Onion Stuffed Potatoes

Just how good do those potatoes look eh? Mouth watering? Stomach rumbling? Is your brain starting to wonder if you have potatoes available? Maybe they were waiting just for this dish! If this isn't you, you should be a little bit happy you aren't as easily swayed by potatoes as I am!

This is definitely one of my favourite, all-time, ways to eat potatoes. Easy and quick, but they look like a million bucks.

On a side note, I would invite any of you dear readers to peruse the "These are the Blogs" header atop the page. I really do look through many more blogs than I had listed and should have updated them a long time ago, but just hadn't found the time. These blogs are my absolute favourites. I always seem to find a recipe that I need to cook, a nice story to read, or an amazing photo to drool over. These are truly some amazing people that deserve recognition for their foodiness! Enjoy!


Onion Stuffed Potatoes
(This recipe is just for one, but it's soooo easy to make more based on your dinner companions)

Potatoes - 1
Butter - approx 1 tbsp
Onion - handful diced
Garlic - 1 clove minced.
Salt and Pepper - pinch

Wash the potato in the sink. With a sharp knife, cut along the potato making a cut every half inch or so. Don't cut completely down, but just cut until the potato starts to give way. If you cut too far, it falls apart much too easily! Don't despair, it takes some practice. I usually make four of them, and the first is always my trial run.

Take the diced onion and place a few in each crack. This will help hold the potato open.

Get some butter on a butter knife and run over the top of the potato. The butter should fill in all the cracks. You don't need too much of it, just make sure there is a little bit in each crack.

Sprinkle on some salt and pepper, then wrap up in aluminum (Shiny side in folks... shiny side in). Place on the bbq for about 20 minutes over medium-high temperature. Check for softness with an oven mitt. If it's still hard, leave it on for a few more minutes until soft to the touch. Unwrap and top with sour cream and green onions. Enjoy!

Bruschetta Pasta

I often go onto the website foodgawker.com to look at the beautiful photos and bookmark recipes for later experimentation. I have often tried to get my photos on this site, but they just aren't quite up to par quite yet.

While looking, I came across this recipe.  I paused and gave it a second glace, then clicked on the link to give the blog a chance. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. It was such a well written blog, and by a seventeen year old none the less! I was extremely impressed! It wasn't just her writing that intrigued me, but also the recipes and the photography.

I started to feel a little sad about my own little food blog. I don't really get noticed for my photos or writing. And my recipes are often ones that I have heard of from other people, not invented by my own ambition. It was a bit of a let down when I thought about all the great blogs I try to compare myself to!

But then I started to really think about it. I love my little blog. It's a great way for me to write my own thoughts in my own style. I like the food that I eat, and I like the idea of sharing it around with everyone. And sure, my photos aren't really anything to drool over, but they get better and better each time I take out the camera. I like what I've got going on, and it isn't something that I should ever be ashamed of!

When I come across a tasty meal like this one, what better way to appreciate the food than to show it off to everyone. Bruschetta Pasta... the meeting between two of Italy's most famous dishes.  The tomatoes tasted especially fruity in this pasta dish and the crunchy bread/cheese topping definitely satisfied my texture craving. And the fact that I made it thirty minutes before work? Definitely goes into the good books! Enjoy this one folks!


Bruschetta Pasta

Tomato - 2, diced (About 2-3 cups)
Green Onion - 1/4 cup
Basil - 1/4 cup freshly chopped or 1 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Red Wine Vinegar - 1/2 tsp
Salt - pinch

Mozzarella Cheese - 1 cup, grated
Parmesan Cheese
Bread Crumbs

Combine the first seven ingredients in a large bowl, stir together and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. A half hour would probably let the flavours all combine a little more though.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large pot, add water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and salt. Bring to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, grease a baking dish with olive oil. Add the tomato mixture to the pasta, reserving about a cup worth for the topping. Stir the pasta and tomato mixture. Add to the casserole dish, then add the remaining tomato mixture, spreading it on top evenly.

In a small bowl,combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Stir together. Take the grated mozza and sprinkle over the pasta. Then sprinkle over the breadcrumb mixture. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.

Chicken Caesar Salad

Chicken Caesar Salad is probably my all time favourite summer recipe. I can't get enough of it sometimes! It's light, flavourful and perfectly suited for hot weather outside.

I remember going to a friend's house when I was young, and their version of a Caesar salad was dressing poured from a bottle and a mixture of bacon bits. Some people also refuse to put an egg inside of their dressing because they feel it's disgusting. Other people use different types of cheeses, add too much or too little garlic, or add strange and outlandish ingredients.

My favourite is the one that I was raised with. I'm always open to trying the many other different types, but whenever I think about a Caesar salad, I always dream about the homemade version.

Caesar salad doesn't have to be complicated. You don't have to add a million ingredients to them, just be simple. A little barbecued chicken on top just transforms this dish from a favourite salad, to a favourite meal.




Chicken Caesar Salad

Garlic - 1 clove, minced
Egg - 1
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Worcestershire - 1 tsp
Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Olive Oil - 1/2 cup-ish (I use just a little less than half a cup)
Pepper - dash
Parmesan Cheese - About 1/4 to a 1/2 cup. This is sort of a sad recipe because I usually just eyeball this part. It's usually an equal part to what's in the jar already. When you stir up the mixture, it should look cloudy inside. Besides, I like lots of cheese

Chicken Breasts - 2

-Add all together in a small jar, and shake. Place in fridge while you wait for the rest of the ingredients. Wash and shred your lettuce and place in a bowl. Set aside.

BBQ the chicken and cute into bite sized pieces. Add the desired amount of dressing to the lettuce. I usually add almost the whole jar. Sprinkle on some croutons and some more Parmesan cheese. Toss the salad, add the chicken and serve.

Thai Flavoured Mussels

I miss Eastern Canada.

I miss the food. The lobster, the mussels, the fresh fish. I miss the seasonal fiddleheads served with cider vinegar. I miss potato crab cakes. I miss getting ice cream from the Pumpkin Patch Farmers Market. I missed the lobster dinner from the hotel in Louisbourg, caught fresh from the ocean hours before we sat down to eat. I miss the All You Can Eat Lobster Dinner which had unlimited mussels! 

I miss the pounding waves at Peggy's Cove. I miss the winding road all along Cape Breton. 

I JUST MISS IT OKAY? 

So with that in mind, the FIANCE and I set out to try to reclaim some of that love of the East Coast. We bought a large package of fresh mussels and went about making a great tasty meal! We had half the mussels the first night the traditional style for some good old mussel taste. I wrote about it when I first got back from The East Coast. However, we still had a big pile of mussels just sitting there, and I wanted to do something very different about it. 

I had heard of a nice tasty variation, and when my mom came down to visit the following night, I decided to whip it up! I found out that it is very easy to try different variations of mussels, just by adding a few simple variations of ingredients. In this case, a bit of coconut milk. I can't wait to try another variation the next time that I miss the East Coast. I hope you like it. 

Thai flavoured Mussels

Mussels

Coconut Milk - 1 (400ml) can

Curry Paste - 1 tbsp (I used green)

Garlic - 2 cloves

Onion - 1/2, minced

* I didn't have any, but red pepper might add some flavour as well. I also was thinking of adding a chopped up hot pepper or so. Another time perhaps! 

Once again, making mussels is super easy. Wash the mussels carefully, discarding any that are broken or open. However, you don't even have to steam them. You can put the mussels straight in the liquid, just make sure to stir. 

Place all ingredients EXCEPT the mussels in a large soup pot and stir to combine. Bring to a low boil over medium high heat.   Add the mussels and cover. Cook for about ten minutes until the mussels have opened. Strain the mussels BUT have a pot underneath the strainer to catch the liquid. Place the mussels in a bowl, then pour half the liquid over them. Serve and eat immediately. Don't eat any of the mussels that haven't opened or are odd in colour. 

Late Night Snack Time

I have the whole house to myself with nothing that needs to get done, so I thought I would sit down and write a nice blog post. Only problem is, I don't really have anything really exciting to share. I am being tempted to go and throw on a movie, make a quality snack consisting of

• CrackerFest - a celebration of crackers and cheese. Often with several varieties of both and the sometimes exciting appearance of pickles, peanut butter or hot peppers.

• Popcorn - an exciting new addition of some Frank's Hot Sauce drizzled over the top. Bizarre and awesome. 

• Tortilla Chips with Salsa and Sour Cream - a classic movie snack item

None of these are very healthy snacks, and I would probably get a lecture about eating so much right before bed, but I figure while my metabolism is still working I'll take advantage of it! 

However, snack time is starting to change for me. Those snacks are starting to become something of a history lesson now that I'm getting older. I find myself making healthy snack options or not making them at all. While I used to be able to sit down and inhale a plate of nachos or go through a block of cheese, I find that I don't seem to do the same amount of damage that I used it. 

Perhaps my metabolism is already on the decline? 

The snack of choice these days is actually some nice fresh fruit, such as the cantaloupe and grapes, alongside a little bowl of vanilla yogurt. Oh jeez, I'm old now aren't I? How did this happen? Not that I regret it, it just has sort of snuck up on me! 

Tonight however, it's time to indulge in some old-time snack behaviour! All I need now is a good movie to enjoy the night with. Wish me luck!

Chocolate Eggplant

It has been a hectic week. Running around visiting family members, finding places to sleep, looking at venues, colours, food, music... The planned date is in 11 months and I'm already scrambling to work on all these things! Of course, my part in all the planning is a little less than the super planning of my new FIANCEE, but I try to help where I can!

Lucky for me, I still get the chance to cook a little! I had been planning for this dish for awhile but never had the chance. I bought an eggplant (first time ever) with the intention of making this. However, time kept slipping away, and my fresh eggplant started to get more and more pitiful looking.

I got to it in the nick of time though, and made this surprisingly delicious dessert! I know it sounds bizarre, but this dish really did blow my mind a little. I was so surprised, I'm already planning on getting another eggplant next time I go to the grocery store! The recipe comes from David Rocco's cookbook Dolce Vita. I was immediately attracted by the amazing looking photo and somewhat unusual food ingredients.

Now I made this recipe for myself and the FIANCEE (yah, I'm excited), so I cut down on the ingredients a lot. But it's really simple to make more. There were definitely leftovers with the chocolate as well for a future recipe or perhaps just some midnight snacking. I used almond milk due to being empty of other types and simple milk chocolate.

Chocolate Eggplant

Eggplant - 4 thing slices
Flour - about a 1/2 cup
Olive Oil - for deep frying
Chocolate  - 250g
Almond Milk - approx 1/4 cup
Slivered Almonds - handful

Lay the eggplants out on a cutting board and sprinkle on some salt. Leave for about a half hour, letting the eggplants sweat out some of the bitterness and moisture. Pat dry with a paper towel, then dredge in the flour mixture.

In a large frying pan, add enough olive oil until it is about an inch deep. Heat to about medium high, right before the olive oil starts to smoke. Gently add the sliced eggplant, just one at a time to avoid crowding. Cook until they turn golden brown. Set aside on some paper towel to drain off the excess oil. Cook the remaining pieces of eggplant and let cool.

In a small pot, start boiling some water. Once the water starts to boil, add either a frying pan or stainless steal pot over the top. Add the chocolate and a bit of the milk. Start whisking them together, gradually adding milk until it becomes smooth and velvety. Remove from the heat.

Plate the eggplant, the drizzle on some chocolate and give a sprinkle of the slivered almonds.

The Picnic Wedding Proposal

Nobody goes on picnics anymore! And dates always seem to become "go-out-for-dinners" and "watch a movie" and "just-stay-in-nights". Did people forget what dating is all about? It's about finding that original thing to share with your significant other. A time to enjoy a memorable adventure once in awhile! There is nothing wrong with the aforementioned date nights, but they often become too mundane.


This date however, was to the extreme. When your walking around with an engagement ring in your pocket, you know that this will be no ordinary date. But that's how I tried to pass it off as. Simply a romantic date because we hadn't had one in awhile.

Oh yes, I know it's a romantic idea. I know it's one of her favourite places in the city. I knew that we were planning on seeing her family that night who just happened to all be assembled in one place. But of course I had nothing else up my sleeve! At least, that's what she thought.

So we enjoyed a nice light picnic. Some Brie Cheese, some grapes, some egg salad sandwiches. I know that egg salad isn't the best food to make before getting engaged, but is there really a better stereotypical picnic meal? We also bottled up some ginger-ale, and we were off to the beach.

It was hot, sunny and windy! It had been gorgeous all week, with nothing to show that it was going to be a bad day ahead. I had been checking the weather periodically just to double check. But alas, when you live in a city like Lethbridge, you don't really have a choice. So the wind blew lovely bits of sand all over the egg salad and brie. And while you can try and pass it off as salt and pepper, the gritty texture in your mouth doesn't help at all.

And in the end, as she stands up to leave. I go on the knee, pull out the ring, and say some beautiful words that she won't ever remember because of shock and excitement. At least she remembered to say yes at this point!  So this is where the beginning of our lives together really seems to start. I, for one, cannot wait.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Have you ever heard about why some people make hot soups for lunches and dinners, even though they live in hot tropical climates? I always thought it was crazy! Who wants to eat hot soup when it's already hot enough outside? Soup is a winter thing people, get over it!

In theory, eating a bowl of hot soup actually raises the temperature of your internal body heat, so that your outer skin temperature stays low. Confusing? Yah... me too. But it works! For some weird reason, having some soup in the summer, while ridiculous sounding, actually works.Perhaps it's because of the sweat your self-inducing that causes this colder feeling. That's something I'll leave for the scientists.

My mom was coming down for a visit, and I wanted to make something a little more original for lunch, show off my cooking talents as well. And I always love a good excuse to try out something new. And as it turns out, it was the perfect day to make it. It was cold and rainy. So much for my hot soup on a hot day experiment!

Once again I have taken another recipe from the blog Girl Cooks World. Man, she has some excellent food! Everything I have cooked from there has turned out to be awesome. And please, please, check out her picture of this soup. I don't have the ability to take such beautiful photography yet and I definitely haven't done this soup justice.

Cate calls this soup by its Hungarian name Gomba Leves, but I chose to stick with the plain old boring description of what it is. The type of paprika is also something that anyone cooking this might want to consider. Cate says that Hungarian Paprika is supposed to be the best, but she used smoked paprika to give it some oomph. I lacked both, so I stuck with just plain old normal paprika. I also didn't have any dill on hand, but I did have some leftover dill pickle juice. I put in about 2 tbsps of that and it worked just as well! I also took a risk and added the milk and sour cream straight from the fridge. Cate has her recipe written at room temperature, but I was too impatient myself to let them cool. Now my soup turned out fine, but you may want to stick with Cate's recipe. I don't know, maybe I was missing something great!

Now this soup recipe doesn't serve a lot. It's a recipe that worked for three small bowls, but was probably better suited for two. If you like the leftovers, you may want to consider doubling the whole thing.


Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Butter- 1 tbsp
Onion - 1, diced
Mushrooms - 1 pound (Or the container you buy at the grocery store)
Dill - 2 tbsps (Either the herb, roughly chopped, or dill pickle juice)
Paprika - 2 tsps
Smoked Paprika - 1/2 tsp (Optional)
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Vegetable Stock - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 Cup *See review in blog
Sour Cream - 1/2 cup
Cornstarch - 1 tbsp
Water - 2 tbsps
Salt and Pepper

In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute until they soften and brown. Then add the mushrooms, paprika and dill. Give it a stir and cover for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Add the lemon juice and broth, stir and cover for another 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

Add the milk and sour cream and stir until completely broken down.

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water and stir. This will help thicken the soup. Make sure there are no lumps, then add to the soup mixture and stir. Cook on low heat until the soup has thickened. If you wish it to be thicker, make another cop of the cornstarch-water slurry. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Give a dollop of sour cream on top (and some fresh dill for a garnish if available) and serve hot!

Chicken El Diablo

Okay, the title is a little misleading. This is definitely a recipe that your mouth can handle. It does  have some heat to it, but it's more about the tangy full flavour than about any heat that may be involved. Now if you prefer this recipe to hotter, just add more hot sauce! That's one of my favourite parts about cooking. If you want something spicier, saltier, sweeter... you can just add a bit more of an ingredient. 

This recipe came from my girlfriend's sister. She actually drove three hours, with this recipe already assembled in her car, just to bring up dinner. Can you believe that? Three hours! To bring dinner! Nobody does that! Maybe it was because this recipe was so delicious she just had to share it! I for one, am glad that she did. I have actually stolen a couple of recipes from her over time. 

Now I cooked this sucker in the oven on a cooler day, but I would be that this would be amazing on the bbq as well. Just make sure to have a pan out there, as it would be better for the chicken to cook in the sauce. It would also be great for some chicken wings...

Chicken El Diablo

Hot Sauce - 3/4 cup (I used Franks Original) 

Ketchup - 1/4 cup

*You can make this recipe much milder by going 1/2 hot sauce, 1/2 ketchup

Sour Cream - 1 cup

Honey - 1/4 cup

Paprika - 1/4 tsp

Cumin  - 1/4 tsp

Garlic - 2 - 10 cloves... that's right. 2-10. I'd suggest 3-4 personally, minced

Olive Oil - 1/4 cup

Chicken Breasts - 4-5

Mix together the hot sauce, ketchup, sour cream and honey together until smooth, then add the paprika and cumin. Split this mixture into two bowls, one for serving, and one for a marinate. Marinate the chicken for at least an hour in the fridge. 

Add a tbsp of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for a few minutes until fragrant or lightly browned. Add the chicken mixture, cook for about 10 minutes. You can also do this in the stove or inside the bbq. Heat remaining sauce for dipping and serve. 

Caramelized Bananas

I've been neglecting writing. I finally finished school, kicking the kids loose. It was such a great year with them, and I'm sorry to be seeing them all go. When you spend five days a week with those kids, it's very easy to become attached to them. Just finishing that stuff all off took up a big chunk of time.

Once getting off of school, it was all about getting organized around the house. cutting the lawn, pulling up weeds (Of which we have sooo many), tidying things up, running chores... living is difficult sometimes. And it's never quite that fun when you get behind on it. Missing a day or two of dishes just makes the pile go from a normal sized one.... to gargantuan.

And I'll admit it first, after finishing months of school, I definitely wanted to just kick back and relax. I read a book, played some video games... okay, I basically slacked off. I still got the chores done, but it definitely wasn't  my priority.

Cooking some things was! I feel like I haven't cooked anything original in a long time! Does anyone else get into funks? Where all they want to cook is grilled cheese? Hot dogs? Cereal? Okay, I haven't done the cereal thing for awhile... but its the sort of mood that hits.

This recipe I borrowed from the blog Love Food Eat. You should just go see the pictures that they have of this item! I just can't seem to do the same. It's such a nifty little change up on something to do with a banana. It has some elegance around it, some sophistication. I ate this for a brunch type breakfast, but it's almost better suited for dessert. It's a really easy dish to make, but has some wonderful flavours and textures that come along with it.


Caramelized Bananas

Banana - 1
Sugar - 1 tbsp approx
Cashews - handful
Butter - 1 tbsp

Slice the Banana in half lengthwise. Butter a frying pan and melt over medium heat. Add the banana. Then add some sugar on the top. I gently pressed the sugar in. Don't press hard enough you flatten your banana! Then cook until the sides are golden, about 2-5 minutes.

You can either add the cashews at this moment into the pan to cook alongside the banana, or simply place on top once the banana has been plated.