooking with fish (which I detest). I didn't really like cooking with fish, but in the end I did it (and it turned out well!) so I was proud of myself. His recipe was also a complete meal (fish and asparagus), which I liked (although I also added a side of green beans). Here is the link to the original recipe http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fish-recipes/delicious-roasted-white-fish-wrapped-in

Ingredients:

Fish:

200g white fish fillets*, cut 2.5cm thick, skinned/boned (how ever many you need to cook - I only used one -but they should all be around 200g)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Zest and juice of 2 lemons (juice is for asparagus)
Ground black pepper
2-3 slices bacon per fish fillet (or pancetta)
Olive oil

Asparagus & Sauce:

4 tablespoons mayonnaise
Large bunch of asparagus

{*Note. You want a "robust" white fish - either Haddock or Monkfish as they can handle to taste of the bacon. I used Haddock; however, since our groceries were delivered this week, I would have taken a bit thicker of a piece than is pictured}.

1. {Preheat oven to 400F) First, I combined the zest and the chopped rosemary in a small bowl.

2. Next, I needed thin slices of bacon, so I covered my bacon slices in wax paper and used a rolling pin to flatten them out. It was kinda gross/kinda satisfying in some weird way.

3. Next, I seasoned the fish fillet with pepper and the lemon/rosemary mixture...

4. ...and placed it on top of the bacon slices (I cut them all in half first). The bacon slices were slightly overlapping.

5. I then closed up the bacon slices over the fish. I consulted SB and he wanted a lot of bacon; however, if you look at the original recipe, you will see that the bacon is only wrapped around the middle section of the fish. I guess it can be up to you.

6. Here is where I made a mistake (actually 2), so please take note!

Mistake #1: You want to lightly heat an oven-proof frying pan, which I didn't think that I had. So, I thought: I'll fry it in this pan, and transfer it to an oven-proof (heated) dish to cook it. I recently found out that my pots are oven-proof, which would have worked better. Next time :)

In the end, I heated my frying pan, and cooked the fish for about 1 minute. You should have it over medium-low heat, and cook just the underside of the fish/bacon for 1-2 minutes.

Here is where I made Mistake #2: You need to place the fish bad-side down (i.e., where the bacon is fused, you want that to be on the bottom.. You'll see why in a few pics!).

7. I transferred it to the heated dish (don't do this! It's much better to cook the fish in the same pan as you fried it)

8. ... and placed it in the oven for 10-12 minutes (do not overcook!). You can see the bacon problem from this picture. While the fish was in the oven, I prepared the asparagus by steaming for about 5 minutes and mixing the lemon juice with some mayonnaise and pepper. I just added mayonnaise until I got the flavour I wanted.

9. I then served it with lightly steamed asparagus with lemony dressing.

10. I also added a side of home-made green beans (blog entry to follow).

Overall, SB really enjoyed this meal. However, I could really make some improvements to my technique by making sure the bacon was bad-side down and cooking it in the same pan. I would even recommend cooking it on the stove for 2 minutes because in the end the bacon needed to be a bit more cooked. I will definitely try this one again and post any updates!

Veal Cutlets w/ White Wine Sauce

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH, 2010

3.5 stars (out of 5 - just needs less salt!)

I found this super simple recipe recently, and decided to test whether it really was as easy as it seemed! It was a pretty good, super-quick recipe, but needed a bit of adjustment (see notes below).

Ingredients (makes just over 1 cup wine sauce; adjust accordingly):

Veal cutlets (1-2 per person)
Flour
3 tbsp margarine*
2 tbsp flour
Salt, to taste**
Pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tsp bouillon (veggie or beef)
1 cup milk
2 tbsp white wine

{*Note. The recipe suggests using margarine, as butter will brown too quickly.}

{**Note. The original recipe called for salt, but I found it was too salty, so add with caution. I would suggest excluding the salt until the sauce is almost fully prepared, and then adding it to your taste near the end.}

1. First, I dredged the meat in flour. This gives it a crispier coating,when it cooks, which I like; however, this step is optional.

2. I then melted 1 tbsp of margarine in frying pan over medium heat. When it was hot, I added the meat, cooking to your preference of readiness. This was my chick'n version.

3. I set the meat aside on a heated plate, and kept warm. Using the same pan, I melted the remaining 2 tbsp of margarine over medium heat.

4. I then mixed the bouillon, flour, and pepper in a bowl...

5. ...and added it to the margarine, stirring it until it was smooth. This was a bit difficult, but I tried.

6. Finally, I gradually added the milk and wine, stirring constantly until it is bubbly and thickened. Even though I used skim milk, the mixture was very thick. However, I found it incredibly difficult to get all of the lumps out. In the end, it wasn't lumpy (enough to notice), but next time I think I will use my mini blender to make it easier on my arms.

7. I then drizzled some sauce on a warmed plate, placed the meat on top of it, and drizzled more sauce over top. We served with mashed potatoes. Sorry, no final pic!

Overall, this truly was a super simple recipe. The only difficulty was with the lumpy sauce, which we eventually worked out. The version of the sauce in the book was very salty, so I will try this again without the salt. I liked the ease at which the sauce thickened (sometimes I have a problem with this). As for the flavour, it was good, but not incredible. I actually think that a bit more white wine might kick it up a notch, so perhaps I will try that as well next time (at the risk of the sauce thickness). But there will definitely be a next time!