nothing too outrageous here, but my girlfriend Rendi asks me for it so here it is for her to reference easily any time…

Honey Mustard Dressing
Make a larger batch of this to have on hand.

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup)
1 tablespoon Dijon (or prepared) mustard
1 garlic clove, minced, optional
salt and freshly ground pepper

Put all the ingredients in a jar and shake to combine. Makes about 1/2 cup. Can be stored in fridge for a month.

Honey Mustard Dressing

nothing too outrageous here, but my girlfriend Rendi asks me for it so here it is for her to reference easily any time…

Honey Mustard Dressing
Make a larger batch of this to have on hand.

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup)
1 tablespoon Dijon (or prepared) mustard
1 garlic clove, minced, optional
salt and freshly ground pepper

Put all the ingredients in a jar and shake to combine. Makes about 1/2 cup. Can be stored in fridge for a month.

Apple Jalapeno Chutney

Apple Jalapeno Chutney

Chutney is a condiment to accompany meat or cheese. It can be used on sandwiches, as a nice little side for any sort of roasted, pan-fried or barbecued meats. Its origin is East India and generally contained spices. Essentially it will contain vinegar, sugar, fruits and salt. You can change it out and make it your own. I tend to use fruits that aren’t too high in water and don’t break down too easily.

This makes two, 1 cup (8 oz/250 ml) jars. It develops its flavor as it sits so I like to make it at least a day or two prior to serving. I made this chutney to serve with roasted pork but I ate it with some really sharp aged white cheddar and crusty bread and it was fabulous. I used golden delicious apples but you can play with it an use whatever apples you fancy.

4 golden delicious apples, peeled, quartered, cored and diced
2 or 3 large jalapenos, diced (you can vary this depending on your tolerance to heat)
1 medium white onion, diced
1 cup red wine vinegar (you can really use whatever vinegar you have on hand)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (or curry powder would work really nicely here too)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon (at least) salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce to medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes or until thickened. Spoon into hot sterilized jars. Makes about 2 cups.
http://ownca.oprah.com/Shows/Simple-Fresh-Delicious.aspx

Buffalo Mozzarella

Buffalo Mozzarella

Buffalo Mozzarella is the nicest mozza I have ever tasted. Slight nutty flavor, smooth, creamy. I slice the balls and layer them with campari tomatoes, basil, olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Add some crusty bread and you have a delicious and very easy lunch or appetizer.
I used to buy the mozzarella from the Italian Centre in Edmonton but since moving to the US I haven’t found a similar market. I found this in Costco. $11.99 and there is about 5 or 6 balls in there. It was $7 at the Italian Centre for one ball. You’ve got to love Costco.

Delicious new chicken recipe

Lovoni’s Delicious Chicken Stew-Casseroley Thingy
Serve with steamed brown rice. The prep time on this recipe is about 10 to 15 minutes max.

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon extra
8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
1 large onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teapoons sambal oelek (chili paste)
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cup red wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
24 oz (680ml) can tomatoes, undrained
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2/3 dark raisins
pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper

Heat oil in a flame-proof, oven-proof medium, deep casserole dish over medium heat. Cook chicken for about 5 minutes until browned all over. Remove from dish.

Preheat oven to 350F (180C).

Heat extra oil in same dish. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add, sambal, carrots, wine and rosemary. Break tomatoes into chunks (I do this by squashing them in my hand). Add squashed tomatoes, with their juice, chicken and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cook in preheated oven about for about 1 1/4 hours or until chicken is tender. Serves 4 to 6.

OWN Canada

http://ownca.oprah.com/Shows/Simple-Fresh-Delicious.aspx

A road less daunting…

When faced with the task of losing weight the road ahead looks long. My mum will tell me she’s put on 3 lbs and needs to cut back so she can lose it. It makes me crazy 3 POUNDS ARE YOU SERIOUS! I won’t share with you what I say to her, it’s kind of course. To her 3 lbs is a big deal but let’s put that in perspective – that I can lose in a few days but what about those people who want to lose 80, 90, 100 or more pounds. What are they faced with? A long road ahead. A road of discipline, planning, self reflection, denial, let downs, self sabotage, joy! Diets bring mixed emotions. Glee when you succeed, misery when you feel you’ve failed. There is no ‘try’. You’re either going to do it or you’re not. If you ‘try’ at something it means that you will give it a shot but you’ve left the door open for failure so you have a way out “oh well I said I was going to try. See, I tried and failed”. Nothing worth committing to should be about trying it needs to be about doing. If you’re going to attempt something go into it with the attitude that you will succeed. “I’m going to do this” is much more positive than “I’m going to try to do this”.

We all have to start somewhere right? And when faced with a larger than life task ahead of us isn’t it best to break it down into smaller goals? I’ve never been very good at this. Generally my approach is to dive in and look at the whole task ahead rather than increments. How’s that working for me….it’s not. So I came up with this idea a couple of weeks back. What if I took my age – 45 and said ok, I will commit to exercise and eating less for 45 days 45 days doesn’t seem too daunting. My first goal. I’m only going to focus on that, I am not getting ahead of myself. For 45 days I can exercise each day, some sort of exercise surely, I will be going away twice during that time and I am sick at the moment so my routine is and will be messed up but if I commit to it for a short period of time I will do it. Eat less and some exercise for 45 days and I will document it…here goes…

A road less daunting…

When faced with the task of losing weight the road ahead looks long. My mum will tell me she’s put on 3 lbs and needs to cut back so she can lose it. It makes me crazy 3 POUNDS ARE YOU SERIOUS! I won’t share with you what I say to her, it’s kind of course. To her 3 lbs is a big deal but let’s put that in perspective – that I can lose in a few days but what about those people who want to lose 80, 90, 100 or more pounds. What are they faced with? A long road ahead. A road of discipline, planning, self reflection, denial, let downs, self sabotage, joy! Diets bring mixed emotions. Glee when you succeed, misery when you feel you’ve failed. There is no ‘try’. You’re either going to do it or you’re not. If you ‘try’ at something it means that you will give it a shot but you’ve left the door open for failure so you have a way out “oh well I said I was going to try. See, I tried and failed”. Nothing worth committing to should be about trying it needs to be about doing. If you’re going to attempt something go into it with the attitude that you will succeed. “I’m going to do this” is much more positive than “I’m going to try to do this”.

We all have to start somewhere right? And when faced with a larger than life task ahead of us isn’t it best to break it down into smaller goals? I’ve never been very good at this. Generally my approach is to dive in and look at the whole task ahead rather than increments. How’s that working for me….it’s not. So I came up with this idea a couple of weeks back. What if I took my age – 45 and said ok, I will commit to exercise and eating less for 45 days 45 days doesn’t seem too daunting. My first goal. I’m only going to focus on that, I am not getting ahead of myself. For 45 days I can exercise each day, some sort of exercise surely, I will be going away twice during that time and I am sick at the moment so my routine is and will be messed up but if I commit to it for a short period of time I will do it. Eat less and some exercise for 45 days and I will document it…here goes…

spicy tomato and basil shrimp

I made this last night. i was a little over zealous with the basil so I have cut the amount back. Shrimp is a fantastic food to eat when you’re trying to shed pounds. Low in fat, nutritious AND they cook up fast.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sambal oelek (chili paste)
1/2 cup dry sherry or white wine
10 small campari tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
a good pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
pinch of sugar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 lb (500g) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Heat oil in large frying pan on medium-high. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and sambal and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half.
Add tomatoes, paste, salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until tomatoes are wilted. Add shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes or until pink and just cooked. Do not over cook. Stir in basil. Serves 4.