The Recipe
3 large potatoes in wedges
3 large carrots in pieces
450g chicken breast
2 tsp Italian Seasoning (I made my own using basil, thyme, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika)
1/4 cup Italian dressing
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Put the potatoes and carrots in the bottom of the crockpot and cover with everything else (including the cheese). Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or until the chicken and vegetables are done.
Serve with a nice salad.
The Verdict
The chicken was so unbelievably moist and yummy! The potatoes were great too, but the carrots kinda weird -- almost as if they hadn't been cooked properly. So next time I think I'll leave them out, and just serve them on the side instead.
Even DH who isn't a huge fan of chicken had seconds :)
Monday, October 13, 2014
Friday, October 3, 2014
Week 40: Rucola Salad with Pastachios and Chocolate
The Recipe
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1.5 tbsp vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
2.5 tbsp olive oil
100g rucola
1 tbsp chopped pistachios (for serving)
1 tbsp chopped dark chocolate (for serving)
Make a vinaigrette by combining mustard, vinegar and salt in a small bowl. Add olive oil and whisk vigorously. Taste and adjust as needed.
Put the rucola in a large bowl and add a modest spoonful or two of dressing. Using your hands carefully toss the rucola, taking care to handle it lightly. Taste and add dressing as needed.
Divide the dressed rucola among 4 plates. Serve with small bowls of pistachios and chocolate on the side, allowing each eater to sprinkle salad as desired.
The Verdict
Basically I had to try this because the idea of putting chocolate on salad just seemed so weird that it had to be tried. And it totally works! I really liked the mix of the tart rucola, the different tartness of the vinaigrette, the saltiness of the pistachio and the sweetness of the chocolate fit perfectly together.
You do have to like rucola to appreciate this though, so it wouldn't be suitable for my DH.
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1.5 tbsp vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
2.5 tbsp olive oil
100g rucola
1 tbsp chopped pistachios (for serving)
1 tbsp chopped dark chocolate (for serving)
Make a vinaigrette by combining mustard, vinegar and salt in a small bowl. Add olive oil and whisk vigorously. Taste and adjust as needed.
Put the rucola in a large bowl and add a modest spoonful or two of dressing. Using your hands carefully toss the rucola, taking care to handle it lightly. Taste and add dressing as needed.
Divide the dressed rucola among 4 plates. Serve with small bowls of pistachios and chocolate on the side, allowing each eater to sprinkle salad as desired.
The Verdict
Basically I had to try this because the idea of putting chocolate on salad just seemed so weird that it had to be tried. And it totally works! I really liked the mix of the tart rucola, the different tartness of the vinaigrette, the saltiness of the pistachio and the sweetness of the chocolate fit perfectly together.
You do have to like rucola to appreciate this though, so it wouldn't be suitable for my DH.
Week 39 - Mocca Ice Cream
The Recipe
1/2L cream
100g powdered sugar
4 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 (cold) espresso shot (~4 tbsp)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Mix egg yolkes, sugar, cocoa and vanilla.
In a different bowl, whip the cream.
Add the coffee to the egg yolks and carefully fold in the whipped cream.
Pour into an ice cream maker and proceed according to the machine's instructions.
The Verdict
I added chopped dark chocolate as well - I felt like it could use it ;) And the espresso was from my Nespresso machine... unfortunately I've forgotten which flavour, but I think the strongest one... I also think it doesn't make too much of a difference. Really good and definitely worth a repeat!
1/2L cream
100g powdered sugar
4 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 (cold) espresso shot (~4 tbsp)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Mix egg yolkes, sugar, cocoa and vanilla.
In a different bowl, whip the cream.
Add the coffee to the egg yolks and carefully fold in the whipped cream.
Pour into an ice cream maker and proceed according to the machine's instructions.
The Verdict
I added chopped dark chocolate as well - I felt like it could use it ;) And the espresso was from my Nespresso machine... unfortunately I've forgotten which flavour, but I think the strongest one... I also think it doesn't make too much of a difference. Really good and definitely worth a repeat!
Week 38 - Elder Flower Ice Cream
The Recipe
4 egg whites
125g sugar
1 dl cream
2.5dl concentrated elder flower juice (~1 cup)
Mix egg whites and sugar thoroughly.
Whip the cream
Add elder flower juice and whipped cream to the sugared egg whites and mix.
Pour into an ice cream maker and proceed according to the machine's instructions.
The Verdict
I added a tad extra elder flower juice as I didn't think it tasted strongly enough of elder flower, but as the taste intensified as the ice cream froze, I'm not sure that was necessary. In the end it's become one of my favourites :)
4 egg whites
125g sugar
1 dl cream
2.5dl concentrated elder flower juice (~1 cup)
Mix egg whites and sugar thoroughly.
Whip the cream
Add elder flower juice and whipped cream to the sugared egg whites and mix.
Pour into an ice cream maker and proceed according to the machine's instructions.
The Verdict
I added a tad extra elder flower juice as I didn't think it tasted strongly enough of elder flower, but as the taste intensified as the ice cream froze, I'm not sure that was necessary. In the end it's become one of my favourites :)
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Week 37 - Chicken Korma
The Recipe
1lb chicken, cubed
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 tsp ginger
2 heaped tbsp korma curry paste
125ml coconut milk
150ml chicken stock
1 tbsp ground almonds
1dl natural yogurt
1 tomato, diced
Chapatis, to serve
Heat oil in a pan and cook the chicken until golden. Remove from pan and transfer to crockpot.
Add the onions, bell pepper, ginger and curry paste to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk, stock and ground almonds. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper according to taste. Transfer to crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. 15 minutes prior to serving, add yogurt and tomato.
Serve with chapatis.
The Verdict
First the confession - I was too lazy to cook things ahead of time, so just dumped everything in the crockpot raw. My fault, and may have influenced the final outcome of the meal, as the chicken ended up being really dry. I don't usually have that problem any longer - even when I don't cook the meat ahead of time - but it was rather bad here. Somebody once told me that the meat is dry if I don't leave it long enough in the crockpot - I've never understood that reasoning, as I would have thought it was the other way around.
Anyway, as it was I wasn't too impressed, but I guess it's unfair to base my opinion of a dish on an attempt where I cut corners, so I may still make it again another time -- properly this time!
1lb chicken, cubed
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 tsp ginger
2 heaped tbsp korma curry paste
125ml coconut milk
150ml chicken stock
1 tbsp ground almonds
1dl natural yogurt
1 tomato, diced
Chapatis, to serve
Heat oil in a pan and cook the chicken until golden. Remove from pan and transfer to crockpot.
Add the onions, bell pepper, ginger and curry paste to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk, stock and ground almonds. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper according to taste. Transfer to crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. 15 minutes prior to serving, add yogurt and tomato.
Serve with chapatis.
The Verdict
First the confession - I was too lazy to cook things ahead of time, so just dumped everything in the crockpot raw. My fault, and may have influenced the final outcome of the meal, as the chicken ended up being really dry. I don't usually have that problem any longer - even when I don't cook the meat ahead of time - but it was rather bad here. Somebody once told me that the meat is dry if I don't leave it long enough in the crockpot - I've never understood that reasoning, as I would have thought it was the other way around.
Anyway, as it was I wasn't too impressed, but I guess it's unfair to base my opinion of a dish on an attempt where I cut corners, so I may still make it again another time -- properly this time!
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Week 36: Garlic Pork Chops with Cheese
The Recipe
4 pork chops
1 large tomato, sliced
4 slices of cheddar or mozzarella cheese
1 large garlic clove, minced
salt, pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
Rub the pork chops with salt, pepper and minced garlic. Heat the oil in a pan, reduce to medium-high heat and cook the pork chops for about 4 minutes on each side or until done.
Transfer to an oven-proof dish, put 1 slice of cheese and 1-2 slices of tomato on top of each and broil in the oven for a couple of minutes until the cheese melts.
Serve with baked potatoes and last week's carrot dish.
The Verdict
Really good! I find that pan-cooked pork chops often get too dry, but that wasn't the case here at all! Whether that was due to the tomato and cheese, or just because I finally stopped over-cooking them, I'm not sure. Either way, I thought it was great :)
4 pork chops
1 large tomato, sliced
4 slices of cheddar or mozzarella cheese
1 large garlic clove, minced
salt, pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
Rub the pork chops with salt, pepper and minced garlic. Heat the oil in a pan, reduce to medium-high heat and cook the pork chops for about 4 minutes on each side or until done.
Transfer to an oven-proof dish, put 1 slice of cheese and 1-2 slices of tomato on top of each and broil in the oven for a couple of minutes until the cheese melts.
Serve with baked potatoes and last week's carrot dish.
The Verdict
Really good! I find that pan-cooked pork chops often get too dry, but that wasn't the case here at all! Whether that was due to the tomato and cheese, or just because I finally stopped over-cooking them, I'm not sure. Either way, I thought it was great :)
Week 35: Spanish Carrot Dish
The Recipe
1 tbsp olive oil
3 carrots cut into thin staves
2 spring onions, sliced
5 slices of salami, cut into thin stripes
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/3 dl pine nuts
Heat the oil in a pot and cook the salami until crisp - about 3-4 minutes. Remove from pot and leave to drip on a plate covered with paper towels.
Add the carrots, spring onions and cinnamon to the pot and cook for 4 minutes. Add the salami and cook for another 4 minutes. Finally add the pine nuts and give a quick stir (1-2) minutes to give the pine nuts a bit of flavour.
The Verdict
I really liked it, but DH wasn't too fond of the salami. He thought it would be better with bacon... but then, everything is better with bacon ;) Quite a bit of work for a side dish though, so I don't know how often I'll be making this. It did taste nice though :) The original recipe also had you add raisins and caraway. I don't care for either, so I just left both out. Next time I might actually also leave out the cinnamon.
1 tbsp olive oil
3 carrots cut into thin staves
2 spring onions, sliced
5 slices of salami, cut into thin stripes
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/3 dl pine nuts
Heat the oil in a pot and cook the salami until crisp - about 3-4 minutes. Remove from pot and leave to drip on a plate covered with paper towels.
Add the carrots, spring onions and cinnamon to the pot and cook for 4 minutes. Add the salami and cook for another 4 minutes. Finally add the pine nuts and give a quick stir (1-2) minutes to give the pine nuts a bit of flavour.
The Verdict
I really liked it, but DH wasn't too fond of the salami. He thought it would be better with bacon... but then, everything is better with bacon ;) Quite a bit of work for a side dish though, so I don't know how often I'll be making this. It did taste nice though :) The original recipe also had you add raisins and caraway. I don't care for either, so I just left both out. Next time I might actually also leave out the cinnamon.
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