Stir-fry Sauce

 

This is quite simply the easiest stir-fry sauce you will make. You can adjust the crushed red pepper flakes depending on your level of heat or leave them out all together and replace them with a good dose of sriracha sauce or sweet chilli sauce. It has that combination of elements... sweet, salty, sour and spicy which delivers a flavourful stir-fry.  

Stir-fry Sauce

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1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar or honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 - 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until fully combined.

Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To use stir-fry sauce:

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok.

Add your protein of choice (cubed chicken, slices of beef, tofu or shrimp) and cook until browned and almost cooked through. 

Transfer the protein to a clean plate. Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok or skillet and approximately 4 to 6 cups of chopped vegetables of your choice (onion, carrots, snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, edamame beans). Stir-fry until tender and crisp. Return the protein to the pan with the vegetables and add the stir-fry sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened, stirring to evenly distribute the sauce. Serve over cooked rice or noodles and sprinkled with sesame seeds. 

Mango Coulis

A coulis is a thick sweet sauce made from fruits that have been cooked, blended and optionally strained. Making a coulis is quite simple as it is only three ingredients, fruit, sugar and lemon or lime juice; and can be used as a topping or a sauce for a variety of foods such as on yoghurt, ice cream, cakes and toast. I made a lime cheesecake and decided that a mango coulis would be the perfect tangy finish to this cheesecake's subtle citrus flavour. I had enough leftover to spoon over Greek yoghurt and the rest was happily added to a curry sauce. 

Mango Coulis

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400 to 600g mango - fresh or frozen

juice of 1 small lime or lemon

30g (1 1/2 tablespoons) caster sugar 

Cook all three ingredients on low to medium heat in a medium saucepan, for about 15 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool down for 5 minutes. Using an hand held (immersion) blender, blend until very smooth. You could also strain through a mesh sieve instead of blending however a hand blender saves time. 

Once smooth and blended, taste and adjust the sweetness if you wish and if  the sauce is too thick, add a teaspoon of water, at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. 

Allow to cool down then transfer to a jar or container with a tight seal. Keep in the refrigerator for a week. 

Hope everyone's week has been a good one. It's been heavily overcast with a few showers here and there although plenty of sunshine for the weekend! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Penne with Tomato Mushroom Sauce

Plenty of fresh vegetables can be added to a homemade tomato sauce. One of my favourites  are mushrooms after that any fresh spinach I have lounging about in the refrigerator. It is a quick way to use lingering produce and change the course of an already delicious meal. Grated carrots are another vegetable I add to my pasta sauces, as I always have them on hand and they enhance the sweetness of a tomato sauce. There are plenty of ways to dress up your dinner and be creative in the kitchen.   

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. - JD   
 

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

A delicious recipe that can easily juggle ingredient substitutions according to your pantry and how spicy or smoky you like pulled pork. 

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

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1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 (4 pound) pork shoulder roast

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup barbeque sauce  

1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon chili powder

2 large cloves of garlic, crushed

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 medium onion, chopped

In a large bowl whisk together the brown sugar, barbeque sauce, mustard, chicken stock, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, crushed garlic, dried thyme and chopped onion, to create a sauce. Set aside. 

Add the vegetable oil to the bottom of the slow cooker insert. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker; pour the sauce over the pork roast. Cover and cook on HIGH, until the roasts shreds easily with a fork, for 5 to 6 hours. 

Remove the roasted pork from the slow cooker and place on a clean large cutting board and shred the meat, using two forks. Carefully return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat back into the sauce. You may shred the pork in the slow cooker insert when cooked, just be careful because the outside of the slow cooker gets extremely hot and you do not want to scrap the insert.  

Serve on toasted buns with grated carrot, sliced red onions and pickles. 

Notes: the 1 cup barbeque sauce may be changed for 1/2 cup ketchup with 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes. Just increase the chili powder or other seasoning to add flavour.

All in One Sauce

This sauce is super easy to make with simple ingredients; that can be multi purpose depending on your cooking needs. With a sweet, salty, spicy, tangy Asian inspired flavour that will complement beef, chicken, vegetables, and tofu easily. 

All in On Sauce 

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1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 rice wine vinegar

2 to 3 tablespoons sesame oil

4 tablespoons brown sugar

4 green onions, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon mustard powder

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Place all ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk together until combined. Use as a marinade for meat and tofu or allow to mellow for a few hours then use as a dipping or a pour over sauce... like a gravy or salad dressing. 

                         
The sauce is absolutely lovely over steamed asparagus, mashed potatoes and cooked beef.

Hope your weekend was a good one. Ours was quite a good one!  - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Mushroom Bolognese

Tomato sauce is great however add mushrooms and you got one tasty mushroom bolognese pasta sauce. Make pasta sauce like you normally do however rather than sauté the quartered mushrooms before add the freshly chopped mushrooms to the already simmering pasta sauce. Let them cook and absorb some of the sauce then take a hand held blender and roughly blend or pulse the mushrooms through the sauce, do not over blend. I used a 454g pint full of mushrooms... so the more mushrooms the better; as when slightly blended they will create a nice thick sauce. 

Just a bit frosty here weather wise. Hope everyone had a good weekend! - JD 

Leftovers #34 ~ Pasta Bake

Reminiscent of lasagne without all the layers. Depending on how much pasta sauce you have leftover; it can be easily made into this pasta bake. Boil pasta noodles of your choice until tender or cook according to the package. I chose serpentini pasta. I cooked the whole 500g (1.1 lb) bag as I had a fair amount of sauce; when cooked, drain and placed into a large bowl add the leftover pasta meat sauce and stir to combine. Get a large oven proof baking dish and place some of the sauced pasta mixture inside the dish. Grate mozzarella cheese over top and spoon the rest of the mixture over it. Grate more mozzarella over the top and bake in a preheated 350ºF oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted somewhat. Shut the oven off and set the broil onto high and let the cheese bubble and slightly brown. Using oven mitts carefully remove from the oven and serve. 

Notes: if a bit short on sauce add some Passata tomato sauce to extend the sauce. Try using a different cheese. Add chopped fresh tomatoes and veggies. 

Hope everyone's week has been a good one. Just getting back into the swing of things after a much needed break and the start of school. Have a great weekend everyone! 
- JD    

Chickpea & Cauliflower Curry

I really enjoyed creating this for dinner... super delicious and full of, what I call, spicy goodness. Cauliflower and chickpeas were a great way to change up one of our dinner favourites, curry. This curry sauce is easy and able to adapt to any veggies you wish to add or meat, if you are so inclined, however it was unanimous that this vegetarian version was the preferred dish hands down! 

Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry

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2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

fresh ginger, peeled and crushed

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 large can of diced tomatoes

1x 15 ounce can of coconut milk

1 x 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets

4 teaspoons garam masala

Fresh chopped cilantro for a garnish

In a large stock pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and sauté for about 10 minutes. Stir in the coriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, and sauté for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, cauliflower and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the garam masala and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Stir in the fresh cilantro. Serve with your preference of rice. 

Hope everyone is having a good week. Just think... the weekend is almost here. - JD  

Food Photo of the Day ~ Carrot Lentil Pasta Sauce

Steaming hot and delicious... herbed tomato sauce with grated carrots, and lentils. Adding  grated vegetables to a basic tomato sauce not only adds flavour but is a great way to add more vitamins and nutrients. My kids love grated carrot and zucchini. Adding lentils replaces minced/ground meat and gives it that bolognaise texture. Even meat eaters will welcome the change. Healthy, hearty and simple! 

Hope everyone had a good weekend, we sure did! - JD  

Sweet BBQ Sauce

After looking up a multitude of barbeque sauce recipes for inspiration; I decided to sift through the pantry and whip up a sauce with what I had on hand. It was sweet and sticky. Which was great for the drumsticks I made, pictured here, however it would be perfect for ribs or a pork tenderloin.   

 

Simple ingredients pulled right from the pantry to create this dark, sticky sauce.  

A rich amber treacle with a wonderful savoury smell. After it mellowed in the refrigerator for a few hours it became more thick and all the flavours came together. 

Sweet Barbeque Sauce

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1 cup of golden syrup or honey

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon of the following:

ground cinnamon

ground cumin

ground ginger

oregano

paprika

1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt

1 shallot, finely diced 

1 clove of garlic, crushed

freshly ground pepper, optional 

Place all the ingredients into large bowl. Stir throughly to combine. Once all ingredients are mixed together; cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Notes: If you find 1 cup of golden syrup or honey too sweet then add less. I used 1 cup of golden syrup and found that I could have reduced that to 3/4 cup. 

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD 

Honey Garlic Sauce

After standing in the aisle at the grocery store reading the label on a bottle of honey garlic sauce, I decided to make my own sauce, considering I had most of the ingredients, except the garlic, at home. I thought it should be a pretty straight forward sauce probably without much fussing. So I ditched the convenience and headed to the cookbooks instead.   

Honey Garlic Sauce

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1/2 cup of honey

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 white vinegar

2 to 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon of baking soda

a pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Line a baking tray or baking pan with aluminium foil or parchment paper. 

In a large bowl combine the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, brown sugar, and salt.

Stir until the honey and sugar are dissolved. Once dissolved stir in the baking soda.  

The mixture will foam... or froth up like a science experiment. This part reminds me of when you make cinder toffee.  

Place the pork chops in the bowl, one at a time if you like, turning to coat both sides. 

Place the pork chops on the prepared baking pan and spoon over with the remaining sauce.

I guess when I said spoon over I really meant smoother with the remaining sauce.  

Place the baking pan with the generously coated pork chops in the oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until meat is cooked all the way through. Covering the top of the pan half way through the cooking time. 

Notes: This sauce would be great over ribs, chicken, tofu, kebabs, and beef. I lined my pan, to hopefully save on mess, although most of the sticky sauce went underneath the aluminium foil. Next time I might try a baking sheet/tray. Before covering half way through the cooking time you could spoon the sauce from the baking pan over top of the pork chops, like what you do when basting a turkey.  

Korean Barbeque Sauce

By the start of the weekend it was decided that steak would be the Sunday Roast dinner. I decided that Korean Barbeque would be the flavour. Remembering I had a bottle tucked away, for just incase purposes, I used it because I wanted to get the steaks marinating straight away. Plus I was low on soy sauce.  

I have used this Korean Barbeque sauce before when pinched for time. It is fairly good and the sodium isn't too bad. There is a lot of salt... and sugar out there in products so read the labels and take the lowest whenever possible. I recommend this one if you are pressed for time however I will include a Korean Barbeque Sauce recipe if you would rather try that.  

Since the steaks were on the small side I managed to fit them all into this marinating container. The steaks must have marinated for almost 2 days. Flipping the container every so often.   

The marinating container is from Tupperware. I bought it years ago. There are these little pyramid like nibs on the top and bottom of both sides to ensure flavour flow and even marinating.

The steaks were baked in a pre-heated 400ºF oven for 30 minutes. They were baked uncovered for the first 15 minutes and for the remaining 15 minutes of the baking time I had placed aluminium foil over the baking dish. To avoid the steaks from drying out and  to seal in most of the flavour and juices. 

Even though I did not make my own Korean Barbeque sauce, which is fine. Sometimes there are just more important things that need to be done. I will include this recipe.


Korean Barbeque Sauce
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1 cup low sodium soy sauce
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 - 3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chile- garlic sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
some ground black pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

Stir the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, rice wine vinegar, chile-garlic sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and black pepper together in a saucepan; bring to a boil.

Whisk cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until the cornstarch dissolves; pour into the boiling soy sauce mixture.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the sauce has thicken, about 3 to 5 minutes. 

Notes: For a spicier sauce use ground fresh chili paste. Try using coconut sugar. If you do not have rice wine vinegar then use white vinegar or even a malt vinegar it may change the taste slightly however sometimes adding a different ingredient in replace of another can be worth it. Try adding a tablespoon of minced or diced shallots.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD   

Wasabi Sauce Anyone?

When I saw this I just had to try it. This is more like a mayonnaise with wasabi flavour which is great for sandwiches and for dipping. I added a few squirts to my lentil burger which gave it the right amount of zing! A bit subtle at first however the classic wasabi heat builds over time. A little goes a long way.

Hope everyone is having a good week. Seems like mine has been another busy one. - JD

Zesty Barbeque Sauce

Barbeque sauce is easy however some like it sweet, some like it smoky while others like loads of garlic. This sauce borders on something with a bit more zing. The ingredients are simple and you probably already have them in your pantry. 

Zesty Barbeque Sauce

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1/2 cup ketchup

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped onion    

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

1 clove garlic, crushed

Place all the ingredients into a medium sized saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a boil; stirring constantly. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Notes: The recipe can easily doubled if need be. Try adding different ingredients like, lime zest, crushed chilies for something spicy, more garlic, or finely diced shallots.  

These chicken drumsticks were a big hit and it all had to do with the sauce. I brushed the zesty barbeque sauce over the drumsticks and baked them in the oven. This sauce would be great over burgers, pork ribs, ham, beef, and even tofu. 

The warm temperatures are hanging around... not for long I presume. Still, with weather like this it is easy to get into a barbeque mood. Hope everyone had a good weekend. - JD   

My Week in Food

As you know I made cornbread yesterday. I used a different recipe this time and it turned out fine. I replaced the flour with cornflour and still used the amount of cornmeal the recipe asked for. The texture was soft and smooth which in turn made it crumbly... too crumbly. Since the recipe called for a 1/2 cup sugar the cornbread was a bit on the sweet side. I like a bit of sweetness however not major sweetness when it comes to cornbread. 

This chili had a nice level of spiciness which gave an even heat. Which in turn helped my cold a bit. There are leftovers and as this chili ages... or sits it will get more spicier. I am planning on doing Chili Dogs for dinner on Friday with the leftovers. Hopefully by that time this cold will be gone and I will be able to enjoy the spiciness for pure spiciness sake!

When one has an overabundance of apples then an apple pie is definitely going in the oven. Making it in a flan pan completely turned this classic dessert into more of a substantial deep dish apple pie.  

This morning I made a simple spaghetti meat sauce and if any leftovers are to be had, it will be going on the pizza's I am making for dinner on Saturday night. 


As more comfort... food is being dished out from the kitchen I am feeling a bit better today although this cold is lingering. Hope your week has been good so far! - JW    

My Week In Food

This is my version of the Coronation Chicken salad. Nothing can get better unless you can add a bit of curry to it. Fresh red peepers and celery. Diced chicken. A handful of crushed almonds. Some mayonnaise and curry powder. Keeping calm and caring on never tasted so good. 

Getting back to basics with this spinach Greek salad. Colourful and fresh all settled with a savoury dressing. 

I made a pot of tangy barbeque sauce... 

That was poured over chicken drumsticks and baked in the oven. 

A trip to the farmers market earlier this week had me bringing home all sorts of fresh and tasty goodies. This red lentil pate is one of them. Delicious with crackers and pita bread. It can also be used as a sandwich spread. 

I did say curry earlier and I am saying it again. I found this spice mix at the grocery store, Save On Foods. Just add the chicken, tomatoes, and cream. Making curry from scratch just got easier. I found the chicken curry to be spicier than others however I feel it is more of a true chicken curry. I highly recommend this spice brand.     

And finally... I used the Camp coffee in baking and last night I decided to make a coffee with it. Very easy to make add about 8 ounces of hot milk to 1 1/2 teaspoons of Camp coffee. As the milk was heating I used a whisked to give it a bit of froth. It had a lovely mild caramel flavour. I have also been told that you can make it with hot water and then add the milk. 

Hope everyone has a good weekend! - JW 

Spaghettini with Cheesy Chicken Meatballs

Usually when a particular week is busy that might mean dinner has to be simple and quick. And what better meal than a Spaghetti Bolognese. However as the snow fell my mind drifted and I changed the dinner plans to meatballs instead. The last time I made meatballs I did them stove top and the aspect of frying them consumed much time. These are a breeze to make and taste delicious. 20 minutes in the oven. Easy!  

To make these delicious or as my daughter said... scrumptious, baked meatballs you will need the following: 

1 package of ground chicken 

1 egg

1/2 cup breadcrumbs or your favourite butter crackers smashed into tiny bits

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese 

2 teaspoons of basil

1 teaspoon of oregano

1 teaspoon of garlic and herb Mrs. Dash

1 teaspoon parsley 

a pinch of salt

a dash of pepper

1/4 cup cornmeal (or bread crumbs) to roll the meatballs in. 

First preheat the oven to 400ºF and grab a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hands form into rounds no bigger than a walnut.

Take the cornmeal and place on a plate. Roll each meatball in the cornmeal and place on the prepared baking sheet. 

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked all the way through. 

Notes: This is a recipe that has some give and take. You can always change up the herbs and spices for different ones. Try using different ground meat. Parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese are great alternatives to old cheddar. However I think a lovely blue cheese would do just nicely too.  

Something else that is simple to make... basic tomato sauce. Empty a 720ml jar of organic strained tomatoes (passata sauce) into a saucepan. Add some basil, oregano, rosemary or herbs de provence. Add a dash of salt, a bit of pepper, crushed garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and some HP sauce otherwise known as brown sauce. Stir it all together and let simmer for about a half hour. What better way to pass the time while the meatballs are baking and the is pasta cooking. 

My Week In Food

Spaghetti Bolognese is quick and simple. Even better when spices inspire you all thanks to the Incredible Spice Men Cookbook. Cumin and other different spices added depth to the minced chicken. Reintroducing flavour that was welcoming change. 

Being at the Farmer's Market in the French Quarter was a nice way to spend the afternoon. Picking up some fresh local veggies and cheese is the absolute best day to me. Also indulging in a chocolate croissant and a latté from Café Bicyclette was the ultimate that rounded this weekend outing perfectly.   

New Baby Potatoes, Fresh Green Beans and Chicken Drumsticks in a homemade Barbeque Sauce became the dinner of choice. Pretty standard weekend dinner feast. My barbeque sauce had all the right elements, sweet, smoky and tangy.  

This was how I plated it. A pat of butter over the potatoes and then I grated lemon over the potatoes and the green beans. Freshness with a zing! 

You can tell the colder weather is coming because everyone felt the need for some Chili Con Carne. Again I played around with the spices. Adding lots of cumin with the chili powder. Not too hot (spicy) that filled the void. Fall is on it's way. 

Enjoy your weekend everyone! -JW 

My Apple Chutney

I was feeling rather creative over the weekend. Pork chops, sweet potatoes and veggie couscous salad were on our dinner menu. And I wanted to make a sauce for the pork chops. I had some apples that were starting to gather a bruise here and a bruise there so I decided that an apple compote or chutney, as I like to call it would do. It's fairly easy to make provided you have some black tea, apples, cinnamon and maple syrup.

Take two tea bags, black or any flavoured tea of your choice, and place them in a saucepan with about 1 and 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let the tea steep for a bit. In the meantime chopped two apples, green or red, leaving the skin on. I used granny smith apples for their tartness. I like things to have a bit of a bite! When the apples are chopped, place them into the saucepan. Add some cinnamon and maple syrup, flavour to your taste. And place the saucepan back on the stove and bring to a boil again. Let the apples boil in the tea, cinnamon and maple syrup mixture until the apples become soft but not to soft so that they are a mushy pulp. If you find that some pieces of apple are not easy to pierce just take a potato masher and do a rough mash just to sort out those bits. You don't want to mash up all the pieces of apples. You are not making apple sauce. You just want a nice chunky chutney that has a bit of sauce. Also if you find that the sauce is a bit runny, place about 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a small bowl and mix it with some water and add it to the saucepan. Do that until you have it to the desired consistency. Serve over pork chops, chicken, bread pudding and ice cream. 

*Note - You may add some dried cranberries or raisins when adding the apples to the tea. You can try other dried or fresh fruits as well. Caramelized onions are are great too! I luv adding a dash of cardamom. There are many options and playing around with flavours is a must.

Barbeque Sauce

For some reason I felt the need to make a sauce, barbeque sauce and it isn't even grilling season. The snow is beginning to melt however the brisk cold lingers in the air. To make my sweet... and I say sweet because I was trying to make it a general as possible... not everyone likes their barbeque sauce how I do. Heavy and rich with smokey flavour. To make this sauce and feel free to tweak the ingredients to your liking.

1/2 cup to 1 cup ketchup, tomato paste or tomato purée, I used ketchup

1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon or 2 of paprika, the smoker the better

2 tablespoons brown sugar, the darker the better

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

pinch of salt
* If the sauce is too thick just add a bit of water until you get it to your desired consistency.  

Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan and mix together. Turn the stove on to medium high heat. Heat to boil and then remove from heat.  

You can also change up the ingredients by adding honey, maple syrup, molasses, herbs or seasonings, chili powder, curry paste, garlic or finely chopped onions. - JW