Recipes

Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

  
Important first step:
Boil 10 mins
Rinse and strain thoroughly in cold water

Combine in a Bowl:
1T olive oil
1/8t garlic powder
1/4t cayenne
1/4t cumin
sea salt (lots)
pumpkin seeds (1 to 2 cups)

Spread seeds out on a baking tray (try to ensure they’re not on top of each other).

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.
Drink 1-2 pints of a quality local pumpkin ale to pass the time. #craftbeer

Broil at 375 for 5 mins.
Flip/mix seeds on the tray.
Broil for 3-5 more minutes. #perfection

Recipe: Chili-Cinnamon Pork with Pineapple

Pork Recipe

I call this recipe, “a taste sensation”.  Normally I’m not a fan of fruit in an entree, but that’s not the case with this one… the sweet, sour, and spicy flavours in this meal are like a party in your mouth!

Ingredients:

  • 1 large pork tenderloin, about 1 lb
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1-1/2 cups pineapple juice
  • 1 tsp hot red chili flakes
  • 1-1/2 cups pineapple (peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
  • 1 green onion, chopped finely

Instructions:

  1. Slice pork tenderloin into pieces about 1/2″ thick.
  2. Combine cinnamon with salt in a small bowl, then sprinkle on both sides of meat.
  3. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.
  4. Stir-fry pork in oil until lightly browned, approx. 2 minutes per side.
  5. Transfer meat to plate, leaving juice in pan.
  6. Add pineapple juice and chili flakes to pan.
  7. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid to about 1/2-cup (about 10 minutes).
  8. Return meat to pan along with juices, and add pineapple.
  9. Boil gently, stirring frequently, until pineapple is slight softened and meat is warmed through (about 3-4 minutes).
  10. Sprinkle with green onion, and serve over basmati rice.

WARNING: this dish is “sneaky” hot/spicy.  I really enjoy spicy food and this is one that I would call, “medium to medium-hot”.  That said, my wife can’t deal with really hot food, but she likes this dish.  It’s not going to turn your lips numb, but it should make you sit up and take notice.

Enjoy the taste sensation!

Recipe: Grainy-Mustard Marinade for Beef

This is a great marinade for beef.  I typically use it for beef tenderloin or london broil flank steak.  I’m sure it could be used for sirloin or striploin steaks as well, but I prefer my steaks sans marinade.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp grainy dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp red-wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp dried summer savory
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • These amounts make enough marinade for 1-2 lbs of beef

Instructions:

  1. In a bowl, whisk together oil, mustard, vinegar, summer savory, water, and salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Pour marinade into a large ziplock bag
  3. Add beef to the bag and mix well to make sure the beef is well covered by marinade
  4. Chill in refrigerator for as long as you can. (1 hour to 1-2 days)
  5. Enjoy…

Recipe: Grilled Potatoes on the Barbecue

Potatoes in tinfoil on the BBQ

 

It’s March 20th and today is the last day of winter.  Normally in Toronto, we’d be wearing warm coats with hats and gloves, and possibly even shoveling snow.  Not today!  We set an all-time record high temperature on this glorious sunny day: 23 degrees C (73 deg F, for my friends in the US), as opposed to the normal high of 8 degrees C (46 deg F).

Since it was such a nice day I was inspired to cook a summertime-style meal: Marinated Beef Tenderloin Steaks, with Grilled Potatoes on the Barbecue.  The marinade is excellent and I’ll post that later, but for now, here’s my favourite recipe for potatoes on the grill:

Ingredients:

  • 5-6 medium size white or red potatoes, diced into large 1″ chunks
  • 1/2-cup sweet onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped very finely
  • Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste

Instructions:

  1. Lay out a double layer of tinfoil (large sheets)
  2. Lightly grease the surface with oil (to prevent sticking)
  3. Spread potatoes out on the foil
  4. Add onion, rosemary, garlic, and drizzle with oil
  5. Add fresh ground pepper and salt to taste
  6. Seal up the tinfoil and cook over medium heat on the barbecue for 25-30 minutes.
  7. For the last 5 minutes, open the tinfoil to allow the potatoes to brown a little.  This also allows you to confirm that the potatoes aren’t under or overcooked.
  8. Enjoy…

Recipe: Southwest Chicken Chili

Chicken Chili, slow cooker, slow cooker recipe, recipe, recipes

My new favorite recipe for 3 reasons:

  1. it’s good
  2. our 13-month old son will eat it
  3. it’s relatively healthy and super easy
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: slow cooker on Low for 6-8 hours

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans (15 oz. each) – black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) – reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 can (15 oz) – diced tomatoes
  • 1 lb. – boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 jar (8 oz.) – chunky salsa
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 cup – frozen corn
  • 1 Tbsp – dried parsley flakes
  • 1 tsp – ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp – pepper
  • 1/2 cup – chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 cups – hot cooked rice (to serve on)

Instructions:

Combine beans, broth, tomatoes, jalapeno, chicken, salsa, corn, and seasonings in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken shreds easily with two forks. Shred chicken and return to the slow cooker; heat through. Add chopped cilantro just before serving on a bed of rice.

Nutrition Facts:

1 cup of Slow-Cooked Southwest Chicken with 1/2 cup of rice equals 320 calories, 1 gram of fat, 873 mg sodium, 8 grams of fiber, and 19 grams of protein. Credit: Healthy Cooking Magazine