Main Dish

Spring Vegetable Pasta with Ricotta Cream Sauce

April 27, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Fresh pasta and spring vegetables tossed in a creamy and cheesy sauce…

I’m a serious pasta lover and I’m really surprised I haven’t shared more pasta recipes on the blog yet. I have shared a few, lasagna and spaghetti and meatballs, but that’s just not enough carbs! We’re going to change that. Today’s recipe contains tender and delicious spring vegetables, a ricotta cream sauce and fresh linguini. It’s perfect for spring.

The vegetables in this pasta are the true star. Asparagus, snap peas and english green peas. The asparagus and snap peas are sautéed in olive oil with minced garlic and shallots. This gives the vegetables a delicious flavour. Toss the frozen english peas in at the end to warm through and infused with delicious flavour.

IMG_0279_1 IMG_0319_1 IMG_0312_1

Now the sauce is super simple. It’s just a few ingredients warmed together and reduced slightly. The sauce is just milk and ricotta cheese that is liberally seasoned with salt and pepper. Once the sauce vegetables and pasta are combined that’s when the magic happens…. and the magic is parmesan cheese and pasta water. It is the ONLY way to pull a pasta dish together. Toss a bit of pasta water in with your pasta and sauce to loosen and have all the components combine. The parmesan cheese melted into the pasta takes the flavour over the top! It takes things from delicious pasta to NEXT LEVEL delicious pasta!

Ok now run to the store get your ingredients and get cooking. I promise this recipe will deliver!

IMG_0298_1

Spring Vegetable Pasta with Ricotta Cream Sauce

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 ounces Snap Peas
8 ounces Asparagus, trimmed and sliced in half
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 cup English Green Peas (fresh or frozen)
Shallot, finely chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
12 ounces Linguini (I used fresh but dry also works great)
3/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup Milk (I used whole but 2% would also work)
2/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a sauté pan over medium low heat sauté shallots, garlic, snap peas and asparagus for 5 minutes or until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Toss peas with the other vegetables until heated though, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook pasta according to package instructions. Before draining remove one cup of pasta water and set aside.

Meanwhile add ricotta and milk to the pan. Heat for 10-15 minutes until warmed though, simmering and slightly reduced. Season with salt and pepper.

Add vegetables and cooked pasta to the sauce. Toss until combined. Depending on how dry your pasta is you will need to add pasta water. I always add at least a 1/4 cup but typically add about 1/2 cup. In addition to the pasta water add the parmesan cheese. Toss the pasta until the water in combined with the sauce and the cheese has melted. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve immediately and top with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Adapted from Pasta Primavera with Asparagus and Peas.

Sun-dried Tomato Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche

April 12, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Flavourful springtime quiche

Is your family more of an Easter brunch or Easter dinner family? We’re both lol! I love quiche for brunch. I’m a fan of a savoury brunch over sweet. I picture servings this quiche with a simple salad, or my lemon parmesan green beans. Add some homemade cinnamon buns, fresh fruit and yogurt with granola to really round out the buffet.

And if you need a dessert for Easter how about carrot cake cupcakes?

Now lets get into this delicious quiche recipe!

This quiche starts with my grandma’s classic pie dough recipe. You’ve seen it before for my chicken pot pie and my grandma’s famous berry pie! Today we’re using half of her recipe as the base of our crust.

The base of this quiche is so simple; just eggs and milk!

To flavour the quiche we are adding garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and crumbled goat cheese. Such a yummy combination.

After blind baking the pie shell pour the filling into the shell and bake,

Once baked this quiche is great cold or warm. Super delicious! And entertaining worthy!

Sun-dried Tomato Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:

Pie Dough:

1 1/3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Vegetable Shortening, cold
1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, cold
4 to 8 tbsp Ice Water

Filling:

1 tsp Butter
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 cups Spinach
4 Eggs
1 cup Whole Milk
1/3 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes, drained and chopped
4 ounces Goat Cheese, crumbled
Salt & Pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl whisk together flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter cut butter and shortening into flour until combined and mixture resembles peas and sand. Slowly add ice water one tablespoon at a time until a ball forms. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Roll pastry into a 9 inch disk. Line your pie dish. Crimp the edges of the crust. Prick the crust with a fork. Place a piece of parchment paper over the crust. Fill with dry beans or pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

In a fry pan over low heat add butter, spinach and garlic. Sauté until it spinach begins to wilt. Place in a small bowl to cool.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs and milk. Add sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, goat cheese, salt and pepper to the egg mixture. Fold together. Pour filling into pie shell.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until the crust starts to brown and the centre of the quiche is set. Allow to cool slightly before serving, 5-10 minutes.

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction and Danielle at Home.

Sambal Chili and Garlic Chicken

March 29, 2019 by Danielle 2 Comments

Insanely easy and flavourful chicken marinade.

IMG_20190317_175920

Ok guys we eat a lot of chicken in my house. I’m sure you do to! It’s just such an easy, healthy and affordable protein. I’m a chicken breast fan, but my husband is partial to thighs. Since he’s such a dark meat fan I’ve had to figure out ways to prepare them that keep us both happy. I only eat chicken thighs if they are smothered in sauce or marinated and super tender! I’ve got a few favourites in my repertoire. I’ve shared how I make BBQ chicken with chicken thighs before. Today I’m sharing an asian inspired marinade.

IMG_20190317_155346 IMG_20190317_155922

This marinade is one of my favourites. What I love about it is not only does it taste delicious but it has just enough sugar and sweetness to caramelize on the chicken. It creates the best crispy outside and a tender delicious chicken. So what’s in this marinade?

Soy Sauce
Olive Oil
Ginger
Garlic
Brown Sugar
Sambal Oelek

Most of these things you probably have in your pantry except the Sambal Oelek. It’s an Indonesian chili paste. I love it because it’s not too hot and has an amazing flavour. It’s available at most grocery stores in the asian food section (next to the Sriracha!).

So give this marinade a try. I promise this will give improve your weeknight chicken dinner!

IMG_20190317_175928

Sambal Chili and Garlic Chicken Marinade

Yields: 1 Marinade

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Soy Sauce (I like low sodium)
3 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Sambal Oelek
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
3 Garlic Cloves
2 tsp Fresh Ginger
1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

Directions:

Roughly chop ginger and garlic and to a small bowl. Add the remainder of the ingredients to the bowl. Whisk to combine. Place chicken in an air tight container or zipper bag. Cover with marinade and place in the fridge. Marinade for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Guinness Shepherd’s Pie

March 8, 2019 by Danielle 1 Comment

Seriously delicious and very comforting!

IMG_20190301_162106-2x3

St. Partick’s day is just over a week away. On Wednesday I shared my St. Patty’s party fav’s and now I’m sharing the perfect meal to serve at your party! It also has Guinness in it which adds a nice festive twist! Not only is this recipe great if your hosting people for St. Patrick’s day, but it’s also amazing for dinner year round. It’s delicious, filling and comforting.

When I was a kid my mom used to make shepherd’s pie out of leftover roast beef. It’s so good that way but today I’m using ground beef since it’s easy and readily available. Did you know that technically when you use beef you’re making cottage pie. Seriously lamb is traditionally used in shepherd’s pie. It gets it’s name from the shepherd’s who tend to the sheep. But since I know it as shepherd’s pie that’s what we’re going with.

IMG_20190301_163638-2x3 IMG_20190301_163619-2x3 IMG_20190301_163839-2x3

The first time I made Shepherd’s pie it was a failure. It was dry and tasteless. Since then I’ve discovered a few very important secrets to making a delicious Shepherd’s pie. First things first you need to make a thick flavourful gravy. Nothing is worse than dry filling. Cook down onions, garlic and carrots to create a flavourful base. brown off your ground beef add flour to thicken and then deglaze with Guinness. Seriously this creates an insane amount of deep flavour. Then add beef broth to create a thick luscious gravy.

The other tip I have is to make a super flavourful spreadable mashed potato. You need pretty loose mashed potatoes. You want them to still be soft and smooth when you eat them. Since they have to go in the oven if you dont add enough butter and milk they will really dry out. Also adding parmesan or another cheese can’t hurt either!

This recipe is seriously delicious and a must make for St. Patrick’s day, or any day!

Guinness Shepherd’s Pie

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:

Filling:

2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Onion, diced
2 Carrots, diced
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tsp Dried Rosemary
1.5 lbs Extra Lean Ground Beef
1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Tomato Paste
1/2 cup Guinness
2 cups Beef Broth
1 Beef Bouillon cube
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 cup Frozen Peas
1 cup Frozen Corn

Mashed Potato

2 lbs Russet Potatoes, peeled and quartered
3/4 cup Milk (I used 2%)
1/4 cup Butter, melted

Topping

3 tbsp Parmesan Cheese, grated
2 tbsp Butter, melted

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat warm oil. Add onion, cook for 1 minute. Add carrots, cook for 1 minute until starting to soften and brightening in colour. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes until vegetables are soft.

Turn heat up to medium high and add ground beef. Break into small pieces and cook until browned.

Add flour, stir and cook for one minute to remove the raw four taste. Add tomato paste, bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and rosemary. Mix seasoning into meat until well distributed. Deglaze the pan with Guinness. Scrape brown its off the bottom of the pan until the beer cooks don and the pan becomes mostly dry again.

Add beef broth to the pan. Continue to scrape the pan to release the brown bits. Bring the mixture to a simmer, turn down the heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, string occasionally. A thick gravy will develop. Taste gravy, add additional salt and pepper if desired. Stir in peas and corn. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes to defrost the vegetables.

Cool the mixture and place in the fridge until ready to use.

Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

Drain potatoes. Leave in the colander to dry for 5-10 minutes. In the mean time melt the butter in the microwave and measure out the milk. Return the potatoes to the pot. Using a potato masher or a hand mixer mash the plain potatoes. Add half the butter and milk to the potatoes, mash together. Check the consistency. The potatoes should be looser then regular mashed potatoes. They should be spreadable but not runny. Continue to add milk and butter until the mashed potatoes reach the desired consistency.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour filling into a 9×11 inch baking pan, spread evenly. Spread mashed potatoes out evenly to cover the filling. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the potatoes evenly. Spoon melted butter evenly over potatoes. Bake for 45 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden brown.

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes to make serving easier. Serve with peas or a side salad.

Adapted from RecipeTin Eats.

Healthier Chicken Salad

February 20, 2019 by Danielle 2 Comments

Seriously the best lightened-up chicken salad.

00100dPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20190216132518393_COVER-2x3.jpg

I really hate lunch. I hate making it, I hate eating it. I find it a complete inconvenience. So it’s always been tough for me to come up with lunch ideas that I will actually want to make and eat. I’ve got work day lunches down. Leftovers, homemade soups and salads keep me fed Monday through Fridays, but on the weekends I’m always at a loss. It results in either picking up some sort of unhealthy high calories fast food, or just skipping lunch all together. Neither are good options in my book. In an effort to eat whole healthy food (80% or the time) I knew I had to try to find some new ideas for weekend lunches. This chicken salad recipe has ben added to the weekend rotation.

00100dPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20190216131951897_COVER-2x3

I like lots of crunch in my chicken salad, so I load it with crunchy celery, crisp apples and a sweet pop from red grapes. I love the freshness it gives. I also like using pulled chicken breast instead of chopped. I prefer the texture of pulled chicken it really makes the chicken, fruit and celery stay together and prevents the filling of the sandwich from falling out. The dressing of this chicken salad is made with greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Not only is it delicious but it isn’t your typical high fat, high calorie chicken salad.

Greek yogurt has tons of protein, combine that with chicken breast a delicious dressing and yummy add ins and you have a great high protein lunch. Skip the croissant and your lunch is even healthy…. but I highly recommend the croissant!

This recipe is a must try for lunch, or to put on a lunch buffet.

00100dPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20190216132538556_COVER-2x3

Healthier Chicken Salad

Yields: 4 large servings

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts
1 Stalk of Celery, diced
1/2 An Apple, diced
1/2 cup Red Grapes, halved
1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup Half the Fat Mayonnaise
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Roast chicken for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Cool slightly. Shred the chicken using two forks, or the mixer method. Place chicken in the fridge to cool completely.

Whisk together greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Slice grapes, dice celery and apple.

Combine cold chicken, celery, apple, grapes and dressing and mix throughly.

Serve salad on bread, croissants or salad greens. If desired add lettuce or tomatoes to your sandwiches. Serve immediately or store in your fridge for 2 days.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

February 2, 2019 by Danielle 3 Comments

Flavour packed meatballs smothered in tomato sauce served on top of spaghetti.

I am constantly searching for dinner ideas that can be made ahead and frozen. Freezer meals save me during the week. I love spaghetti and meatballs. It’s such a classic comforting meal.

I like a flavour packed and tender meatball. I fill my meatballs with ground beef, sausage, herbs and parmesan cheese. They are baked not fried. I like to bake mine on a wire rack so that excess fat can be rendered off. This makes the meatballs really tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.

This recipe makes 24 meatballs, so I freeze what we won’t eat and pull the meatballs out portion by portion as we need them. It’s perfect since I always have spaghetti and pasta sauce on hand. Add a side salad and you have a complete meal in 20 minutes. I don’t know about you but I need more meals like this in my life!

As for the sauce. I keep it super simple fresh and flavourful. I like the meatballs to shine in this one. They have such a delicious flavour I didn’t want a heavy marinara sauce to overpower it. If you want to keep it super simple buy a really good marinara sauce doctor is up with garlic and seasonings, tell everyone it’s a family recipe. But if you have the time make your own sauce… it really is better.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Yields: 24 meatballs

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

1 cup Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup Milk (Use whatever you have on hand – I used 2%)
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
2 Eggs
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Small Onion, finely chopped
1 pound Extra Lean Ground Beef
1 pound Spicy Italian Sausage, removed from casings

Sauce:

2 28 oz Can Whole Plum Tomatoes
2 tbsp Tomato Paste
2 Garlic Clove, minced
2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up!), place a wire rack into the baking sheet. Spray the wire rack with cooking spray. Set

In a large bowl mix together breadcrumbs, parmesan, Italian seasoning, milk, tomato paste, salt, pepper and eggs. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add ground beef and sausage. Gently mix all ingredients until combined (you can use a spoon, but your fingers are best.. I know it’s gross, but worth it!)

Roll mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls (about 1 ounce each). Place on the prepared wire rack. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large sauce pan on low. Add garlic to the pan cook for 30 seconds until fragrant and softened. Add tomato paste, heat through for 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes to the pan. Simmer sauce over medium low heat for 10 – 15 minutes. Use a potato masher to crush the plum tomatoes. Add balsamic vinegar and simmer for 5 minutes.

Once the meatballs are cooked through add them to the sauce. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and toss pasta with tomato sauce.

Serve spaghetti in bowls topped with meatballs. Garnish with parmesan cheese if desired.