Almost Lasagna

Oct 31, 2011 by lovelypantry

 

There are some days when I am willing to make Lasagna, and there are days when I wonder why go through all the layering. Don’t get me wrong, we love lasagna. It’s a beautiful thing. This is a recipe that happened one day when I started to make lasagna but never quite made it. You just never know how things will turn out  in my kitchen. This was a great meal!

 

 

Add colourful veggies. Serve and enjoy!

 

read more

Steamed Salmon with Lemon and Thyme

Oct 24, 2011 by lovelypantry

I will forever consider myself to be a lifelong learner. If I’m not learning new things, I’m not growing. Ever since I discovered my love for cooking and healthy eating, my desire to learn new recipes, foods, and techniques has grown tremendously.

I am very fond of Salmon and  I’ve prepared it in various ways, but how long before I’ve exhausted all the methods that I know? Steaming fish seems simple enough if you have a steamer of some kind. But what if you don’t? How can Salmon be steamed with just a few items that you already have in your kitchen? I recently learned of a very simple technique where I enjoyed the entire process in its simplicity.

Salmon really is a beautiful fish.

 

 

The original recipe called for fresh Dill which I did not have at hand (surprise, surprise). Instead, I used some Thyme that I had drying which did the trick perfectly.

 

Ingredients:

2 Salmon Fillets

1 Lemon, thinly sliced

Few Sprigs Thyme

1 Red (Or green, or yellow…) Sweet Pepper, thinly sliced

Salt & Pepper

1 Tsp All Purpose Seasoning

 

Preparation:

1 Large Skillet

1 Plate that fits into the skillet leaving some space around the diameter (an inch is good)

Aluminium foil rolled and formed into a ring

Water

 

Place foil ring into the skillet with some water. The foil itself should not be submerged at all. Place the plate on top of the foil, pressing down gently, ensuring stability.

 

 

Line the plate with a few slices of lemon. I used 2 rows with 3 slices in each. Add the Salmon on top of the lemon. Add the thyme (or fresh herb of your choice) between the fillets. Season the salmon with salt, pepper, and any other desired seasoning. Go light. Salmon does not need to be over-seasoned.

Place a few slices of sweet pepper on top of the salmon so that they overlap.

 

 

Did I mention that Salmon is a beautiful fish?

 

 

Cover the skillet and bring to a boil. This should take about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer until the salmon is cooked though. This should take about 15 minutes more.

 

 

The salmon is cooked when it is no longer pink and flakes easily with a fork. The smell is wonderful. You probably won’t be able to wait too long before you have this. I suggest you have your plate ready!

 

 

I served the salmon with some string beans. I enjoyed it. I know that you will too. You can use this technique with any fish, and try using different seasoning. Cooking is a journey in experiments. Give this a try!

 

 

I’d like to thank Everyday Food for sharing this technique and allowing me to share it with my readers.

 

Until next time, take care of you.

 

~Lyn

 

read more

Banana Nutmeg Smoothie

Oct 17, 2011 by lovelypantry

After chit-chatting with my friends on Facebook, I realized that Smoothies are quite popular with healthy-minded individuals! I guess I’m a bit late on the smoothie band wagon, but I’m slowly getting into it. I mean, who can resist a fruity drink that’s natural and GREAT for you? It’s always a bonus when the kids LOVE it too. I’m down for Smoothies! Are you?

• What are your best smoothies?
• How often do you have them?
• What do you use to make them? (Blender, Immersion blender, Single Serving Blender etc)

 

Smoothies are so versatile. Its a meal on the go, or a quick nutritious snack. When it comes to ingredients, my Facebook friends have listed both fruits and veggies. Bananas seem to be the must have ingredient, followed by mango and pineapple. Peanut Butter adds a smooth shot of protein and frozen spinach adds some extra goodness to the mix. I look forward to experimenting more with Smoothies.

 

Here’s a recipe for a smoothie that my children and I enjoyed ~ Banana Nutmeg Smoothie

 

Ingredients:

2 Bananas (If you use frozen Bananas, you don’t need ice)

1/2 Cup Milk (Substitute with Soy or Almond if desired)

1 Cup Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt

1/4 Tsp Nutmeg

1 Cup Ice

 

Directions:

Add ingredients to a blender and mix until the ice is crushed and the liquid becomes frothy. Pour into individual glasses (or cups for the little ones).

 

If using as an adult meal replacement, adding a flavoured protein powder is great too.

Happy blending!

 

Lyn

read more

Ginger Carrot Bread

Sep 20, 2011 by lovelypantry

When I saw this recipe I just had to try it. An easy way to utilize carrot juice without having to juice dozens of carrots! Its already a winner in my book. I was very impressed with the bright colour as well as the texture of the bread. I found it quite tasty and of course, my mini food tasters gave it their seal of approval.

I found some natural (no preservatives added) carrot juice in the supermarket so I decided to try it not only with the recipe, but also to incorporate it into our diet. Eventually I’ll get into juicing, but for now, this is a great healthy addition to my baking.

 

This Ginger Carrot Bread recipe has been a certified hit and its always a pleasure to make it and share with family and friends. The gorgeous, striking colour is always a topic for discussion!

 

 Enjoy!

read more

Chicken Parmigiana

Sep 12, 2011 by lovelypantry

I love to make dishes that are tasty and family friendly. They can be as simple or as fussy as I want them to be, since in the end, my efforts will be worth it. I am steadily appreciating the flavour of tomatoes (that’s right, I don’t like them so much) and I’m slowly incorporating them into meals a few times per week. Chicken Parmigiana was something that always looked great but I remember when I tried it some time ago, there was just too much tomato sauce. I decided to try it my way.

I went looking for a sauce that I was comfortable with. I found a Pasta Sauce by a brand called Healthy Choice. There was a limited variety from their line but I went with the Garlic and Fine Herb. It’s the only one that I use now. I’m very happy with it.

 

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs

1 Egg

6 Chicken breast cutlets, seasoned with salt and pepper {If you use whole breasts, you’ll have to thinly slice it length-wise in half to get a nice cutlet.}

1/4 Cup Gratered Parmesan Cheese

1 Cup Tomato Sauce

1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (or if you’re using sliced Mozzarella cheese, 1 slice per piece of chicken)

Olive Oil for browning chicken

 

Directions:

Turn on your broiler to  high.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat a few tablespoons of Olive Oil.

In a shallow dish, add bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.

Lightly beat the egg and pour into another shallow dish.

Dip each chicken breast into the egg to coat, then dip into the breadcrumb/cheese mixture. Shake off any excess. Brown each piece of chicken and be sure to do it in batches.

In an oven proof casserole dish, pour in tomato sauce to coat the bottom evenly. Place each piece of cooked chicken into the dish, slightly overlapping.

Sprinkle mozzarella over the chicken (or layer slices across the top of the chicken).

Place in your oven broiler at about 4 inches from the heat source for about 5-8 minutes. Allow the cheese to brown nicely. Serve with Pasta and Salad.

I enjoy this every time I cook it. Hopefully you will too!

 

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food.

 

read more