Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes: Piri Piri Chicken, Dressed Potatoes, Arugula Salad

Last night was the third installment of Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes cookbook test!

On the menu:

• Piri Piri Chicken
• Dressed Potatoes
• Arugula Salad

This time, I followed the recipe exactly, no substitutions at all.

Here are my thoughts:

Ingredients: Just like the other recipes all the ingredients were easy to find and economical.

Method: The method for this recipe was pretty easy to follow and was actually the simplest so far.

Cook Time: Because I skipped the dessert portion of the recipe dinner was on the table in 30 minutes.

The Food: This recipe was not one of our favourites. The potatoes were delicious but the chicken was lacking. We found the piri piri sauce to be quite strong from the vinegar and onions. I think if the sauce had some more time to cook, or was cooked prior to being added to the chicken we may have liked it a bit more. Either way it was still a satisfying meal that was easily prepared and I will definitley be making the potatoes again.

Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes: Pregnant Jooles's Pasta, Crunchy Red Endive and Watercress Salad

Last night was the second of my Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes cookbook test.

On the menu:

• Pregnant Jools's Pasta (essentially pasta with meat sauce)
• Crunchy Red Endive and Watercress Salad (I used baby arugula which the book gave as an option)

I pretty much followed the recipe exactly except for a few simple swap outs. I changed the type of pasta from penne to farfalle (bowties) and instead of using sausages in the sauce I used ground veal. The recipe in the book included a dessert (little frangipan tarts) but since we try to eat somewhat healthy during the week I decided to skip it. The tarts looked and sounded delicious so I will probably test the recipe out on the weekend and bring them to a friend's house.

Here are my thoughts:

Ingredients: Just like last time all the ingredients were easy to find in my local supermarket. Besides being incredibly easy to find the ingredients were also very reasonable. My whole bill for this meal cost just over $20.

Method: This time around, the method was a little tougher than last time. This was partly my fault since I skipped the dessert. Because of this, I had to skip the steps based around the tarts and often found myself losing my spot on the page. Other than that, this recipe was easy to follow. My only other complaint was that the recipe called for the meat to be cooked on a high heat, I found for the time given to cook the meat I had to turn the temperature down a bit about halfway through the cooking time as my sauce was starting to burn but like any recipe you have to pay attention and adjust accordingly.

Cook Time: This meal was even quicker than the last one. I had dinner on the table in just under 30 minutes! In fact, when I called Jordan to the table his response was "What??? Already???"! Granted, I skipped the whole dessert section of the recipe but if you included it it would probably only add about 10-15 minutes to the cook time.

The Food: Once again, DELICIOUS! The meat sauce tasted like it had  been cooked all day and was the perfect comfort food for a cold winter's night. The salad was fresh and crunchy and was the perfect accompaniment for the pasta. Another satisfying meal from Mr. Jamie Oliver!

Tonight I am cooking my own recipe so make sure to check back tomorrow for a post on:

• Roasted Herb Chicken
• Caramelized Shallot Gravy and
• Shaved, Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes: Green Curry, Crispy Chicken, Kimchee Slaw and Rice Noodles

As discussed in my post the other day, for the next few weeks I am going to be putting Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes cookbook to the test.

The book is divided up into different complete meals (3-5 dishes each) so last night I decided to cook:

• Green Curry
• Crispy Chicken
• Kimchee Slaw
• Rice Noodles

You can find the recipe on Jamie's website here.

Here is what I thought of the recipe:

Ingredients: All the ingredients were easy to find in my local supermarket. There was nothing strange or unusual, in fact I had most of the ingredients in my fridge and pantry.

Method: The recipe is written as one long process instead of individual recipes for each dish. This is a super handy feature as it allows you to do many things at once and ensures that all the dishes will be ready at the same time. My only complaint was that because the recipe was written this way, I didn't have much time to clean as I went (one of the number one rules taught in culinary school) so I (and by "I" I really mean Jordan) was left with a sink full of pots, pans, utensils and appliances.

Cook Time: This book definitley delivered on it's title. I got home from work at around 6:30 and Jordan and I were sitting and eating ALL the dishes at just past 7pm. Granted, I have a lot of experience in the kitchen, but  the everyday home chef can definitley complete this recipe in 30-45 minutes.

The Food: First of all, the chicken was AMAZING! It was perfectly crispy on the outside but still juicy on the inside. The honey and green curry paste added a delicious sweet, slightly spicy and sticky glaze that had Jordan and I licking our fingers and plates. The green beans and slaw were delicious as well. We probably could have done without the rice noodles as the three other dishes were enough to fill us, but they came in handy to soak up leftover green curry sauce from the beans.

Overall, I was very satisfied with my first meal from this book and am looking forward to the next. Thanks Jamie!

Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes

Without a doubt, my favourite celebrity chef is Jamie Oliver. Besides being adorable and his charming accent the reason I love him the most is that his approach to food is very similar to mine. He keeps things simple and lets the food speak for itself. A few weeks ago I caught some back to back episodes of his show Meals in Minutes and instantly fell in love with his approach of cooking delicious meals quickly and efficiently. This weekend I decided to purchase his accompanying book; Meals in Minutes for some weeknight cooking inspiration.

Over the next few weeks, mixed in with my regular blog posts I will also be posting reviews of Meals in Minutes after cooking exact meals and recipes from the book.

Stay tuned as tomorrow I will be completing my first meal from the book:

• Green Curry
• Crispy Chicken
• Kimchee Slaw
• Rice Noodles

Bobby Flay Inspired Dinner

When I was in Las Vegas in September I ate at a variety of delicious restaurants including Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. I was so impressed with my meal at Mesa that I ordered the restaurant's cookbook as soon as I got home. Since then I have made a few things out of the book and was very impressed with all of them. Last weekend Jordan and I had my friend Mandy and her fiance Jason over for dinner. They are both HUGE fans of southwestern cuisine so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to prepare a meal from this book. I combined my own recipes with Bobby's (I like to pretend we are on a first name basis) to make the following menu:

• Ginger and Pineapple Mojitos
• Fresh Guacamole and Salsa served with Fresh Tostones
• Warm Cornbread with Honey Butter
• Shrimp and Corn Tamales with Roasted Garlic Sauce
• Chipotle-Honey Glazed Steak with Roasted Pepper Relish
• Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Ancho Chili Roasted Brussel Sprouts
• Warm Chocolate Cakes with Dulce de Leche

The tostones, tamales, steak and chocolate cake recipes were all from the cookbook which can be bought on Amazon.ca . You can also find a lot of the recipes published online on various food websites.

Here are the recipes for the dishes I made:

Ginger and Pineapple Mojito
Makes 4 Glasses

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3-4 slices of fresh ginger
• 4 shots (about 1.25 oz or 2.5 Tbsp each) dark rum 
• a bunch of mint
• 4 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup finely diced pineapple
• ice
• 2 cups club soda

1. In a small saucepan combine the water, sugar and ginger. Heat over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved and the liquid is just simmer. Turn off the heat and allow the ginger to steep while the mixture cools. (this step can be prepared ahead of time)
2. Set up 4 tall glasses. In the bottom each combine, 1.5 Tbsp of the ginger syrup, 1 shot of rum, a few sprigs of mint, 1 Tbsp. of lime juice and a 1/4 cup of the pineapple. Using a pestle or a spoon, muddle the ingredients together.
3. Top each glass with some ice and 1/2 cup of club soda

Fresh Guacamole
Serves 4 as an appetizer

• 2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and quartered
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 1 Tbsp. red onion, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, diced (optional)
• 1-2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro (optional)
• juice of 1 lime
• course sea or kosher salt

1. Combine all the ingredients into a mortar or into a large mixing bowl. Using the pestle or a fork mash all the ingredients until the desired consistency is achieved.
2. Season with salt and garnish with some more cilantro and diced tomatoes. 

Fresh Tomato Salsa
Serves 4 as an appetizer

•  6 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, dice (optional)
• 1-2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro (optional)
• juice of 1 lime
• sea or kosher salt

1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Season with salt.
2. Let rest for at least minutes before serving.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Serves 4

•  2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 head of garlic, roasted and pureed 
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped chives (optional)
• salt and pepper

1. Place the cubed potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water. Season with salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiled, lower the heat and cover. Let simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Drain the potatoes and place back in the pot. Add the butter, cream and mashed garlic. Using a garlic masher, mash the potatoes until smooth the fold in the chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Ancho Chili Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Serves 4

• 1 lb. brussel sprouts, tough leaves removed and cut in half lengthwise
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. ancho chili powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl toss the brussel sprouts with the oil, chile powder, paprika and a couple of pinches of salt. Spread out onto an aluminum lined baking sheet.
3. Bake in the oven in tender and brown, about 20-25 minutes, tossing occasionally.  

 
 

Toronto Dining: Origin Restaurant

Hi everyone! I know it has been a while since I posted. Between events at work, I also managed to sneak away for a quick vacation to Florida.I promise to be back posting on Monday with some great recipes from a dinner I will be hosting Saturday night.

In the meantime I wanted to share some food photos that I took during a work dinner at my favourite Toronto restaurant, Origin. All the dishes are meant to share which means you can taste a variety of dishes in one visit, which I love.

Here are just some of the dishes I was able to enjoy on my last visit (this isn't half of what we had!):

Japanese style tuna salad + asian pear + avocado + spicy ponzu dressing

Curried shrimp + naan bread

Beet + goat cheese + pickled red onion + walnuts + sherry dressing + yogurt

32oz Ribeye + chimi churri

Spicy Spanish fries + chorizo + manchego

Bufala mozzarella + pear + rosemary oil + pinenuts + honey

Wild blueberries + ginger crunch + soft serve cone

Hot chocolate cake + candied citrus + soft serve

I definitley recommend checking Origin out, I promise you wont be disappointed!

Resse's Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bars

When it comes to junk food, I am not a huge chocolate eater, I would usually rather a bag of chips, BUT I have a huge weakness for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. When I saw the blog post here, I immediately started drooling. The next day, I picked up all the necessary ingredients and got to work as soon as I got home. The result....

AMAZING! It is a good thing I promised to bring them to a party, or I would have eaten the whole tray.

I followed the recipe exactly, and wouldn't change anything!!!

 

ENJOY!!!

Toronto Kitchen Supply Store and Cooking School: Nella Cucina

If you are a foodie living in Toronto and have not yet visited Nella Cucina, you must go NOW!!!

From meat grinders, to china, to quirky kitchen gadgets, this store has it all! If that isn't enough to grab your attention, the store also has a cooking school! The school caters to the home chef and runs recreational classes like Traditional Thai and Knife Skills.

For more info check out their website, blog, Facebook, or Twitter

photo courtesy of www.nellacucina.ca

Who Cut the Cheese?

Attention fellow cheese lovers of Toronto!!! If you haven't been there already, you MUST check out the Cheese Boutique. Located just south of Bloor West village, this store is full to the brim with yummy goodness. Besides their amazing variety of cheese, the store is also home to a fabulous selection of produce, meats, deli, baked goods and more gourmet condiments and products then one can imagine.

 

 

images courtesy of http://www.cheeseboutique.com

The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and ready and willing to give you their cheese recommendations. I visited the store for my first time this past weekend. After admiring the store for almost an hour, my mother and I headed over to the cheese counter, where a very helpful staff member helped recommend some cheeses. After tasting many samples, we had to make some decisions. Here is what we ended up with:

• Truffled Brie: Ontario brie, butterflied and filled with shaved, fresh Italian truffles and homemade truffle honey
• Masterchoice Beemster: Limited edition cheese made from summer cow's milk and than aged in-house for 3 years.
• Le Lingot Chevre: Soft, handmade, artisanal  goat cheese from the Quercy region of France.
• Brezain: From the French Alps, a Hickory smoked, semi hard cheese made from cow's milk.

With some more recommendations from the staff we also walked out with a loaf of their store made walnut, raisin loaf and some freshly sliced prosciutto to enjoy with our cheese. With our mouths salivating we headed home to enjoy a wonderful dinner of cheese and of course some wine.

our delicious spread of cheese

If you are planning on having a wine and cheese dinner of your own, definitely head over the Cheese Boutique, you wont be disappointed.