Chicken Cacciatore

This was hearty, tasty and easy to make. Chicken in a tomato and vegetable stew-like sauce. I served it with salad with a nice dijon vinaigrette. I'm kind of tired so that is all the introduction you're getting.

The salad was really good - red leaf lettuce, bean sprouts, green beans, strawberry, yellow bell pepper, and green onion. The vinaigrette was dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil and white wine vinegar.

Oh - I cooked the chicken with the skin on, and then we took it off while eating it. I thought about leaving the chicken skin off, but I think it probably adds something to the broth. There is a lot of flavour in chicken skin, or at least that is what I am told.

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs, bone-in

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, sliced thin

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups diced ripe firm tomato

1/2 zucchini, diced

1/2 yellow pepper, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

1/ cup sherry

Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. Sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat until transparent

2. Push onions aside and place chicken and garlic in pan. Brown chicken on one side, flip over and brown the other side

3. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper

4. Pour in sherry and simmer until reduced by half

5. Dump in tomatoes and vegetables and simmer, turning every so often, until meat is nice and tender, about 40-45 minutes

6. Serve with rice, or if you're on the cave man diet just eat it as-is

Mint Lime Iced Tea

Well, Paul is sleeping and I'm bored. I did all the housework, so now I'm experimenting...with alcohol.

I felt like concocting a nice fresh summer drink, and this is what I came up with. It's pretty good. It's not too sweet and mixes well with vodka. Everything I could ever ask for in a man...er, I mean in a drink.

Mint Lime Iced Tea

Ingredients
1 black tea bag
1 mint tea bag
1 lime
hot water
ice cubes

Directions
1. Put black and mint tea bags into the same tea pot

2. Boil water, pour over tea bags and allow to steep for 5 minutes

3. Cool tea in fridge

4. Now you have iced tea and can make yourself a delicious beverage

5. Pour one ounce of vodka (I used raspberry vodka because it's my favourite)into a glass 

6. Squeeze juice of half a lime into glass

7. Add ice cubes and as much iced tea as you want. Maybe even add more vodka if you're so inclined

8. Pour drink in mouth. Delicious!

Asian Lettuce Wraps

I love these! So good! This meal reminds me of Asian tacos or something like that, which makes me love it even more. I was trying to think of why, and I think I really like to eat food topped with more food, wrapped in other food.

Ingredients
1/2 lb ground pork
1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp sambal olek
1/2 tsp chinese 5 spice
shredded carrot
chopped green onion
bean sprouts
whole lettuce leaves

Directions
1. Heat pan over medium heat and place pork in pan

2. Add chicken stock before pork has a chance to cook. Simmer until almost all the liquid is gone

3. Sprinkle with ginger, garlic, sambal olek and 5 spice

4. Continue simmering until all liquid is gone from pan

5. Serve with chopped green onion, shredded carrot and sprouts. Top with sweet red chili sauce if desired

6. Wrap pork up with toppings in a lettuce leaf, and put in mouth like a taco

Rhubarb Rosemary Lemonade Spritzer

Paul and I headed down to Esquimalt Lagoon today to watch the Navy Centennial activities with some friends. To quench our thirst on this hot sunny day, I whipped up some of this delicious fizzy beverage to take with us. It was pretty good on its own, but next time I will try it with some gin or vodka. 

Rhubarb Rosemary Lemonade Spritzer
Ingredients
3 stalks ripe rhubarb
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Club soda


Directions
1. Chop rosemary and rhubarb and place in pot with water and sugar over high heat

2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes

3. Strain mixture through small sieve and add lemon juice

4. Cool resulting syrup in fridge until ready to use

5. Fill glass with a couple tablespoons of syrup and add club soda to taste

Thai Green Curry with Shrimp & Vegetables

I went to Thailand a few years ago. The best souvenir I brought back? An affinity for Thai curry. So delicious. I just use whatever is in my fridge, so if you don't like the vegetables I used, pick different ones.

Thai Green Curry with Shrimp & Vegetables

Ingredients
2 tbsp Thai green curry paste
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 leek (white parts only), chopped
1/2 large zucchini, sliced and cut in half
1 lb shrimp, ready-to-eat
1 can coconut milk

Directions
1. Heat oil in large wok over medium-high heat

2. Add curry paste and saute for 1 min

3. Add vegetables, stir-fry until tender crisp

4. Toss in shrimp, saute until warmed up (3-4 minutes)

5. Add coconut milk, give it a good stir and then remove from heat.

6. Put food in mouth. Serve with rice if desired.

Parsely & Lemon Green Beans

I love green beans! They're one of my favourite vegetables. I classify vegetables as either 'fancy' or 'regular'. Green beans are a regular vegetable.

Parsely & Lemon Green Beans

Ingredients
1/2 lb green beans
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp butter
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsely
zest of half a lemon
salt and pepper

Directions
1. Heat olive oil in pan to medium-high heat.

2. Add garlic, sautee until light brown.

3. Add green beans and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until tender-crisp.

4. Toss with lemon zest and parsely.

5. Put food in mouth.

Mini Strawberry Shortcakes

Nothing says summer to me like BBQs and strawberries. Tonight Paul and I have invited over our neighbours from next door and our new friends/neighbours down the road. It's the first time the 6 of us have gotten together, so it should be a fun time!

The deal was bring your own meat and one side dish. I decided to make dessert so I could test out this recipe that I have been drooling over ever since it was posted.

I tested a few before dinner, and they are DELICIOUS.

Ingredients
Shortcakes
2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes and chilled
1 cup (minus 2 tbsp) whipping cream
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Strawberries
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup sugar

Whipped cream
1 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
1. Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together.

2. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal

3. Beat egg, cream and vanilla together and fold into dry ingredients with a fork. Turn until moistened and then use hands to knead 6-8 times until mixture easily forms ball

4. Roll out and cut small 3" rounds. Use biscuit cutter or juice glass rim

5. Bake at 425 F for 12 minutes

6. While biscuits are baking, clean and slice strawberries and toss with 1/4 cup sugar

7. Whip cream until almost formed, then toss sugar and vanilla in and continue beating until soft peaks form

8. Pull biscuits apart, layer whipped cream and strawberries a la hamburger, and enjoy!