Tag: Canada

Quick Chicken-Rice Dinner

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I didn’t feel like making dinner tonight, but my son came home so I felt cereal wasn’t a great option. This dinner is so easy, and takes very little energy to prepare.

Baked Chicken Thighs

1 package chicken thighs, bones in

1/4 cp ketchup

1 tbsp canola oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp pepper

Place thighs in 9×11 pan. Combine ketchup, oil and spices and spread it onto the tops of thighs. Bake in preheated 375F oven for 1 hour

Baked Steamed Rice

2 cups parboiled rice

5 cups water

1 tsp garlic powder

1 can sliced mushrooms

1/2 cp frozen or canned peas

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 diced green onion for garnish

Place rice, water, mushrooms, peas and garlic in 9×11 pan. Cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour at 375F. Take out and fluff with fork. Place in serving bowl, add soya sauce and garnish with diced onion.

Step-by-Step Brisket Recipe

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2 medium chopped onions

1 3 lb brisket

3 crushed cloves garlic

1 tsp Sweet paprika

3 tablespoons crushed tomatoes

5 medium potatoes

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp flour

Sauté onions in Dutch oven with oil until golden brown
Add crushed tomatoes and minced garlic, salt and pepper to meat and rub in all over. I insert some cloves into the meat by making little holes with tip of my knife
Take remaining spices and flour and rub onto meat
Put meat into Dutch oven on top of sautéed onions and brown both sides (3-4 minutes each side on medium heat)
Add 6 cups of water (enough to cover meat) along with whole potatoes. Cover and let simmer on low for 1 1/2 to two hours. Take out and slice and return to pot. Allow to simmer for another 1/2 hour until meat is soft.
Serve in roasting pan with liquid.

Blueberry Banana French Toast

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1 banana
2oz fresh blueberries
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon (or more if you like cinnamon)
1 scoop vanilla sugar
Blend all ingredients in blender. Pour batter into flat tray. Dip both sides bread into batter. Fry in warm skillet with canola oil. (About 3 minutes per side). Makes four pieces of French Toast.

Serve with fresh blueberries, whipped cream or syrup

Gefilte Fish Ratatouille

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1 medium zucchini sliced thinly

1 red pepper diced

1 medium onion diced

2 cloves garlic minced

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup Tuscanini diced tomatoes 

1/2 cup water 

2 tablespoons sugar

1 jar  Manischewitz Gefilte Fish, drained of broth. 

Prepare all vegetables by dicing thinly. Place Gefilte fish in sieve, and drain broth. Place vegetables into warm skillet with oil. Sauté until vegetables are tender, but not done. Add two tablespoons sugar and pepper. Add diced tomatoes and water along with Gefilte fish. Stir gently until everything is incorporated and fish is covered with tomato broth. Cover and let simmer for half an hour. Serve warm, but tastes great cold as well!

In university I used to need to work harder on some subjects and every Thursday night, I’d get together to study Engineering Static’s with a friend. This is where I learned about the amazing flavour of Ratatouille, and it’s a recipe that’s stayed with me forever.

Gdańsk Chicken

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Sauté onions until golden
Place thighs, top down and braise
Turn thighs over and sauté other side
Add spices, potatoes and water and simmer

2 Tbsp oil

1 medium onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 chicken thighs

2 large potatoes halved

4 tsp of sweet paprika

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

2-3 cups water or chicken broth

2 tbsp flour for thickening at end

Place oil into skillet and add minced garlic with sliced onion. Sauté until slightly golden. Add chicken bottoms in, top down. Braise until skin is slightly brown, 3-5 minutes

Turn over and do the same to bottom half. Sprinkle each thigh with sweet paprika (1 tsp per thigh). Drop potatoes into pan, keeping everything level. If food is doubled up, it won’t cook evenly. Add salt and pepper to mix. Add 2-3 cups water and cover. Turn down flame, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Take off cover and turn chicken pieces over so tops brown. Add 2 Tbsp flour, stir and simmer for extra 5 minutes until gravy forms. Cover potatoes and chicken with gravy and plate. Sprinkle with paprika before serving. This is basically more “brown food” but it’s soft and a great comfort food for those chilly fall nights.

Serves two but you can double it!

Quick and Easy Beet Soup (Borscht)

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I love the smell of borscht cooking on a cold day. My grandmother used to make it for me at lunch along with a sandwich, and it was the warmest feeling knowing she put so much work and love into a meal for me. Borscht doesn’t have to be so difficult to make, though. This is my quick borscht recipe. In hard times, it’s easy to make.

2 carrots chopped

1 celery chopped (I peel mine to remove the strings)

1 can sliced beets

1/2 medium onion diced

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dill

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil for sautéing

6 cups vegetable broth

Sauté vegetables and spices in olive oil until tender. Add bay leaf and liquid. Bring to boil and turn down to simmer. Let simmer for one hour to one and half hours.

Shakshuka Hack – Healthy Breakfast Meal

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Mornings aren’t always easy. Sometimes I want more than a smoothie or a fruit to get me through my day but don’t feel like overdoing the carbs. In Israel, a dish called “shakshuka” is a big thing. It’s basically tomato sauce with eggs poached directly in the sauce and cumin is usually the spice of choice. This morning I had fresh produce and was inspired to do something with them. That’s how I came up with this shakshuka hack. It took me one minute to wash and dice the veggies and then 5 minutes to cook everything in a pan. This recipe is for one but just add for each person. So simple.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp oregano

1 diced scallion

I diced small roma tomato

1 egg

Sprinkle of parmigiana cheese

Add all veggies and oregano to oiled pan. Sauté on burner on medium heat for two minutes. Break egg on top of sautéed veggies and cover pan with lid. Leave lid on for four minutes without removing and continue to cook on medium heat. The lid will keep the steam from the veggies contained and cook the top of your egg without having to flip it. It won’t be rubbery and the result will be a perfect egg. Sprinkle with fresh parmigiana cheese 🧀 Makes one serving.

Cheesy Pasta Parmigiana

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As the warm weather hits, it’s so nice to go out in the patio and share a nice pasta meal with friends. This home cooked dish is something you will be able to make quickly while they are sitting with you in your kitchen, talking about their week.

Ingredients:

2 litres of water

200 g rotini pasta (1/2 package)

4 tbsp canola oil

1/2 cp diced onion

1 tbsp dill weed

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 sprig thyme leaves

1 tbsp of flour

1 and a 1/2 cup whole milk

6 slices Haolom white cheese

1/2 cp grated Parmigiana cheese

Instructions:

Bring water to boil. Add pasta and let simmer for 6-7 minutes. Drain but do not rinse.

Fry onions until soft but not translucent (5 minutes). Pinch the leaves off of the fresh thyme. Add them and rest of spices with flour to onions in frying pan and stir until combined (frying flour is a great way to thicken soups as well). Add milk and stir. Let simmer until milk thickens. Add cheese slices and grated parmigiana. Add pasta to pan of ingredients and mix until pasta is completely coated. Serves four.

Serve with a side salad.

Leave your comments. Would love to hear what you would like me to make for you next!

-Chaya

The Perfect Cup of Tea ☕️

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Growing up in Canada our hot beverage of choice was always tea. Whenever we traveled to the US and ordered tea, it came to us tasting like “dishwater” (as my mother would call it).

There is a correct way to make a perfect cup of tea. I always boil my water with a kettle on the stove. This brings it to the perfect temperature for making tea. I always use a teapot. I never clean the pot out with dish soap; I simply rinse it between uses. This “cures” the pot because the soap can add a flavour you don’t want.

4 cups of tea:

2 tea bags

4 cups boiling water

Bring water to a boil in a kettle. When kettle steams, take it off the heat. Pour some boiled water into teapot, swirling around and then dispose of it down your sink. Add two tea bags to the warmed pot and then add 4 cups boiled water over the tea bags. Cover. Let steep for five minutes. Remove bags with a spoon and discard. Tea that sits too long can be bitter.

You can keep your pot warm with a tea cozy, or with a dish towel. Serve with lemon and honey or some milk.

Hint: Always use your good teacups because you are worth the good stuff!

Let me know if you have any questions or leave a comment.

-Chaya