Monday 26 May 2014

Blast From My Past

I really, really, really love pasta.
I really, really, really love cooking.
I really, really, really hate doing dishes.

This recipe is perfect because it only incorporates two of those things: Pasta & Cooking.

This one-pot meal is great because you don't wind up doing dishes for meat, sauce and pasta. It's one of my favourite meals and reminds me of living at home when my step-mama was doing some of the cooking. I've taken the recipe and modified it to suit my taste buds & hatred of doing dishes.


"Blast From the Pasta"

Adapted from Crazy Plates Cookbook


Your Shopping List:

1lb or so of Extra-lean ground beef or turkey
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tray of sliced mushrooms, or a handful that you will slice yourself
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes, no salt added
1 can cream of mushroom soup (look for some without MSG)*
1 can of tomato soup (no msg)
1/4 cup of milk*
1 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder2 handfuls of washed baby spinach
any other vegetables you like in pasta
3 cups of dry pasta such as penne or fusili

*if you don't have any cream of mushroom soup, you can use extra mushrooms, milk and a bit of plain yogurt or sour cream. The flavour isn't as rich, but it's still tasty!


What to do with it:

  1. Cook the meat in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat (I use a deep lagostina pan that a lid)
  2. When the meat is cooked through, add in the veggies and cook until they start to become tender - about 5 minutes
  3. Add the canned tomatoes and soups; stir well
  4. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil
  5. Lower heat to a simmer, and cook, lid on, for 30 minutes - stirring occasionally
  6. Serve, allow to cool slightly, and enjoy!

Tuesday 20 May 2014

One time I ate this and it was amazing.

I bought some thighs for a great price and was trying to find something new and exciting to do with them. I stumbled across an awesome recipe and decided to alter it to suit my taste buds! I served it with a heaping portion of spinach. 

Rosemary Sriracha Chicken Thighs

found here and altered 
Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: at least 1 hour
Cook time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4 if you have side dishes as well

Your shopping list:

1/4 cup plain yogurt (or whatever you have left in a container)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp dried rosemary
3 Tbsp Sriracha
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8-10 small bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or fewer if they're larger thighs), trimmed of excess fat

What to do with it:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, Sriracha, garlic, salt and pepper (if you want to save dishes and only have a bit of yogurt left in your container, you can mix all of these ingredients in the container itself)
  2. Place chicken thighs in a large ziploc bag or bowl and add the marinade
  3. Mix well to coat each piece and then refrigerate the chicken for at least an hour (I left mine in all afternoon)
  4. When your hunger kicks in - preheat oven to 375F
  5. Arrange chicken thighs in a single layer in a baking dish or broiler pan
  6.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through
  7. Broil on high for 4 minutes, until skin is crispy and golden brown  (make sure your dish is "broil" safe)
  8. Enjoy!