The Recipe
250-300g penne pasta
~500g pasta sauce
1/2 dl cream
1dl parmesan cheese
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 dl pesto
1 large onion, sliced
~250g cherry tomatos
150g mozarella, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
basil leaves
250-300g chicken (or pork)
Butter
Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package and preheat the oven to 180C.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet and cook chicken until brown - 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer to an ovenproof dish. Add onion to the skillet and cook until softened slightly. Transfer to the ovenproof dish as well. Add tomatos, bell peper and mozarella.
In a bowl, mix together pasta sauce, cream, parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar and pesto. Once the pasta is cooked, mix thoroughly with the sauce and transfer everything to the ovenproof dish. Mix everything up to ensure that not all the pasta is left on top.
Bake for 20 minutes. Add fresh basil leaves just before serving.
The Verdict
Really, really good! I used heavy cream which felt a tad decadent, but it was SO worth it. Definitely a restaurant-grade pasta dish.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Monday, February 12, 2018
Week 6: Crockpot Cashew Chicken
The Recipe
1lb chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp cornstarch or flour
½ tsp pepper
Oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp ginger
a dash of red chili flakes
½ cup cashews
Combine cornstarch/flour and pepper in a bag. Add chicken and stir to cover all pieces. Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the chicken for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove and add to slow cooker.
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, chili, sugar, garlic, ginger and chili flakes. Pour over chicken and stir to ensure all pieces are nicely coated.
Cook on LOW for 3 hours. Add cashews and cook for another hour.
Serve with rice (either just regular boiled rice, or fried rice with a bit of the sauce added at the very end) and a nice salad. I made one out of bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots and feta - yum!
The Verdict
I served this with ordinary rice the first day and fried rice the next day as leftovers. Fried rice is definitely better! The salad meshed nicely with the dish as well - especially the feta.
As a whole, the recipe wasn't really groundbreaking, and definitely something I've tried before, but it was easy to make and tasted great (plus! cashews!!), so who cares? You don't have to be innovative all the time.
1lb chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp cornstarch or flour
½ tsp pepper
Oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp ginger
a dash of red chili flakes
½ cup cashews
Combine cornstarch/flour and pepper in a bag. Add chicken and stir to cover all pieces. Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the chicken for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove and add to slow cooker.
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, chili, sugar, garlic, ginger and chili flakes. Pour over chicken and stir to ensure all pieces are nicely coated.
Cook on LOW for 3 hours. Add cashews and cook for another hour.
Serve with rice (either just regular boiled rice, or fried rice with a bit of the sauce added at the very end) and a nice salad. I made one out of bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots and feta - yum!
The Verdict
I served this with ordinary rice the first day and fried rice the next day as leftovers. Fried rice is definitely better! The salad meshed nicely with the dish as well - especially the feta.
As a whole, the recipe wasn't really groundbreaking, and definitely something I've tried before, but it was easy to make and tasted great (plus! cashews!!), so who cares? You don't have to be innovative all the time.
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Week 5: Potato Quiche
The Recipe
2 large potatoes, sliced thinly
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 tbsp parmesan
5 eggs
1 cup milk
1 large tomato, diced
½ bell pepper, diced
1-2 green onions, diced
125-150g bacon
½ cup shredded cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Put the sliced potatoes in a bowl and add olive oil, salt, half the pepper and the parmesan cheese. Mix it all together (using your hands is easiest) to coat the potato slices evenly. Lay out the slices in a pie dish, starting from the middle and working out, making sure the slices overlap and that there are no gaps. line the edge of the dish with overlapping slices as well.
Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a pan until just crisp. Transfer to a bowl (I just used the same one as before to save on dish washing :-P ) and mix together with the eggs, milk, green onions, bell pepper, tomatoes and cheese. Add the rest of the pepper and the garlic powder.
Slowly pour the mixture over the potatoes, making sure they don't start to life up. Bake for 30 minutes - leave to rest for another 5-10 minutes before serving.
The Verdict
Really good! I like alternative uses of potatoes, and this was a great addition to my repertoire. Definitely something I'll be making again, and it's so easily adaptable too - just the way I like it.
2 large potatoes, sliced thinly
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 tbsp parmesan
5 eggs
1 cup milk
1 large tomato, diced
½ bell pepper, diced
1-2 green onions, diced
125-150g bacon
½ cup shredded cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Put the sliced potatoes in a bowl and add olive oil, salt, half the pepper and the parmesan cheese. Mix it all together (using your hands is easiest) to coat the potato slices evenly. Lay out the slices in a pie dish, starting from the middle and working out, making sure the slices overlap and that there are no gaps. line the edge of the dish with overlapping slices as well.
Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a pan until just crisp. Transfer to a bowl (I just used the same one as before to save on dish washing :-P ) and mix together with the eggs, milk, green onions, bell pepper, tomatoes and cheese. Add the rest of the pepper and the garlic powder.
Slowly pour the mixture over the potatoes, making sure they don't start to life up. Bake for 30 minutes - leave to rest for another 5-10 minutes before serving.
The Verdict
Really good! I like alternative uses of potatoes, and this was a great addition to my repertoire. Definitely something I'll be making again, and it's so easily adaptable too - just the way I like it.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Week 4: Loaded Potato Salad
The Recipe
750gr potatoes, in ~½cm slices
Oil
Salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
125gr bacon
2-3 diced carrots
4-6 cups sliced lettuce
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 avocado, cubed
Cook the bacon until crispy and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the potato slices on a greased baking sheet, spray with oil, season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper and bake until slightly golden - about 15-20 minutes. Leave to cool.
Toss the salad and serve with dressing of your choice.
The Verdict
Unfortunately I added too much cayenne to the potatoes, so they had a bit too much of a bite and could've been more crispy. Other than that I really liked it though. It's a lot of work, so I probably won't make it that often, but it's a nice alternative.
750gr potatoes, in ~½cm slices
Oil
Salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
125gr bacon
2-3 diced carrots
4-6 cups sliced lettuce
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 avocado, cubed
Cook the bacon until crispy and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the potato slices on a greased baking sheet, spray with oil, season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper and bake until slightly golden - about 15-20 minutes. Leave to cool.
Toss the salad and serve with dressing of your choice.
The Verdict
Unfortunately I added too much cayenne to the potatoes, so they had a bit too much of a bite and could've been more crispy. Other than that I really liked it though. It's a lot of work, so I probably won't make it that often, but it's a nice alternative.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Week 3: Ham and Potato Corn Chowder
The Recipe
Oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp thyme and basil
½ dl flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
2-3 large potatoes, diced
225g ham (I used a mix of ham and sausages)
4-8 slices bacon, diced
1 can (~200g) corn
~100g mushrooms, diced
A handful cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt, pepper, chili, curry
Cook the bacon in a large sauce pan until beginning to crisp. Add a bit of oil if necessary and add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook until tender.
Mix in the garlic, thyme and flour and cook until the flour is lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
Slowly stir in the broth and milk. Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add ham, corn, mushrooms and tomatoes, reduce heat and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper and spices just before serving.
The Verdict
Really, really good! I'm not usually a huge fan of celery, but it actually worked well here. It could have used a few more mushrooms, but otherwise I have no suggestions for improvements. Definitely a soup I'll be making again - it was awesome comfort food :-)
Oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp thyme and basil
½ dl flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
2-3 large potatoes, diced
225g ham (I used a mix of ham and sausages)
4-8 slices bacon, diced
1 can (~200g) corn
~100g mushrooms, diced
A handful cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt, pepper, chili, curry
Cook the bacon in a large sauce pan until beginning to crisp. Add a bit of oil if necessary and add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook until tender.
Mix in the garlic, thyme and flour and cook until the flour is lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
Slowly stir in the broth and milk. Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add ham, corn, mushrooms and tomatoes, reduce heat and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper and spices just before serving.
The Verdict
Really, really good! I'm not usually a huge fan of celery, but it actually worked well here. It could have used a few more mushrooms, but otherwise I have no suggestions for improvements. Definitely a soup I'll be making again - it was awesome comfort food :-)
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Week 2: Honey-Mustard Chicken
The Recipe
2-3 chicken breasts cut in halves (~450g)
Juice from 1 lemon (~3 tbsp)
5 tsp mustard
5 tsp honey
1 tbsp butter
5-6 tbsp breadcrumbs
Salt, pepper
Oregano, thyme, curry, paprika, garlic powder, chili, basil
Turn on the oven to 200C. Put the butter in an ovenproof dish and put it into the heating oven to melt the butter and coat the dish.
In one bowl mix lemon juice, mustard and honey. In another mix breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and all spices (a dash of each).
Coat the chicken in the mustard mixture and then in the breadcrumb mixture. Place it in the ovenproof dish.
Cook until done - about 25 minutes - turning it over half-way through.
Serve with rice, asparagus and green beans.
The Verdict
Really good! The chicken was nice and moist, and I loved the taste. It was a bit heavy on the mustard, but nothing too bad. Definitely something I'll make again.
2-3 chicken breasts cut in halves (~450g)
Juice from 1 lemon (~3 tbsp)
5 tsp mustard
5 tsp honey
1 tbsp butter
5-6 tbsp breadcrumbs
Salt, pepper
Oregano, thyme, curry, paprika, garlic powder, chili, basil
Turn on the oven to 200C. Put the butter in an ovenproof dish and put it into the heating oven to melt the butter and coat the dish.
In one bowl mix lemon juice, mustard and honey. In another mix breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and all spices (a dash of each).
Coat the chicken in the mustard mixture and then in the breadcrumb mixture. Place it in the ovenproof dish.
Cook until done - about 25 minutes - turning it over half-way through.
Serve with rice, asparagus and green beans.
The Verdict
Really good! The chicken was nice and moist, and I loved the taste. It was a bit heavy on the mustard, but nothing too bad. Definitely something I'll make again.
Monday, January 8, 2018
Week 1: Stuffed Bell Peppers
The Recipe
3 large bell peppers
200g fresh breadcrumbs
A bit of milk
1 tbsp capers
6 olives, chopped
2 large tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
fresh basil (~12 leaves)
a handful rocket salad (~35g)
125g bacon
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp stale breadcrumbs (a.k.a. rasp in Danish)
6 slices of cheese
Preheat the oven to 180C. Cut the bell peppers into halves and remove the stems. Put them into an ovenproof dish.
In a pan, cook bacon and garlic until done. Put aside.
Meanwhile, put the tomatoes in a bowl, pour boiling water over them and leave for 5-10 minutes until the skin starts to curl. Remove skin and chop the rest, removing the seeds. Cut basil and rocket salad coarsely.
Put the fresh breadcrumbs in a second bowl and add just enough milk that the crumbs can incorporate it all. THIS IS LESS THAN YOU THINK! I think I ended up using less than 1dl. Just add a bit at a time until it's clear that it can't take more. Mix the bread with capers, olives, tomatoes, basil, rocket and the cooked bacon and garlic. Add half the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Stuff the peppers with the mix, add a bit of stale breadcrumbs to each and sprinkle with the rest of the olive oil. Put a slice of cheese on top of each and cook for about 30 minutes.
Serve with a nice salad.
The Verdict
I really liked the way it tasted, but the texture was WEIRD!!! The breadcrumbs didn't really work for me, and I think I'll substitute them with mince of some sort if I am to make this again. The capers and olives worked REALLY well, but there wasn't nearly enough of either.
In the end, I'll probably never make this again as-is, but might use it for inspiration.
3 large bell peppers
200g fresh breadcrumbs
A bit of milk
1 tbsp capers
6 olives, chopped
2 large tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
fresh basil (~12 leaves)
a handful rocket salad (~35g)
125g bacon
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp stale breadcrumbs (a.k.a. rasp in Danish)
6 slices of cheese
Preheat the oven to 180C. Cut the bell peppers into halves and remove the stems. Put them into an ovenproof dish.
In a pan, cook bacon and garlic until done. Put aside.
Meanwhile, put the tomatoes in a bowl, pour boiling water over them and leave for 5-10 minutes until the skin starts to curl. Remove skin and chop the rest, removing the seeds. Cut basil and rocket salad coarsely.
Put the fresh breadcrumbs in a second bowl and add just enough milk that the crumbs can incorporate it all. THIS IS LESS THAN YOU THINK! I think I ended up using less than 1dl. Just add a bit at a time until it's clear that it can't take more. Mix the bread with capers, olives, tomatoes, basil, rocket and the cooked bacon and garlic. Add half the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Stuff the peppers with the mix, add a bit of stale breadcrumbs to each and sprinkle with the rest of the olive oil. Put a slice of cheese on top of each and cook for about 30 minutes.
Serve with a nice salad.
The Verdict
I really liked the way it tasted, but the texture was WEIRD!!! The breadcrumbs didn't really work for me, and I think I'll substitute them with mince of some sort if I am to make this again. The capers and olives worked REALLY well, but there wasn't nearly enough of either.
In the end, I'll probably never make this again as-is, but might use it for inspiration.
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