Hmmm... I seem to have misplaced the recipe for this, but since it definitely wasn't worth a repeat, that doesn't matter too much, I'll just type it up from memory.
The Recipe
Cut two tortillas into quarters. Melt butter in a pan and cook them until they're crisp.
Halve two tomatoes and scoop out the seeds, chop the tomatoes and half a red chilli (deseeded and deribbed) and cook them for 3 minutes. Add 1/2lb shrimp and cook for another couple of minutes. Add two handfuls of baby spinach leaves and 2 tablespoons of milk or cream and cook until the spinach has wilted.
Build 'towers' of alternating tortillas and tomato-spinach-shrimp mixture, starting and ending with tortillas.
The Verdict
Uhm, no. I'm not too fond of cooked shrimp as it is (although sometimes it works - check out the other shrimp recipe here), and this combination just didn't work. Also the tomato-spinach-shrimp mixture was too soggy - probably from the milk. Perhaps it would have been better if I'd used cream instead. The only good thing about this recipe were the crisp tortillas - they were very yummy! I may use those for inspiration some other time.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Week 31: Crock-Pot Chicken Curry
The Recipe
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, cubed
Water/oil mixture
2 chicken breast halves
1 small can coconut milk (about 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 clove garlic, pressed
salt
black pepper
1 bell pepper
Raisins, flaked coconut and peanuts
Place potatoes and onion in a slow cooker. Heat oil mixture in a large skillet; add chicken and cook just until browned. Transfer to slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine coconut milk, curry powder, garlic, salt and pepper; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken and sauce over cooked brown rice; sprinkle with sliced bell pepper. Garnish with raisins, coconut and peanuts, if desired.
The Verdict
It seems utterly impossible for me to cook anything in a crock-pot that doesn't come out dry and bland. This was no exception, but thankfully it was easily remedied. I cut the chicken up into small pieces and mixed with the sauce, and suddenly the dryness didn't really matter. It was still bland though, until I added extra curry sauce and mango chutney - one I added that, it was DELICIOUS! I'm going to try this recipe again, but next time I'm going to add more curry and perhaps also a bit of chili. And if anybody has any advice on how not to make the chicken so insanely dry, I'm all ears!
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, cubed
Water/oil mixture
2 chicken breast halves
1 small can coconut milk (about 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 clove garlic, pressed
salt
black pepper
1 bell pepper
Raisins, flaked coconut and peanuts
Place potatoes and onion in a slow cooker. Heat oil mixture in a large skillet; add chicken and cook just until browned. Transfer to slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine coconut milk, curry powder, garlic, salt and pepper; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken and sauce over cooked brown rice; sprinkle with sliced bell pepper. Garnish with raisins, coconut and peanuts, if desired.
The Verdict
It seems utterly impossible for me to cook anything in a crock-pot that doesn't come out dry and bland. This was no exception, but thankfully it was easily remedied. I cut the chicken up into small pieces and mixed with the sauce, and suddenly the dryness didn't really matter. It was still bland though, until I added extra curry sauce and mango chutney - one I added that, it was DELICIOUS! I'm going to try this recipe again, but next time I'm going to add more curry and perhaps also a bit of chili. And if anybody has any advice on how not to make the chicken so insanely dry, I'm all ears!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Week 30: Honey-Mustard Beef Patties
The Recipe
1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 pound ground beef
1 1/2 tablespoons diced onion (about 1/4 small onion)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, honey, mustard, oregano, onion and pepper; mix thoroughly. Divide beef mixture into 1/2-inch thick patties. Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook patties for 7 to 8 minutes, turning once.
The Verdict
I changed this recipe a bit. Originally it said to make 2 tablespoons honey-mustard mixture and then only use 2 teaspoons! I couldn't find anything about what to do with the remaining 4 teaspoons, so I decided to go with the above measurements instead. I only have one word - YUMMY! I loved the sweet-spicy taste of it. I think it would have gone really well with some red-currant jam actually. Definitely something I'm making again - next time making sure that the onion is very finely diced, as I slacked on that this time.
1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 pound ground beef
1 1/2 tablespoons diced onion (about 1/4 small onion)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, honey, mustard, oregano, onion and pepper; mix thoroughly. Divide beef mixture into 1/2-inch thick patties. Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook patties for 7 to 8 minutes, turning once.
The Verdict
I changed this recipe a bit. Originally it said to make 2 tablespoons honey-mustard mixture and then only use 2 teaspoons! I couldn't find anything about what to do with the remaining 4 teaspoons, so I decided to go with the above measurements instead. I only have one word - YUMMY! I loved the sweet-spicy taste of it. I think it would have gone really well with some red-currant jam actually. Definitely something I'm making again - next time making sure that the onion is very finely diced, as I slacked on that this time.
Week 29: Mexican Beef Patties
The Recipe
A pinch of salt teaspoon salt
1/2 pound ground beef
30gr canned diced green chilies
3/4 tablespoon taco seasoning
2 tablespoons shredded cheese
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, green chilies, taco seasoning mix and salt; blend well. Divide mixture into 1/2-inch patties. Coat a skillet with cooking spray over medium heat; add beef patties and cook for 6 minutes per side. Top each patty evenly with cheese and cook for 2 minutes or until burgers are done and cheese has melted.
The Verdict
Since DH was eating this as well, I only used half the amount of chili, as 30grams sounded rather overwhelming - even when talking about canned chilies. Also, I'd forgotten to buy taco seasoning, so I used half-and-half of paprika and basil instead. But even with those alterations it ended up tasting really good, and a nice alternative to the boring plain beef patties.
A pinch of salt teaspoon salt
1/2 pound ground beef
30gr canned diced green chilies
3/4 tablespoon taco seasoning
2 tablespoons shredded cheese
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, green chilies, taco seasoning mix and salt; blend well. Divide mixture into 1/2-inch patties. Coat a skillet with cooking spray over medium heat; add beef patties and cook for 6 minutes per side. Top each patty evenly with cheese and cook for 2 minutes or until burgers are done and cheese has melted.
The Verdict
Since DH was eating this as well, I only used half the amount of chili, as 30grams sounded rather overwhelming - even when talking about canned chilies. Also, I'd forgotten to buy taco seasoning, so I used half-and-half of paprika and basil instead. But even with those alterations it ended up tasting really good, and a nice alternative to the boring plain beef patties.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Week 28: Asian Bow Tie Pasta Salad
The Recipe
125 gr Bow Tie pasta
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh gingerroot
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon sugar
250 gr cooked chicken breast meat
1 red bell pepper
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse under cold water until cool; drain well. While the pasta cooks, stir sesame seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat until toasted, about one minute; transfer to a large bowl and whisk in vinegar, mustard, gingerroot, sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar. Thinly slice the chicken and add to the bowl along with the cooked and drained pasta, red bell pepper, and scallions. Season to taste and serve.
The Verdict
I thought 125 gr (1/4 lb) pasta sounded like a ridiculously small amount, so doubled it, and there was still far too much meat in comparison to the rest. Next time I think I'll do 250gr pasta and 125gr meat instead.
As DH isn't too keen on raw ginger root, I served the dressing on the side, which worked fine. It was a nice, cool summer dish, that I'll probably be making again.
125 gr Bow Tie pasta
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh gingerroot
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon sugar
250 gr cooked chicken breast meat
1 red bell pepper
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse under cold water until cool; drain well. While the pasta cooks, stir sesame seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat until toasted, about one minute; transfer to a large bowl and whisk in vinegar, mustard, gingerroot, sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar. Thinly slice the chicken and add to the bowl along with the cooked and drained pasta, red bell pepper, and scallions. Season to taste and serve.
The Verdict
I thought 125 gr (1/4 lb) pasta sounded like a ridiculously small amount, so doubled it, and there was still far too much meat in comparison to the rest. Next time I think I'll do 250gr pasta and 125gr meat instead.
As DH isn't too keen on raw ginger root, I served the dressing on the side, which worked fine. It was a nice, cool summer dish, that I'll probably be making again.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Week 27: Red and Green Ravioli
The Recipe
4-500g Ravioli with filling of your choice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 large onion, cut into thin strips
1-2 garlic, chopped
1 can tomatoes with basil and oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
150g bacon
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook bacon until semi-crisp. Add green pepper, onion and garlic; cook for 3 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes longer. Stir in pepper; remove from heat. Drain pasta and place in a serving bowl; pour sauce on top and serve immediately.
The Verdict
Very simple and very yummy. Definitely not something I need a recipe for though. It really doesn't get much easier than this!
4-500g Ravioli with filling of your choice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 large onion, cut into thin strips
1-2 garlic, chopped
1 can tomatoes with basil and oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
150g bacon
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook bacon until semi-crisp. Add green pepper, onion and garlic; cook for 3 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes longer. Stir in pepper; remove from heat. Drain pasta and place in a serving bowl; pour sauce on top and serve immediately.
The Verdict
Very simple and very yummy. Definitely not something I need a recipe for though. It really doesn't get much easier than this!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Week 26: Pasta Italiano
The Recipe
500g whole wheat pasta
225g bacon
500g pork, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, pressed
4 large tomatoes, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1dl chicken broth
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon chili
1 1/4 dl grated Parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a wok over high heat until crisp; drain and crumble. Remove from wok. Add garlic and pork to pan drippings and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes or until pork is no longer pink. Remove pork from the pan and set aside. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, chicken broth and spices to the pan; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return pork to the pan and heat through. Mix with pasta, Parmesan cheese and bacon.
The Verdict
The original recipe actually called for twice as much garlic as I listed here, but I thought 4 cloves was PLENTY, and it would definitely have been too overwhelming if I'd used more, but if you love garlic, go for it :D. I rather liked this dish and would make it again with two alterations:
1) The meat got really, really dry. I'd probably either marinate it first, or use chicken instead.
2) There weren't nearly enough vegetables for my taste. Next time I'll either double the amount of tomatoes and/or bell pepper or add squash/eggplant/mushrooms to the mix.
This recipe generously serves 3 people.
500g whole wheat pasta
225g bacon
500g pork, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, pressed
4 large tomatoes, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1dl chicken broth
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon chili
1 1/4 dl grated Parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a wok over high heat until crisp; drain and crumble. Remove from wok. Add garlic and pork to pan drippings and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes or until pork is no longer pink. Remove pork from the pan and set aside. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, chicken broth and spices to the pan; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return pork to the pan and heat through. Mix with pasta, Parmesan cheese and bacon.
The Verdict
The original recipe actually called for twice as much garlic as I listed here, but I thought 4 cloves was PLENTY, and it would definitely have been too overwhelming if I'd used more, but if you love garlic, go for it :D. I rather liked this dish and would make it again with two alterations:
1) The meat got really, really dry. I'd probably either marinate it first, or use chicken instead.
2) There weren't nearly enough vegetables for my taste. Next time I'll either double the amount of tomatoes and/or bell pepper or add squash/eggplant/mushrooms to the mix.
This recipe generously serves 3 people.
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