Deconstructed Chicken Pot Pie

I stumbled upon this recipe in a 1970s copy of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. I have tweaked it over time to suit my family's tastes and my busy schedule. It is hearty and filling and, most importantly, gives you control over the amount of pie crust in each bite! I purchase fresh puff pastry from a local bakery to make that step super easy.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 Tablespoon oil
500g chicken breast, cubed
1/2 cup onion, chopped
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups hot water
1 1/2 large chicken stock cubes (or 3 small)
2 tablespoons cream (optional)
3/4 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 cup carrots, diced
1/4 cup red or green pepper, chopped finely
1 small spring fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 kg puff pastry dough

Preheat oven to 200C. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat and add chicken. Generously season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken through, and allow it to lightly brown. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm. Add butter to the same pan used to brown the chicken. Add all the vegetables together at once and cook over medium-low heat covered for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. 

While the vegetables are softening, roll out the puff pastry dough on a floured board into relatively thin pieces. Cut into whatever shape is desired and place on a baking pan. Pop into the oven until puffed and golden brown. 

Returning to the softened vegetables, add flour to the pan and stir until all the flour is evenly coating the vegetables. Cook, stirring regularly, for 2-3 minutes on low heat. Add hot water and chicken cubes to the pan and stir until all the flour dissipates into the liquid. Add cream here if you want the extra richness. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Add the chicken back to the pan along with the rosemary sprig and dried thyme, and allow the pie filling to thicken over low heat. Taste the filling at this point for seasoning and add any additional salt to taste. Remove from heat and remove the rosemary sprig before serving.

Pour filling into bowls and top with puff pastry. If you love pastry crust, put a piece in the bottom of the bowl and one on top of the filling as well!

Crispy Oven-Baked Tofu

I have never been one who enjoys tofu. It's squishy and flavorless, but this recipe has totally changed my mind about it! It does take a little advanced preparation, but it's worth it. I have adapted the recipe from Cookie and Kate's blog and just used the flavors I like. If the tofu in the shop looks dubious, just remember that you're going to squeeze out a lot of the water and cook it at really high heat. I personally prefer the packets of tofu labeled "soya paneer."

 

Crispy Oven-Baked Tofu

1 block tofu
1 tsp ginger paste
1 Tbs soy sauce*
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbs corn starch

Begin by slicing the block through the middle parallel to your cutting board. Then slice lengthwise and width-wise (like a grid) to create small blocks of tofu. On a plate lined with folded paper towels or a tea towel, spread out the small cubes in a single layer. Add more paper towels or the other end of the tea towel to the top. Place another plate on top and weigh it down. I like to put a cast iron skillet on top. Let sit for 30 minutes to squeeze out moisture. 

Mix the other liquid ingredients in a bowl. After draining add the tofu to the bowl. The longer this marinates the better the flavor. I usually leave it 10 minutes to a few hours in the fridge. Just before baking, toss in the corn starch until all the powder is absorbed. 

Preheat oven to 200 C. On a foil lined baking sheet spread a little oil to prevent the tofu sticking. Spread the tofu out on the pan and put in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Toss the baked tofu half way through cooking to promote even browning. Enjoy hot and crispy! 

*Use gluten-free tamari to make this gluten free. 

If you want to use this tofu in another dish, then you may just want to stick to the oil, soy sauce, and cornstarch. The original poster suggests it can soak up whatever sauce is in the main dish better that way.

One Pot Chicken Pot Pie Noodles

We've been trying lots of one-pot dishes lately to minimize clean up. My kids love this one! It's a win for the whole family, super easy, and hearty. It has the flavors of chicken pot pie without the extra work. You can check out the Life Made Simple blog for the original recipe.

Chicken Pot Pie Noodles

500g chicken breast

2 Tbsp butter

1 medium onion, diced

4-6 local celery stalks, diced with leaves

2 carrots, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups water

2 chicken stock cubes

1 cup milk

1 cup cream

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp ground sage*

1/4 tsp chili flakes

1/4 tsp paprika

250g pasta (small shapes)

1-2 cups frozen peas, thawed**

2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Pie crust crumbles (optional)

Heat butter over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Fillet and season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken pieces in the pan until browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove from heat and allow the meat to rest 5 minutes before cutting into small pieces. Meanwhile, add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the water, stock cubes, milk, and cream and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium, then add the cut chicken pieces, garlic powder, thyme, sage, chili flakes, paprika, and pasta. Cook for 12-18 minutes on medium to low (you don't want an aggressive boil, but enough to cook the pasta). Add the peas and parsley to the pasta and cook until the pasta is tender. The sauce should be getting thicker, but not dry so you may need to cover it from time to time. As it cools, it will thicken a bit more. Top bowls of hot noodles with pie crust crumbles.

*You can substitute rosemary or extra thyme here if you don't have sage. I used 4 fresh sage leaves.

**The original recipe calls for 1 cup peas and 1 cup corn, but that's too starchy for my taste so I use double the peas.

Note: The first time I made this I didn't have any cream so I used all milk. It didn't adversely affect the flavor, but it just wasn't as creamy so you can definitely just use milk in a pinch.

One Pot Goulash

I love dishes that can be prepared in one pot. This one comes together really easily and tastes great!

Easy One Pot Goulash

One Pot Goulash

500 g ground beef, pork, or chicken

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups water

1 can tomato puree (standard can--not the big one)

1 can tomatoes*

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

250g uncooked pasta (macaroni or spirals)

1 cup cheese, shredded

In a large pot, brown meat over medium heat, breaking it into small pieces. Stir in onions and garlic and cook until translucent. Add water, tomato puree, tomatoes, soy sauce, oregano, basil, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir together just to mix. Bring up to a boil. Turn heat to low, cover with lid, and cook 20 minutes**, stirring occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom. Add in pasta, cover, and cook on low until pasta is soft. Remove from heat, throw away the bay leaf, sprinkle with cheese, and stir everything together.

Notes:

* With canned tomatoes, I just stick scissors into the can to quickly chop them a bit smaller, nothing fancy. Cans with large tomatoes are the easiest to find and cheapest so this is an easy workaround. 

** If you are in a hurry, you can just dump your pasta in here and cook for 25 minutes. The only difference in the final dish is the richness of the sauce. If you have really hungry people, just fast track it!

Chicken Burrito Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

We've been eating tons of salads at our house lately, and this was a super easy variation. I would suggest cooking up a large batch of beans and freezing them in smaller containers or just draining and rinsing canned beans. We have one cheese hater in the family so we keep that on the side.

Chicken Burrito Salad

500g chicken breast

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups cooked rajma beans

1 can corn, drained (or ~2 cups from frozen)

lettuce, roughly chopped

3-4 medium tomatoes, chopped

Grated cheese, optional

Cut chicken breasts in half (parallel to cutting board) to create thin cutlets. These will cook faster. Generously season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper or whatever seasoning you like. Grill or saute chicken and set aside.

Layer salad bowl with lettuce, tomatoes, corn, and beans. Add cheese if desired. Cut cooked chicken into smaller pieces and lay over the top of the salad.

Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing from Fifteen Spatulas

1 large bunch fresh cilantro/coriander, cleaned

1/2 cup plain yogurt, thick (like ND's brand)

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tablespoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 chili, seeds removed, optional (I did not use this)

Put all the ingredients except the olive oil into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Drizzle in olive oil and blend until smooth. Adjust the tastes with a little more salt or honey as desired to balance the tanginess.

Ginger Garlic Noodle Soup with Greens

Soup season is around the corner, and I always enjoy a good Asian-inspired bowl full of noodles and vegetables. This recipe from The Forked Spoon is one of my favorite broth recipes because it has such a unique flavor. The smell of the broth is like 5-spice powder. Here's the recipe with minor adaptations for people living where certain ingredients are harder to find or need different cooking methods for keeping you healthier.

Ginger Garlic Noodle Soup with Greens
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 bunch green onions, sliced with green and white separate
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
5.5 cups water
2 chicken stock cubes
1 whole star anise
1.5-2 Tablespoons soy sauce
 250 grams button mushrooms, sliced
150-200 grams rice noodles (written "rice sticks" on packet)
1 small bunch bok choy or a few cups other chopped leafy greens
Sesame seeds for topping
Chili flakes for topping

Heat the oil over medium heat in a stock pot. Add onions and saute just until they begin to soft. Add in white parts of green onions, garlic, and ginger, and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Pour in the water, stock cubes, star anise, and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Open the lid, remove the star anise pod, and discard it. Add the mushrooms, uncooked noodles, chopped greens, and green onion tops, and simmer 5-8 minutes until everything is tender. Season with salt, pepper, and more soy sauce if desired. Top each bowl of soup with sesame seeds and chili flakes, if desired.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

The slider craze is everywhere in the US now. They are mini-burgers and sandwiches with various fillings and toppings. When I was last in the US, I had these delicious Ham and Cheese Sliders and recreated them here very easily. This recipe is based on this one from Dinner at the Zoo.

Ham and Cheese Sliders
1-2 long baguettes, cut into small sandwich sizes of your choice*
300 grams ham or enough to stuff each small sandwich
Thin cheese slices**, enough to stuff each small sandwich
2 teaspoons mustard (Dijon, Honey, or Spicy Brown)
2 teaspoons poppy seeds (optional)
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
6 Tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 170C. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients from mustard through melted butter and stir until well blended. Lay the bottoms of each sandwich across the bottom of a greased baking dish. Add ham and cheese to each sandwich, and then top with the remaining bread tops. Using a brush or spoon, apply the glaze over the top of each sandwich. It will also drip down the sides. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil from the top and put the pan back into the oven for 3-5 more minutes until the tops of the sandwiches are brown and toasty.

Enjoy your delicious sliders warm!

* You could also cut the bread in a few long lengths that go all the way across your baking pan and slice them into smaller sandwiches after baking.

** I think any cheese that pairs well with mustard would work here. I used sliced processed cheese, but I think the local cheese or something like brie would also work beautifully.

Also, I'm not sure what the point of poppy seeds is other than looks, and don't think the recipe would be missing anything if you didn't have them.

Like Campbell's But Better

If you grew up in America, you probably had Campbell's Tomato Soup with your grilled cheese sandwiches. As an adult, I look at the can of goo that comes out and wonder, "What is in that stuff?" but part of me says, "Who cares? It tastes like my childhood." I generally go the route of the more adult-like chunky tomato basil soup varieties, but every once in a while, I really get a hankering for classic Campbell's Tomato Soup, which is not available where we are. In comes this easy copycat version that I've adapted for our tastes. As always, I hope you can look past my poor photography skills...ain't nobody got time for that! (Well...I know some people actually do.)

Copycat Tomato Soup
1 Tablespoon flour
1 Tablespoon oil
1 cup water
1/2 piece vegetable broth cube
1 450g can tomato puree
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Grind of fresh black pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon onion powder (comes in a clear plastic packet)
3/4 cup milk (optional)

Heat oil over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell of the flour dissipates. Whisk in water, broth cube, and tomato puree until smooth. Add all other ingredients except milk. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 5-10 minutes. Stir in milk and cook for several minutes until soup is heated through.*

*I prefer my tomato soup with no milk, but if you choose to add milk, taste your soup before you add the milk. If it tastes very acidic, you'll need to add a pinch of baking soda to keep your milk from curdling. Others suggest keeping the milk aside in a bowl and tempering it by adding some hot soup to heat the milk before you pour that back into the pot. I think either solution will help to reduce those edible, but weird little curdled milk speckles.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup is perfect to kick of the autumn soup weather. The flavors are light and bright, but the soup is filling. It's an adaptation of this one from Danny Boome at Food Network. You could use fresh tomatoes and beans that you cooked in the pressure cooker, but for me, this should be about a quick weeknight meal with minimal prep.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
2 Tbs oil
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbs garlic, minced
1-2 green chilies, seeds removed, diced (optional)
6 cups water
2-3 chicken cubes (start with 2 and adjust)
1 can tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 chicken breasts
2 limes, juiced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
One large roti, grilled and cut into thin strips, or tortilla chips

Add-ons:
Grated cheese
Lime wedges
Avocado slices

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the garlic and chili and fry for about a minute. Pour the water, tomatoes, chicken cubes, and beans into the pot and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, lower heat to simmer and add the chicken breasts. Cook on low heat 20-25 minutes.* Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the soup, shred it, and then add it back to the soup. Add lime juice and fresh cilantro to the pot. Remove from heat. Ladle soup into bowls and top with crispy tortilla strips or crumbled tortilla chips.

*To really speed this up, I poached chicken the night before and had it ready to shred. This dropped the "day of" cook time by at least 10 minutes.

GF Note: This recipe can be gluten free if you choose canned tomatoes with no additives, GF corn chips (Cornitos brand are marked as GF), and GF stock cubes.

One Pot Farmer's Market Pasta

I stumbled across this recipe recently while looking through a list of "one pot meals." I am often skeptical of one pot dishes. Usually one pot spaghetti dishes leave me feeling like something was not quite right, but this one does not disappoint. I pared it down considerably from the original from The View From Great Island just because I did not have access to all the vegetables, but this was incredibly easy and pretty delicious! And truly a one pot meal on top of it all--very "set it and forget it" as those infomercials would say. It is definitely worth giving a try with whatever vegetables are available in your neighborhood. Have a look at the original if you want to add some more veggies, too, but they do suggest you do not leave out the tomatoes or the cheese as they form the bulk of the “sauce” part. Another dinner—20 minutes or less—that is totally possible here. 

One Pot Farmer’s Market Pasta
12 oz spaghetti, broken in half
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 cups small local tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 handfuls leafy greens, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 ½ cups water (or vegetable/chicken stock)
1 stock cube (omit if using stock as liquid)
1 Tablespoon vinegar (white/red wine, cider)
1 cup hard salty cheese, grated (parmesan, aged local variety)

Put all the ingredients except the cheese into the pot. Stir just to combine everything. Cover and bring the pot up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, uncover and stir again. Allow the pot to boil uncovered for 7-9 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Stir the pasta occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the pasta is al dente, remove the pasta from heat. There should still be a little liquid in the bottom of the pan. If there is too much, let it boil off for another minute or so. Add the cheese and stir until it melts. Serve with some fresh tomatoes or herbs sprinkled on top. 

Note: The vinegar in this recipe may dull the color of certain leafy greens. If that bothers you, try omitting the vinegar until the very end of cooking. 

Egg Roll In a Bowl

This one I have come to love since discovering it a few months ago. It has joined our regular rotation, and because of my thrifty use of pork in the recipe, I can have ½ pound of minced pork sausage ready for another meal. Mostly Homemade Mom comes through again on this one with a few minor adaptations for living here. We like to eat ours with rice rather than just as is. I can confidently say that if you cook your rice in a pressure cooker just as you start the cooking for the egg roll part, you can have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes start to finish. Those are seriously hard to come by when you live in the developing world!

Egg Roll in a Bowl

500g pork mince, turned into sausage (omit herbs)

½ large head or 1 small head cabbage, sliced into ribbons

2 cups carrots, julienned

5 cloves garlic, minced

¼ - 1/3 cup good quality soy sauce (more if lower quality)

1 teaspoon dried ginger

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Green onions, tops only, sliced

Mix the dried ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Heat a wok over high heat. Fry half the sausage mixture with a small splash of soy sauce until browned. Save the rest of the sausage in the fridge for breakfast or another meal. Remove the browned sausage from the pan. If the pan is still shiny from the fat in the sausage, just toss the garlic directly in. Otherwise, add a little oil. Stir continuously just until the garlic begins to look golden. Quickly toss in the remaining vegetables and the soy sauce mixture. Fry, stirring continuously, until the vegetables begin to wilt. Return the sausage to the pan and cook until vegetables are tender but still have a bite. Sprinkle over the green onions and add soy sauce as needed for seasoning. Remove from heat and serve over rice or as is.

Beef-a-Roni

Pinterest…that brilliant mixture of feeling like a failure and feeling inspired. Despite my love/hate relationship with it, I do often find amazing recipes through Pinterest, and I’m grateful for having that tool at my fingertips. This Beef-a-Roni from Mostly Homemade Mom is one of my lucky finds. Now, if you’re not American, you might be saying “What on earth is Beef-a-Roni?” Yeah…exactly. What is Beef-a-Roni? Really, it’s just a pasta bolognese with cheese on top. This recipe made enough for my family with 2 younger kiddos to have one 9x9 pan for dinner and save one for later.

Beef-a-Roni

1 lb./16 oz shell pasta or elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

500g ground beef/buff

2 cans tomato puree (or 1 large can)

1 Tablespoon oil

1 onion, diced

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon salt, to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups shredded cheese

Sauté onion in oil until translucent. Add the ground beef to the pan over medium heat and sauté until meat is browned. To the ground beef and onions, add all the remaining ingredients except the pasta and cheese. Simmer covered for 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Taste and adjust sauce seasonings accordingly. Remove from heat and toss the cooked pasta into the sauce. In a baking dish, layer half of the pasta mixture with half of the cheese. Repeat. Bake in a 170C/350F oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.

If you’re wanting to save some for later, split the pasta/cheese between two pans and freeze one before baking. When you’re ready to use it, let it thaw and then bake according to recipe instructions. Pat yourself on the back for preparing something for your future self, just when you needed a quick meal.

Roasted Winter Vegetables

Yes, I've been intending to post this one for a while, and I am getting to it now that winter is drawing to a close. Ahhh...these vegetable are still around though so go ahead and give it a try. The original inspiration came from Simply in Season, one of my favorite seasonal cooking cookbooks. It's such a valuable book to have living in a place where most foods are just seasonally available. Be sure to include at least one "sweet" vegetable in your mix for that rich, caramel flavor. I used beets and carrots, and they pair beautifully! Kohlrabi and turnips also work well in this one. Omit the vinegar if you want to be sure it's truly gluten-free.

Not the best photo, but you get the idea, right?

Roasted Winter Vegetables
4 cups mixed winter vegetables, cut into 1 inch pieces
3-4 small onions, peeled, root and stem ends removed
1 bulb garlic, top sliced off but otherwise intact
1 Tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbs of choice (rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley)
1-2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar (optional)

Lay the vegetables out on a baking tray and sprinkle with oil and other seasonings. Place onions together in a piece of foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss with some oil. Wrap the foil up. Place the garlic bulb in another piece of foil with a light sprinkling of oil. Wrap that up. Place both foil packets on the pan with the vegetables. Roast in a 220C/425F oven for 30-45 minutes until vegetables are tender and golden. 20 minutes into cooking, remove the foil from the onions to permit browning. After the vegetables are cooked, squeeze the contents of the garlic bulb into a bowl. Toss in the vegetables and a splash of balsamic vinegar. The vegetables should have a shiny glaze once mixed. Enjoy warm or chilled.

Chickpea Salad

Salads....I love that a salad can really be just about anything you want it to be. I especially appreciate salads that you can make when good lettuce is either not available or not in your house that day. This chickpea salad is really not much of a recipe, but hopefully it will be an inspiration to you. This salad works well as the protein for a vegetarian meal. You can make it as simple or deluxe as you like, but here are the basics of what I do. You can use dried chickpeas or canned ones that you've rinsed and drained. You just need to add more salt if you've started from dried chickpeas.

Chickpea Salad
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
1 cup tomatoes, diced or chopped
1 cup red onion, sliced thinly
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1-2 Tablespoons vinegar (cider, red wine, or balsamic)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional add-ons:
1-2 cups fresh rocket/arugula
1 teaspoon dried herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary)
Crumbled cheese (feta, paneer, or even parmesan)
Fresh herbs (mint or basil)
Cucumber, chopped

Toss everything into a bowl. Adjust seasonings, vinegar, and oil to taste. Allow to chill and marinate at least 30 minutes before serving. 

French Dip Subs

Only one meat dish in the past 12 posts! Can you see that I prefer the vegetarian diet? I think it's time for one though. I will apologize in advance for my hastily snapped photo. This is because I have made these twice and gobbled my food so quickly I forgot to take a picture. This time, mid-scarfing, I snapped a photo of my husband's plate. These are so good I have literally come home so excited to make dinner both times! The recipe is from a 2004 Country Woman magazine...is that really a real magazine?!

French Dip Subs
2 Tablespoons oil
1 large onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
500g tenderloin steaks or chuck roast, sliced thinly
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 chicken bouillon cube (or 1 1/2 cups stock)
Hoagie rolls, toasted

Begin by slicing the beef thinly. Partially frozen meat tends to slice thinly the easiest because it doesn't move around. Heat the oil in the bottom of an open pressure cooker over medium heat. Add the onions, sauteing until golden brown. Toss in the garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant. Next, add the dried herbs, salt, and pepper, crushing them slightly in your hand. Add the sliced beef and brown in the bottom of the hot pressure cooker. Once browned, pour in the liquid and chicken bouillon. Stir, then clamp on the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook over high heat until it reaches pressure (first "whistle), turn the heat down to medium, and cook for about 30 minutes or 20 minutes more if you have a thick or tough cut of meet. Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally. Serve on toasted hoagie rolls with toppings of choice. Scoop the liquid from the pressure cooker into little dipping bowls to dip the subs as you eat.

Veggie Pancakes

I've been searching for more ways to incorporate vegetables in our diet. Sometimes I feel like I go through days where I hardly eat any vegetables other than tomatoes and legumes, which feels pretty ridiculous and bad for me. I had the thought, "I wonder if you could make a savory pancake out of vegetables?" Turns out that you can, and they taste pretty good. Since there is only a little flour in these, you could easily make them gluten free by substituting something like chickpea flour or another gluten free blend in place of the white flour. This recipe is a mishmash of a lot of ideas I find on the internet and can be customized with whatever vegetables you want. I used finely chopped cauliflower and leafy greens, but broccoli, cabbage, peppers, and even green beans would probably also work if you really chop them finely.

Sometimes white plates are good. Sometimes they're just not. Sorry!

Vegetable Pancakes
1/2 cup flour (white, wheat, chickpea, whatever)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, grated
1 cup mixed vegetables, finely

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients, including vegetables, in another bowl. Add the wet to the dry. Using a non-stick or well greased skillet, fry as you would normal pancakes, but using only a heaping tablespoons or so of batter at a time. Use the back of a spoon to flatten the batter some so the vegetables cook through. Cook over medium-low heat, flipping once the first side is browned and browning the other side.

You can eat these plain, with gravy, or with cheese sauce. We opted for a cheesy bechamel, and it was a fun savory twist on sweet pancakes.

Black Bean Taquitos

Over the summer, I was trying to think of ways to change up our traditional southwestern style dishes that we eat at home. Tacos, taco salad, enchiladas, and even bean tostadas are classics in our house, but still I want more variety! I remembered seeing taquitos in America, which are basically just a crispy rolled up tacos, and thought they might actually be easier my small kids to eat. Filling and delicious, these are a great weeknight meal, especially if you've cooked some black beans in advance. Serve them with fresh salsa and sour cream for dipping. If you flash freeze these on a cookie sheet for a couple hours, then bag them, they also work great for lunches! No need to thaw in advance.

Pardon their slight burned color! Priorities, people...

Black Bean Taquitos
1 Tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups cooked black beans
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup cheese, grated
6-8 tortillas or thin rotis

Heat oil over medium heat and saute onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle in taco seasoning and salt, stirring about 30 seconds. Add in the black beans with 1/4 cup of water and cook over low heat about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in cilantro in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Remove from heat. Into each tortilla, spoon about 1/3 cup of the bean mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Carefully roll each filled tortilla to look something like the photo and place seam side down in a baking dish. Preheat oven to 225C/425F. Prior to baking, brush each rolled taquito with some oil. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the tops of taquitos begin to turn golden.

Miso Noodle Bowl

I'm back after a long silence! Although our weather has alternated between hot/summery and rainy, something about monsoon rain makes me want that occasional bowl of soup--even when I'm sweating. This soup, inspired by a recipe from Mushrooms Canada, can be made in under 15 minutes so it's a definite winner for easy weeknight meals. If you want it to be extra special, soak some dried black/Shitake/Chinese mushrooms in the morning to give you delicious natural mushroom broth in the evening. Just make sure you don't pour in the dredges from the bottom as they may contain grit.

Miso Noodle Bowl
1 Tablespoon oil
2 small onions, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
3 Tablespoons miso paste
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
4 cups water + 2 vegetable bouillon cubes or mushroom broth
2 cups mixed mushrooms or bok choy, chopped
2 scallions, chopped finely
200g noodles (soba, ramen, or chowmein)
Sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar, to taste

Heat oil over medium low heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute, but do not let them brown. Stir in the miso paste and soy sauce, making sure the onions are coated with the mixture. Pour in the broth (water + bouillon) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the vegetables, cooking over medium heat just until they are al dente or the greens are wilted. Add the noodles and cook another 4-7 minutes until they are also al dente. Remove from heat. Ladle into bowls, top with chopped scallions, and sprinkle over sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar to taste.

To add more protein content to the meal, you could also drop in cubed tofu toward the end of the cooking process.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

This is one of my go-to favorite salads when the mercury rises. It's less of a recipe and more of an "add a little of this and a little of that" kind of thing. Make it as spicy as you'd like, use whatever beans you like, and if you have access to some good avocado, please add it for me! Serve it as a salad or a Texas Caviar-type dish with tortilla chips. It's also delicious on top of Spanish Beans and Rice. When you want to keep your salad cold, use frozen corn kernels or beans. They will thaw in about 20 minutes, and you'll have a nicely chilled salad.

Black Bean and Corn Salad
2 cups black beans, cooked, rinsed, and drained
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
2 cups frozen or 1 can sweet corn, drained
1 large onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 fresh chilies, seeded and chopped finely
1 large handful fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
Fresh black pepper, to taste
Juice of 1 to 2 limes

Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, starting with the smaller amount when a range is suggested and adjusting to your liking. Cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld for at least 30 minutes. Serve chilled.

Note: For perfect pressure cooked black beans (in 1st gen. pressure cooker), start with the quick soak method (boil 2 minutes, switch off, and cover for 3-4 hours). I don't have the forethought to do overnight soaking. Rinse and cover beans with water again in the pressure cooker. Clamp down the lid of the pressure cooker and bring to pressure (first whistle), then turn to low and cook for 10 minutes. Switch off and allow pressure to release naturally.

Sausage and Veggie Bake

I’ll just start with the fact that this is one of my favorite go to meals for pretty much any occasion. It’s simple, versatile and quick, and every time I take it somewhere I get heaps of compliments on it!

The original recipe (check it out here) was meant to be in foil on the grill which would be amazing, I’m sure, but I had to modify it to feed a big group of people and put it in the oven instead of on the grill, and it’s fantastic. I also tend to modify the ingredients as the seasons change and use what is in season and fresh at the time.

Sausage & Veggie Bake (or grill, or sauté, whatever works for you)

1 package Kielbasa sausage, sliced (or sausage of choice)
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
5-6 red potatoes, cubed (I only use these b/c they cook faster, any will do)
1-2 crowns of broccoli
1/2 a medium onion
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Toss all the veggies and sausage in a baking dish or in foil packets or even a sauté pan, give a good dousing of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. In my oven it takes about 30-40 minutes at 400 F/200C.

Added note from Lizzy: If you're in our neck of the woods and thinking, "Wait? We don't have kielbasa?," think again! You can buy kielbasa from a Polish couple at either of the large farmer's markets in our area.  If you're not up for the splurge (which is SOOO worth it), you can experiment with other local sausages, too.