Christmas Chaos

I can't believe it's been almost two months since my last post... shame on me. I have been cooking up a storm in that time and have a few gems to share with you. Since it's been so long I've decided to do something a little different... something special. I'll be posting three recipes today in a two part post and it's all about BREAKFAST (this one's for you Alan.)

Part 1: Wife Saver

When my brother and I were growing up there was always one thing we waited for every year on Christmas morning. No, not presents from Santa (though that was fun too) ... Christmas Morning Wife Saver. This has been a breakfast tradition in our house as long as I can remember. We'd wake up in the morning with our tummies growling, force Mom and Dad out of bed and tear into our presents. Mom would disappear into the kitchen for only 5 minutes or so and miraculously the most wonderful, savory smell of bacon, cheese, onion and egg would fill the house. This was something special - something we only ate once a year - and the thought of it has always warmed my heart ... and belly. This year was mine and Jason's first - just the two of us and the thought of Christmas morning without Wife Saver just wouldn't do. When we woke up that morning, Jason threw on the coffee while I threw the Wife Saver in the oven and just an hour later I felt like a kid again... this was Christmas, the way it should be. Funnily enough when my family
came over later that day my brother told me that Mom decided not to make it this year and he was very disappointed. I promptly offered him some of mine and within a matter of minutes half of my delicious Wife Saver was gone. - Well worth it to keep the tradition alive for my brother.

Hubby Approval Rating                           ?/5.0

Unfortunately since it's been too long since we had it, Jason can't remember what it tasted like and doesn't want to rate it. I do remember his exact words Christmas morning being "I guess I'll keep you around". I suppose that's a good thing.



Christmas Morning Wife Saver

16 Slices White Bread - crusts removed
16 Slices Bacon (or about 1 pound)
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar Cheese
6 Eggs
1/2 Tsp Pepper
1 Tsp Dry Mustard
1/4 cup minced Onion
1/4 cup finely chopped Green Pepper
2 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
3 cups Milk
Dash of Tabasco Sauce
1/2 cup melted Butter
Crushed Special K or Corn Flakes


- On Christmas Eve line the bottom of a buttered 9x13 glass baking dish with 8 pieces of bread. Cover the bread with all the bacon (cook before hand for a crisper texture), cheese and remaining 8 pieces of bread.
- Beat eggs, pepper, dry mustard, onion, green pepper, worcestershire, milk and tabasco. Pour over bread and refrigerate over night.
- Christmas morning, drizzle in melted butter and sprinkle with corn flakes or special K.
- Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 1 hour. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.


Part 2: Tasty Toppings

One of the fabulous presents I received for Christmas was a waffle iron from Jason's Mom, Kim. I absolutely adore waffles and was looking forward to making this sweet treat with fruit topping, only I had no idea where to start. I prefer berries on my waffles and Jason hates them, so any time we want to have fruit topping I have double the work ahead of me. I searched online for two recipes, one with blueberries and one with apple for Jase. The two I found did not disappoint, I encourage you to give these a try, they are way better than any store bought topping - guaranteed.

 Hubby Approval Rating: (Apple Topping Only)     3.5/5.0

Why? "It wasn't as sweet as I was expecting and it would have been easier to cut without the peel on. The apples tasted really good and so did the sauce."

Apple Topping

• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 large tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a large skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add apples. Cook, stirring constantly, until apples are almost tender, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Dissolve cornstarch in water; add to skillet. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Blueberry Topping

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

In a 2-qt. saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; gradually stir in water. Add blueberries; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Serve warm or cold over French toast, pancakes or waffles. 

Thanks for reading today's post. I hope you have your own Christmas traditions to share with me in the comment section below - or feel free to steal mine, you won't be sorry!

Bacon and Eggs,

Dani 

Happiness is... Hot Soup on a Cold Day

Lately the cold has been getting to me. I'm finding myself chilly and miserable a lot... too much in fact - I need to fix this. The solution to my winter weeping? A hot, rich, cheesy soup. I searched allrecipes over for a soup containing the vegetables in my fridge and a cheesy base but to no avail, so I took matters into my own hands: I made my own. For a first shot at making my own soup I have to give it to myself, it turned out just the way I wanted. This hearty blend of vegetables is sure to give you just what you're looking for as well!

Hubby Approval Rating?         4.0/5.0          Why? "I was expecting something more like straight cheese soup or closer to hamburger cheese soup. So I was a little disappointed at the lack of meat. Although, it was very filling and the potato was a pretty good substitute for meat (texture wise). It was light and tasty."

Dani's Cheesy Veggie Soup

1 cup cauliflower chopped    1 cup broccoli chopped

1 cup potatoes cubed           1/2 cup onion chopped

1/2 cup carrot diced              1 cup water

1/4 cup butter                         1/4 cup flour

3 cups milk                             3/4 cups Velveeta cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

- In a large sauce pan combine cauliflower, broccoli, potato, onion, carrot and water. Bring to a boil and cook until soft - about 5-10 minutes

- In soup pot melt butter over medium heat. Add flour stirring constantly and remove from heat

- Gradually whisk in milk and return to heat

- Gradually add Velveeta until melted

- Salt and pepper to desired taste.

Cauliflower and Cheese,

Dani

Phenomenal Pork Roast

On a recent trip to the local grocery store I noticed the pork shoulder was on sale. Now, typically I've been playing it fairly safe and only buying cuts of meat that I'm used to ie: chicken breast, ground beef, pork cutlets - we're talking basic, basic stuff here. So I thought I'd give something new a try - and it paid off! Not only was the pork juicy and tender it was packed with flavour. For a first attempt at pork roast I'm calling this one an exceptional success! 


*Note*  My camera is currently out of order and both pictures featured were taken on an iPhone.


Hubby Approval Rating:    5/5


Why? "It was well cooked, very tender and juicy. The sauce wasn't over powering but complimented the meat well. It was just really good." 

Herb Roasted Pork


1 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (5 pound) boneless pork loin
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a bowl, combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic. Rub thoroughly all over pork. Place pork in an uncovered roasting pan on the middle oven rack.
3. Bake in the preheated oven approximately 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), depending upon your desired doneness.
4. Meanwhile, place sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, water, and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken slightly. Brush roast with glaze 3 or 4 times during the last 1/2 hour of cooking. Pour remaining glaze over roast, and serve.

I think you'll enjoy the unexpected tanginess of this fabulous pork roast. I encourage you to try something new, outside of your comfort zone - it just might be worth it :)

Garlic and Soy Sauce,

Dani

Comfort Food with a Kick: Chicken Florentine Casserole

With it's cold weather and dreary days, October seems to be the month for comfort food. I've been wanting to try something a little different with chicken breast and this florentine casserole hit the nail on the head for me! It's a creamy, flavourful dish that is all in all WAY too filling to eat every night. 
I'd like to take a minute to tell you how I find most of the recipes I try. Because I am only new to living on my own and cooking for two, I don't actually have any cook books so I do what most modern people do when trying to learn something new: I hit the internet! 
Quite some time ago I came across the website: www.allrecipes.com, originally I used it to find recipes for cookies, cupcakes, any kind of baking really... nothing practical that one would make on an everyday basis. Now I rely on it most nights to help me whip up dinner! The great thing about this website is that you can search for specific recipes or by the ingredients you want and don't want - very useful when you have a picky eater in the house! When searching for a specific recipe, I find the best way to utilize this website is to pick based on high ratings and number of ratings. Also, READ the comments, often you'll find several people making the same suggestions to make the dish even better!

Chicken Florentine Casserole*

4 Chicken breast halves                1/4 cup butter
3 teaspoons minced garlic            1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 can cream of mushroom soup   1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup half-and-half                       1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 1/2 cups frozen spinach              1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cup bacon bits                          1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In a medium frying pan, saute spinach and mushrooms with 1 tablespoon butter

Melt the rest of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, mix in the garlic, lemon juice, cream of mushroom soup, Italian seasoning, half-and-half, and parmesan cheese. 

Arrange the spinach and mushrooms over the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking dish. 

Cover with half of the sauce mixture.

Arrange chicken breasts on top of the spinach and mushrooms, and cover with the remaining sauce mixture. 

Sprinkle with bacon bits.

Bake for 45 minutes, then sprinkle with mozzarella and bake for another 10 minutes

* this recipe has been altered from the original at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-florentine-casserole/detail.aspx

 Hubby Approval Rating      4.5/5

Why? "It was good but there was too much spinach"

Based on Jason's review I'll probably use half of the spinach next time and throw in some diced artichoke heart!

Chicken and Bacon Bits,
Dani

Playing Catch Up! The Chocolate Zucchini Cake.

Life has been hectic as of late and I haven't had a lot of time to update the blog - but rest assured, I'm still cooking, baking, etc. I have a whole arsenal of recipes to share with you that I haven't had a chance to write about yet!

Recently I have decided to look back at my favourite foods from when I was a kid and attempt a few of them. An all-time fave of mine is one that most people cringe and turn their noses up to - Chocolate Zucchini Cake, and if you haven't tried it before I know what you're thinking - ew. It's a moist, flavourful chocolate cake that DOESN'T taste like vegetables. Seriously, this isn't a lie like those commercials that tell you that all you can taste is the fruit in their fruit and veggie juice.

Looking back at my childhood I can remember my mom growing zucchini in the garden. Once they were HUGE my mom would pick the zucchini, my brother and I would groan in distaste knowing we would soon be eating them and within days we would magically be eating delicious chocolate cake wondering where the nasty old zucchini went. Yeah, she pulled a fast one on us.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I asked my mom for this recipe a few weeks ago and she couldn't remember which recipe I was talking about - this cake was such a memorable part of my childhood and she had no idea the impact it had on me.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake (Thank you Ancsineni)

1/2 cup butter                         1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 3/4 cup white sugar              2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla                            1/2 cup sour milk  (or sub. 1/2 cup milk and 1 tsp white vinegar)

2 1/2 cup flour                         4 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder              1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon                     1/2 tsp ground cloves

2 cups finely diced* zucchini     1/4 chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan
Cream butter, oil and sugar
Add eggs, vanilla and sour milk
Mix together all dry ingredients (except chocolate chips) and add to creamed mixture. Beat well with mixer
Stir in diced zucchini
Pour into baking pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean


* When I made this I was in a particularly lazy mood and decided to grate the zucchini with my cheese grater - it worked great!!


No hubby approval rating on this cake because lets put it this way - there's only 2 of us in this house and the cake was gone in a few days - 'nuff said.
I'd love to get some feedback on this recipe, so if you do get a chance to try it let me know what you think!


Zucchini and Cinnamon,
Dani

Review: Pad Thai Restaurant - Pitt Meadows

I did say that I was wanting to do reviews of products and other things so here's my first wack at it. I'll be reviewing take-out based on food and value. If we eat at the restaurant I'll include ambiance and service. All categories will be out of 5 and I will have an over all average score. 


Pad Thai Restaurant - Pitt Meadows     2.0 / 5


Food     2.5 / 5
Value    1.0 / 5


What did we order?  1 order Pad Thai and 1 Order Yellow Curry with Chicken (side of rice)
Cost?   $29.05
Why the score?   Look, I'm no expert on Thai food BUT I do know that Pad Thai should never look or taste like there is ketchup on or around it. It was way too sweet, the tails were left on the shrimp (huge pet peeve of mine - if anyone knows of a valid reason why they do this other than utter laziness please comment below) and all the noodles were stuck together like it had been in the fridge and reheated. The Yellow Curry was also too sweet, very little spiciness to it and it was lacking substance. In the curry was chicken, green peppers and very few potato chunks. I've had much better Thai food elsewhere - ie: "All Thai'd Up" in Port Coquitlam (best Thai food around for about the same price.) You know there's a problem when the best part of the meal is the side dish of rice. Thoughts?


If anyone knows of a better Thai food place in the Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge area please let me know!


Curry and Coconut Milk,
Dani

Hungarian Fasírozott (Fushi-rows-oat)

Earlier this week my Mom came over to help me make a traditional Hungarian dish called "fasirozott". Fasirozott is essentially meat patties utilizing the most common spice found in Hungarian food - paprika. Seriously... it's in everything. When I was growing up my Nagymama (Grandma) made this all the time when she took care of my brother and I on Tuesday nights and although it's fairly unhealthy my mouth still waters when I think about it. This was a great experiment for me as I've never fried anything before and honestly... grease/oil scares me. Why? When my brother was younger he was helping my Mom in the kitchen and some grease splattered on his arm and gave him a burn the size of a lemon. He was in a huge amount of pain and the burn became infected and started tracking up his arm. Needless to say I've been weary of frying since then.

I found frying meat to be fairly difficult and time consuming, however, rewarding. If the oil is too hot the outsides will burn and the inside will still be cool and uncooked. If it's too cool the meat will take FOREVER to cook and essentially simmer in grease until cooked. The first few always end up as testers and help you find the correct temperature on your stove... It's not uncommon to burn the first 2 or so.

Hubby Approval Rating? 4.5/5
Why? "It's almost like a mini meatloaf. Really good fresh, but also good to snack on or have in a sandwich the next day."
I asked Jason, "Why isn't it a perfect 5?" Answer: "cause you burnt some of them"

                              Fasirozott

Cooking oil (amount depends on size of  pan)

1/2 cup bread crumbs (or as needed)

1 lb ground pork

1 1/2 to 2 cups bread

1 white onion

1 egg

1/2 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

On medium high heat fill a saute pan with cooking oil so it is about 1/2 inch deep. 

In a large bowl combine pork, onion, egg, paprika, salt and pepper.

Soak the bread in water and squeeze to drain excess water. 

Break soaked bread into small pieces and combine with pork mixture.

Form pork mixture into 3 inch patties no more than 1 inch thick (they'll plump up in the grease)

Coat all sides of the patties with bread crumbs

Drop patties gently into the hot oil

Cook until medium brown on each side and center is no longer pink

I hope you've enjoyed this weeks addition to "Learning to be a Wifey". I encourage you to explore your own heritage and learn about the different flavours it has to offer.

Pork and Paprika,

Dani