Mini-slider salad

       During the busy holiday season we sometimes forget to eat right. We also tend to eat way more than we should, and most of it pretty heavy. Here is a light, easy recipe to make on those evenings you just want healthy and light, but always tasty!

Mini turkey slider salad:

Ingredients

            4 tablespoons  Olive Oil, divided

            2 pounds ground turkey

            1/2 small red onion, grated

            2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

            1 tablespoon (a palmful) poultry seasoning

            3/4 pound brick sharp cheddar cheese, sliced 1/4-inch thick into small squares

            3 tablespoons yellow mustard

            2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

            2 large hearts romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped

            1 cup sliced pickles, drained and chopped – choose from sweet, half-sour or dill varieties

           1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half

In a large bowl mix together the turkey, onion, worcestershire sauce and poultry seasoning. using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the meat. Roll into balls, and make a well in the middle of each ball and stuff each one with a cube of cheese. Make sure you roll the meat over the cheese so you can't see any of the cheese. Now, press gently to form a patties.

 Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of olive oil, about 2 tablespoons. (You could also preheat a grill pan or a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat or, preheat outdoor grill instead of the skillet).

Cook the mini burgers for 3 minutes on each side then top with cheese. Tent the mini cheeseburgers loosely with foil to help the cheese melt.

While the burgers are cooking, whisk together the mustard and vinegar in a large salad bowl. Continue whisking and stream in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Finely chop up the remaining red onion and add it to the bowl along with the romaine, pickles and tomatoes. Toss the salad to evenly coat everything in dressing.

To serve, arrange the salad on a large platter and slide the burgers on top.

Pasta Florentine

Another pasta recipe? Yes! I love pasta! and this one is a keeper! It is easy and can easily be done on even the busiest week night!

Ingredients:

1 pkg pasta - any chunky pasta works! (I used fiorelli by PC)
1/4 Cup Olive oil
2/3 anchovies (yes, use them! You will not be able to taste them, but they will give the sauce a depth you won't get without them)
1 tsp chili flakes (if you don't like it spicy, skip this)
1 clove crushed garlic
3 Cups baby spinach, fresh
1 pkg grape tomatoes, halved
1 can white canellini beans, drained, and rinsed
2 green onions, chopped
a few hand fulls, parmiggiano reggiano

In a large pot filled with salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In the meantime, in a saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the anchovies. Add the chili flakes. Stir the anchovies until they are dissolved. Add the crushed garlic, the grape tomatoes, the beans, the green onions, and finally the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Stir into the pasta, and add the parmiggiano and green onions. Toss together well and serve!

Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce

Roasted red pepper is both delicious and healthy, and makes a great pasta sauce! So, try this roasted red pepper sauce at your next dinner party and let me know how much you love it!

Ingredients:

2-3 Tblsp olive oil
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves, pressed
Red peppers - 2 large or 3 small
1 can of diced tomatoes
Fresh Basil
1 box  or bag of your favourite pasta

If you have a gas stove, char the peppers by placing them on the open flame and turning them as they "blacken", until all sides of the peppers are charred. If roasting in the oven, place the peppers on a cookie sheet, in a hot oven (400-425 degrees F), and turn as they char, until all sides are charred. Place the peppers in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside.

Fill a large pot with water for the pasta and bring to a rolling boil. Salt the water generously, and boil the pasta until al dente.

In the mean time, heat up a sauce pan, and add the olive oil. Chop the onion and add it to the oil and stir  until the onion is translucent. While the onion is cooking, take the plastic wrap off the bowl with the peppers, and gently peel the skin off the peppers. Place the peppers in a food processor, or blender and set by the sauce pan with the onion in it. Add garlic to the onion, and as soon as it becomes fragrant, add the red pepper puree, and the can of tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Once the pasta is cooked add it to the sauce and toss gently. Chop up or tare the basil on top. Grate some parmesan cheese on top if desired.

Serve with a side salad, and crusty bread.

Feedback is welcome!

Roasted garlic white bean dip

This dip is not only tasty but healthy too! It is also so easy to make you will have it whipped up in less than five minutes!

Ingredients:
1 head of roasted garlic, garlic squeezed out and mashed  (see note below)
1 can cancelling beans, drained
Juice of half a lemon
Grated lemon rind from 1 whole lemon
Bunch of parsley
Salt and pepper
Olive oil, 1/4 cup or so
(Splash of water if needed)

Put all the ingredients n a food processor and pulse until smooth- add the water to desired consistency.
 Serve with crackers, pita chips or make your own crostini.

Enjoy!

note: to roast garlic, cut the top of a whole head of garlic in half, and place the halves on a piece of tin foil. Add a splash of olive oil and coarse salt and gather the tin foil up around the garlic. Place in the oven at 350 F for a bout 45 minutes. When the garlic  is soft and cool enough to handle squeeze it all our of the peel and mash with a fork.

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

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!