dinner

Quick Beef Gyros

By in Beef, Lunch, Main Dish 1 Comment Tags: , , , , ,

quick beef gyros

Whew. 2012 flew by in a whirlwind. Just a little over a year ago we moved from Oslo, Norway to New York City and half a year later we moved home to Canada. No wonder I’m so tired! :P This year the holidays felt extra special and the celebrating seemed to go on and on. It was awesome! We even took a road trip to visit my husband’s family. It has all been such a blast and makes it a little harder to get back into a routine. Er, What’s that again?

3 countries. 1 year.

I’ve always been a huge fan of gyros. If we’re ever at a food court for a meal you better believe I’m headed for the gyro place. It’s the only time I ever get them because certain other people in my family are not a fan. Until now.

When I came across this recipe I figured it was worth a shot. It was so simple that I figured the worst that could happen would be that I would get all the more to myself. :) But that was not the case. They were a huge hit. So much so that I can now make gyros as often as I like, and everyone gets excited about it. They may not be the most traditional but they’ve got everything that I love about a gyro – flavour! Here’s to home cooking winning again! :D

I know it’s a little late but, Happy New Year! I hope 2013 is a year full of blessings for all of you.

Quick Beef Gyros

Beef Filling
  • 1/2 pound deli roast beef
  • 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
  • pinch paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • pepper, to taste (be generous!)
Tzatziki Sauce
  • 1/2 english cucumber, finely diced
  • 1 cup greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion (about 1/8 of an onion)
  • 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried  dill weed
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
To Serve
  • naan, pita bread or other flatbread, warmed
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • crumbled feta cheese
  • kalamata olives, sliced if desired
  • remaining half of cucumber, chopped

Mix together Tzatziki ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside until serving.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add all ingredients for the beef filling. Stir until beef is warmed through.

To serve, top pita with a generous portion of beef, tzatziki sauce and desired toppings. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4

Adapted from The Stephens Family via Tasty Kitchen.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

By in GF Mains, Gluten Free, Lunch, Soup 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

It”s soup season! And, I couldn”t be happier about it. Soup is so comforting, flavourful and easy to make, and that fact that is warms you up instantly from the inside out is an added bonus. I find my feet and hands cold constantly these days and I”m wrapped up in my sweater for most of the day. But after a couple bites of soup the sweater goes off and I”m warmed right through.

Although soup is generally easy to make, it”s not always quick. I”ve had my eye out for quick soups for a while now. I”m lucky enough to have my hubby come home for lunch every day and I like to occasionally make a quick, warm, fresh meal to get us out of the sandwich/leftovers doldrums. Quick, being the key word because although we can take our time with supper, lunch has more of a time constraint.

This soup fits the bill on all accounts. It”s made from start to finish in 30 minutes (great for a last-minute dinner too), it”s so flavourful (the first chicken tortilla soup my family has actually loved), has just the right balance of flavours (I”ve tried so many versions of this soup that were far to tart and lacking in flavour) and it”s a warming, nutritious meal for the middle of the day. I know it”ll be on the table often when we”re in need of something to warm our bellies and our toes.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

You can use partially frozen chicken in this soup, making it perfect for a quick, last-minute meal. Thaw the chicken just enough to cut it into chunks, then add it to the pot as directed.

  • 1/2 onion, diced

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 4 cups chicken broth

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1.5 cups frozen corn

  • 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces

  • juice of 1 small lime

  • To serve: crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, cilantro

In a large saucepan, heat a bit of oil over medium heat. Add onion, cook until softened. Add salt, bell pepper, garlic and cumin, cook for 2 minutes. Stir in broth, bay leaf, corn, tomatoes and chicken. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add lime juice, simmer for several minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve with desired toppings.

Adapted from Weelicious.

August Meal Plan – Beat the Heat

By in Meal Plans 3 Comments Tags: , , , ,

August Meal Plan – Beat the Heat

It”s August. I can”t believe it! The summer is flying by, just like it always does. I thought it might be fun to start sharing some meal plans at the beginning of the month incase people were looking for inspiration or just didn”t want to do any planning for one week. So, here”s a great menu plan for a week of summer dinners. None of these meals are baked in the oven, all of them make use of good summer produce and all have been made numerous times in our kitchen. Enjoy!

Monday


Spicy Bean Burritos with Chunky Cucumber Salad

Start the week off with a Meatless Monday that no one will even have a second thought about. The burritos are spicy and full of flavour and the salad is at it”s best this time of year. It may seem strange to pair a salad with feta and olives with a mexican-style dish but this salad literally goes with everything.

Tuesday


Hoisin Chicken with Noodles and Green Beans

This stir fry is quick and flavourful and takes advantage of in-season green beans. We eat this as a one dish meal but feel free to serve it with a side of garlic bread.

Wednesday


Summer Chicken Stew

Serve this on a rainy day or one that just needs to end on a comforting note. This stew is creamy and hearty with the freshness of summer veggies and the smokiness of bacon. Make sure to sop up all that creamy gravy with bread or biscuits!

Thursday


Greek Chicken Kabobs and Salad

For a light meal on a hot day this meal is your ticket. It hardly takes any work to prepare and it”s just a feel good thing to eat. If you”re family likes things a little heartier serve it with a side of foccacia.

Friday


BLT Chicken Burgers

This burger has still got to be one of my favourite burgers to date. A burger always seems like the perfect way to end a work week and this one is amped up with a basil mayonnaise, crispy lattice bacon and a hefty dose of cheese in the patties. Serve with fries, grilled or roasted potatoes, or a salad.

Greek Chicken Kabobs and Salad

By in Main Dish, Meat, Poultry 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Greek Chicken Kabob Salad

I always seem to make salad for supper on the night my husband is most hungry and a hearty meal when he comes home without an appetite. I could be a good wife and let him know ahead of time what we’re eating, so he could prepare his stomach accordingly, but why ruin the surprise? Besides, if I make salad for dinner you better believe there’s going to be dessert. It’s all about balance. :)

The first night I made this we gobbled it down in no time flat and I was craving it for days afterwards. So much so, that I put it on the menu again for the next week.

It uses my favourite Greek Dressing, which is tangy and packed with flavour - it’s a breeze to throw together and stores well at room temperature for quite a while. The chicken is marinated in the dressing, soaking up all that flavour, then threaded onto skewers and cooked on the grill. Throw together a simple salad, with the same dressing, while the meat cooks and you have dinner on the table in no time.

On super-hot days, when appetites are practically non-existent, it makes a light and tasty dinner. But just to make sure, I like to serve it with a side of Foccacia. That way, if James comes home extra hungry he doesn’t have to starve (or eat a double portion of dessert). :)

Greek Chicken Kabobs and Salad

Greek Dressing
  • 1 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1.5 teaspoons pepper
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt
  • 1.5 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons dijon
  • 3/4 cup olive oil

Place vinegar, seasonings and dijon in a blender or food processor (or use a handheld blender); pulse to combine. With the blender running, slowly pour in oil and process until creamy (emulsified). Store, covered, at room temperature.

Makes: 1.5 cups

Greek Chicken Kabobs
  • 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup greek dressing

Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag or tupperware; coat with dressing. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to marinate (or leave at room temperature for 30 minutes).

Thread onto metal or soaked-wooden skewers. Grill over medium heat until cooked through.

Salad
  • 130g baby spinach (8 cups)
  • 1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and chopped
  • 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cubed feta
  • 1/2 cup olives, cut in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • greek dressing, to taste

Place spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, olives and onion in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Add dressing and toss again. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4

Greek Dressing adapted from Allrecipes.

Summer Chicken Stew

By in Main Dish, Poultry 7 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

summer stew

I’ve struggled with knowing how to write this post. It’s hard to just act as if nothing has happened when such tragedy has hit so close to home. It’s impossible to ignore and my heart is broken.

I’m sure you’ve heard plenty about how Oslo was shaken by the violent attacks last Friday so I won’t go into detail here. If needed, a quick search of cnn.com will get you all the information you want.

I don’t like giving a platform to extremists who perform such horrible acts by talking about them too much. But at the same time I feel that we need to remember those who are hurting. We need to pray for those who are grieving; for those who survived the horror that will not so easily be forgotten.

Those of us who haven’t been personally affected have the privilege of moving on from the tragedy much faster. I can’t imagine the hardship and sorrows yet to come for others who are not so lucky. My heart goes out to them, they are often in my thoughts and prayers.

Please pray for some measure of comfort for them.

It’s hard to pick up and talk nonchalantly about food in a time like this so I will be brief. This stew is quick to prepare, comforting on a rainy day, with the flavours of summer cooked in one pot until creamy and flavourful. If you crave a little bit of comfort on a warm and rainy day, this stew will help, even if just a little.

Summer Chicken Stew

  • 4 chicken breasts
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 slices bacon, chopped
  • 400ml chicken broth
  • 500g baby new potatoes, halved
  • 200g spreadable cream cheese (about 3/4 cup)
  • 200g sweetcorn (frozen, fresh or from a can)
  • 200g cherry tomatoes, halved

Season chicken with salt and pepper; coat with flour. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook chicken on both sides just until browned. Remove from pot and set aside.

Cook bacon in the same pot until crisp. Drain off excess fat. Stir in broth, browned chicken and potatoes. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until chicken and potatoes are cooked through.

Stir in cream cheese, corn and tomatoes. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes until corn is cooked and cream cheese is melted.

Serves: 4

Adapted from Good Food.

Shrimp and Couscous Paella

By in Main Dish, Pasta, Seafood 18 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

couscous paella

When we had this for dinner the first time we couldn’t stop talking about it afterwards. Every half an hour or so one us would say “mmm.. supper was good.” Even Max would not stop eating it until every last bit was gone. I was a little disappointed that there were no leftovers because I was craving it again the next day (we halved the recipe). It’s a super quick meal to throw together on a weeknight and the flavours are outstanding.

Couscous has been a fairly new addition to our family’s table. We’ve only started eating it in the last year or so and I have no idea why. It’s so quick to prepare for a side or main and the pasta soaks up all the delicious flavours of whatever you cook it in. Traditional Paella (pronounced pah-e-yah) is made with rice but making it with couscous instead speeds up the cooking time considerably and is just a fun change from the norm.

This meal has a lot going for it. Not only does it take less than thirty minutes to throw together but it’s also a one pot dinner and fairly healthy too. Plus, I love anything that gives me the excuse to eat shrimp!

Do you eat couscous? What are your favorite ways to enjoy it?

Shrimp and Couscous Paella

  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 6 green onions, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth (2-14.5 oz cans)
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 pound large shrimp, uncooked
  • 2 cups couscous
  • 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • sliced almonds, to garnish
  • fresh parsley, to garnish (optional)
  1. In a large nonstick skillet saute red pepper in a small amount of oil until softened. Add onions and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Stir in broth and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until shrimp turn pink.
  3. Making sure broth is at a simmer, stir in couscous, peas and butter. Remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with almonds and parsley to serve.

Serves: 6

*If using cooked shrimp: add to broth and bring to a boil, just to heat through, before adding couscous. And, if you’re like me and forget to thaw the peas you can add them along with the shrimp. :)

Adapted from Light & Tasty.

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