Monday, October 30, 2017

Avocado Toast

Avocado toast:

We had this at a local restaurant and had to recreate it. The trick seems to be in the lemon zest to really add that brilliant lemon flavor!





Ingredients:

1 Large Avocado
2 Slices of bread
1 Medium Lemon
1 Radish
1 Bunch Sprouts (Radish or Sunflower)
1 Tablespoon oil (Walnut, sunflower or olive)
pinch salt

Directions:

1) Toast 2 pieces of bread 
2) Remove the avocado from skin and place into a large bowl 
3) Zest the lemon and add zest to the bowl
4) Squeeze 1/2 of the lemon into the bowl 
5) Add oil and salt 
6) Mash the avocado and other ingredients into a thick paste 
7) Spread the paste onto the toast (which should be done by now)
8) Cut radish into thin slices and place on top of the avocado 
9) Place the bunch of sprouts on top of the radish slice
10) squeeze the other 1/2 of the lemon on top of the sprouts 
11) Optional: drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil onto the sprouts 

What we liked:

Tasty and easy to make!

What we didn't like:

Really dependent on the goodness of the avocado!

What Kaspian thought about it:

Ew!

Next time:

Sunflower sprouts and sunflower oil!

Beer Brats

We needed something quick and easy to make while pumpkin carving. So we opted for these brats.
We only used about half a bottle of corona beer, and that worked out well. Definitely did not need any more.
 Here's the original recipe: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/bratwurst-in-beer-243230


Ingredients:

1/2 stick of butter
2 medium onions, sliced into half rings
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 bottle of light beer
3-4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
7 bratwurst links
7 hot dog buns
Mustard

Directions:

1. Heat the grill to medium - hot.
2. Place the butter in a medium disposable foil roasting pan. Place the pan on the grill rack and cook until the butter melts. Add the onions and garlic; cook until softened, three to five minutes. Add the beer and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Place the pan on the low heat zone and keep the onion mixture warm.
3. Place the bratwurst on the grill rack. Grill, turning occasionally, until evenly charred, four to five minutes. Transfer the bratwurst to the onion mixture and let stand until ready to serve.

What we liked:

Super quick and easy!

What we didn't like:

Be careful, the disposable foil pan will get HOT quickly!!! 

What Kaspian thought about it:

Both Astrid and Kaspian ate a whole brat! They loved them. The onions turned out really good too, but Astrid didn't opt for any this time. 

Next time:

No changes. 

Happy Halloween!

 We carved pumpkins last night, here they are!










Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Chicken and Dumpling Slow Cooker soup

This is a great soup for the starting to get cold nights. It did seem to require more work than most slow cooker soups and tasted more like a pot pie soup but it was still yummy and delicious!
We will likely make it again.

Original Recipe: http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a53818/easy-crockpot-chicken-and-dumplings-recipe/

Served



Cooked! 


Ingredients:


1 onion, chopped
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. oregano
salt
ground black pepper
2 cans cream of chicken soup
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
3-4 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
5 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups bisquick mix
2/3 cup milk

Directions:

1. Add chopped onion in an even layer in the bottom of the slow cooker and place chicken breasts on top. Add oregano, salt and pepper.
2. Pour soup and chicken broth on top then add the thyme and bay leaf. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Add in the celery, carrots, peas and garlic.
4. Combine bisquick mix with milk and mix until a soft dough forms.
5. Drop teaspoons sized bits of dough into the hot slow cooker mixture.
6. Cook on high for another 1-2 hours.
7. Serve. 

What we liked:

It was good!

What we didn't like:

It was like a two step slow cooker dish, unlike most where you just put it in and leave it alone it needed more work halfway through. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

He preferred chicken nuggets. Astrid was intrigued by it, until her brother had nuggets, then all had to change. 

Next time:

Myabe try the not-slow cooker version of this. 

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Baked Acorn Squash with Pistachios, Pears and Herbs

Total Fall dish. This looks pretty, is quick and easy to make and the blend of flavors is pretty spectacular as well. It is HUGE though. We only made one acorn squash, and a half an acorn squash is a lot for someone to eat. Just saying :) We also overfilled ours, but the more the better! We used mint and rosemary from our garden, and next time, we might tone down on the rosemary a little.

We got the recipe for this one also from the Costco Magazine, unfortunately, I am not sure which edition as that is not on my sheet that we tore out of the magazine.

This looks beautiful and tastes great as well!
Ready to Eat!

Yum

Here's a picture from this side

This is the stuffing

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash
4 teaspoons olive oil
2/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup pistachio nuts, shelled and cut in half
1 red pear, cored and diced into cubes
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons red or white wine vinegar (we used white since we didn't have red)
4 sprigs thyme (we used dried because we didn't have any fresh on hand)
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
10 leaves mint, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Slice squash in half vertically and remove seeds. Place rind down, on a baking dish
3. Combine half of  the oil (2 teaspoons), half the salt and half the pepper in a small bowl and using  a brush, brush on the squash.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes until soft. (we used a fork to check it)
5. In a bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients.
6. Divide the filling among the squash halves and put in under broiler for about 3 minutes until golden. 

What we liked:

This was so much FUN to make!

What we didn't like:

Nothing, it was fun, and very different. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

This didn't warrant his attention. Astrid, however, liked the squash and the sweet/savory filling a lot. Kaspian enjoyed the pistachio nuts alone. 

Next time:

No changes. 

Spiced Carrots with Lime Garlic Chicken and Risotto

It's Fall!

The carrots for this dish was the new recipe. The chicken we kind of just made up, marinating a couple of hours in advance and the risotto, we cheated, and just made out of a box. It was a good quick meal. The carrots were so yummy!
The carrots recipe we got from Costco October 2017 page 37 magazine.

Plated

Lime Garlic Chicken

Spiced Carrots

Ingredients:

Carrots:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 large carrots halved and cut into similar sized pieces
1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4-1 teaspoons ground corriander
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh mint
salt and pepper

Chicken:
3 chicken breasts
half a head of garlic, peeled and cloves sliced
juice of two lemons
zest of two lemons
2 tablespoons olive oil
a splash of white wine

Directions:

Carrots:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400F.
2. Add oil to to a large saute pan. When heated, add carrots and cook for about 5 minutes until carrots start to get browned. Add cumin and coriander and stir.
3. Deglaze pan with lemon juice and put carrots and juices into a baking dish. Add water and cover with foil.
4. Cook for about 25-30 minutes.
5. Remove carrots from the oven and drain any remaining water and sprinkle mint. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Chicken:
1. Place chicken in a baking dish and pour the rest of the ingredients on top of the chicken, spreading lemon zest and garlic across all three breasts. Let marinate for about an hour.
2. Cover with foil and bake at 400F for about 40 minutes until done.  

What we liked:

So good and easy and simple. It was great to try a new recipe for the carrots!

What we didn't like:

Nothing, it was good. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

he liked the carrots, so did Astrid!

Next time:

No changes!