Asparagus Hash

This is not my recipe...I tore it out of the February 2008 issue of Oxygen Magazine.
I made it for the first time this evening and we loved it. Very yummy and a great "one-dish-meal." I took the skillet right to the table on a hot pad.

1 tbs. olive oil
2 red potatoes
1/2 bundle asparagus
1/2 med. yellow onion
1 small red bell pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Add olive oil to a frying pan, on medium heat.
2. While the oil heats up, wash and shop the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Scoop them into the pan and place the lid on. Remember to flip them regularly.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, chop the asparagus, onion and red bell pepper into small 1/2 inch pieces.
4. Check to make sure that the potatoes are partially cooked before adding the other ingredients. This should take about 10 to 15 minutes from the time you put them in the pan.
5. Once you have added all the veggies to the pan, sprinkle on the garlic, rosemary, basil, and salt.
6. Let the hash browns cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.

*I added real minced garlic instead of powdered. I also used my mortal and pestle to combine the dried rosemary and Himalayan sea salt.
Very yummy dish!

Menu Plan Monday ~ Bonnie ~ Starting Again

Ok ... I totally forgot to post this on Monday. Now it's Wednesday but HERE IT IS !!

Monday we had Falafel Salad and Pita Crisps. I will post the recipes soon ... YUM YUM YUM, you are going to want to try them !! I didn't get photos of the Pita Crisps but here's the salad.

Tuesday we had Potato and Leek Soup. Again, a recipe you will want to try when winter finally gets to your side of the world. I did post the recipe for this one. You can find it HERE.

Tonight we are having Crock Pot Ratatouille. I have never had Ratatouille but the recipe looked good to me and I am always on the look out for good Crock Pot recipes. I'm glad to have this one cooking away. I've got a sore throat, a sick boy, a doctors appointment in the morning, and well ... I'm just glad to not have to cook tonight !!

Here's what it looked like when I got it all ready ... I'll let you know how it turns out ...

Thursday we are having another new recipe. That's THREE NEW ONES THIS WEEK !! We will be having Crisp Tortilla Stacks with Roasted Corn and Black Beans, with Silkin Cilantro Sauce. This looks really yummy. Hopefully I will be feeling better tomorrow night to cook it.

And finally, on Friday. Instead of Pizza we will be having Jimmy Jambalaya. Remember when I posted that one ? Have any of you tried it ? What did you think ?

Menu Plan Monday - Khrista - Edition 23

I did in fact make my menu on Monday...I just forgot to post it...
It may have been that in the midst of planning my menu I was also catching up on laundry, unpacking, and straightening the house because we had just returned from vacation.
But I am back on the wagon!
Where's your menu Bonnie? :o)
Here's our plan for the week:

Potato and Leek Soup ~ So Yum

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My little Jono is sick so I veered from the menu ... oh shoot ! I forgot to post my menu !! ... tonight. Since he's got tonsillitis and I can feel it coming on as well, I decided a big bowl of soup was in order.

I've actually been wanting to post this for a while but finally got motivated tonight since I got a photo of the actual soup. Up til tonight, I only had the photo below of the leeks, onions and garlic cooking.

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Here's how you make it.

The ingredients that I use are as follows but you'll probably want to vary it according to your tastes and the size of leeks you can buy.

2 big leeks
6-8 potatoes ( they were medium sized )
1 big onion
garlic ... how ever much you fancy
3 cups water and 3 cups chicken stock (broth)
Or you can do what I do ... 6 cups of water and some chicken stock ( bouillon ) cubes

Boil potatoes in the liquid.

Sautee garlic, onion and leeks.

Drain potatoes but reserve liquid.

Process potatoes and onion/leek/garlic mixture in food processor. I find I need to add some of the liquid to process them. When all processed, add back to liquid. Stir well and increase heat. Keep stirring so soup doesn't burn. Heat just to boiling.

Salt and Pepper. And it's ready to serve.



A Quickie Fruit Platter

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I made this for a morning tea we went to this morning.
I forgot we needed to bring a plate,
so an hour before we were meant to be there,
I hit the shops.
This was the result.
Rock melon, strawberries, kiwi fruit, blueberries and bread.
Sour dough.
Torn up and topped with nutella.

Grace's Rice and Bonnie's Spring Rolls

My friend Grace made us some dinner last night.
This yummy Korean fried rice ...
I am going to have to learn how to make it because it was soooo good !
It's got Kimchee in it !
I LOVE KIMCHEE !!!
Grace is going to teach me how to make it !
I can't wait !!

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Since I didn't have to cook the main dish last night, I decided to make spring rolls.
I used to make them a lot but haven't made them in years.

AND ... when Grace was here dropping off the rice,
I realized I hadn't bought any sweet and sour sauce.
We love our spring rolls with S & S sauce !
Anyway, Grace told me how to make it and
since I had all the ingredients in the house, I gave it a whirl.
IT WAS GOOD !!

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Ok ... so here's the how to ...

You can really put whatever you like in your spring rolls. Mine are always different. Last night I used chinese cabbage, bean sprouts, shredded carrot, garlic, spring onion, and I think that is it. Cook up the ingredients in a fry pan. Just to soften and get the flavors going. Then rolls in the spring roll wrappers. I make a whole bunch at one time and freeze them for later. We usually fry them in our tamago pan.

For the sweet and sour sauce. Fry up some onion, add chunks of pineapple and some of the sauce. Add ketchup and a bit of rice vinegar. Grace said two parts ketchup to one part vinegar. It really is to taste. I just kept adding this and that 'til it tasted like I wanted it to. As you can see in the photo, mine was quite chunky. Lots of pineapple. It was really yummy !

Lasagna a la Bonnie's Mom !

Preheat oven to 180 C (375F)
~
Mix 2 cups cottage cheese with 1 egg. Add parmesan cheese til the mixture is no longer goopy. (maybe 1 cup or a bit more ... varies everytime I make it !)
~
Brown 500g (1 lb) mince ( ground beef ) with 2 cloves (I use about 6 cloves ! ) finely chopped garlic and 1 finely chopped onion. Take off heat. Mix with a jar of Ragu ( or any tomato based pasta sauce), a big can of chopped tomatoes, basil, oregano and parsley to taste. Set aside.
~
Also need ... Shredded mozarella cheese & Instant Lasagna Noodles.
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Start with a bit of sauce on the bottom of your baking dish. Not heaps ... just so noddles don't stick.
~
Then do layers ... three is good, four is better !!
Noodles
Sauce
Cottage cheese mixture (just do blops ... don't try to spread flat or you'll run out !)
Mozzarella.
Last layer should be Noodles, Sauce, Mozzarella.
~
Bake 35 minutes covered ( or til noodles are tender), remove cover and bake additional 10 minutes.

Rory's Carbonara

This is a favorite around here ...

My husband Rory made this recipe up when he was studying at University. Every Friday night he would have this carbonara and a bottle of wine for dinner ....

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I love it because it is equally as easy as it is yummy. I keep most of these things in my house so usually just have to buy the bacon if I haven't got any in the freezer.

~

We had it last night ... needed something I could cook without thinking. You Mom's know how that goes right ? Sick kid ... long day ... what to do for dinner ?!?! Plus, Jono said he would like to have bacon for dinner ... perfect meal for all of us !!

~

The Recipe ....

Ingredients:

  • bacon - roughly 250g (1/2 lb) - chopped
  • 1 onion - chopped
  • garlic - slivered ( you can put as little or as much as you like. I use a whole head of garlic when I make this but we are HEAVY on the garlic eaters !! )
  • fresh rosemary - 1 or 2 sprigs
  • pasta - I like vermicelli or thin spaghetti. Rory likes fettucine. The kids like spirals.
  • parmesan cheese

Put water on to boil. Cook pasta. (when finished, drain and run under a bit of cold water so it doesn't stick together)

While pasta is cooking. Put a bit of olive oil in a frying pan - or you can leave it out if your bacon makes lots of grease. Cook bacon 'til almost done ( we like it crispy but you can do it to your desired taste ! ) Add garlic and chopped rosemary. Cook 'til garlic is just starting to brown. Add onion. Cook 'til soft.

Put pasta back in pan (or in serving dish). Add bacon mixture. Add parmesan cheese. We probably add a cup - at least. Mix to coat. Serve with salad and nice bread.

Rory has been known to add black olives and/or sliced mushrooms to this dish as well.

~

EVERYONE in our little family LOVES this meal ! No complaints !

Posting Old and Not Necessarily Extrememly Healthy Recipes ...

Since I don't have my simple beauty blog open to the public anymore, I thought it might be a good idea to re-post the recipes from there to here. I know they do not necessarily comply with the "EXTREMELY HEALTHY" part of this blog but they definitely comply with the "DELICIOUS" part so let's call it good ! I'll be posting over the next couple of days and I am hoping to start up my MENU PLAN MONDAY posts again starting on Monday !!! How 'bout you, Khris ? You ready to start that up again !? I've missed seeing what is on the menu at your place ... Ok ... I was going to post the first recipe in this post but I think I'll give it it's own ...


Vegetarian Curry

I was watching my favorite cooking show the other day (America's Test Kitchen) and they made the yummiest looking vegetarian curry. So I pulled out my notebook and a pen and wrote down what they did as they did it. We made it last night and it was amazing! Enjoy!

Vegetarian Curry

1 or 2 T curry powder
1 T garam masala
Oil
1 med onion, chopped
3 or 4 medium potatoes
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 serrano chili, seeded and finely diced
1 T fresh ginger, grated fine
1 T tomato paste
1/2 head of cauliflower, in bite sized pieces
14 oz. can of diced or crushed tomatoes, run through a blender (I guess you could sub tomato sauce)
1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans)
1 t salt
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1/4 c. heavy cream

Toast the curry powder and the garam masala in a dry pan on high heat for a minute or two until it smokes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Heat some oil over medium heat and add the onions and potatoes. Let fry for about 10 minutes until they get some nice color.
Add in a little more oil. Throw in the ginger, garlic, chili, tomato paste and the toasted spices. Let the spices bloom for a bit in the oil then add in the cauliflower. Made sure the cauliflower gets coated with the spices. Add in the blended tomatoes, about 3/4 cup of water (more or less depending on how much sauce you like and how thick you prefer it to be), the chick peas, and the salt.
Cook for 15 minutes over medium heat until the veggies are done.
Add the frozen peas and the cream.
Take off heat.
Done.

Serving suggestions: Serve with basmati rice and your favorite chutneys or relishes. We had sag paneer and nan with our curry and rice.

A Wee Bonnie Wrap ....

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We have wraps quite a bit around here.
This was was particularly yummy so I thought I'd post it.

All I did was cook some basmati and wild rice. Chopped up fresh coriander ( cilantro ), tomatoes, black olives, purple cabbage, spring onion. Add to rice. Add a can of black beans. Add some lime juice. This is yummy to eat just like that.

But I cooked some chicken as well.
Chopped up and added some chipoltle chili powder and cooked in fry pan.

For the wrap. Used flour tortillas. Added avocado, shredded cheese and a bit of sour cream.

Toasted in sandwich press.

YUMMMY !

Links in Side Bar

Hey Everyone ...

I've added "Links to Some Favorite Recipes" in the side bar for easier access to old recipes. Eventually I will have every recipe on here linked but I got tired of linking today !! So ... I'll finish that up later ... Just wanted to let you know so you could make use of my eye crossing work ! ha ha.

Bon

PS ... I've got three recipes coming this week. A Risotto, A Wrap and A YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY Potato and Leek Soup ! So ... check back soon !!

Naan

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This was sooooo easy.
I wasn't convinced until it came out of the oven but now ... totally convinced !!

I found this recipe at Souvlaki For The Soul.
I'm sure I've mentioned that blog here before, right ?
Anyway ...
He got the recipe from a great site called Anjum's Food.

I am going to repost the recipe here ... only because when I'm in a hurry I like to make one stop ... not be clicking all over world-wide-webdom !

Here's it is ... as posted on Anjum's Food.

250g plain flour
2 tbs. vegetable oil
110-130 ml milk
1 tbs. butter, melted for serving
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Nigella seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, chopped garlic and fresh coriander or a mixture of healthy pumpkin and sunflower seeds

Sift together dry ingredients. Mix together the milk and oil.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquids.

Slowly mix together the dough by working from the centre and incorporating the flour from the edges of the “well” so that you have a smooth, soft dough. Knead well for 8-10 minutes, adding a little flour if the dough is too sticky.

Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea-towel and leave in a warm place to double in size, at least an hour. Then punch out and form into 5 balls.

Preheat the grill to its highest setting and put a heavy baking pan on the upper shelf.

Meanwhile, start to roll out the naan into tear drop or oval shapes. Sprinkle over the topping and press into the dough. Place the naan on the hot baking sheet and grill until there are nice brown spots on the surface, around 1-2 minutes. Brush with butter and serve hot.

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Ok ... this is me again.

I was a bit worried as there is no yeast in the recipe.

BUT ... I'm not a good baker and I rarely make bread without the assistance of my breadmaker, so what do I know about it, really ?

But, the recipe is right. No yeast necessary.

Also ... it said to leave it an hour and it should double in size.

I left it a good hour and a half ... maybe longer, and while I didn't measure before hand, I'm sure that little ball of dough was the EXACT same size as when I finished kneading it !

Rory and I were set to make pappadams as a backup but didn't need to ...

These are perfect, easy, DELICIOUS and will be made time and time again in this household !

Rory made a yummy Madras Beef Curry tonight.

That recipe is up next !!

Madras Beef Curry

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This recipe came from Taste.com.au

Rory halved the amount of chilli powder this time as it was quite hot last time !

2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chilli powder (optional) - we only used 1/2 tsp this time
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1kg chuck steak, cut into 2.5cm cubes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup beef stock
steamed basmati rice, raita and mint leaves, to serve (we skipped the mint leaves)

Combine coriander, cumin, turmeric, pepper, chilli, garlic, ginger and lemon juice in a bowl to form a paste. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add half the beef. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining oil and beef.

Reduce heat to medium. Add spice paste. Cook for 1 minute. Return beef to saucepan. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until meat is coated with paste. Add tomato paste and stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover. Cook for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until beef is tender.

Remove lid. Cook, uncovered, for a further 15 minutes, or until sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Serve with rice and raita. Top with mint leaves.

~~

And this is the recipe for the Cucumber Raita. It made heaps.
I will only use a small yoghurt next time !!

Natural yoghurt - 500 ml
1 Lebanese cucumber - diced
1 tsp cumin
Pinch Salt
Fresh Coriander

Whisk the yoghurt.
Add the cucumber, salt and cumin powder.
Mix well with the chopped coriander leaves.

~~

Served as well with Naan ... homemade ! ( our first attempt !! ) You can find that recipe here.

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Basil, Olives and Fresh Mozzarella

I tried a wonderful new recipe for dinner tonight. It was fresh and perfect for a hot summer night. It seemed a little strange at first, because the sauce isn't cooked at all, but it is absolutely delicious!
Here it is. Enjoy.
Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Basil, Olives and Fresh Mozzarella
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (about 6), chopped
3/4 pound salted fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup halved and pitted black olives (I used Kalamata olives.)
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup olive oil (This may not look like enough, but it's plenty.)
3 cloves garlic, minced (I used eight!)
DIRECTIONS
In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes with the mozzarella, basil, olives, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 12 minutes. Drain,, add to the tomato mixture, and toss.
Heat the oil in a small frying pan over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Pour the oil over the pasta and toss again.
I didn't toss the pasta and tomato mixture together. I left them separate so that when we have leftovers, we can heat the pasta and still have the fresh tomato topping. Therefore, when I served it, I heaped a generous bunch of the tomato mixture on top of the pasta. Don't forget to dig to the bottom to dip out some of the vinegar for the pasta.

Homemade Mac-N-Cheese



Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to directions on package.

Melt butter in large saucepan. Blend in flour. Wisk in milk.

Cook at medium heat until thick.

Add salt and pepper and 2 cups cheese.

Stir to melt.

Pour in cooked pasta. Mix well and serve.

You can make this fairly healthy by using lowfat milk, and lowfat cheese.

Use whole wheat past for an even healthier dish!

Menu Plan Monday - Khrista - Edition 22 (really 23...)

So, last week I was on top of things and planned my menu ahead of time. Like on Friday, when I'm usually scrambling around Sunday evening! BUT...I forgot to post it! ha! I even had it all ready to post, and just never did...I'm going to include it at the end of this post!This weeks links:
Grilled Vegetable Muffuletta(Racheal Ray Magazine)
Orange Chicken and Rice - Found through Food Gawker
My Oh Mahi, That's a Good Fish Taco(Racheal Ray Magazine)
Homemade Shells & Cheese with a salad from our CSA share! Yipee! (recipe to follow) Moved from last week.
Pork Baby Back Ribs - Jamie at Home...awesome episode on Food TV. I want to live at Jamie's house! I love his herb garden and his organic, irreverent, and practical way of cooking! Love this show!
Last weeks menu:

A Replacement

So, with the disappearance of my favorite, though only recently discovered, food blog resource, I've been directed to a replacement ... of the few that have popped up since Tastespotting disappeared, this is my favorite.

FOOD GAWKER
I even love the name !!

I've already found some great stuff ... including this article on 20 whole grains to cook and eat ...

As for my menu plans ... I won't be posting one until mid August. I'll explain why later. Maybe.

In the mean time ... how about some ideas from those of you who have been a bit quiet around the beans blog for a while ... :)

This is soooo sad !!!

Tastespotting is gone !!! I just discovered this site and now it is gone !!!

If you go there now all you will see is the note above.

Total Bummer !

No Menu

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And my grocery budget is reflecting it.

Ugh.

I just could NOT get a menu done this week !

Lots of reasons that I won't go into.

I will be back on track next week ... I hope !