Ginger Beef and Bok Choy Stir Fry

Delicious and flavorful dishes do not have to be complex or expensive, and this is a perfect example of a quick and cheap yet scrumptious and filling meal. I kept thinking that I was forgetting something when I went to dish it up, that's how minimal the work is! It took me more time to eat my dinner than it did to make it, and that's a sure sign of a successful meal in my books.


Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil  (can substitute canola)
• 1 lb beef (chuck steak cut into strips, most grocery stores will sell the strips all prepped for you)
• 8-10 baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, sriracha

Directions:

1.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil the the hot pan, then add in the beef. Cook the beef for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally to brown all over. 
2. Add the baby bok choy, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. Cook until bok choy is tender, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds then serve it up! I drizzled sriracha on my bowl of beef and baby bok choy for some heat.

Roasted Chicken

This is the perfect roasted chicken for a weekend meal! I love dishes that provide enough for leftovers so that I can have easy meals the next few days. Roasting a whole chicken is great because you can use leftovers in so many ways! If you leave meat you can have chicken sandwiches, add it to pasta, roll it into a wrap! Keep the bones and you can make your own chicken stock or even your own chicken noodle soup! Oh the possibilities are endless with a roasted chicken... who doesn't love that?

This chicken has a crispy skin with juicy juicy meat on the inside, and it's really easy to prepare. I like to marinade my chicken for at least 6 hours, preferably a full 24 hours for maximum flavor. Trust me, the marinading is key!

Here is what you need for a perfect roasted chicken.....

Ingredients:

• Whole raw chicken (2-3 pounds)
• Olive oil/Canola Oil
• Salt/Pepper/Seasoning (I use an Italian blend)
• Fresh Rosemary

Directions:

1. Put the chicken into a large ziploc bag, and add the oil and spices -- be generous with the spices! Get your hand in there and rub it all over the chicken, then after washing your hand with scalding water because raw chicken is bad bad bad, close the bag and refrigerate for 6-24 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 F, and put the chicken in a roasting pan. Stuff the cavity with the fresh rosemary and bake the chicken for 15 minutes. 
3. Reduce the heat to 375 F and bake for and additional 50-60 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork.
4. Remove from the oven and tent with foil. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving!

Enjoy!

Suggestions:
- My BF's mom adds a whole lemon to the cavity of her chicken before she roasts it, which adds a subtle lemon flavor and adds to the juiciness!
- Stuff rosemary stalks under the skin of the chicken before roasting, just remember to remove them before carving!
- Squeeze some lemon juice into the marinade bag to tenderize the chicken even more and add lemon flavor!
- Put peeled garlic cloves into the cavity before baking for a garlic flavored roast chicken

Chicken Stiry-Fry with Easy Cocount Curry and Rice

I went out on a limb last night when I made dinner for myself and the BF - I made a curry dish. The BF is not a fan of anything curry, and he really does not like savory-sweet meals. He likes Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese... Indian? No. Middle Eastern? No. So when I was secretly pouring coconut milk and teaspoons of curry powder into our stir-fry, I was praying to the food gods that he would like it. And guess what? He liked it! Woohoo! This means I can now start making samosas and Indian-style cuisine when he's around.

This was incredibly easy to whip up! I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand which made it even easier.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or 1 small chicken breasts)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 yellow onion
• 2 stalks of green onion
• 1 small head of broccoli
• 4 stalks of asparagus
• 6-8 mushrooms
• salt/pepper/dried basil/bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 cup frozen peas 
• 1 can coconut milk
• 4 cups cooked rice
• Optional: Sriracha for extra spice

Directions:

1. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Chop all of the veggies (expect peas) into 1/2 to 1 inch chunks. Slice the chicken into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Add all ingredients except the last 4 ingredients to the pan and cook until chicken is browned, stirring occasionally. 
2. Add the peas and coconut milk to the stir-fry. Turn the heat to low, then simmer for 25 minutes.
3. Taste the curry, then add seasonings as necessary and sriracha if you want it hot!
4. Serve over warm cooked rice, making sure to scoop some of the sauce from the pan onto your rice!

Enjoy!

Bangers and Smashed Taters

When I first came to Canada, I hadn't had things like perogies, poutine, or bangers and mash. Ever. Of course, by now I'm a seasoned pro when it comes to all three dishes, but I prefer a twist on bangers and mash that I call Bangers and Smashed Taters. Same general ingredients, totally amped up flavor. Don't get me wrong, I love mashed potatoes---especially my sister's crockpot mashed taters! But a little crispiness on taters adds wonderful texture to this yummy meal.

I usually serve these with an undressed piled of mixed greens or steamed veggies like broccoli or asparagus, and caramelized onions when I'm feeling wild. The sausages and potatoes are so rich that you'll want to have a plate that is mostly filled with veggies to balance it out.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 Bangers - English-style sausages
• 12 baby gold potatoes
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• fresh rosemary (or 1/4 tsp. dried)
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• salt/pepper/cumin/cayenne for seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside. 
2. Put the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with water. Boil for 30 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. 
3. Finely chop the rosemary, then mix it in a small bowl with the thyme and other desired seasonings.
4. In another pot, place the bangers in and cover with water. Boil for 20 minutes.
5. When the potatoes are finished, drain and place on the prepared baking sheet. Using a potato masher, lightly crush each potato (they shouldn't be smashed completely, just enough to make each blossom open). Brush each potato with olive oil then sprinkle on the mixed seasonings. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden-brown. 
6. Meanwhile, drain the bangers but put them back in the pot at low heat, and add 1 tsp butter or olive oil spread to brown them. Put a lid over them until the potatoes are done and you are ready to eat!

Enjoy!

Beef Stroganof

WARNING: Man-Friendly Meal.

When I asked the BF if he wanted beef stroganof for dinner a few days ago, he told me he'd never tried it. That made my heart a little bit sad because I feel like beef stroganof is such a classic meal that never needs updating! Plus, for a guy who doesn't eat anything with tomatoes, beef stroganof could be a dream come true.

The best thing about this recipe is that you can eyeball all of the ingredients, so don't worry about exact measurements and just go with what feels (or tastes) good.

This made enough for 6 servings

Ingredients:

•  1 lb. chuck, or stewing beef
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 15 brown mushrooms
• 1 box beef broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Salt/Pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil spread
• 4 tablespoons flour
• Uncooked pasta (I like shells or rigatoni so the sauce gets scooped into every bite)

Directions:

1. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the chuck into 1/2 inch thich strips, and add to the pan. Brown, then set aside on a plate. 
2. While the beef is browning, chop the garlic, onion, and mushrooms. Leave the mushrooms in relatively large chunks. Add the veggies into the pan after you've removed the beef, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, then add 3 cups of beef broth and the cooked beef to the pan. Add the butter and flour, stir to combine, then reduce the heat to medium-low so the mix can simmer.
3. After 10 minutes of simmering, add the sour cream and seasonings. At this point, if the sauce is super wet, add more flour. If it is very thick, add more broth. Like I said, eyeball it!
4. Let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes (or more!) then turn off the heat. Boil the noodles as desired, then add to the sauce and mix. Serve hot!

Enjoy!

Seafood Enchiladas

I had my first seafood enchiladas recently at a dinner party, and I fell in love. I love all kinds of seafood, but I'm usually too lazy to cook anything from the sea. I know, it's pathetic especially since shrimp takes all of five minutes to sautee. I woke up with a craving for shrimpies and crab, so I'm making seafood enchiladas tonight for myself and the bf!

This is the recipe of the original seafood enchiladas I ate, in case you want to see or taste what got me hooked on seafood enchiladas! Actually if you haven't seen Pioneer Woman or her other site Tasty Kitchen, well, you're missing out on some delicious recipes!

Be warned - they smell amazing, so if you're hungry please eat a snack before you start otherwise there won't be enough filling for the tortillas if you keep doing "quality tests" of the food...

Filling Ingredients

• 1 can salmon
• 2 cans crab meat
• 15 tiger prawns, uncooked, peeled with tail off
• Cheese for topping
• 1/4 c. chopped canned green chiles
• 4 medium-large tortillas
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• salt/pepper/cumin/chili powder to taste
• 1 cup cooked rice

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 can red enchilada sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 4 cups milk
• salt/pepper/cumin to tast
• 2 tablespoons shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 9x13" baking pan. Preheat a skillet to medium heat. 
2. Mix crab, salmon, green onion, green chiles, rice and seasonings in a large bowl. 
3. Add the prawns to the hot skillet with the garlic and some olive oil. Cook until opaque, give the prawns a rough chop, and add to the seafood mixture. Make sure to scrape all of the garlic from the pan into the mix as well! It's super delicious!
4. In a medium saucepan, add the butter on medium heat. Wait until the butter is bubbling, then ad the flour and stir constantly with a whisk. Once the roux is a deep golden color, add the milk and enchilada sauce. Turn the heat to low, and let simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Add the cheese, mix it well, and let simmer until it's the desired consistency. Add the seasonings at the end to taste. (You can do this while the shrimp is cooking away, or during prep time).
5. Add about 1/2 c. of the sauce to the filling and mix it in. Fill the tortillas burrito-style with generous portions of the seafood mixture. Lay them side-by-side in the  baking pan. Top with remaining sauce, and if desired, a light sprinkle of shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 30+ minutes. Serve hot!