CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

Big bowl of salad ready to serve

Having some leftover chicken from baking boneless and skinless chicken thighs and cooked carrots the previous night got me thinking about what to make. An easy option is to chop and freeze it for future soups. But I already have some bags frozen to use in soups. I decided to make a pasta salad for supper which would result in enough leftover salad for the following day. I used chicken but a can of drained chickpeas or black beans could be substituted. The salad dressing is not overpowering and the volume of dressing made is enough to coat the salad but not drench it in dressing. You can add other vegetables to the salad than the ones I listed.

Ready to sample

Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Salad

1.5 cups dry uncooked pasta, eg bowties, penne or your favourite shaped pasta

2 cups of cooked cubed chicken

2 slices red onion, chopped

2 radishes, chopped

1/2 avocado, diced

1/2 coloured pepper, diced

2 to 3 mushrooms, chopped

1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped

4 small cooked carrots, chopped

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled or finely chopped

4 to 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped

small handful of parsley, chopped

Dressing

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp water

1 garlic minced or 1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the pasta according to directions pertaining to the pasta you choose. Drain it and let cool. Add it to a big bowl.

To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients for the dressing into a container such as a small glass jar. Mix well with a fork or a whisk. Set aside.

Add all of the remaining salad ingredients to the bowl with the pasta. Combine well. Add the dressing to the salad and mix well. Serves 6.

CHEDDAR CHEESE AND SESAME SEED BREAD

I have had The Bread Bible, 300 Favorite Recipes by Beth Hensperger, since it was first published in 1999. The cookbook has recipes that include yeast breads, sweet rolls, croissants, coffee cakes, muffins, corn breads, dessert breads and pancakes/waffles/crepes. It has quite a selection and variety to meet different tastes. 

After seeing a friend post on Instagram of an overnight no-knead bread that included grated cheese, garlic and chives, I became interested in baking a cheddar cheese bread. Besides having cheddar cheese in the fridge, I also have frozen grated cheddar in the freezer. I decided to use both in this recipe. I also decided to not add any herbs or garlic to the bread so that it could be eaten with jam if desired. Instead of toasting the sesame seeds in small frying pan over medium heat for a few minutes, you can firm them up in the microwave. I put the 1/3 cup of sesame seeds on a plate and microwaved it for 45 seconds. I added a tablespoon of dough enhancer to the ingredients. For most yeast breads (except one with a sour dough starter), I will add dough enhancer.

The smell of baking any bread and especially cheese bread is intoxicating. This bread is much easier to cut into slices if you let the loaves cool. Both the DH and I enjoyed a slice of bread with butter and strawberry jam. 

Loaves cooling on racks.

Ready to sample.

Scored the loaves before baking.

Makes two 9 by 5 inch loaves or 6 mini loaves ( 5 1/2 by 3 inch loaves)

INGREDIENTS:
 
1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds
2 cups of warm water
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp oil - olive, avocado or vegetable
1.5 tsp salt
2 eggs, room temperature
5 1/2 to 6 cups of unbleached flour 
3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese 

DIRECTIONS:

Measure out 1/2 cup of the warm water from the 2 cups and place in a small bowl. Add the yeast and sugar to the bowl and stir to dissolve the yeast and sugar. Set it aside for about 10 minutes until the mixture gets foamy.

Mixing by hand: To a large bowl add the remaining 1.5 cups of water, the sesame seeds, oil, salt, eggs, 2 cups of flour, yeast mixture and 1.5 cups of the shredded cheddar. Mix well with a whisk and make sure it is thoroughly combined. Add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and keep mixing the dough using a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough is formed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead by hand until it is smooth and spongy (about four minutes). Add flour by tablespoon during the kneading as required to prevent sticking and to make the dough springy when pressed. 

Mixing using an electric mixer: In the bowl of the electric mixer add the remaining 1.5 cups of water, the sesame seeds, oil, salt, eggs, 2 cups of flour, yeast mixture and 1.5 cups of the shredded cheddar. Use a paddle attachment and mix on low speed for about one minutes. Change the attachment to a dough hook and add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough starts to form and take shape. I used 5 1/2 cups of flour. Knead on a lower speed for about four minutes until the dough is smooth, spongy and springs back when pressed. 

Place the dough from either the floured surface or the electric mixer into an oiled large deep bowl. Turn the dough over to coat it with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap followed by a kitchen towel. Place in a draft free location and let it rise until it is double in size, 1.5 to 2 hours.  

Oil two 9 by 5 inch loaf pans or six 5 1/2 by 3 inch loaf pans.
 
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate it. Pat the dough down into a thick 12 inch long rectangle. Sprinkle with the remaining 1.5 cups of shredded cheese. Fold the dough around the cheese and knead gently a few times in order to produce the marble effect. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap for 5 to 10 minutes to let it rest. Divide the dough into two equal portions or six equal portions depending on the quantity you are making. Shape each loaf and place it seam side down into each of the loaf pans. Cover each one with plastic wrap followed by a kitchen towel and let rise in a draft free location for 45 minutes to one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Using kitchen shears, gently snip each loaf five or six times at a 45 degree angle two inches down along the length of the loaf pan. Bake on a rack in the centre of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes for the standard loaves or 25 to 30 minutes for the mini loaves. Bake until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped with a wooden spoon. Transfer the loaves from the baking pans to a cooling rack. Cool before slicing and serving.

Recipe from The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger

TOFU VEGETABLE STIR FRY

I have been trying to vary the menus at meal times and to make sure that I am eating a variety of vegetables. This recipe combines tofu and vegetables. You can use other vegetables than the ones I used in this recipe. At times it is what you have available. I served this stir fry with brown rice. You could serve it with other grains or cauliflower rice.

Awhile ago I discovered a number of marinades for tofu and have experimented with different ingredients. Sometimes I bake or sear the marinated tofu and usually have leftovers which I will snack on. I never thought I would snack on baked tofu. I like using extra firm tofu to marinate.

This recipe allows some advance prep work to be done. The tofu can be marinated and stored in the fridge and the sauce could be prepped in advance and kept in the fridge if you want to have less steps at suppertime. The sauce is what adds the great taste to the stir fry.

INGREDIENTS:

avocado oil for cooking tofu and vegetables or use water if preferred

Vegetables and Nuts

1/2 onion, chopped

2 mushrooms, chopped

1 carrot, chopped into matchsticks

1/4 coloured pepper, chopped

3 bundles of baby bok choy, chopped

1/4 cup toasted almonds or cashews

fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

lime wedges (optional)

Marinated Tofu

4 oz of extra firm tofu, chopped into bite size cubes

1 tbsp lime juice

1/2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp maple syrup or sugar

Sauce

1 tsp sesame oil or avocado oil
1 tbsp almond or peanut butter
2 tbsp coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 to 2 tsp sweet chili sauce
1/2 tbsp minced fresh ginger (or 1/4 tsp ground ginger)
1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1tbsp water

DIRECTIONS:

In a small container whisk the lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and maple syrup ingredients to make the marinade for the tofu. Add the tofu and toss to coat. Cover and store in the fridge. To add more flavour to the tofu, the tofu should be marinated for at least two hours or even made the night before and kept in the fridge until ready to sear the tofu. If possible, I will make the marinade in the morning if I am planning to make the stir fry for supper.

To make the sauce, add all of the ingredients into a small bowl and mix it well with a whisk or fork. Set aside or if making it in advance, cover it and store in the fridge.

Remove the tofu from the marinade. Heat a non-stick or regular skillet to medium high heat and add a tablespoon of avocado oil or other cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add the tofu, reduce the heat to medium and sear it for five to seven minutes, flipping it frequently in order to brown it.  Remove the tofu from the skillet and set aside in a bowl.

Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet and keep it on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, mushroom, carrot and pepper. Saute for five minutes and stir it every so often so that the vegetables don't stick or burn. If the heat is too high, reduce it to a lower heat. Add the tofu and stir everything together. Cook for another minute or two and add the baby bok choy. Stir to combine. Add the sauce and combine well. Cook for about a minute or two and then add the almonds or cashews. Combine and cook for less than a minute. Turn the heat off the burner and add some chopped cilantro to the skillet. It is ready to serve with the lime wedges. Makes two good servings.

Tofu marinade modified from Leslie Beck's Healthy Kitchen

Sauce for the stir fry modified from Body Fuel Organics

 

BLUEBERRY SCONES

I like scones but I haven't made them often over the years. I have usually gravitated to baking muffins or loaves. There are some scones that I prefer - ones not too sweet and without a glaze. I figure if I want glaze and sugar I can have a donut.

A friend recently posted some of her baking on several of the social media sites I follow. One of the photos were these blueberry scones. They looked really good. Of course I had to ask her for the recipe and she told me that it was from Sally's Baking Addiction website. This website has a number of great looking recipes. 

I followed the ingredient list and baking instructions and made one substitution. I didn't have any buttermilk in the house nor heavy cream except for the 10 percent cream that I use for coffee. Coffee wins on using the cream versus using it for scones. Instead, I used a tin of light coconut milk as an alternative. By opening a tin of light coconut milk, this has resulted in thinking about how to use the remaining coconut milk in another recipe. I didn't brush the top of the scones with any cream before baking nor did I sprinkle sugar. I used a generous cup of frozen wild blueberries. There are many options you can add to scones and they can be sweet or savoury depending on your preferences.

The recipe calls for grating the frozen half cup of butter using a box cutter grater and I dutifully grated the frozen butter. I have cut corners in the past by not using a grater to add butter to a recipe when making a dough or a crumble. Using grated butter makes mixing the flour mixture with a pastry cutter so much easier.

In making scones you can cut the dough into triangle scones or make drop scones. I chose to make drop scones and made 13 scones. I baked them for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F using regular heat, not convection.

Drop scone dough ready to go into the fridge to chill.

Ready for sampling.

Scones cooling on the rack.

The scones taste fabulous. They are light, have a crunchy coating and soft on the inside.

Sally's three tips for perfect scones are:

1. Heavy Cream or Buttermilk
2. Frozen Grated Butter
3. Refrigerate Before Baking

 
Sally's Baking Addiction (https://sallysbakingaddiction.comIn/scones-recipe/ )

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP LAYER CAKE

I have always admired cake bakers and cake decorators. Their artistic creations and imagination to make pretty or stylized cakes can be a work of art.

I have never made a double or triple layered cake. I have shied away from it and kept to muffins, regular cakes, loaves, cookies and bread. I am a regular reader of the blog from Ambitious Kitchen and seeing this peanut butter banana chocolate chip three layer iced cake (Ambitious Kitchen) intrigued me. It was time to venture into trying something new.

Because I love kitchen gadgets, tools and baking bans, I invested in a few things as I didn't have some of the required cake making tools in my arsenal. For valentine's day, the DH bought me a cake decorating turntable and some decorating tools and I bought three - six inch cake pans (3 inch deep) along with some icing knives. I realize if I want to make some different cakes, I will need some eight inch cake pans.

There are numerous recipes for peanut butter banana layer cake. This recipe from Ambitious Kitchen interested me because I have already made many recipes from her blog site; the ingredients include almond and coconut flours; it doesn't have an excess amount of sugar; and, I understood her baking instructions. I did do some additional research on how to bake a layer cake, how to prep baking pans and decorating a cake. Baking and decorating cakes is a new world for me and I might try to make some novel cakes in the future.

The frosting requires powdered sugar. I made my own powdered sugar from coconut sugar. It is easy to do and involves blending in a high speed mixer the sugar required for frosting until it has a powdered texture. To make it more powdered, you can add one tablespoon of arrowroot or tapioca flour for every one cup of coconut sugar added to the blender. If you are not making it paleo, you can also use corn starch.

There are lots of ways you can decorate a cake with chocolate chips. I tried to be simplistic and not over do the number of chips pressed into the icing. I did measure the height of the cake with the icing and it is five inches. You can make the cake using two - eight inch cake pans and the height of the finished cake would be less.

I baked the cake batter the day before I was going to serve the cake. I lined the bottom of each cake pan with a round of parchment paper and used a cooking oil spray under and over the parchment paper and also sprayed the sides of the pans. I lightly floured the sides of the pans after applying the cooking spray. I let the cakes cool in the pans and they were very easy to remove from the pans. I continued to cool them on baking racks. Once the cakes were thoroughly cooled, I wrapped each one in plastic wrap and stored them in the fridge. The following afternoon I made the peanut butter icing.

Everyone who sampled the cake gave it a thumbs up.

COUNTRY VEGETABLE SOUP

For this week's soup, I decided to make a vegetable soup with chickpeas to provide some protein. The freezer has some frozen garden vegetables which need to be used before summer arrives. It is time to use the zucchini and green beans. I shred zucchini during the summer and freeze it in quantities of two cups. I also froze several bags of green beans in half cup quantities. I used fresh tomatoes in this recipe but you can use frozen or canned tomatoes. I added frozen parsley as I froze chopped parsley last fall to use in cooking during the course of the winter. I did add another cup of water while the soup was cooking as it was getting too thick. You can add other vegetables to the soup pot as a country soup is really about using what you have available.

The soup is a flavourful vegetable soup and will be great for lunches.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 of a medium size cabbage, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
5 mushrooms, chopped
4 tomatoes, skinned
2 cups zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup green beans (optional)
1 can (540 ml) chickpeas, drained
1 tsp Italian seasoning
6 to 7 cups of chicken/veg/beef broth or water
handful of parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Add the oil to a large soup pot and heat to medium high. Once hot, add the onion, garlic and cabbage, reduce the heat to medium and sauté for a few minutes. Stir as you don't want to burn the onions or garlic. Add the carrots, celery and mushrooms and continue to sauté for another few minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover the pot with a lid and bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer. If the soup is getting too thick while simmering, add some more water. Simmer for 45 to 60 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Taste to see if more herbs or spices are needed and serve. Serves 8.

CHICKEN VEGETABLE TORTELLINI SOUP

A friend sent me a link to a popular slow cooker chicken tortellini soup. The recipe has been on reddit. There are a number of different versions you can find. I decided to create my own based on some of the common ingredients used.

I made the soup in a slow cooker but it also lends itself to being made in a soup pot on the stove. I used frozen multicoloured tortellini. After adding the frozen tortellini to the slow cooker pot, I cooked it on high for ten minutes but the frozen uncooked tortellini had cooled the soup when added. The slow cooker pot I was using has a number of features including one for reducing sauces. I selected that feature and got the soup to bubble.

The soup is very good and both the DH and I enjoyed it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
3 tbsp flour

6 cups chicken broth
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 small can (14 oz) tomatoes or equivalent frozen tomatoes
6 to 9 fresh mushrooms, chopped OR 1 can of mushrooms
1 stalk celery, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

2 cups frozen or fresh tortellini
2 to 3 cups fresh spinach
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

In a soup pot or in your slow cooker, if it has a sauté function, add the oil and butter and heat to medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, garlic and seasoning. Sauté for a few minutes to soften the onions but to not burn or brown the onions or garlic. Add the flour and stir to make a roux.

Add the broth, chicken, tomatoes, mushrooms, celery and salt and pepper to the soup pot or slow cooker.

If using a soup pot, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for about two hours.

If using a slow cooker, cook on low heat for four to six hours or on high heat for two to three hours.

Take the chicken out and shred it or cube it into small pieces. Add it back to the soup.

Add the tortellini and spinach to the pot and cook for another 10 minutes on high if using a slow cooker or on medium heat if using the stove top method. The pasta needs to cook. Frozen pasta will require more time to cook in the slow cooker, likely 20 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese and serve.  Serves 4 to 6 people depending an appetites.

TOFU VEGETABLE SAUTE

Tofu sauté cooking in a large non-stick electric frying pan.

A friend gave me a recipe she likes to make for a spicy peanut tofu stir fry. It looked delicious. I decided to modify it based on my preferences and the vegetables I wanted to use. You can add other vegetables to the dish than the ones I have listed. What attracted me to make this recipe is that tofu goes great with a sauce and I have been working my way through eating 1.4 kgs of tofu that we bought at Costco. I also like sautéed vegetables. 

The tofu package that was already opened was just over 10 ounces and I used that and did not open a new package to add another six ounces to make a pound. 

The dish was very good and the DH even had a helping. You can serve the tofu sauté with rice, quinoa, couscous or vermicelli noodles. I served it with a wild rice blend.

All the ingredients added except for the spinach, sauce and cilantro.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp oil 
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound (454 grams) of firm or extra firm tofu, drained
2 tsp flour, tapioca or arrowroot flour
5-6 mushrooms, sliced thin
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 coloured pepper, sliced into thin strips
2 green onions, chopped or 1 medium size onion, chopped
small bag of spinach ( 5 to 6 ounces, 140-170 grams)
handful of chopped cilantro (optional)

Sauce

1/2 cup orange or apple juice
1/4 cup almond, peanut or other nut butter
2 tbsp soy sauce or substitute
1-2 tbsp sweet chili sauce or spicy peanut sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Slice the tofu into small chunks, add the flour, mix and set aside. In a small bowl mix the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan to medium high. Add the garlic, mushrooms, celery and pepper (and onion if using instead of green onions) and sauté for three to four minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the tofu and green onions (if using) and sauté for another four minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the spinach, combine well in the pan and add the sauce. Stir everything. Continue to cook until the spinach is wilted. Add the cilantro if using. If the sauce gets too thick and the food sticks to the pan, add a bit of water. Serves 4 to 5. 

CHEESE THUMBPRINT MINI TARTS

Thumbprint tarts cooling on the rack before sampling starts.

About 15 years ago a friend gave me this recipe for cheese thumbprint mini tarts. It first appeared in one of my blogs in 2009. Over the years I have made these tarts but usually only around December. It is a recipe you can make year round. Today I made a double batch which I will freeze and use when company comes over or when I want to bring some appetizers over to a friend's home. 

In making a double batch, I didn't double the ingredients but made two batches. Based on doubling the ingredients one time when I did double the recipe, I thought it was too much batter to mix up at one time and didn't get the consistency I wanted. In previous years I would have used a hand grater to grate the cheese. Today I thought I would be smarter and use a mini food chopper to shred the cheese. Using a mini chopper made it so much easier. I used old cheddar cheese as it gives a sharper taste. Making a double batch, I baked 108 tarts.

These thumbprint tarts are always popular and making them in advance and freezing them is a good way to pace yourself during the holidays.

Added the shredded cheese to the softened butter.

Wrapped and ready to harden in the freezer for 20 minutes.

These are the mini muffin/tart pans I use.

Adding the pepper jelly to the unbaked tarts. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of grated cheddar cheese, old cheddar is preferred

1/2 cup or 4 ounces of softened butter

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

chili pepper jelly

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine all of the ingredients except the pepper jelly in a bowl. Mix well as you want the softened butter to be incorporated into the other ingredients. 

Chill the dough mixture in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes. I usually place the dough

mixture onto two pieces of plastic wrap, wrap it tightly and chill.  

Take a heaping teaspoon of the dough mixture and spoon it into mini muffin or tart pans. Press your thumb into the dough, pat it down and make a well in the middle. It should look like a mini tart. Take 1/2 tsp of the jelly and place it in the well of the tart.  You can use a combination of red and green pepper jelly.   

Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Makes 4 dozen. Can be wrapped and stored in the freezer.

CHICKEN MUSHROOM STEW

Chicken mushroom stew placed over mixed wild rice blend.

With a frozen bag of chicken thighs and breasts in the freezer, one needs to create some variety in cooking it for a meal. I like to try a few things to liven up recipes using chicken breasts or thighs. These recipe ingredients are not unique except perhaps for the Thai peanut sauce. This recipe can be downsized or made larger depending on the number of people you want to feed.

I used about one and half tablespoons of the Thai peanut sauce in the sauce as it has some heat to it. I also added 2 teaspoons of almond butter to the sauce. I used oat milk and it worked well in making the sauce.

I made a mixed wild rice blend to serve with the chicken mushroom stew. It was enjoyed by all. This is a recipe I would be comfortable making on a regular basis.

Vegetables are being sautéed. 

Thai peanut sauce that I used in the sauce.

Sauce thickening on the stove in the dutch oven.

Ready to go into the oven.

INGREDIENTS:

4 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
3 tbsp olive or other preferred oil
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 to 5 large white or crimini mushrooms, chopped

2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp Thai peanut sauce or almond/other nut butter (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the chicken thighs into small pieces. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet (oven proof) or a dutch oven to medium heat. Sauté the chicken until browned. Transfer the chicken to a small bowl.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet or dutch oven on medium heat and add all of the chopped vegetables and garlic. Sauté for four to five minutes, add salt and pepper to taste. If the temperature is too hot, lower it. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl that has the chicken.

Melt the butter in the skillet or dutch oven on medium heat. Add the flour and stir for one minute. Add the milk and whisk it until it thickens. Add the broth and the peanut sauce or nut butter. Whisk until it is mixed. Taste the sauce and adjust it with seasoning if required. Add the chicken and vegetables back to the skillet or dutch oven and combine well.

Cover the skillet or dutch oven with a lid or tin foil. Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. You can also cook the stew for longer but I would reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Serves 4.