On The Fly Pork Dinner

Seared pork tenderloin, Creamy potato gratin, Roasted broccoli and zucchini, Crispy onions, Cilantro walnut pesto, Mushroom maple sauce.

All prepared within an hour using a small, limited kitchen and some random ingredients bought at the store plus a small pantry supply. It isn't complicated or time consuming to make some really tasty, balanced, meals at home. I will be sharing the individual components of this dish in the coming week.

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Once upon a time at a camp I attended in the summer, I opted for the vegetarian option and it was a vegetarian version of shepherd's pie, or what the French refer to as, 'Paté Chinoise'. The regular entrée wasn't even shepherd's pie, is was something completely different and I am guessing not great looking. But the shepherd's pie looked interesting and certainly intrigued me. It turned out to be a version I liked even better than the traditional. 

Shepherd's pie is traditional meat-laden (usually ground lamb or beef), filled with chopped hard-boiled eggs, mixed with vegetables in a creamy sauce, and topped with creamy, butter mashed potatoes and sometimes cheese. 

There are three vegetarian/vegan versions you could make. The first one would be as traditional as possible, just subbing the closest ingredient options (simulated ground beef crumbles, coconut cream sauce, mashed potatoes with vegan margarine). The second one, which is what I made, is not nearly as traditional, but actually much healthier. I used lentils (brown are a good option for looks, but I only had red on hand). I threw in whatever veggies I had and used lots of spice, and some oil and just a splash of cream for the sauce. Then I topped it with mashed sweet potato because I love them and they go so well with lentils, both taste-wise and nutritionally. A sprinkle of paprika, and dinner is served!!!

Meatless Stuffed Peppers

Meatless Stuffed Peppers
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1 1/2 cups water
salt
4 large bell peppers, I used one green, one red, one orange, and one yellow for variety
1 package (250 grams/8 ounces) white button mushrooms, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 can (398mL) beans, I like to use a mixed bean blend
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce of choice, I used herb and garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper - start with one teaspoon each and add more as desired

Place the rice, water, and salt to taste in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer on low heat until liquid is absorbed and rice is just tender. You want separate, individual grains of cooked rice and you want it to be slightly al dente as it will cook more in the oven. Cool. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise, leaving the stems intact. Scoop out the sides and white part. Blanch the peppers just until the skin begins to soften, then shock in cold water to cool quickly, and drain well.

Mix the remaining ingredients together with the rice. Lay the peppers out on a parchment-lined cookie sheet or baking dish. Stuff with the rice mixture, filling the peppers completely. You may still have some filling leftover, but that's fine - it's great heated up and eaten as is. 

Now you may either pop the peppers in the oven at 350◦F until piping hot, or place the dish in the freezer, freeze the peppers until firm, then transfer to a container or bag to have on hand for a quick supper. To serve as an hors d'oeuvre, cut each pepper half in to to three pieces. Buying mini peppers and using them is also a great option, though mini peppers can be more expensive and hard to find, not to mention tedious to stuff.

Cold Plate

Some days you may not feel like cooking, it may be too hot to think about cooking, you may have a bunch of leftovers or random ingredients you would like to use up, or you really aren't sure what you are in the mood for. That's where a cold plate comes in. 

A cold plate does not have a specific recipe or even a description of components it must contain. A cold plate is simply a plateful of cold foods, or foods that have not been cooked or reheated. It often contains salad ingredients and the likes, but really it can be any mismatch of things you would like. You could pull a leftover piece of pizza from the refrigerator, consume it cold, and technically consider it to be a cold plate, but typically a cold plate consists of several different items - cold pizza is simply cold pizza. Here is the most recent cold plate I made up.
It consisted of: salad with greens, diced tomato, soft boiled egg, and cheddar cheese sticks; whole grain crackers, hummus, roasted chickpeas, hazelnuts, fresh dates, frozen pineapple, and of course, a few chocolates to round out the meal. This was a cold plate, well actually there are a few dishes there as it did not all fit on one plate, for two. Cold plates can definitely be nutritious, light, and well-rounded meals. This one has vegetables, a little fruit, cheese for dairy, egg, hummus, and nuts for protein, and crackers as a whole grain, with a touch of dessert.

Green, Black & Gold Quinoa Sauté

Here I have begun a new chapter in my life. This is the first dish (aside from sandwiches and a few simple breakfasts) that I have cooked in my new apartment now that all of my cookware is unpacked and washed. This is a typical dish I would enjoy - I simply took stock of the fresh vegetables I had in the refrigerator, and used quinoa because it had the closest expiry date. Quick, healthy, no-fuss, and tasty. How's that for inspiration? More details and more dishes from this new chapter are sure to be featured soon. 

But as I begin a new chapter, I was also wondering if I should give my blog a new look? Some readers have commented that green text on a purple background is incredibly difficult to read. Though I like these colors best, I would also like my viewers to be able to read my posts. I know this does not show up well on mobile devices, but I think I have solved that problem. So what are your thoughts? Should I change the posts to a white background? Are they hard to read? Does my blog need a new look? Be sure to weigh in with your opinion!!!

Black, Gold, and Green Quinoa
1 cup water
salt
3/4 cup black and gold quinoa mix
1/3 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 teaspoon oil
1 small white onion, sliced into rings
1 clove garlic, minced
4 large cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds
ground black pepper

In a small pot, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the salt, quinoa, and broccoli. Turn heat to low and simmer for about fifteen minutes, until all water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms and sauté for 10-12 minutes until golden and soft. 

Divide the quinoa mixture evenly among two plates. Place half of the vegetable mixture on top of each. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and add a good grinding of fresh black pepper over top. 

Dad's Steak

Meat and potatoes. The dream meal for many. Here is a grilled barbecue steak, some homemade, handcut, lightly salted, baked fries, and some sautéed onion and mushrooms. What a classic, comforting meal. Probably not the best for you, but I wouldn't exactly call it a heart attack on a plate either. Looking at this plate (it wasn't my plate) I notice that is a hunk of steak, and probably more than one serving size there. My father made this meal for himself as a treat on Father's Day, since he is the grilling master here, and is also really good at making home fries. I do believe my mother prepared the vegetables though. I am not a steak fan or a french fry fan, but I do enjoy home fries (and vegetables). 

Chicken Pot Pie

This is a chicken pot pie my parents made the other day. I won't include an exact recipe for it, since I don't know it. Chicken pot pie is one of those dishes that never seems to have an exact recipe - amounts differ slightly, vegetables in the filling differ slightly, and seasoning is always different. These things always depend on how much you want to make, what you like, and what you have on hand. This chicken pot pie contains carrots, onions, peas and potatoes, as well as pepper and chicken stock for flavor and a little milk for richness. It then has an all-butter flaky pie crust, for which I will share the recipe tomorrow. The basic procedure is to sauté the vegetables in a little oil in a pot beforehand, jsut until they are tender crisp, as they will not fully bake in the oven. Potatoes may even require parboiling. Alternatively, canned or frozen vegetables could be used instead - saving a lot of prep time. After they are cooked, the pre-cooked, shredded chicken is added, followed by some chicken stock and milk and maybe some flour or cream, as well as any seasoning, are added to the vegetables. This is then transferred to a baking dish. We opted only for a top crust, but if you would like a bottom crust too, the filling would be put into a pre-baked crust instead. The top crust is placed over, and the pie is baked in the oven until the filling is hot and the crust is golden. This is a great way to use leftovers that isn't too complicated, and chicken pot pie is great comfort food that can also be enjoyed the next day. Actually, any meat could be used for this. And it is easy to make a big batch to have some on hand in the freezer in a pinch.

Vegetable Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

This is a very tasty vegetarian pasta dish with a bit more elegance. It requires a few extra steps of preparation, much like making a lasagna. However, the effort is totally worth it. To shave off some preparation time, use a can or bottle of sauce and use a food processor to cut up the vegetables. This could also be prepared in advance and baked shortly before serving. Leftovers are excellent reheated. The amounts given for vegetables are only relative and may be varied - just not the vegetables cook down a lot and you barely even notice them in the cheesy filling! This should make enough filling for fourteen manicotti shells, but we have discovered that extra filling is delicious if baked in a ramekin. 

Vegetable Cheese Stuffed Manicotti
1 small can tomato sauce
14 manicotti shells, cooked and drained
1 teaspoon oil
1 medium shredded carrot (1/2 cup)
1/2 shredded zucchini (1/2 cup) 
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (one container)
1/2 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
2 cups cottage or ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Spoon a small amount of sauce into the bottom of a rectangular baking pan.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the vegetables until tender-crisp. Stir in cottage cheese. Fill each manicotti shell with this mixture, then place in the baking dish. Spoon sauce over top and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350◦F for about 40 minutes until hot.  

Six Bean Veggie Sloppy Joes

Six Bean Veggie Sloppy Joes
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 can five bean mix (no other ingredients added), half of a 540mL can, save the liquid
1/4 cup halved green beans
1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
salt, pepper, paprika, as desired

In a small frying pan over medium heat, sautée the onion in a little oil until softened but not browned. Add the beans and stir-fry for a few minutes until softened. Add the remaining ingredients, including bean liquid, and bring to a boil until thickened. Then simmer, stirring occasionally, until cooked and soft. Mixture can be puréed for a smoother texture if desired. Makes enough for two large servings or four appetizer servings. Recipe may easily be multiplied.

This is another vegetarian sloppy joe recipe, however this one was never meant to be burgers in the first place (see: {Vegetarian Sloppy Joes}). It is soft with plenty of flavor from the pumpkin and plenty of protein from six different types of beans. Add herbs and spices as desired. This mixture may be served on bread or a bun, on baguette, as a pasta sauce, on a pizza crust, or just as is.

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

1 teaspoon olive oil

½ white onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 white potato, cubed

½ large sweet potato, cut into short sticks

1 carrot, cut into short sticks

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ can diced tomatoes, undrained

½ can chickpeas, rinsed

2 cups vegetable broth

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the next eight ingredients and cook for ten minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for two minutes. Add the chickpeas, broth, turmeric, and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.

This is an easy vegan supper dish that does not require too much attention, and fills the air with a spicy aroma while it simmers. It is a hearty dish for a cold night, and with two types of potatoes, it makes a very substantial full meal. There are plenty of vegetables in it and some chickpeas for protein. This could be served alone as a complete dish, or with a side salad, bread, rice, pasta, or meat side dish. 

Fall Vegetable Curry

This is a quick and nutritious one pan meal that tantalizes with its spicy aroma. This is a vegan recipe, and is chock full of vegetables and lean protein. It is perfect served over a bed of rice. It is not too spicy, so increase the amount of spice if you wish. You can also add more tomatoes or broth if you like your curry to have more of a stew-like consistency. 

Fall Vegetable Curry

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 package firm tofu, drained and cut into 1 inch cubes

½ large sweet potato, cubed

½ head cauliflower, chopped

½ small white onion, chopped

2 teaspoons curry powder

½ cup vegetable broth

½ can chickpeas, rinsed

½ can diced tomatoes, drained

cilantro, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the tofu and sweet potato and sauté for three minutes. Add the cauliflower, onion, and curry powder and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in the broth, chickpeas, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer for ten minutes. Garnish with cilantro. Makes about four servings served over a bed of rice, couscous, or quinoa. 

On The Fly Fried Rice

On The Fly Fried Rice
1 teaspoon oil
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
1 small carrot, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons green beans
1 large egg
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup cooked rice
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 heaping Tablespoon hummus
optional: some shredded cheese

Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes until crisp-tender. Push vegetables to the outside of the pan. Beat the egg with the salt and pepper and pour into the middle of the pan. Scramble the egg until cooked, then mix with the vegetables. Stir in the rice, seasoning, and hummus and cook, stirring, until heated through. Sprinkle in the cheese, if desired. 

This is a dish I came up with quickly one night when I was in need of a quick supper using leftovers. I took the idea of fried rice and enhanced it with the ingredients I had on hand. I had a bowlful of leftover rice and some leftover green beans. I quickly chopped up some onion and carrot, used some hummus and spices I had on hand to flavor the dish, and added an egg, which is traditional in fried rice, for some protein. Obviously ingredient amounts are approximate, and ingredients and amounts can be varied to create any quick supper dish. I served my rice with some leftover toasted fish cakes on top for a complete meal.

Quinoa Pepper Pilaf

Quinoa Pepper Pilaf For Two
1 cup water
3/4 cup quinoa (I used a golden and black mix)
1 Tablespoon oil
1 portobello mushroom, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
1/2 each red, orange, and yellow pepper, diced
Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the quinoa, stir, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the vegetables and sauté for about 15 minutes, until softened. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper during cooking. 
Divide the quinoa evenly among two bowls. Put a spoonful of peppers in the bowl and mix. Then pile the mushrooms, onions, and remaining peppers on top. Drizzle with oil, dressing, Parmesan cheese, or extra herbs and spices, as desired.

This is a super quick supper that makes enough for two, and can be on the table in twenty minutes, once all of the prep work is done. Even then, there is not a whole lot of chopping involved, and it can be done in advance. This is also a really healthy vegetarian dish. Quinoa is a high protein whole grain, and the meaty texture of portobello mushrooms is a great meat alternative. For a heartier portion, serve it with a side salad, potatoes, or a dinner roll. 

Sweet and Sour Sauced Chicken Breasts

This is a chicken dish my mother made for supper the other night, to change it up from the typical bread-crumb coated chicken. There are many different sweet and sour sauce recipes out there, and this was a new one for our family. I liked it, it was more on the sweet and not so much on the tangy side. The sauce seemed to be thick to begin with, however when poured over the chicken and baked, the sauce thinned out significantly, and became more like a chicken basting liquid to cook in. This made the chicken incredibly moist and flavorful, the downside was there was no thick sauce on the chicken or extra to pour over pasta or rice. Therefore my recommendation for next time would be to cook the chicken first, then drain it, as it is likely the fat or water from the chicken is what diluted the sauce. Then, when the chicken is nearly completed baking, pour the sauce over and bake to heat it. Or, cook the chicken in half the amount of sauce so it is moist and injects into the chicken, but save some sauce to heat and serve with the chicken on the side. 


Sweet and Sour Sauced Chicken Breasts
1 cup water
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons water

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the water, sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Whisk into remaining ingredients. Bring it to a boil, boiling and stirring until thickened. This can now be poured over chicken as desired, or served as is. It would be great for other meats to, or as a simple sweet and sour sauce for pasta, rice, or dipping. 

Adapted from Company's Coming "Main Courses". 

Apple Pork Steak

Apple Pork Steak
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar
1/2 Tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
pork chops
apple slices

Mix all ingredients together except for the pork. Marinate the pork in the mixture for a few hours or overnight. Place pork in a casserole dish and pour sauce over. Place the apple slices on top of the pork. Bake, basting occasionally with the sauce. Baking time depends on temperature and thickness of pork cuts. 

This sauce makes the pork moist and gives it a little apple flavor. The sauce is not thick and does not coat the pork, but it just lends it some juiciness. A good flavor for fall. My mother made this dish for a change, and although I am not a huge fan of pork, it was an ideal way of preparing it. 

Crispy Cod

Recently we tried a different type of fish for supper. We tried some cod, however, I didn't really want to just use the typical breadcrumb coating we use for pan-fried haddock. Now could we plank it and grill it as we do salmon. After searching through some suggested recipes for cod and other similar fish, and discovering we didn't have cornmeal, cornflakes, or panko bread crumbs on hand, I came up with this, untypical coating - crisp rice cereal. It's similar to using bread crumbs, or cracker crumbs, or crushed cornflakes. So, we tried it. 
The procedure:
cod fillets
all-purpose flour
beaten egg
salt & spices
lightly crushed crisp rice cereal

Dredge the cod fillets in the flour mixed with desired herbs and spices, then the egg, then the cereal. Place on a lined baking pan and bake at 375◦F for 15-25 minutes until cooked through, and fish flakes easily with a fork. The amount of baking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets. Once they are cooked, brush the tops with a little oil or melted butter if desired (or leave plain) and broil them for a minute or two for an extra-crispy top coating.

The result? A nice change from regular breadcrumbs - crispy on the top and a moist coating on the bottom. The flavor was different, but not really reminiscent of breakfast cereal. The coating doesn't have the usually problem of slipping right off either, due to the flour, egg, cereal process. And the flavor may be altered depending on what herbs and spices are added to the flour.

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

These were supposed to be veggie burgers. Unfortunately, not everything in the cooking world works out perfectly, especially when relying on recipe websites where any user may post a recipe, and most of the recipes have not been tested and reviewed by many people. Oh well, the recipe sounded good, and it was definitely a learning experience. It wasn't a complete failure either. The burger mixture was much too soft to grill, let alone form into burgers at all, as planned. But there was nothing wrong with the mixture, so I just fried it up and cooked it as if I were scramble-frying ground beef. The mixture cooked well, and I just served it on the buns as if it were sloppy joes. The great news? The taste was quite good, and the recipe is quick and easy to prepare, and may be made in advance as well. 
Hey - in this picture you can barely tell it isn't a real burger!

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes
1 medium carrot
1/3 cup oats
1 can (14 ounces) black beans
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 green pepper, finely diced
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper

Grate the carrot in a food processor. Add the oats and beans and pulse to combine. Add remaining ingredients and process until combined, but be sure not to purée and make the mixture too mushy. Chill mixture for at least 45 minutes. If you can form it into patties, great! If not, just scramble-fry in a little oil in a pan over medium heat for about ten minutes. Serve on buns. Makes 4-6 servings, and leftovers keep well too.

Sweet & Sour Liver

I ate liver again for the second time in my life yesterday for supper. This time it was calf liver, and my father cooked it. He decided to try it in a sweet and sour sauce. This is quite possibly the easiest sweet and sour sauce ever - with only vinegar and sugar. It is amazing how something so simple could be so tasty, and it certainly goes well with the liver, and of course, onions. 

Sweet and Sour Liver
olive oil
flour
1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced calf liver
2 onions, sliced
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 Tablespoon granulated (white) sugar

Heat oil in a frying pan. Dredge the liver pieces in flour and fry for 4-5 minutes per side.
Meanwhile in a small saucepan, heat some more oil. Sauté the onion until clear. Add the vinegar and sugar and cook to reduce the mixture into a sauce. Pour sauce over liver. 

Liver & Onions

Liver tends to get a bad rap. It always seemed like a threat at our house, "What's for supper?" 'Liver and onions if you don't behave!' Nevertheless, liver isn't exactly a gourmet, expensive meal. It is actually incredibly cheap. You can still find liver and onions on the menu at restaurants, though it isn't usually a highly popular choice. I'll be honest, I am not a beef fan, or even much of a meat fan at all. However, I have been wanting to try liver for quite some time now. This is the first time I have tried it. My grandmother cooked a batch of fresh beef liver up for me with some onions. Apparently calf liver is the most tender, but there was none at the store at the time. However, this piece of liver she cooked was incredibly tender. It just melted in your mouth, and you could cut it with a fork. Liver is really the only form of beef I enjoy eating. I mean, steak and roast beef are two of my least favorite foods, yet I enjoyed the liver. Which is a good thing, because liver is incredibly nutritious. Liver is very high in protein, iron, and zinc, while relatively low in fat and calories. It is also very affordable and easy to prepare. We bought 4-5 portions for under $2. Here's how my grandmother made it:

Heat some oil in a large frying pan. Saute onions, in large rings or slices, over high heat for about a half hour or so. You don't want them to brown or caramelize, just release their flavor and soften. Transfer to a dish and keep warm. Place the beef liver, cut into small slices, in the frying pan and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the onions back in and cook for at least five minutes more, until cooked. Do not overcook, you want the liver to be tender. 

Mini Broccoli & Mushroom Quiches

Mini Broccoli & Mushroom Quiches
4 large eggs
2 Tablespoon milk
salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese, plus extra for the top
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped or sliced mushroom
1/2 cup chopped broccoli

Preheat oven to 425◦F. Grease or line six muffin cups.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Divide among muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 

This is a quick and easy supper that can be changed up to feature different vegetables, cheeses, and spices. The amounts can also be adjusted to make more or less. This recipe will serve two or three as a main course, or makes six miniature appetizers. I lined the cups with paper liners, as I was afraid they would stick to the pan, but it turned out the liners stuck to the pan and made it difficult to release the quiches. Next time I will just grease the cups. This recipe is very versatile. You could add a crust made from bread or potato, or add some chopped meat to the egg mixture. You can also make the mixture in advance and just pop it in the oven about 20 minutes before you are ready to eat.