Pineapple Ginger Glazed Carrots

Subtly sweet side dish that everyone will enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 lbs carrots, sliced
4 tbsps butter
2 tsps minced ginger
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp nutmeg
2 pinches allspice

In a medium saucepan melt butter and add carrots, ginger, salt and pepper. Sauté 5 minutes.

Add the pineapple juice, maple syrup, nutmeg and allspice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Serves 8

Pork Tenderloin Sheet Pan Dinner with Orchard Salsa

Juicy pork with tender young asparagus and roasted potatoes. Gotta love these sheet pan dinners!

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins

3 tbsps plum sauce

1/2 - 1 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1/2 lb asparagus

1 tbsp olive oil

5 cups cubed mixed potatoes (white, yellow, sweet)

2 tbsps olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

salt, pepper and thyme to taste

Orchard Salsa:

2 or 3 apples, cored and unpeeled

1/2 red bell pepper

1 small red onion

1/2 jalapeño, minced (optional)

3 limes

1 tbsp honey

cilantro (optional)

Chop the apples, red pepper and onion by hand if you like to see some chunks in your salsa. Or you could use a chopper to make it almost like an applesauce. Mince the jalapeño and chop the cilantro. Zest 1 lime and juice all 3 then combine everything and serve. Great with chips too!

Adapted from: Tupperware Orchard Salsa recipe

Mix the plum sauce, hot sauce and ginger together. Slather over pork and refrigerate for 5-6 hours.

When you're ready to cook oil a large pan. Then toss the asparagus with 1 tbsp oil and lay in the middle of the pan.

Cut the potato cubes small (about 1" or smaller, the sweet potato can be slightly larger) and toss with 2 tbsps oil. Distribute on either side of the asparagus.

Place the pork on top of the asparagus. Season the whole pan to taste with salt, pepper and thyme.

If you haven't already whipped up the salsa, do it now...

while your dinner cooks in a 450 F oven for 30-40 minutes.

Check the potatoes to make sure they're tender. The pork was done to medium with just a slight bit of pink in the middle.

Potatoes, asparagus and 1 tenderloin served 3.

With an extra tenderloin to freeze for a later date!

Simple Easter Bunny Table Napkins

Quick and easy napkin art for your Easter table.

Lay your linen napkin out flat and roll up from corner to corner. Leave a little point out.

Fold in half keeping the corner (nose) in front and the bunny ears up!

Tie with string to form the top of the bunny's head and presto! ... Easter Bunny Table Napkins!

Savory Cheese Dutch Baby

Think Yorkshire pudding. Now think breakfast, brunch, light supper and go for this savory cheese Dutch baby. 

Ingredients:
3 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup milk, at room temperature
2 tbsps butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsps cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
pinch of paprika
2 tbsps butter, divided

Toppings:
1/4 - 1/2 chopped onion
a large handful roughly chopped spinach
2 cups shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack)

Place a cast iron or ovenproof skillet in the oven and bring the temperature to 45o F.

Melt 2 tbsps of butter and leave to cool.

In a blender add eggs and whip until frothy then add the milk while the blender is running. Add the cooled butter and blend for 30 seconds.

Mix flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper and paprika together and combine with the wet ingredients in the blender.

In a large skillet lightly brown the onions in 1 tbsp of butter.

When oven skillet is very hot add 1 tbsp of butter to coat then scatter about 1/3 of the cheese on the bottom. Quickly pour the blender batter into the pan and return to the oven for 18-20 minutes.

Here's a peek into the oven when it was ready!
It is a thing of beauty!

Once it's out of the oven it falls a bit.

Immediately top with the remaining cheese...

toss the spinach with the cooked onion and sprinkle on top.

Here's a side view...

and this is the crusty cheese bottom!

If you're looking for a sweet dutch baby try these mini dutch babies.... Puff Pancakes!
https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2016/05/puff-pancakes.html

Sesame Salmon

Asian inspired fish and chips for this fish Friday!

Ingredients:
.395 kg salmon fillet (about 14 oz)
1/4 cup soya sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp garlic cloves , minced 
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Cover a baking sheet with foil then lay a piece of parchment in the center. This makes for an easy clean-up.

Place the salmon on the parchment. I had a skin-on piece, so skin side down with the small end tuck under to even out the thickness.

Mix the soya sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger together and pour over the fish. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Bake at 450 F for 10 - 15 minutes or until it flakes easily.
Add some chopped parsley, spinach, kale....anything green ; ) and serve.

I had my Potato Wedgies already in the oven so halfway through I slid in the salmon and everything was ready within 30 minutes!

Here's the link to my Potato Wedgies: 
https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2014/07/potato-wedgies.html

Adapted from: http://winefoodandfriends.net/soy-sesame-glazed-salmon/

Buffalo Chicken Wings with Homemade Hot Sauce

Game Day! To me that means hockey and even though my beloved Montreal Canadiens are not in the playoffs this year I will still enjoy watching the finals to see who wins the Stanley Cup the year before the Canadiens come roaring back! 

Ingredients:

4 lbs chicken wings, cut in 2

Spice Rub:
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsps baking powder
2 tbsps brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsps garlic powder
2 tsps onion powder
2 tsps smoked paprika
2 tsps chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp thyme

Sauce:
1/4 - 1/2 cup hot pepper sauce (homemade or store bought)
1/4 cup honey and/or maple syrup 
2 tsps molasses
1 tbsp butter

Mix the spice rub ingredients together then toss with wings in a large bag. If you don't have a large bag do this step in batches so that the wings get evenly coated.  Cut the bag opened and place the wings on a rack over a baking sheet.
Chill 1-2 hours.

Bake in a 400 F oven for 45 - 50 minutes. Chilling then baking on the rack ensures a nice crisp (not soggy) wing!

Now to the sauce. You could use Tabasco or Frank's Red Hot or whatever hot sauce you like. For this one I used my Fermented Hot Sauce. If you'd like to check it out here's the link:
https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2019/03/fermented-hot-sauce.html

To make the wing sauce melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer 3-4 minutes. 
Toss the wings in a large bowl with the sauce and serve.

Remember you control the heat with the type of hot pepper sauce you choose. And veggies with a cool dip are a great accompaniment!

Adapted from: https://fountainavenuekitchen.com/crispy-buffalo-wings/

Hearty Pasta Soup

Will Spring ever get here? April 8th and we have freezing drizzle to contend with. Oh well, a good excuse to make this stick-to-your-ribs soup!

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
796 ml can diced canned tomatoes
540 ml can chick peas (half drained)
1 tsp celery seed
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 jalapeño, finely diced 
4-5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 cup pasta (fusilli or shells)
a handful of chopped spinach
1 cup cooked chicken (optional)

Heat oil to medium in a large pot and add onions and carrots. When onions are almost tender add the garlic.
Add the canned tomatoes, chick peas with some of it's liquid, celery seed, bay leaf, salt, pepper and jalapeño. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

At this point the tomatoes have thickened slightly and the vegetables are soft. Add the broth and lemon zest and simmer 30 minutes longer. Use 4 cups of broth if you want a thick soup, 5 if you want it soupier. And that lemon zest really gives the soup a little kick!

Bring to a boil, add the pasta and cook for the required time.
Finally stir in the spinach and cooked chicken.

If you're going for a vegetarian option leave out the chicken and use vegetable broth. Oh and don't forget to remove the bay leaf!

Serves 6