Quick and Creamy Chicken, Kale and Pasta

You can have this meal on the table in the time it takes to cook the pasta! 

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped kale
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsps freshly minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1  1/2 cups cream (10% or whipping for a richer sauce)
1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar
2 cups cooked chopped chicken
2 cups penne pasta
black pepper and parmesan to serve

Begin by massaging the kale with lemon juice and olive oil until it turns bright green, then set aside.

Start cooking the penne while you prepare the sauce.

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet and cook the onion until tender. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned. Add the chicken and kale and heat through.

Pour in the cream and simmer for about 5 minutes.
(I had about 1/2 cup of evaporated milk in the fridge so I used that and topped it up with 10% cream.)

Once everything is hot remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top and cover the skillet a couple of minutes or until the cheese starts to melt.

Drain the cooked pasta and stir into the sauce, coating all the pasta.

Parmesan and fresh ground pepper to finish and you've got supper on the table in about 12 minutes!

Serves 4

Chicken Casserole with Garlic, Cheese and Onion Biscuits

A brisk winter day calls for a warm-you-to-your-toes comfort food supper. This casserole is like a good old fashioned chicken pot pie. Any leftover chicken or turkey will work in this recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups frozen peas/carrots/corn
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup milk
3 cups cooked chopped chicken or turkey
1 tsp pepper

Biscuit:
1-2 tbsps chopped onion
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh minced garlic
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup shredded cheese (I used old cheddar)
2 eggs
1/2 cup 10 % cream

Biscuit topping:
1 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Sauté 1/2 cup chopped onion in a bit of butter until tender, then add the vegetables and cook 2 minutes. Add the soup straight from the can along with 1 cup of milk, stir to combine then add in the chicken and pepper.

Pour into a greased 10" baking dish.

To prepare the biscuits, again sauté onion in a little butter but this time until golden. Combine the flour, salt, garlic, garlic powder, cheese and golden onions.

In another bowl mix the eggs and cream together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the eggs/cream in. Mix just until combined.

Spoon the biscuit batter on top of the casserole and bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes.

As soon as it's ready mix melted butter and garlic powder together and brush over warm biscuits. Broil 1-2 minutes.

Then serve a biscuit or two over warm chicken casserole.

Serves 4

Vegetable Eggrolls

Don't be intimidated...these are really quite easy to make!

Ingredients:
1/2 medium cabbage
3 carrots
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsps fresh minced ginger
1 pkg - #48 egg roll wrappers
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soya sauce
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
2  1/2 - 3 cups vegetable or peanut oil for frying

Shred the cabbage and carrots and add the minced garlic and ginger. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok and cook the vegetables for 1 minute. Mix the vinegar, soya sauce, sugar, salt and pepper together and add to the vegetables, cooking for 1 more minute.

Remove the vegetables to a large baking pan and spread them out to cool. Place something under one corner of the pan so that excess liquid will accumulate and can be removed. But don't remove it all or the filling will be too dry.

Now place a few wrapper out on your work surface. Keep the rest covered with a dish towel. Take 1 heaping tbsp of filling and place in the center of the wrapper. Mix the cornstarch and water together and spread with a brush (or you can just use your finger) along all the edges.

Fold the bottom corner up, then the sides in like an envelope and roll up firmly.

Once they're all rolled up you are ready to fry.

Heat frying oil to 350-375 F.
Place eggrolls in the oil using long handled tongs a few at a time. Fry 1 minute, flip and fry another 1 minute until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove from the oil. Place on paper towel lined pans.

Serve warm with plum sauce. Or cool and freeze individually.
Makes 48 egg rolls

Banana Chai Bread Pudding

Subtle spices from the chai enhanced with added aromatic spices and a little bite of banana here and there... leave out the ice cream topping and you've got a nice warm breakfast. (Although I'm pretty sure ice cream for breakfast never killed anyone!)

Ingredients:
6 cups torn stale bread
2 cups milk
1 cup 10% coffee cream
2 chai tea bags
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cardamon
pinch of salt
1 banana
1-2 tsp butter
icing sugar to dust

9" cast iron skillet

Place the torn bread in a bowl and set aside. I had a variety of bread...white, whole wheat, sesame and raisin.

Pour milk, cream and tea bags into a saucepan. I used dirty chai tea which has added espresso but any chai will do. Heat on the stove, medium heat, then simmer for 15-20 minutes to steep the tea. 
Remove the tea bags then add sugar, vanilla, spices and salt.

Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk together.

While whisking pour 1 cup of the warmed milk in and combine. Add the remaining warmed milk.

Add to the bread and toss to coat.

Grease the cast iron skillet and pour half the bread mixture in. Top with banana slices then spoon the remaining bread on top.

Put a few dabs of butter on top and bake at 375 F for 35-40 minutes.

Dust with icing sugar

Serve warm...plain or with ice cream

Serves 8

Baked Vegetable Spring Rolls

So much flavour in these little yummy rolls! And very easy to make! Oh and also healthier than deep fried.

We had just left the grocery store when my husband commented that we hadn't made egg rolls in a while. Well, I had some cabbage in the fridge and spring roll sheets (no egg roll wrappers tho) in the freezer so guess what we made when we got home...

Ingredients:

4 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup shredded celery

2 tsps fresh grated ginger

2 tsps minced garlic

2 tsps sesame seeds

2 tbsps soya sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1  1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

18 - 8 X 8" spring roll sheets

Egg wash- 1 egg mixed with 1 tsp water

Mix the cabbage, carrot and celery together in a large skillet. Heat on medium for 4-5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients.

Take one spring roll sheet and lay it with a corner facing you. Place about 2 tbsps of filling in a line about 1/3 up. (This sheet was the first one off the stack, wasn't quite defrosted and I kinda torn the edge...no worries it'll get rolled in!)

Keep the stack of sheets as well as the prepared rolls covered with a dish towel so they don't dry out.

Firmly roll the corner up over the filling then fold in the side corners and roll right up. Brush a little egg wash under the top corner to stick it and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, seam side down.

Brush all the rolls with egg wash, just make sure they aren't touching or they'll stick together.

Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes
Or freeze then bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.

Makes 18

Pork Loin Roast with Dijon Mustard

Simple, savory and sweet... the mild taste of dijon along with brown sugar and molasses make this pork roast tasty and tender.

Ingredients:
2  1/2 lb boneless pork loin
3 medium carrots
2 medium apples, unpeeled
1 medium sweet potato
2 tbsps olive oil
2 tbsps brown sugar
1 tsp herbed salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme

Glaze:
3 tbsps dijon
1 tbsp molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar

Place the pork in the center of a greased roasting pan. 
Cut the carrots and sweet potato in long chunks and toss with olive oil, then arrange on either side of the roast.
Season the pork and vegetables with salt, oregano and thyme.

Mix the dijon and molasses together and spread all over the top and sides of the pork.

Then press 1/2 cup brown sugar over top of the meat and roast in a 375 F oven for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes toss apple wedges with 2 tbsps brown sugar and add to the pan.

Return to the oven for an additional 40-45 minutes. Broil 3-4 minutes.

Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with rice or potatoes and drizzle on those pan juices!

Serves 6

Cast Iron Cake Mix Coffee Cake

If you're looking for a coffee cake with perfect texture and don't want to bother with a scratch cake recipe then this is the recipe for you!

Ingredients:

Crumble:
1 cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup chopped apples (optional)

Batter:
1 yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla

First mix up the crumble.  Whisk the flour, brown sugar, sugar, salt and cinnamon together. Then cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or knife. When the mixture is peamealy toss in the walnuts and chopped apple if using.
Set aside.

Mix the batter ingredients together. It will be thick.

Grease a 9" cast iron pan then put half the batter in the bottom. Top with half the crumble mixture then the other half of the batter. Because the batter is thick you'll have to spoon out and spread it carefully but the effort is worth it.

Finally end with the remaining crumble. I thought the crumble was very dry and didn't expect it to bake up right...but it did!

Bake in a 350 F oven for 60-70 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Serves 10-12