Tag Archives: Olive oil

Chicken Milanese with Celery Root Puree

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Over the past summer I have had the opportunity to spend many Saturdays at the Farmer’s Market and it has really opened my eyes to availability and seasonality of foods. When you shop at the grocery store you see the same fruit and vegetables stocking the aisles nearly every month of the year but at the Farmer’s Market you see exactly when food is available and at it’s peak – because if it’s not, you probably won’t be able to find it. I’ve also found that if you are looking for something a little bit more unique you likely won’t find it at Superstore or Save On but you can almost always find it at the City Market on 104 Street!

Celery root is something that I have never used before in cooking and I actually didn’t even know what it looked like. So when I was wondering around Kuhlmann’s I had to ask someone to send me in the right direction and boy am I happy they did! Here’s a photo of what celery root or celeriac looks like:

CeleryRoot2

Anyways, I found a recipe for Chicken Milanese with Celery Root Puree on the Canadian Living website and I was excited to try it out (after looking at three different grocery stores for celery root and finally finding it at the Farmer’s Market). Chicken Milanese is a Latin American dish where breaded meat fillet preparations are known as a milanesa. I lightened this one up by baking the chicken rather than frying it and getting rid of the cream in the puree and substituting milk instead.

This would be a great dish to make for friends because it is delicious, not overly adventurous for those picky eaters and looks beautiful!

Chicken Milanese

Ingredients:

4 chicken cutlets
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg
1 Tbsp grainy mustard
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 cup arugula
1 cup celery root leaves (I added them in because they were just so dang tasty!)

Celery Root Puree:

1 celery root, chopped
1 russet potato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/3 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
1/4 cup skim milk
1 Tbsp margarine
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place flour in shallow dish. In separate shallow dish, whisk egg with mustard. Place panko in third shallow dish. Dip chicken into flour, shaking off excess; dip into egg mixture, letting excess drip back into dish. Press into panko to coat. Place on waxed paper–lined rimmed baking sheet; refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Using an olive oil mister or cooking spray, lightly coat baking sheet. Place breaded chicken on sheet and lightly coat chicken (to get a nice golden crust). Bake for 15 minutes or until inside is no longer pink.

Celery Root Purée: Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling water, cook celery root, potato and garlic until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain; return to pot. Dry over low heat, shaking pan often, for 1 minute. Transfer to food processor; add Gruyère cheese, milk, margarine, salt and pepper. Purée until smooth.

In bowl, whisk olive oil with lemon juice toss with arugula and celery root leaves. Serve over chicken and celery root purée.

Broiled Salmon with Corn and Barley Risotto

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Alex doesn’t like fish. So needless to say, I have been lacking in omega 3 since moving in with him in April. This was my first attempt to convert him into a salmon lover and it was MUCH more successful than I expected. Who knew it would only take one delicious meal?!

Salmon

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets

salt and pepper to taste

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 1/2 cups water

cooking spray

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup pot barley

1 cup frozen corn kernels

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh parsley

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

Ingredients:

1. In a large skillet, coat with cooking spray and cook onion and garlic until softened.

2. Add barley, cook stirring to coat.

3. Stir in corn and green onions. Add water and broth. Cook until creamy and barley is tender (about 45 minutes).

4. Stir in parmesan cheese, parsley, greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, salt and pepper.

5. Coat salmon with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

6. Cook salmon on broil for 10 minutes or until cooked in the center.

 

Huevos Rancheros Verdes

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A few weekends ago my friend Stephanie turned 23 and as per usual we celebrated over delicious food! Lucky for me, my friend Natalie was also in town for a visit 🙂 Wonderful people and things to celebrate equals experimentation in the kitchen (with hopes of culinary miracles).

We decided on brunch, which made it quite easy for me because I’ve been wanting to make Huevos Rancheros for ages now. I wanted a version that was lightened up because in my experience it has been a bit heavy and saucy. Needless to say, I found the perfect balance.

Image

Ingredients

2 cups romaine lettuce, diced

1 green onion, diced

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 teaspoons lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

1- 15 oz can pinto beans

1/2 cup tomatillo salsa

8, 6 inch corn tortillas (I got mine from the farmers market)

cooking spray

3/4 cup low fat cheddar cheese, shredded

4 eggs

Instructions

1. Combine lettuce, green onion, oil, lemon juice, cilantro, salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

2. Combine beans and tomatillo salsa.

3. Coat both sides of each tortilla with cooking spray and assemble in overlapping pairs.

4. Spread 1/3 cup of bean mixture over each set of tortillas and top with shredded cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until warm and cheese is melted.

5. Fry eggs in pan and season with salt and pepper.

6. To serve, top each tortilla with a fried egg and a generous heaping of the lettuce mixture.

Sensational Summer Salads

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The last few weeks, Alex and I have been experimenting with some new recipes (as usual) and we have come across some real winners in the salad department.  Alex’s boss was even requesting the recipes for the “delicious looking salads” he was bringing in his lunch. Plus, mother nature decided to skip spring this year so it is officially fresh summer salad season. Unfortunately, I haven’t fully wrapped my head around the idea of taking photos of my meals before devouring them so 3/4 of these recipes are sans photo. BUT, I can assure you they are delicious and boyfriend, dad, mom, and step-mom approved (which is not an easy feat in my family, trust me!).

Chicken Bulgur Salad – Make 4 Servings

Ingredients

1 cup bulgur
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup boiling water

3 medium tomatoes, diced

1/2 a cucumber, diced

4 green onions, chopped

3 thin sliced chicken breasts, cooked, diced (if you aren’t using thin sliced breast I would cut this in half)

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Mix bulgur, salt, and boiling water in a large bowl. Let stand, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until water is absorbed.

2. Add tomato, cucumber, green onion, parsley, and chicken to the cooked bulgur.

3. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar together and pour over salad. Mix all ingredients to evenly coat in vinaigrette.

4. Add black pepper and additional salt to taste.

 

Oriental Salad with Broccoli – Makes 6 Servings

Oriental Broccoli Slaw

This salad was paired with Mushroom and Chicken Kebabs (sans skewer) and Quinoa.

Ingredients

6 cups cabbage, finely chopped or shredded

2 cups broccoli, florets

1 cup carrot, grated

1 tablespoon coriander, dried

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ginger, grated

1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Blanch cabbage, broccoli, and carrots by pouring boiling water until covered and allowing to rest for 1 minute.

2. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.

3. Add green onions.

4. Whisk together rice vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, olive oil, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and coriander.

5. Combine with blanched vegetables and toss to coat.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chopped peanuts.

 

Tomato Salad with Balsamic and Basil Vinaigrette – Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

1 cup green beans, steamed

4 tomatoes, cut in wedges

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

2 green onions, chopped

2 cups spinach, raw

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine green beans, tomatoes, mozzarella, green onion and spinach.

2. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and basil.

3. Pour over salad and toss to evenly coat the vegetables in vinaigrette.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Warm Chickpea and Artichoke Salad – Adapted from The Taste Space

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

juice of 1 lemon

2 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon oregano

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups chickpeas

1 can artichoke hearts, quartered

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add chickpeas and artichoke hearts. Cook until golden brown (about 10 minutes).

2. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, basil, oregano, and garlic.

3. Toss chickpeas, artichokes and vinaigrette until evenly coated.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

ENJOY 🙂