Pasta with Brussel Sprouts, Tomatoes and Spinach

Used leftover plain spaghetti from XBD's carbonara dinner to make this for lunch the next day. Delicious! BDs don't eat brussel sprouts or tomatoes, so a perfect lunch for one.
3/16/26 Made this again without spinach. Still delicious!

• pasta of choice
• butter
• Brussel sprouts
• 1 tomato
• spinach
• mozzarella
• salt and pepper

1. Cut Brussel sprouts in half and sauté on medium in generous amount of butter for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Slice tomato.
3. Sauté spinach.
4. Serve over cooked pasta, sprinkle with additional salt and pepper. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella.

Pierogi

I could easily buy White Cheddar and Potato pierogies in the freezer section at my local grocery store in Toronto, but Cheddar is not really a thing in the land of Gouda. So I thought I'd try making this from scratch, but with orange cheddar. DBD liked them a lot. I thought the cheese was overpowering and would reduce the ratio next time.

1/16/25 made 42 pierogi, freezing immediately. Boiled then sauteed with buttered yellow onion. Both kids ate it (along with chicken noodle soup), xbd preferred extra crispy. Had too much filling leftover.

July 2025 - stuffed more aggressively so not as much leftover filling. ~46 pierogi

Dough

• 5 c flour
• 1 t sea salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 T butter, softened
• 1 c lukewarm potato water* (may not use all of it)
• 1/2 c milk

Filling

• 2 lb potatoes, Yukon gold (about 5)
• 3 c shredded sharp cheddar (would use less next time)
• optional: 1/2 c milk
• 1 t sea salt
• 1/2 t pepper

1. Leave the peel on the potatoes. Roughly quarter them so they cook faster. Add to pot with enough cold water to cover them. Salt the water. Bring to boil, and cook until fork tender.
2. *Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water (for the dough). Drain and peel the potatoes (they should come right off). Add the cheese, salt and pepper and mash with a fork or potato masher. Add the optional milk to make it creamier. Season to taste.
3. Dough
1. Sift the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle or use a dough hook.
2. Add eggs, then butter and milk, and mix.
3. Gradually add the potato water and mix until dough starts to form. Add enough water until a ball forms and the dough is not sticky.
4. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 min to rest.
5. Divide dough into 4 pieces, keeping covered to prevent drying out.
6. Divide one piece into 10-12 pieces. Roll to about 1/8-1/6" thick circular shape, about 3" in diameter.
7. Place a heaping tablespoon full of filling in center. Optional: Dab edge with water. Fold in half to seal into half moon shape.
8. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet, keeping covered until ready to boil.
9. Optional: Freeze the uncooked batch to cook later
10. Boil pierogi until they float.
11. Optional: Freeze the boiled batch to reheat later.
12. Optional: Saute chopped onion with butter over medium heat until golden brown. Then add the boiled pierogi until onions are caramelized and pierogi are crispy. Add more butter as needed.
    
    
    

Alice Salad

Alice always makes this salad and sends pictures of it so I finally threw it together with some leftover ingredients. Would be nice on a bed of greens.

• 
  Avocado
  
• Mango
• Shrimp
• Cilantro
• lime juice
• salt

Aussie Meat Pie

I found the recipe and MM cooked the meat both times. I just assembled them the first time. Second time he did it for the international festival. He used way more black pepper the second time and it gave it a really nice kick. We still want to try a mushroom version, but this was a good start. First time we used rib steak, second time chuck steak with less broth. First time made 6 muffins, 2 texas muffins and 6-5" pies. Second batch made 24 muffin size pies. Recipe adjusted below (original in parens).
6/6/23 Made this on my own with soup meat, using just under 1 kg all in 1 day. Made exactly 6-5" pies. I thought they were fine but MM said not as good.

• 
  3 T olive oil
  
• 1.5 kg chuck steak, cut into 1 cm cubes
• 1 onion, diced - brown, yellow, white or shallots (2)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T tomato paste
• 3 c beef broth (4 c)
• 1 c red wine (dry and dark, not light like pinot noir)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.5 t salt
• 2 t black pepper*
• 3 T cornstarch*
• 4 T water
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten (or whole egg for lighter finish)
• puff pastry
• quiche pastry/shortcrust pastry (1 jumbo circle has 4 5" pies worth)

Day Ahead: Beef filling

1. Heat 1 T olive oil in large pot over high heat. Add layers of beef to sear outside until lightly browned. Remove to bowl and repeat.
2. Lower heat to medium high and add the remaining olive oil. Cook onion and garlic until translucent (~5 min).
3. Return beef to pot and all other filling ingredients EXCEPT cornstarch and water. Mix to combine. 
4. Simmer then lower heat to low/med-low so bubbling super gently. Leave to cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Beef should be very tender.
5. Mix cornstarch with water to make slurry. Pour into pot and mix. Cook for 5 min until sauce thickens.
6. Remove from heat to cool. Season with additional salt and pepper.

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
2. Grease muffin tins, silicone cups or 5" pie plates.
3. Cut quiche pastry ~1" bigger than tin/cup. Press into pan leaving overhang/thick edge. Fill to brim with filling.
4. Cut puff pastry to size. Place lid on top of filling and gently press to join the doughs.
5. Slice 3-5 times from center, widening the slits to ensure they stay open.
6. Brush with egg wash.
7. Bake for 20-25 min until dark/deep golden brown.
8. Allow to rest for a few min before turning out to wire rack.
9. Serve warm with tomato sauce (aka Australian for ketchup).

Roasted Turkey Drumsticks

I scored a good price post-thanksgiving on turkey drumsticks, so bought a few to make this lunch. Delicious and easy with a meat thermometer.
11/27/25 Found frozen drumsticks at Hanos. 9 in one box! Baked 5 for Thanksgiving. 1 drumstick could have cooked longer than the rest. The other 4 MM made a few days later by braising and that was super tender.

• 4-8 turkey drumsticks (about 10 oz each)
  
• high heat oil (avocado oil, but otherwise canola in a pinch)
• 1/4 c butter
• 1 t thyme
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1 t paprika
• vegetables: carrots (3-5), mushrooms

1. Line a roasting pan with foil (to make cleanup easier). Use the high heat oil to coat the roasting rack, allowing it to drip in the roasting pan.
2. Pat the drumsticks dry with paper towels.
3. In a bowl, mix the spices.
4. Melt the butter. Spread it on the drumsticks.
5. Dip in the spice bowl. Press remaining over meat.
6. Place on roasting rack. Drizzle any remaining butter over the meat.
7. Set meat thermometer in thickest part of meat, not touching the bone.
8. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes.
9. Add the chopped carrots and sliced mushrooms in the bottom of the pan.
10. Cover loosely with foil to prevent burning and bake an additional 10-30 minutes until thermometer reads 165.
11. Let rest for 10 minutes, still covered in foil.
12. Serve meat over rice with vegetables.
    
    
    

Cheater Chicken Noodle Soup

I had a sick family so needed to make a quick lunch of chicken noodle soup. Everyone liked it. Cheater because I bought a roasted chicken at the grocery store. I based this on a recipe I found online but can't find it anymore. This is from memory.
1/16/25 used Italian chicken pieces from jumbo, chicken bouillon cubes, half a small yellow onion, sage, bay leaves, parsley, dash of fish sauce. Cooked egg noodles separately to be able to freeze leftovers.

• chicken, roasted
• 4 c vegetable broth (or more)
• egg noodles
• celery (optional)
• carrots, cubed
• salt
• pepper
• garlic (instead of onion)
• thyme
• 1 T butter

1. Saute minced garlic in butter.
2. Add carrots (and celery). 
3. Add broth and bring to boil. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.
4. Add chicken pieces.
5. Add egg noodles to cook through (OR cook separately so that the soup sans noodles can be frozen and used later).
6. Simmer for 20 min.
7. Serve with bread.

Savory Pancakes

Using the food processor makes whipping up these savory pancakes so much faster.

Asian Pancakes - ****

Onion free, but add scallions if it's not an issue. Served as appetizer for 4 adults + 2 kids. All disappeared.

• 2 c zucchini
• 1.5 c carrot
• 2 c potato
• 2 c flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4-1 c water
• 1 t salt
• 1/ t black pepper
• 3 T soy
• 2 T black vinegar
• 2 cl garlic
• sesame oil

1. In a food processor, grate zucchini, carrot and potato until amount desired.
2. Stir in flour.
3. Mix in egg, water, salt and pepper. Add water if mixture is too dry/thick.
4. Heat 1/2 T oil in pan, flatten 1/4 c batter, and fry until browned and crispy. Flip and continue to cook until crisp. 
5. Cool slightly on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
6. Mix soy, vinegar, garlic and sesame oil as dipping sauce.
7. Serve immediately or freeze. 

Chickpea Pancakes - ***

Also onion free - use garlic powder or other Italian spices as desired. Makes 8 patties. Ate half for lunch.

• 1 c chickpeas (2/3 of a can)
• 1 zucchini
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 c breadcrumbs
• 1 t dried basil (or use 2 t fresh)
• 2 cl garlic, minced
• pepper
• thyme
• optional: potato, parmesan

1. Grate zucchini and carrot in food processor. Add salt.
2. Blend chickpea in food processor.
3. Mix zucchini and carrot with eggs, bread crumbs and spices. Add more bread crumbs if too wet. 
4. Stir in chickpea mash.
5. Fry 1/8 of batter per pancake, until browned and crispy on each side.
1. Alternative: Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.
6. Drain on paper towels.
7. Eat warm plain or serve with salsa or ketchup.

Dogs in a Blanket

I used to love hot dogs as a kid. There was a stage where cheese filled ones were my favorite. Then one day I had a giant hot dog and found a vein inside and it grossed me out. I have not enjoyed hot dogs since. However, DBD has recently found a love for them and so I gave in and cooked these up with a homemade 'blanket' as we didn't have any buns (and I also remember a childhood love of pigs in a blanket, which I'd only had a few times). The kids helped stretch their dough and wrap their own dogs. With the leftover dough we made fun shapes and salted them for a snack. Kids each ate ~2 (one didn't eat bread of second, one didn't finish half a dog of second) and there was one leftover for a packed lunch. Only 2 stars because it's still just a hot dog, but it was a fun dough activity.

• 6 hot dogs
• 1 c warm water
• 2 T sugar
• 2 T oil
• 2.5-3 c flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 egg
• 1 T milk

1. Combine dough ingredients in bread machine and set to dough cycle. Wait 1.5 hours.
2. Remove dough and pat down on floured surface. Divide in 12 pieces.
3. With half the dough, roll each piece to 8-14" long piece and twist around hot dog. 
4. Mix egg with milk and brush dough with mixture.
5. Bake on sheet at 400F for 15 min, until bread is browned.
6. Use remaining half of dough to make shapes (ball, pretzel, breadstick, etc) and brush with egg-milk. Sprinkle with salt. Bake 15-20 min, until done.

Calzones

These freeze well. The juice from the tomato steams the raw broccoli.
9/18/16 Made these again. Half the dough into 6, the other half into 8 small ones. Dipped in pasta sauce for a meal.

Dough

• 1.5 c milk, warm
• 1.5 t salt
• 2 T sugar
• 3 T olive oil
• 3 2/3 c bread flour (or all purpose)
• 1 t yeast

1. Place ingredients in bread machine and set to Dough cycle.
2. Prepare filling (see below).
3. Divide dough into 10 pieces. Roll dough to 6" circles. 
4. Place filling in middle and fold over.
5. Bake on cookie sheet at 375F for 20-25 minutes (or until done - when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom). (If making 3" size, bake for 15-20 min.)
6. Serve with marinara sauce.

Filling

• broccoli florets, tomato, feta, parmesan, fresh basil
• mushroom, zucchini, mozzarella, sausage
• apple, ricotta, walnuts, almonds
• spinach, ricotta, peas, garlic
• ham, cheese

Egg Muffins

Made these this morning and brought them to the playground. Small size made them great for snacking while playing (on the swing, on a bench, at the table, in the sand). BT normally doesn't like eggs but had lots of these happily. I think it was because I called them a "muffin" (as opposed to mini fritata or mini-quiche). 

For variety I divided the tin into 4 rows where each row had a combo of 3 veggies (so each row missing one of the 4). Then in the 3 columns, I put one kind of cheese each. So each muffin came out differently.

• 8 eggs
• 1 carrot
• 1 small zucchini
• frozen peas
• fresh baby spinach
• cheese: Cheddar, Parmesan, Mozzarella, ...
• home made salami, cut into small pieces
• salt + pepper
• herbs: rosemary + oregano

1. Grease a 12 muffin tin (****). [Needs improving - see Notes]. UPDATE: Use silicone cups instead (*****).
2. Grate the carrot over the tin directly.
3. Grate the zucchini directly over the tin.
4. Chop the spinach and sprinkle in cups.
5. Add frozen peas to cups.
6. Sprinkle some cheese and salami in each cup.
7. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste (0 salt if doing BLW) as well as combination of herbs. Use a scoop to pour mixture into each tin.
8. Bake 350 for 20-25 minutes, until eggs are lightly browned.
9. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
10. Eat immediately or freeze for later.

NOTES

Greasing the tin with butter was not sufficient. The eggs really stuck and were a pain to get out. Using a spray might work better (but I've never bought a spray in my life). Perhaps adding some oil to the mixture would help?

8/4/15 Used broccoli, carrot, peas, spinach, parmesan/mozzarella, rosemary, thyme. Poured into greased silicone cups - 6 regular and 4 large - could have used another egg.

Savoury Empanadas

I've cut out onions from my diet for years and have benefited. But it means there are a lot of foods I have to avoid or suffer the consequences. My friend makes a wonderfully delicious empanada, but I was suffering more and more each time I ate them. So I decided to try my own hand at them - but onion free. I made them too spicy for XT to eat, but I think it is a great starting point. They were lots of fun to make, so I look forward to perfecting the filling. I also bought the olives ahead of time and forgot I was going to slice them for this recipe - I had used them all to make an olive pesto. So I just spread the pesto on the empanadas instead. Still worked out!
Dec 2015: Made a double batch of dough and separated into balls and then rolled into circles (instead of rolling and cutting out circles). Worked out faster. Put them in fridge overnight and then filled the next day. 
1/31/23: Bought puff pastry at grocery store and used it instead of homemade dough. Was less time consuming but I don't think tasted anywhere near as good. But XBD said it was really good.
2/27/24 Made double batch of dough with new Bosch food processor: one with regular blade and one with dough blade. Kids version. Froze half unbaked.
3/8/24 Made single batch of dough into 16 mini sized regular filling (but kalamata instead of black olives) for potluck lunch. Microwaved leftovers for lunch, which come out a bit soggy. Better to have freshly baked, but still a good reheat lunch.

Dough

• 3 c flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 c butter (one stick), chilled or frozen
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 c milk (warm or not)

Beef Filling

• 1 lb beef
• 2 T butter
• 3 heaping t minced garlic
• 2 T hot spanish paprika (reduce for less spicy)
• 1 T hot mexican chili (or less)
• 1/2 T cumin
• 1 t oregano
• 3 eggs
• olives or olive pesto
• salt + pepper (to taste)

Assembly

• 1 egg white
• 1 egg yolk

1. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. 
2. Coarsely grate in the butter (or cut into slices). Stir.
3. Add the egg yolk and milk in small amounts. Mix until clumpy and combined.
4. Make 2 balls. Flatten slightly and chill for 30 minutes.
5. Hard boil the eggs (Place in pot, cover with cold water, bring to boil, cover and turn off heat - leave to sit for 12 minutes. Remove from pot and run under cold water to stop cooking.)
6. Mix the beef with the paprika, chili and cumin. Set aside.
7. Saute the garlic in the butter.
8. Add the beef mixture, until cooked through.
9. Remove from heat and stir in oregano. Let cool.
10. Peel and slice the eggs. Slice the olives (if using whole).
11. UPDATED: Cut each dough ball into 5 pieces (or more for smaller empanadas: 6-8). Roll each piece into a ball, and then into a circle. [This way is much faster and cleaner]
    ORIGINAL: Roll one dough ball very thin. Cut out circular shapes (use 4" for small, 5-6" for large).
12. Optional: Dough circles may be refrigerated or frozen until ready to use.
13. Fill each circle with a spoonful of meat, slice of egg and slices/spread of olive.
14. Fold in half, sealing edges with egg white. Optional: Press down with decorative fork imprints.
15. Brush with egg yolk (this will give a nice golden brown color during baking).
16. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
17. Bake at 400F for about 25 minutes, until golden brown.
18. Cool on rack. Eat fresh or chill for later.

Spinach Cheese Filling
6/2/15 Used the dough recipe above but made a vegetarian filling. Baked for 35 min, plus another 5 for the bigger ones. XP enjoyed one warm as snack (I had 2). Delicious!
Feb 2016 Used fresh spinach and added ham.
6/10/20 Filled 12 out of 14 empanadas in dough batch.

• 1 pkg frozen spinach (10 oz)
• 2-3 t minced garlic
• olive oil/safflower oil/butter
• 1 c ricotta
• salt + pepper
• nutmeg
• thyme

1. Defrost spinach in pan over low heat. Press liquid out to make as dry as possible.
2. Push spinach to the side and heat oil in pan. Add garlic and saute.
3. Stir garlic with spinach until thoroughly combined.
4. Stir in ricotta. 
5. Season with salt+pepper, a dash of nutmeg and a sprinkling of thyme, to taste.

Beef Potato Filling
4/21/20 BDs really liked this filling. The cinnamon adds a nice touch. Half made with this, and the other half supplemented with egg and olives.
6/9/20 BDs both ate this. XBD really liked it. Enough filling leftover to fill 4-5 more.
7/16/20 Made this with 1 lb of ground turkey, 2 carrots and vege broth.

• 1 potato, diced
• 1 package beef (3/4-1 lb)
• 1-2 carrot, diced (or shredded)
• 2 t minced garlic
• 1 t cumin
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 3/4 c beef broth (to keep the meat moist)
• 1/2 c peas

1. Boil the potatoes for 3-10 min.
2. Meanwhile, saute the beef and carrots.
3. Add the drained potatoes, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, chili and beef broth. Cook until beef is done.
4. Add the peas and cook 2 more minutes.
5. Let cool before using as filling. 

Notes

- Egg White Crepes - use up leftover egg whites

Tuna and Tomato Pasta

Simple ingredients and easy to put together. Used the leftover tomatoes from Tomato Chicken made with 28 oz can (so already had cumin, coriander and garlic in it). 8 month baby could pick up pasta and tomato chunks and peas.

• 8 oz spiral pasta (or tubular)
• 1 can low-sodium tuna (5 oz, in oil or water)
• 1 cl garlic, chopped
• 1 t mixed herbs/herbes de Provence (savory, fennel, basil, thyme, rosemary, ...)
• 1 can (14 oz) chopped/crushed tomatoes
• dash of balsamic vinegar, to taste
• optional: frozen peas

1. Cook pasta. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, make sauce. Heat oil in pan. Break up the tuna and add the garlic. Cook for 2-3 min.
3. Add the herbs and stir to mix.
4. Add the tomatoes and vinegar. Stir. Add peas if using.
5. Simmer for about 5 min, or longer to thicken sauce.
6. Pour sauce over the pasta and serve with additional vegetables/salad.

Tuna Croquettes

Made these in the morning while M looked after D. Rolling them and dipping them in bread crumbs takes quite a bit of time. Would love a faster recipe (like spreading it in a pan and baking, then cutting up). They didn't really go brown on the top, after 27 minutes, but took them out and they were firmed up. Could use some additional seasoning next time (herbs).

• 2 large potatoes (or for quick prep, leftover mashed potatoes)
• 1 can low-sodium tuna (5 oz), in oil or water
• 1/2 lime's juice (or to taste)
• 2 T butter
• optional: dried herbs
• 1/4 c breadcrumbs (original called for 1/2-1 c, but they barely stuck)

1. If using fresh potatoes, peel and cut them and steam or boil them.
2. Drain tuna and break it up.
3. Drain and mash potatoes. Add tuna and lime juice.
4. Stir in the butter.
5. Shape mixture into small sausages and roll each in breadcrumbs, putting on a greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake at 400F for 20-30 min, until browned* and cooked through.
7. Serve warm with vegetables.
8. Keep leftovers in fridge or freezer and reheat in microwave or oven.

Lentil Cheese Wedges

Based on recipe from Baby Led Weaning Cookbook (this version leaves out the onions). Very easy to make and pretty tasty from the herb mixture.  MM said needed salt but I thought it was fine. Need to cut into thinner fingers for baby to prevent gagging.

• 1 c red lentils, rinsed
• 2 c water
• 3/4 c grated cheese (I used cheddar blend)
• 1 egg, beaten [better with 2 eggs]
• 1/2 c breadcrumbs [or dried coconut]
• 1 t herbs (whatever you have. I used oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, ...)
• black pepper

1. Put lentils and water in small pot. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 10-15 min, occasionally skimming off froth as needed.
2. DRAIN and place in large bowl.
3. Add cheese, breadcrumbs, spices and egg. Mix thoroughly.
4. Spread in greased 9" cake pan.
5. Bake 375 for 30 min.
6. Serve warm or cold.

Notes

Have made this many times since, including:

• Indian style: using cumin, turmeric, chili, curry powder. 
• Used dried coconut instead of bread crumbs to make it gluten-free
• Forgetting to drain the lentils - very moist (better to drain it)
• Double the egg
• Less cheese, different cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella, etc)
• Add grated carrot

Adults eat it up - especially those from Oz.

Pongal - Karnataka style

Had this for lunch, and then snack. Can't find curry leaves in Toronto so didn't use them. Very different from other pongals I've had, but in a good way - coconut adds nice texture and wonderful smell.

• 1 c rice
• 1/4 c mung dal (or channa dal [the bigger one])
• 1/2 c dried coconut
• 3 c water
• 2-3 T ghee
• 1 t cumin seeds
• 1 t mustard seeds (brown or black)
• 1/4 t turmeric
• 2 cl garlic, minced
• 1 t freshly ground pepper
• 6 curry leaves
• salt to taste

1. Rinse and then soak dal for 20 minutes (to ensure even cooking time with rice).
2. Combine dal, rice, coconut and water in rice cooker. Cook.
3. In the meantime, heat the ghee in a small pan. Then add the spices and lightly toast over medium/low-med heat, until aromatic (about 2 min). Transfer to cup.
4. When rice cooker is done, stir the rice. Pour in the spice mixture and stir until evenly spread.

Variations

- add a cinnamon stick to rice

- add raisins

- add minced ginger and finely chopped chili

Freezer Pasta

Made this for the freezer in 2 8x8 containers, which were pretty shallow, so put the remaining 3rd in bakeware for lunch. Simple to put together but needs vegetables in it. 
11/13/12 Had this for dinner. Moved from freezer to fridge night before. Noticed was still mostly frozen at 5 pm so left on counter for an hour. Baked suggested time but middle still cold so left in for another 10 min. 

• 1 box medium sized pasta (about 4 cups, uncooked)
• 1 lb hot italian sausage (or ground beef)
• 2 jars pasta sauce (~40 oz)
• 3/4 c cream cheese spread
• 1/4 c milk
• 1/4 c parmesan
• 1/2 c chopped fresh basil
• 1.5 c shredded mozzarella
• Optional: veggies (mushrooms, spinach, zucchini)

1. Cook pasta to al dente.
2. Meanwhile, cook sausage. Add pasta sauce. Simmer on medium for 2 min, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
3. Drain pasta.
4. Combine cream cheese spread, milk and Parmesan in a large bowl.
5. Add pasta and basil. Stir gently until pasta is evenly coated.
6. Spread half the meat sauce onto bottom of baking dishes. Cover with pasta mixture. Add optional veggies. Top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella. 
7. Cover with foil.
8. (If freezing, then label:) Bake 375F covered for 30 min. Uncover and bake another 10-15 min. 
9. If frozen, then thaw before baking as directed.

Chinese Broccoli, Tofu and Mushrooms

Whipped this up for lunch (dinner?) just now. Delicious! Great as leftovers for lunch as well.

• Chinese broccoli (gai lan), trimmed (optional: cut in 2" pieces)
• White or brown mushrooms, sliced
• Shiitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced
• 3 fat slices ginger (~1/2" total)
• 1 t salt
• water
• 3 T broth
• 1 T oyster or vegetarian sauce
• 1/2 t sugar
• 1/2 t cornstarch
• oil
• garlic, sliced
• 1/4" ginger, sliced
• Firm tofu, cubed
• soy sauce
• hoisin sauce
• oyster sauce

1. Fill a pan with enough water to cover the broccoli. Add salt and fat ginger slices. Bring to boil.
2. Add gailan and cook until tender (30 second to 3 minutes).
3. Drain and rinse under cold water.
4. In small bowl, mix broth, sauce, sugar and cornstarch.
5. In frying pan, heat oil. Add garlic and ginger. Stir for a minute or two. Add tofu. Sprinkle with soy sauce. Stir for a while. Add oyster and hoisin sauce to taste.
6. Add button mushrooms and let cook. Top with shiitake mushrooms.
7. Pour sauce mixture over tofu-mushroom mixture and stir.
8. Add broccoli back to pan, cover until warm through.
9. Serve with rice and pickled radishes.

Pan Fried Chicken with sauce

Delicious! Use a high quality fragrant coconut milk for the best outcome.

• 6-8 skinless boneless chicken thighs, defrosted
• 1 t cayenne
• 1 t cumin (heaping)
• 1 t turmeric
• 1 t coriander
• salt + pepper
• oil
• 1 T fresh ginger, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 tomato, seeded, diced
• 1 can coconut milk

1. In a shallow container, mix cayenne, cumin, turmeric and coriander.
2. Coat each chicken piece thoroughly in spice mixture.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Heat (cast-iron) pan to medium. Add 1 T oil. Cook chicken (each side about 4 minutes) until juices run clear. Remove to serving bowl.
5. Add more oil. Lightly fry the garlic and ginger for 2 minutes. Add the carrot, frying another 3 minutes.
6. Add the tomato. Cook another 5 minutes.
7. Stir in coconut milk. Simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Add the chicken back into the pan. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
9. Serve over rice.

Variations

• Add peas for something green.
• Use onion instead of/in addition to carrots.
• Add 2 jalapeno peppers with the garlic.
• Garnish with basil or parsley.

Notes

10/30/11 Made for dinner, peas thrown in with the coconut milk. Served with rice and steamed broccoli. 7 thighs, plenty left over - especially sauce.
2/15 Made for dinner with extra large can of coconut milk, diced water chestnuts (excellent for texture, leftover from making jiaozi), 2 carrots, no tomato.

7/28/21 6 thighs, 3 cherry tomatoes from garden halved, peas. Served with side of rice and okra.

Vietnamese Style Salad

A couple weeks ago we made fresh rolls. This is one of my favorite dishes - a delectable combination of fresh and tasty ingredients. The wrapping process can be quite enjoyable as well - trying to make the perfect wrap - tight around all the juicy bits. But when you're hungry and want to wolf down 5 rolls one after the other, it becomes frustrating - you rush the process, break the skin, make it too loose and it falls apart as you dip it. It just so happened a blog I follow offered a spin on it. Toss everything in a bowl and use rice noodles instead of the rice wrapper and call it a salad. Same ingredients, same taste, with a big payoff. Tried it out last night and it was delicious. Here is my spin on his recipe.

3/12/15 made this without brining chicken pieces, boiling them in salted water for 10 min. Added sliced cucumber and left out garlic, sprouts and chili flakes. Kids gobbled it up. 


Salad Base

• 3 chicken thighs
• salt, sugar, water (brine)
• romaine lettuce
• fresh mint
• fresh basil
• fresh bean sprouts
• rice noodles
• roasted peanuts

Marinade/Sauce

(for 2.5 heads of romaine lettuce it was still more than enough, adjust as necessary)

• 1/4 c + 1 T water, hot
• 1/3 t salt
• 3/16 c sugar
• 3/16 c rice vinegar
• 1/4 c fish sauce
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• juice of half a lime (about 1-2 T)
• 1/2 carrot, shredded

1. Fill a large container with water and add 1T salt and 1T sugar or whatever brine ratio you like. Let sit for one hour in the fridge.
2. Make the marinade: Add the salt and sugar to the hot water and let dissolve. Add the rest of the ingredients. You can set some aside to use as dressing for the noodles and salad. 
3. Bake the chicken at 350F until done. (I checked after 20 min, flipped them and took them out 10 min later). 
4. Cool slightly, cut/shred and dump into marinade. Let sit for 1-2 hours in fridge.
5. Make the salad: Chop the lettuce and sprouts into bite size pieces. Add some chopped mint and basil. 
6. Boil water. Add the rice noodles. Follow package directions (based on width of noodles - about 5-7 minutes) for length of time. Drain and run under cold water until cooled. Cut with scissors to bite size lengths. Coat with marinade. Toss in with salad. 
7. Add the drained chicken. Top with peanuts. 
8. Serve with extra marinade on the side. (You don't need much as the noodles and chicken have plenty - and you get plenty of flavor from the herbs.)

Variations

coriander, shrimp, cucumber, beef, tofu

If using frozen shrimp, boil for 2-3 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad

Just put this together and it's chilling now for tomorrow's consumption. I detest celery so this salad uses apple in place to get a similar crunch.

• 6 chicken breasts
• 1 t salt
• 3 T white part of scallions
• ~1/3 c mayo
• ~1/3 c yogurt
• 2 t italian seasoning
• 1 c walnuts, toasted
• 1 apple, peeled and chopped
• 1.5 c craisins
• 4 T lemon juice
• salt & pepper

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 quart of water with 1 t salt. Place chicken breasts in bowl and let sit in brine for 10 minutes.
2. In a shallow pan, heat water to a simmer. Add chicken breasts and cook for 12 minutes or until done.
3. Remove the chicken and cool on plate.
4. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients.
5. Chop chicken into 1/2" cubes. Add to bowl and toss. 
6. Refrigerate.
7. Serve on lettuce, in tomato cups, or with sliced bread.

Variations

• Use shallots instead of scallions.
• Add curry powder.
• Use fresh tarragon.
• Use white or red wine vinegar, orange juice or champagne instead of lemon juice.
• Add diced red onion.
• Top with freshly chopped herbs (tarragon, chives, green onions, etc).
• Instead of the apple, use celery, carrot, chopped green beans, water chestnut, or cucumber for similar texture.

Take #2

This turned out a lot better - in texture, color and taste.

• 6 chicken breasts
• coarse salt + chicken broth
• 2 small carrots
• 1 tiny cucumber
• ~1/2 c chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1 apple, diced and covered with lemon juice to prevent browning
• 2 green onions, chopped
• chives, chopped
• ~1/2 c yogurt
• ~1/2 c sour cream
• seasoning: oregano, basil, tarragon, parsley
• lemon juice
• 1/2 c craisins

Take #3

6/21/15 Made a giant batch. The chicken breasts were the ginormous kind so used just the 4 in the package. Had to boil them for closer to 20 minutes because they were so thick in parts.

4 giant chicken breasts

1 T salt + water = brine

2 carrots

3 mini cucumbers

1 apple

~1/3 c yogurt

~1/3 c mayo

1/2 c chopped walnuts

lime juice

1/2 c craisins

oregano, parsley, tarragon