dressing

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.

Homemade: Catalina Dressing

By in Condiments, Homemade 19 Comments Tags: , , ,

Catalina Dressing

I love making homemade salad dressings because they’re just so darn easy to make and you almost always have the ingredients on hand to make them on a whim. Which means, you don’t have to run to the grocery store to pick up a bottle of dressing when you need it.

They’re also endlessly adaptable. I’m sure you have limitless variations of dressings stored in your cupboards, they just may not be mixed together yet.

More Favourites

Catalina dressing is one of the dressings I make the most often. It’s not just limited to a simple salad. We use it in this Sweet & Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry and to top spicy beef Taco Salads. You can also use it as a marinade for chicken before cooking it on the grill.

I’ve been making this recipe for ages and the flavour is spot on. The first time I made it I knew I didn’t have to look any further for the perfect Catalina Dressing. I was sold in that moment and I’ve been making my own ever since.

What are your favourite uses for Catalina Dressing?

Catalina Dressing

  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup onion, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder)
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Place first 6 ingredients in a food processor or blender (or use a handheld blender) and process until smooth. Add the oil in a steady stream with the machine running until the mixture comes together in an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

*If you are using onion powder instead of chopped onion you could also shake this up in a jar with a tightly sealed lid.

Makes approximately: 1.5 cups

Adapted from Food.com.

Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing

By in Condiments, Featured, GF Sides, Sides, Simple Bites 5 Comments Tags: , , , ,

strawberry salad

Every year I get more and more excited about cooking with the seasons and enjoying fruits and vegetables at their peak. We’ve been buying strawberries almost every week since they started showing up in the grocery stores. I’m sooo ready to stop buying apples and pears for a while.

My husband usually doesn’t like strawberry salads but we’ve had this one quite a few times already and he loves it. As do I. The flavours meld so wonderfully together and just sing of spring.

I created this recipe for my friend Aimée from Simple Bites who’s having a Salute Spring! series on her blog this week. Make sure to check it out for more yummy ways to celebrate spring.

“I have an early childhood memory of stumbling upon some wild strawberries on the top of a hill. They were so teeny tiny but I remember them being the best strawberries I had ever tasted. I’m sure in the mind of a four year old discovering wild strawberries and picking them on your own automatically qualifies them as tasting The Best!”

You can read more and get the recipe on Simple Bites. I’d love to see you there!

Simplified Stuffing

By in Fall, Sides, Smithfield, Thanksgiving 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Although I never spent much time in the kitchen growing up my mom”s simple, hearty and homemade cooking had a big impact on me and inspires a lot of the way I cook today. She”s an awesome cook and has produced some of my all time favourite recipes. Today I”m sharing her Simplified Stuffing. If you”re like me and have an aversion to soggy stuffing then I encourage you to give it a try. My mom has converted many a stuffing hater with this recipe.

“The best thing about this stuffing is that it”s so easy to make. No having to take the temperature to make sure it”s cooked through, no complicated steps or procedures and no need to use old crusty bread (fresh is actually best!). Just a simple and delicious recipe that can easily be multiplied to feed a crowd.”

Read more and get the recipe on Smithfield.com

Update: The post is no longer active on Smithfield. But, I don’t want you to miss out so here’s the recipe!

Simplified Stuffing

You can make this up to one day ahead and store it covered in the fridge. Do not add water until just before baking.

  • 12 cups cubed bread (1 loaf)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1.5 cups chopped celery
  • 1 cup margarine or butter
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
  • 2 teaspoons dried sage
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons water

Cook onion and celery in butter for 10 min or until softened.

Mix bread and seasonings until well combined. Stir in onions, celery and butter. Toss together.

Put into a large shallow casserole dish or crock pot and pour water around edges.

Bake in the oven at 350ºF for 45 min. or in crock pot on low for 4.5 to 5 hours. Stir occasionally to promote even browning.

Serves: 6

 

Southwestern Ranch Dressing

By in Condiments, GF Sides, Gluten Free 6 Comments Tags: , , ,

Southwestern Ranch Dressing

When I was pregnant with my son I had major cravings for Mexican food and citrus fruits. The citrus fruits made sense as I must have been needing the vitamin C, but I have no idea what brought on the Mexican cravings. At least I wasn”t craving chalk as I”ve heard some women (particularly teachers) do. :) Ah, the unexplained occurrences that occur in a woman”s body when she is pregnant. Since then my love for everything Tex Mex has not really waned, the problem is I can only handle the spice so much. My body craves what it cannot handle. This Southwestern Ranch Dressing is a good proxy for me because it has all those mexican flavours without too much heat. Not only that, but it gets me eating veggies which always seem to have trouble finding their way onto my plate.

This is better then any Southwestern Dressing I have tried. The bottled stuff just doesn”t cut it for me and I am always left disappointed. The flavours in this dressing were exactly as always I imagined it should be. The smokiness from the cumin and a little spice from the jalapeno and hot pepper sauce add such a wonderful warmth and depth of flavour that is distinctly Tex Mex, while the dill, parsley and garlic powder make it undesputably a ranch dressing. I have made this often since discovering the recipe and will continue to, as it has replaced the old “boring” ranch dressing in my house.

What is your all time favourite dressing that helps give the veggies a shove onto your plate?

Southwestern Ranch Dressing 32

Southwestern Ranch Dressing

adapted from RecipeZaar

  • 1/2 cup mayo

  • 1/2 cup sour cream

  • 2 Tbsp. milk

  • 1 Tbsp. white vinegar

  • 2 tsp. canned jalapeno, minced

  • 1/4 tsp. onion powder

  • 1/2 tsp. dried parsley

  • 1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce

  • 1/4 tsp. salt

  • 1/4 tsp. paprika

  • 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed

  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

  • 1/2 tsp. cumin

  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper

  1. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until well blended.

  2. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving so that the flavours can meld.

Makes: 1 cup

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This post was featured on Examiner.com.