Great Cook Books I Cook (and live) by

  • Big Orange Book by Rachael Ray
  • Giada at Home
  • Jamie at Home
  • Look and Cook by Rachael Ray

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Easy Week Night Beef Stroganoff


I tried this recipe the other night and was easy and fast! and good too! The left overs the next night were convenient too - it's an easy recipe for a week day dinner!
Ingredients:
1 pound round steak, cut into small strips 

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour
2 Cups or so of beef broth
1 small onion, minced

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup white wine 

1 small container sour cream

dash of nutmeg
egg noodles

Quickly fry steak strips in saute pan over medium high heat until lightly cooked. Remove from pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add sliced mushrooms and brown them. Remove from pan and keep warm with the beef strips. Lower heat to medium and cook onion in butter until soft. Add the wine and stir for a couple of minutes. Be sure to scrape all of the bits at the bottom of the pan! Add the flour and mix for a couple of minutes with a whisk. Add the beef broth and keep whisking until it thickens. Return meat to the pan and add salt, pepper, sour cream and nutmeg. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve over noodles.
Serves 4

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Paula's Easy Everyday Recipes: Paula's Spaghetti Carbonara

Paula's Easy Everyday Recipes: Paula's Spaghetti Carbonara: It's time for a good old Italian family favourite...well...this Italian (and half Canadian) family favourite anyways! I hope you will enjoy ...

Paula's Spaghetti Carbonara

It's time for a good old Italian family favourite...well...this Italian (and half Canadian) family favourite anyways! I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do! It's Carbonara with a twist!


1 box spaghetti (500 gm)
1 1/2 cups or so cubed pancetta
2 egg yolks
1 small container mascarpone cheese
1 cup (or a little more) freshly grated parmesan cheese
fresh parsley, chopped
fresh oregano, chopped
nutmeg
salt and pepper

Fill a large pot with water and boil. Add your pasta and cook al dente. Meanwhile, in a saute pan crisp up the pancetta and set aside (keep it warm though). In a large heat proof bowl combine the egg yolks, marcarpone cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, a touch of nutmeg, salt and pepper (pepper is great in this recipe, so, feel free to be heavy handed with it if you like it!). Stir so it's all combined.

Once the pasta is cooked, take out a 1/2 cup of the hot cooking water and slowly mix into the egg yolk mixture, whisking all along (this will temper the egg yolks so you won't be scrambled egg in your sauce!). Add the pancetta. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Stir.  Enjoy!

Try it and let me know what you think!

Cheers!


Sunday, October 21, 2012

Baked Bean Chili

The weather is getting colder and all we really want to do in cozy up in front of the fire and watch movies wrapped in a blanket! Well, that's all I want to do anyways! Comfort food is on the forefront of my culinary brain nowadays and this chili recipe is very comforting. It's a little different from the chili we are used to but if you just try it once, you will love it!

This recipe is simple and easy to play around with, so, have fun with it - add a little more of what you like and a little less of what you don't! And it is easily doubled and easy to freeze!



1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
1 red onion
2 cloves garlic
splash olive oil
2 cans tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tblsp chili powder
1 tblsp cumin
1 tblsp paprika
2 tblsp hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 can canellini beans (or white kidney beans)

Coat the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil and add the bacon - cook until a little crispy. Add the ground beef until cooked through and no longer pink, stirring and breaking up the meat. Add the onion and cook until translucent and then add the garlic until you can just smell it. At this point, add you brown sugar, stirring it in, the molasses, the chili powder, cumin, paprika, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste - stir the ingredients until well mixed in and you can smell the spices. Add the tomatoes and let the chili simmer for 45 minutes or so. Add the beans and let simmer another 15-20 minutes. Enjoy it with fresh rolls! yum!

Please let me know if you try it and what you think of it and like I stated above, play around with the recipe and make it your own!

Love you all - happy eating!
Paula

Sunday, September 9, 2012

super easy caramelized onion, sun dried tomato and ricotta ravioli

Okay - I am going to give you the easiest "home made" ravioli recipe ever!!! The ravioli are made with won ton wrappers! So easy and so delicious! Here is the recipe - enjoy!

Won ton wrappers - you may use the small round ones or the small square ones.
1 tub (500gm or ml) of ricotta - you can use the low fat one as we will add lots of flavour!
1 sweet onion, sliced thinly
olive oil
butter
1 clove of garlic, minced finely
a few leaves of fresh thyme
sun dried tomatoes (in oil), minced very small
salt and pepper
1 egg, in a small bowl, whisked

In a medium hot frying pan, melt butter with olive oil. Add the onions and fry, slowly until the onions turn golden and soft. Add some salt and pepper. Place in a bowl and set aside.

In a second bowl, mix the ricotta, the clove of garlic, fresh thyme, sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper. Add the onions, and mix well. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Lay out the won ton wrappers on a board, and place a tsp of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. Brush the sides of the won ton wrappers with the egg and close, cross wise for the square ones, making triangles, or in half for the round one, making sure to squeeze out any air. Set on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and let dry. At this point, you can either boil them in water, and serve with your favourite sauce, or you can freeze them to use at a later time!

So easy, and sooo good!
Cheers!


Monday, August 6, 2012

Italian Flag Burgers with fresh basil mayo


This weather has been so fantastic this year that we seem to be cooking outside all the time! Burgers are often on the menu and these are a family fanourite! They have a few parts to them but are totally worth it! If you don't have time to make your own patty just a buy one and use the mayo and toppings - it'll still taste delicious! 


Burger patty:

1 lb Ground beef
A bunch of fresh basil, finely julienned (thin strips)
A Tblsp of tomato paste
½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
salt and pepper
a pinch of dried oregano to taste
a splash of balsamic vinegar

Place all ingredients in a bowl, and combine well.  Form the patties for our burgers.


Basil mayo:

I don’t measure for this – use as much of each ingredient as you like to your own taste!

A bunch of fresh basil
Fresh garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup or so of mayo - not the salad dressing type - use the Hellman's type mayo, not the Miracle Whip type - this is very important and it'll completely change the taste! 

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until it forms a spread.  Set aside


Topping:

Fresh buffalo mozzarella (the one you buy in the bag!), sliced thickly
Heirloom tomato (these can be expensive so just buy as many as you need – I usually only buy one large one for six burgers), sliced thickly.

You will also need some fresh basil leaves, large ones, and some crusty Italian buns.

Preheat your bar be cue and cook your patties. Toast your buns on the bar be cue too!  To build your burgers, place your patty in the bun and top with fresh mozzarella, and then the tomato slices, topped with the fresh basil leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with the basil mayo and enjoy!

Let me know what you think! 
Happy summer!

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Caprese Salad

WOW! It's hot outside! Perfect time for a no-cook, refreshing, yet filling salad! The classic Caprese salad is easy, fresh, full of flavour, and really filling!

This makes enough for 4

Ingredients:

A large heirloom tomato
1 ball of fresh buffalo mozzarella (the one in the liquid!)
salt and pepper
1/2 lemon, rind, and juice
a bunch of fresh basil, julienned
olive oil

Slice your tomato in 8 slices. Slice your mozzarella into 8 slices. Place your tomato slices on a large plate and top each slice with a slice of mozzarella. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the zest of half lemon and then the juice. Top with the basil and then a splash of olive oil. Serve cold.

Just as a side note - you can top this salad with grilled chicken or canned tuna for a satisfying, no cook meal!

Enjoy!


Saturday, July 14, 2012

Basil Arugula Pesto Pasta Salad

WOW! The heat is on! I am really enjoying this hot weather! This is what I call summer! And, summer is all about bar be cuing! With pretty much anything I bar be cue, I make a fabulous pasta salad to go along as everyone who knows me knows I am all about pasta! So, try this recipe for pesto pasta salad - it's so good! It also keeps in the fridge for up to four days so you can enjoy it over and over again! Enjoy!

Ingrediets:

1 large bunch fresh basil
1 bunch arugula leaves
1/4 cup or so toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup or so grated parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove
juice of 1/2 lemon
Olive oil
salt and pepper
1 box of farfalle pasta, cooked and cooled
1/2 red onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, grated
1 large bell pepper, red, diced
1 small container grape tomatoes
1 bunch asparagus, blanched, and chopped to 1" pieces

In a food processor, process the basil leaves, arugula, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, lemon juice and garlic clove. Add enough olive oil to form a loose paste. Put the mixture in the bottom of a large bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients and toss together with pesto. Serve at room temperature, or place in the fridge and use up within 4 days:)

I love this salad so very much - I hope you do too!
Cheers to all
P


Friday, July 6, 2012

It seems I have been neglecting my blog! Sorry everyone! We have a very busy teen ager who seems to take up a lot of our time, add that to work, a 95 lb dog, and a house, and it leaves very limited time for anything else. At this time, I vow to make time for my blog! So, here is a recipe to begin with for the summer - easy, easy, easy!!!! Simple ingredients for a simple week day meal! Enjoy!

Grilled Lemon Chicken with lemon mayo

Ingredients:

Chicken

4 Chicken breasts, bone in preferred (if using boneless, reduce the cooking time)
Juice of 2 lemons
Fresh garlic to taste, minced
Half an onion, cubed very small
Fresh Thyme, chopped
salt and pepper

Mayo

1 Cup Mayonnaise (your favourite)
Zest of one lemon
salt and pepper
fresh thyme, chopped

Place the chicken into a baggie with all the ingredients except some fresh thyme for about a half hour (in this case you don't want to marinade too long as the lemon will begin to cook your chicken). Place on your pre-heated bar be cue and grill for about 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Place all the Mayo ingredients in a small bowl and mix together. Serve over the chicken. So good!



Saturday, January 21, 2012

Moroccan Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients

2 large Sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sweet golden raisins
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp grated fresh ginger (more or less is okay too)
1 grated clove of garlic
salt
pepper
Juice of 1 lime, fresh if possible
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender - about 45 minutes or so, depending on how bit the potatoes are.

When the potatoes are almost ready, whisk all the remaining ingredients into a bowl, excluding raising and onions, making sure the dressing is fully mixed together.

Add the raisins and onions, and let sit for a few minutes.

After the potatoes have cooled, dice them and add them to the dressing and raisin mixture. Gently toss them together. This salad is great if it sits for a few hours!

Cheers!

Moroccan Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients

2 large Sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sweet golden raisins
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp grated fresh ginger (more or less is okay too)
1 grated clove of garlic
salt
pepper
Juice of 1 lime, fresh if possible
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender - about 45 minutes or so, depending on how bit the potatoes are.

When the potatoes are almost ready, whisk all the remaining ingredients into a bowl, excluding raising and onions, making sure the dressing is fully mixed together.

Add the raisins and onions, and let sit for a few minutes.

After the potatoes have cooled, dice them and add them to the dressing and raisin mixture. Gently toss them together. This salad is great if it sits for a few hours!

Cheers!