Asian Chicken Salad

Good ole Giada on the Food Network. I love her! This recipe was a hit in my house. Even the kids ate it and liked it!!

Salad:
1 large carrot, peeled
3 cups shredded napa cabbage, from 1 small cabbage (we used all romaine lettuce)
3 cups shredded romaine lettuce, from 1 small lettuce
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and deveined, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh Thai basil leaves or fresh mint leaves, chopped** see Cook's Note
2 cups thinly sliced store-bought rotisserie chicken (about 2 small chicken breasts)
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted** see Cook's note
1 tablespoon toasted white or black sesame seeds*

Dressing:
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar*
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional
Directions
1/2 cup chow mein noodles, for garnish

For the salad: Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrot and add to a large salad bowl. Stir in the cabbage, lettuce, pepper, Thai basil, chicken, almonds, and sesame seeds.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, if using.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Garnish with the chow mein noodles and serve.

*Cook's Note: can be found in specialty Asian markets

**Cook's Note: To toast the slivered almonds, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely before using.

French Onion Soup

Fall is here and it's the perfect time to try some soup recipes. Here is a recipe from Rachael Ray for French Onion soup (this is similar to this one). I really want to try this one! I'll let you know how it turns out or you let me know if you try it out first!

~ 6 medium onions
~ 4 tablespoons butter
~ 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
~ 2 fresh bay leaves
~ 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
~ Salt and pepper
~ 1 cup dry white wine
~ 1 quart beef stock
~ 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
~ 1 baguette, ends trimmed, sliced into 16 rounds about an inch thick
~ 1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded
~ 4 tablespoons good quality dry sherry, optional

Heat a heavy soup pot over medium heat while thinly slicing the onions. Add butter to the pot and melt. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper, and gently caramelize, stirring frequently, 30 minutes. If the onions begin to brown too quickly at edges before they caramelize, turn heat down a bit. Deglaze the pan with the wine, let reduce a minute while stirring. Add stock and Worcestershire sauce and simmer 15 minutes more.

Meanwhile, place rack in middle of oven, heat oven to 250˚F.
Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet and arrange the bread slices on it. Toast bread 15 minutes. Switch broiler on. Top the bread with lots of mounded cheese and broil 2-3 minutes to melt cheese.

Ladle soup in shallow bowls and stir in a tablespoon of sherry per bowl, if using. Set 4 cheesy croutons into each bowl and serve.

Oh delicious!!!

~ From Rachael Ray, photo from Simply Recipes

Healthy Tomato and Chicken Pizza

This recipe was in the June issue of Fitness magazine. I think I'm going to make it for supper tonight!

Nonstick cooking spray
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 10-ounce package refrigerated pizza dough
3 medium plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
4 ounces cooked chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

1. Coat a 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal. Press refrigerated dough into pan, building up edges.

2. Arrange tomato slices and chicken on dough. Add basil and pepper, and top with mozzarella.

3. Bake in a 425-degree F. oven for 13 to 18 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

~ Courtesy of Fitness magazine

Blueberry Crumble Pie

I absolutely love pie! Doesn't matter what kind. My parents brought me a huge batch of blueberries from the farmers market. (Ohhhh summer!) We are eating them but can't keep up! So I thought I'd make a pie, the easy way! Pre-made crusts of course. : ) Mine is in the oven right now. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Ingredients:
•2/3 cup sugar
•3 Tbsp. cornstarch
•2 Tbsp. lemon juice
•zest of 1 lemon
•4 cups fresh blueberries (frozen unsweetened blueberries without juice are okay too)
•1 9-inch frozen pie crust, thawed according to package directions

Crumb Topping:
•2/3 cup rolled oats
•1/2 cup all-purpose flour
•1/2 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
•1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
•6 Tbsp. butter


Preparation:
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.Place sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add blueberries. Toss gently to combine.

3.Pour blueberry mixture into pie crust.

4.In a small bowl, stir together oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture becomes crumbly. Spread over blueberries in pie.

5.Place blueberry pie on a baking sheet. Bake 40-50 minutes until blueberries are bubbly and pie crust is golden brown.

6.Let blueberry pie rest 15 minutes before cutting.

~from About.com

Orange Creamsicle Pie

OH my gosh, this pie is dreamy! I'm not kidding, go make it now!

Not the greatest photo of it but you get the idea.
My sister made this and I believe she got it from Kraft.

~ 1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
~ 1 cup orange yogurt (we couldn't find orange so we used mango-pineapple)
~ Dash granulated sugar
~ 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
~ 1 small pkg. orange jello
~ 1 cup cool whip
~ 1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust (in the baking section)

Beat the cream cheese and yogurt til smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and sugar, continue mixing. Stir in orange jello powder. Beat to blend. Fold in cool whip. Pour into pie crust and chill for at least 2 hours (cover).

**Optional: Pipe cool whip around perimeter of pie. Garnish with an orange slice.

My mouth is watering. Enjoy!

~ Courtesy of Leah C.

Grilled Avocado and Tomato Salad

This recipe was in the latest Kraft email that I received. It looks so good. I never knew you could grill avocado??

4 large avocadoes (1-1/2 lb./675 g)
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup finely chopped red onions 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup KRAFT Extra Virgin Olive Oil Pesto Parmesan Vinaigrette Dressing
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

HEAT barbecue to medium heat.

CUT avocados lengthwise in half; remove and discard pits. Scoop out flesh of each half in one piece with large spoon. Add to lemon juice in medium bowl; turn over to evenly coat both sides of each. Transfer avocados to barbecue; set juice aside for later use.

GRILL avocados 4 min. or until lightly browned on both sides, turning after 2 min. Return avocados to bowl of juice; turn over. Let stand in juice until cooled. Drain; discard juice. Cut avocados into 1/2-inch cubes; place in large bowl.

ADD all remaining ingredients except pine nuts; mix lightly. Transfer to platter; top with pine nuts.

Outdoor Lunch

I like this table. What a pretty weekend lunch we could have here!

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

I really need to use my slow cooker more often. This recipe sounds great!!

~ 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
~ 1/2 pound andouille sausage, diced
~ 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
~ 1 medium onion, chopped
~ 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
~ 1 stalk celery, chopped
~ 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
~ 2 teaspoons dried oregano
~ 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
~ 1 teaspoon hot sauce
~ 2 bay leaves
~ 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

~ 1 pound frozen peeled and cooked shrimp, thawed

~ 2 cups cooked rice

In a slow cooker, combine chicken, sausage, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, celery, and chicken broth. Stir in oregano, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, bay leaves, and thyme.

Cover, and cook on LOW for 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours. Stir in the thawed shrimp, cover and cook until the shrimp is heated through, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves and spoon mixture over cooked rice.

~ Food Network Robin Miller

Bunny Cake Pops

Today, I made these:

Aren't they cute?  They are from Bakerella.  If you haven't checked out this amazing blog, do it!   She's awesome.  These are very sweet.  Yes, they are cute sweet but also sugary sweet.  Like, REALLY sweet.  Just to warn ya.

Mine are a bit lumpier than hers but I still think they turned out cute.  Get the recipe here.  Happy Easter!!

Lovely Spring

I love to see that I have visitors from all over the world to my blog.  Thanks for stopping by!  I am just itching for spring right now.  In my neck of the woods in Canada, we had so much snow in March, all across the country.  I went to a garden show with a girlfriend today and now I'm really itching to get outside and plant.  I particularly love to set up my yard and eat, drink, snooze, read, laze and play outside with family, friends, my hubby and my girls.

Here are a couple of beautiful photos that inspire me to entertain outdoors.  When the weather is warm enough, get outside, make your space beautiful and prepare a simple, spring menu for friends, or just to pamper yourself while you read your favourite magazine.

Happy Spring!

Take a look at this beautiful spring table! (photo from House Beautiful)

I like the idea of little potted plants at the table in this photo.  Your guests could each take one home!  (photo from Colin Cowie)

This is a lovely outdoor table.  The candles would be gorgeous at night!  (Photo from Colin Cowie)

I love spaces like this because I love to lounge on a mound of pillows.  Beautiful.  (Photo from House Beautiful)

Marinara Sauce

This is a nice, fresh sauce that tastes yummy with your favourite pasta!

~ 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
~ 2 small onions, finely chopped
~ 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
~ 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
~ 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
~ 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
~ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
~ 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
~ 2 dried bay leaves

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper.

Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

~ From Giada de Laurentiis

Bellini Bar

Me, my sis and two of my girl cousins got together Saturday night for a girls' night. We made these yummy bellini's!!

~ 2 cups sugar
~ 1 cup water
~ 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen peaches, thawed
~ 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
~ 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen strawberries, thawed
~ 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen blueberries or blackberries, thawed
~ 4 to 6 (750-ml) bottles Prosecco or other sparkling wine, chilled
~ Fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, for garnish
~ Orange peel twists, for garnish

Puree the peaches and orange peel in a blender with 1/2 cup of the sugar syrup until
smooth. Strain through a fine-meshed strainer and into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate. In a
clean blender puree the strawberries with 1/3 cup of the sugar syrup until smooth. Strain
through a clean fine-meshed strainer and into another bowl. Discard the seeds. Puree the
blueberries in a clean blender with 1/3 cup of the sugar syrup until smooth. Strain
through a clean fine-meshed strainer and into a third bowl. Discard the seeds and solids.
Pour each of the purees into clear glass bowls or small pitchers.

For each serving, pour 2 to 4 tablespoons of the desired fruit puree into a Champagne
flute. Slowly pour enough Prosecco into the flute to fill. Gently stir to blend. Garnish
with the whole berries, as desired, and serve.

Do-Ahead Tip: The fruit purees can each be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and
refrigerate.

~ Courtesy of Giada DeLaurentiis

Broccoli Salad with Avocado

I always get Dr. Andrew Weil's newsletters, I like his Eastern and Western approach to medicine. He also includes some recipes and this was one that sounded good and that I am going to try. It contains two superfoods!

~ 1 lb. broccoli

~ 1 ripe avocado

~ 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

~ 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

~ 1 Tbsp. grainy prepared mustard

Trim and wash the broccoli and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Steam or boil the broccoli in a large pot until it is just crunchy-tender and bright green, then drain it well, and cool.

Peel and pit the avocado, then cut it into small cubes. Fold the avocado into the broccoli.

Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, and mustard together in a small bowl, until well mixed.

Toss the broccoli and avocado with the dressing.

~ from Drweil.com

Chocolate Crepes

Here's a lovely dish to whip up for your Valentine. Or your kids!

TOPPING
~ Container of frozen strawberries
in light syrup
~ Water 2 tsp.
~ Cornstarch 1 tbsp.

CHOCOLATE CREPES
~ 3/4 cup All-purpose flour
~ 1/4 cup cocoa, sifted if lumpy
~ 2 Tbsp. Granulated sugar
~ 1/2 tsp. Salt

~ 3 Large eggs
~ 1 1/4 cups Skim milk
~ 1 Tbsp. Canola oil


Topping: Heat strawberries with syrup in small saucepan on medium for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

Stir water into cornstarch in small cup. Add to strawberries. Heat and stir until boiling and thickened. Remove from heat. Cover to keep warm.


Chocolate Crepes: Meanwhile, measure first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Stir. Make a well in centre.

Whisk remaining 3 ingredients in small bowl until smooth. Add to well. Whisk until smooth. Makes about 2 1/2 cups (625 mL). Heat small (8 inch, 20 cm) non-stick frying pan on medium. Spray with cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 cup (60 mL) batter into frying pan. Immediately swirl to coat bottom of pan, lifting and tilting to coat entire bottom of pan. Cook until top is set and surface appears dry. Remove to plate. Fold into quarters. Repeat with remaining batter, spraying with cooking spray between batches. Makes about 10 crepes. Pour topping over crepes. Serves 4.

~ Courtesy of Company's Coming

Pretty Things

I love pretty things. Which is why I'm so easy to buy for. : )

Check out my new feature, Pretty Things, on my sidebar. Things that are pretty for entertaining or just to add enjoyment to your home.

Brie in Pastry

Valentine's Day is coming up and here is a yummy recipe that would be lovely for you and your sweetie!! My hubby and I absolutely love brie!

~ Frozen puff pastry patty shells (from 2 2
10 1/2 oz., 300 g, package of 6), thawed
~ Small Brie cheese round (with rind)
~ Large egg, fork-beaten
~ Medium red apples, cut into thin wedges

Roll 1 pastry shell out on lightly floured surface to 5 1/2 to 6 inch (14 to 15 cm) circle.

Place cheese round in middle of pastry. Bring up sides, pleating dough around edge. Roll out second pastry shell. Cut circle to fit top, using Brie tin. Crimp and seal edges. Make decorative shapes from scraps of pastry. Place on top.

Brush pastry with egg. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake in 450°F (230°C) oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F (175°C). Bake for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to serving plate.

Place apple wedges around pastry. Serves 6.

~ Courtesy of Company's Coming

Italian Lentil Salad

Giada made this on her show today. It is easy and healthy. Another recipe I'm going to try.

~ 1 pound green lentils (recommended: Sabarot)
~ 2 scallions, chopped
~ 1 cup halved seedless green grapes
~ 1 cup halved seedless red grapes
~ 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
~ 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
~ 1/2 cup coarsely chopped skinned and toasted hazelnuts
~ 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)

Vinaigrette:

~ 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
~ 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
~ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
~ 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the lentils and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 to 20 minutes. Drain and let cool for 5 minutes. Place lentils and remaining salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.

For the Vinaigrette:
Place the lemon juice in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly, until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste

Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well.

Breakfast Bars

My sister-in-law sent me this yummy recipe (her first submission of many, I hope!) that I can't wait to try.  She and my niece made them together and everyone in her household liked them!   Way to go, girls!  This recipe is from the Heart & Stroke website.

~ 3/4 c. packed brown sugar

~ 1/2 c. sugar

~ 1/4 c. soft non-hydrogenated margarine

~ 1/2 c. mashed banana

~ 1 c. plain non-fat yogurt

~ 2 eggs

~ 2 tsp. vanilla

~ 1 1/2 c. whole-wheat flour

~ 1/4 c. ground flax seed

~ 1 tsp. baking soda

~ 1 tsp. cinnamon

~ 3 cups oats, uncooked

~ 1 c. chocolate chips

How to:

Heat oven to 350F.  Beat sugars and margarine together.  Add banana, yogurt, egg and vanilla. Combine flour, flax, baking soda and cinnamon in separate bowl.  Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients.  Mix well.  Stir in oats and chocolate chips.  Spread dough onto ungreased 13 x 19 inch baking pan.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes.  Once cooled, cut into 24 bars.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories: 154

Protein: 3 g

Fat: 6 g (Saturates 2g, Dietary Cholesterol: 16mg)

Carbohydrate: 25g

Dietary Fibre: 2g

Sodium: 92mg

Potassium: 150mg

~ Courtesy of Lianne V.