Food Photo of the Day ~ Quinoa with Fried Egg

With leftover spiced quinoa, a simple fried egg precariously off to the side, a drizzle of hot sauce and with finely chopped parsley is the perfect lunch to fuel a busy day. 


Hope everyone had a great weekend. It was a rainy one in E-town. The overcast skies have hung around with high wind, gusting to nearly 70km/h!  - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Oven Roasted Curried Potatoes

When the weather has turned these tasty potatoes are pure comfort. Inviting spices that add flavour to any meal.

Take washed potatoes (about 10-12 russets), chop them into random pieces, place them in a large bowl. Drizzle with some olive oil, or any oil you may prefer, and some balsamic vinegar and toss to coat. Add a tablespoon or two, depends on your taste, of curry powder, a teaspoon of paprika, a tablespoon of parsley and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat. Getting all the pieces of potatoes nicely coated. Line a baking tray with some baking parchment paper. Dump... or place the potatoes on the prepared tray and bake in a preheated 425ºF oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.  

As soon as the snow fell it quickly subsided. Warm, sunny temperatures have come our way. -JD 

Cheesy Herb Bread

This savoury bread may be enjoyed anytime with pretty much anything. Different herbs and different cheeses will change the deliciousness of this loaf however it is all for the better.   

Cheesy Herb Bread

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1 2/3 cups self - rising flour 

1 teaspoon English mustard powder

2 tablespoons fresh or dried chives

1 teaspoon fresh or dried summer savoury

1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme

2 teaspoons fresh or dried parsley 

2 cups strong Cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of butter

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup water

Pre-heat oven to 375ºF. 

Grease and flour a loaf tin. Line the prepared loaf tin with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, mustard, herbs and cheese. Melt the butter, add it to the mixture and add the egg and water as well. Mix to a soft, wet, cake-like dough.

Turn into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with butter. 

Notes: Oven vary so baking time may vary. 

Hope everyone had a lovely relaxing long weekend. We did! - JD 

Superfoods

Superfoods are super abundant in the culinary world. More healthy and nutritional eating seems to prevail as we all look for more ways to increase our vitamin and mineral intake while living longer lives. Fuelling the body right rather than filling it with saturated empty calories. Conscious living and healing the body with our culinary or dietary needs. A healthy body equals a healthy mind. Healthy cooking can be simple and delicious and by incorporating more superfoods we are maximizing nutritional value that offer plenty of health benefits.

The recipes in this cookbook are based around veggies, fruit, whole grains, legumes, lean protein, low fat diary, nuts and seeds. The darker, brighter and greener the fruit or veg the better. Essentially it is inspired by a Mediterranean style diet; more plant based and rich in antioxidants. This cookbook is superabundant with varied ingredients and recipes to prove that healthy cooking... and eating not only tastes great but is not complicated at all. 

Most of the recipes offer a short ingredient list which make them even more easy  to replicate at home. There are healthier versions of those infamous comfort foods we love so much. The photos definitely help in making this book a very appetizing and inspiring one. If you are looking for tastier ways to increase your veg, I recommend this book. If you want to maximize the nutritional value of your meals, I recommend this book. If you want to put forward a healthier more balance you, I recommend this book. 

For that past few weeks I have been craving cauliflower, don't know why, I just have. I bought a nice crown not sure exactly what would become of it until I was flipping through the Superfoods cookbook and stopped at this dish. The recipe I am sharing uses cauliflower. This is a very simple and easy dish and a great way to enjoy this veg. Roasted cauliflower smells and tastes so good and paired with the few simple ingredients it was a pleasant superfood that will be enjoyed many times. Oven roasted goodness!  

Cauliflower with Orange Zest & Green Onion

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Makes 4 servings 

1 head cauliflower (about 1 3/4 lb/875 g) cored and cut into uniform-sized florets

1 tablespoon olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground pepper 

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped green onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

4 lemon wedges

Put the cauliflower florets in a large bowl and add cold water to cover. Let stand for 20 - 30 minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC)

Spread the cauliflower in a single layer in a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast, turning every 10 minutes and sprinkling with 1-2 tablespoons cold water each time, until the florets are tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Pile the green onion, parsley and orange zest on a cutting board and finely chop them together. Using your fingers, toss the finished mixture on the board to distribute all the ingredients evenly. When the cauliflower is done, remove it from the oven and sprinkle evenly with the green-onion mixture. Spoon the cauliflower into a warmed serving dish and garnish with the lemon wedges. Server right away. 

Have a good long weekend everyone! - JD 

Couscous Salad

This is a super easy quick salad to make for lunch or dinner. There are not to many ingredients to get worried about and you can pretty much make it up as you prepare. This time I wanted to keep the salad simple so that the kidlets would eat it.  

Cook the couscous according to the package. I simmered the couscous in low sodium chicken broth to give it a bit of flavour. Once the couscous is done, take the prepared couscous and place it in a large bowl to cool down a bit. 

In the meantime you can slice and dice whatever herbs and veggies you want to add. In this case I chopped fresh parsley, tomatoes, and green onions. I also drained and rinsed a can of chickpeas. 

Once the couscous has cooled down, place all the veggies and herbs in the bowl and stir to combine. At this point I had a lemon so I grated the lemon rind and added it to the couscous mixture. This gave the salad a more summery zing. I gave it one more stir to  ensure the lemon rind was distributed well. You can add a bit of salt and pepper if you like. Also if you have a homemade salad dressing, drizzle just a bit of that over the top and toss to add more flavour. 

This is a no fuss salad with plenty of healthy fresh options.

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD   

Leftovers #9 - Chili Con Carne Pizza

Things have definitely warmed up in the half cut cook's kitchen. Last night I made chili and there were leftovers. Considering that I was making pizza for tonight's dinner I decided to make it a chili con carne one. Green peppers, mushrooms, cheddar cheese and freshly dried parsley were added on top of the homemade chili and homemade pizza dough. There was enough spice to give this pizza warmth and a festive kick however I did add a dash or two of hot sauce on my slice. - JW   

One Pot Tabbouleh Bread

I stumbled upon this recipe due to an artist friend who was quite thrilled with the idea. I tried many years ago to make bread and it just became one massive scone! I laugh now however it completely put me off of making bread for awhile. I did have a bread machine a few years back that was ever so convenient and would make these glorious high mounted loaves. Until it broke down and my desire to make bread came back. Being a bit shy and waiting for the right recipe, I knew my efforts would work this time. 

It's called the One Pot Tabbouleh Bread because you make it in a 3 quart non stick saucepan adding lovely fresh herbs like parsley, chives, and mint. You also use bulgar, and grated lemons rind. What is great about this recipe is that there is no need to use various bowls just the one pot. I however did not have non stick saucepan so I prepared everything in a bowl and baked it in a lined springform pan. I was that eager to try this intriguing recipe. Even though the allure is in using the one pot as you can see from the above photo mine turned out just fine! No matter how you sliced it, it was savoury and delicious. Full of flavour that tantalized your taste buds.  

The bread keeps very well and can be used for a variety of things... sandwiches, cheese on toast, croutons, dipped in houmous, and served as an appetizer with various toppings. I know on the website, Parsley, Sage and Sweet, it is suggested to dip it into olive oil mixed with fresh lemons. For the recipe click *HERE* you won't be disappointed! Hope you all had a great weekend! - JW 

Garlic Linguine with Tomatoes, Chicken, Halloumi Cheese and Parsley

I was determined to get back into the kitchen and try to push the jet lag aside. Donning my apron brought great pleasure. I decided to make something quick and comforting. linguine with garlic, cherry tomatoes, leftover chicken, fresh parsley and cubed halloumi cheese. I made so much of it that tonights dinner will be much of the same.   

In a saucepan add 1/2 cup of olive oil and three cloves of garlic that have been crushed. Set aside. 

In another saucepan fill with water and add a pinch of salt. Turn on high heat and bring water to the boil then add 450 grams of dried linguine and cook according to package. 

As the pasta is cooking chop the tomatoes in half, dice the chicken, cube the halloumi cheese and mince the fresh parsley. Set aside. No exact measurements needed for these ingredients. Depends on how much of each you would like to have in the dish. You may also want to use different cheese, veggies or meat.  

When the pasta looks just about done place the saucepan with the crushed garlic in it on the stove and turn on medium/low heat. You want to gently heat the oil and brown the garlic. When the garlic turns golden brown remove from heat. By this time the pasta should be ready to drain.

Drain the linguine well. Transfer to a large serving dish. Pour the oil and garlic mixture over the pasta. Toss to coat. Add the tomatoes, chicken, halloumi cheese and fresh parsley. Toss to coat, again. Add a pinch of salt and ground pepper, if you like, to taste. Serve immediately. Enjoy! -JW       

Veggie Hummus Roll

I know when the weather gets cold we all tend to reach for the stodgy comfort food. This is my comfort food, a veggie hummus roll. 

First I added a generous amount of hummus to the bottom portion of the roll. Then I added a heap of lettuce, slices of orange peppers, thinly sliced old cheddar cheese, a full circle of red onion, a juicy tomato, a handful of hand picked parsley and a dollop hot English mustard. It's like a burger without the meat or meatless patty. Full on veg! Filled with protein and lovely veggies this hit the spot after a long walk. - JW    

Need Some Green?

Say hello to our current house plant... parsley! I have been chopping the parsley up into salads, adding it to my cooking, and using it as a garnish. Parsley is a good source of antioxidants, folic acid, Vitamin C and Vitamin A. It certainly has been handy having this at arms length. During the winter a little green can go a long way! - JW  

Garlic Spaghetti

For the past two nights we have had garlic pasta as a side dish. As usual I cooked too much pasta, however this time it was a good thing.. This dish is simple and brimming with loads of flavour. To make this dish you will need olive oil, garlic, parsley and pasta.

In a fry pan heat 1/2 cup of olive oil with 3 cloves of crushed or chopped garlic. I finely chopped mine. Stir constantly until golden brown. Making sure not to burn the garlic because it will upset the taste. When the garlic is golden brown remove the pan from the heat and set a side. Now you can go ahead a cook your pasta, about 450g. I used spaghettini or angel hair pasta. I didn't really measure out my pasta... I just estimated, as I always do and also seeing how there was a half cup of olive oil I knew I wanted the pasta coated well in the garlic oil but not swimming in the oil. Once the pasta is cooked. Drain and transfer to an appropriate sized serving dish. Pour the garlic olive oil over top. Toss to coat. Then add some chopped parsley... about 3 tablespoons. However I added more. It's parsley it's not going to harm you. You may also add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. I served this dish with shaved parmesan over top. Classic.   

Despite everyone having seconds. There was plenty left over. The next night we heated the left over spaghettini in a pan. Cooked and seasoned chicken breasts and voila seasoned chicken with garlic pasta! You can do endless things with this simple recipe and have a variety of meals all stemming from this dish. You can have it as a base for a pasta salad with chopped veggies. You could also add chopped Italian sausages, sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary... oh and thyme. My son didn't want me to forget about that herb. Enjoy your weekend! - JW