Mushroom and Bacon Pasta

Jan 29, 2013 by lovelypantry

You have no idea how excited I get when I find a good recipe. I mean a really good recipe. One that I wouldn’t mind having in weekly rotation. A recipe that is surprisingly pleasant to the palate. A recipe that is easy to make and works well when you really don’t know what on earth you are going to make for dinner tonight. I’ve had a few nights like that recently.

My friends, as simple as this recipe is, I think its lovely. I even managed to get my son to eat it. He questioned the mushrooms for a moment (I didn’t put a lot in his plate) but he finished his serving quite happily. I LIVE for moments like that!! I can’t wait for my daughter to follow suit and actually enjoy food. My husband enjoyed it immensely and  I will say, it is hard to impress him if there is no meat on his plate!

 

 

 

I guess I cheated and added bacon to this dish. Bacon is the magical ingredient that seems to give (almost) any dish the upper hand. I had a vision and I ran with it. I adapted a Mushroom Pasta recipe and decided to add bacon because I thought it would pair nicely with the mushrooms. I also substituted white wine for chicken broth.

 

 

I’ll be honest, mushrooms are not my favourite food. But in a recipe like this? I will have it and I will enjoy it. I love a good pasta dish. This certainly satisfied any carb cravings I had. I also loved how the mascarpone just melted into the broth and gave it such a creamy sauce-like texture…without the cream! Brilliant!

 

 

I’m always looking for easy meals that can nourish and satisfy. I believe this is definitely one of them.

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Spelt Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jan 11, 2013 by lovelypantry

Cookies are a wonderful treat. Some cookies, take a little time to prepare and others can be made on a whim if you have the right ingredients on hand. I really have to be in the mood to make the type of cookie that takes up time in the kitchen. These cookies? Nothing short of brilliant. I came across it some time ago but wasn’t into making cookies yet. I’m glad I saved it and I am definitely glad that I made them.

I found the recipe for Cream Cheese Cookies and wanted to make it as is. No adapting. I wanted to know what the original cookie tasted like. And I almost succeed.

I have been buying a variety of flours, all with the intention of experimenting and finding alternatives to regular flour. There are so many flours that have wonderful nutritional value. The one I have used the most in the past, is Quinoa flour. For this cookie, I chose to use Spelt flour. I didn’t plan to. My hand just steered to the right of the all-purpose flour. Sometimes in life, you just have to take chances.

 

 

 

The chocolate chips didn’t actually make it into the batter until half way through. The first batch was so wonderfully fragrant but I wondered  what I could add that would go nicely with these cookies. I added a few mini chocolate chips. The  regular chocolate chips seemed too large for these delicate cookies.

 

 

I’m not sure how many cookies were taken from this rack while I wasn’t looking. Sticky fingers around here. I don’t blame them.

 

 

I liked how delicate and dainty these cookies looked. I’m sure they’d make an excellent gift or even a quick treat if company popped by.

 

 

These cookies are absolutely delightful. With or without the chocolate chips, you’ll absolutely LOVE them. A definite keeper.

~Lyn

 

 

 

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Madeleines with Zucchini and Gruyère Cheese

Nov 15, 2012 by lovelypantry

Today I’m doing a guest post for Renee at Magnolia Days. Renee is certainly one of the most helpful, knowledgeable and friendly food bloggers I’ve come across in my year of blogging. Renee was nice enough to guest post for me a few months ago while I was on vacation and now I’m honoured to do the same for her. One day, Renee and I will meet. And we’ll have a good old talk as good friends do. Most likely after we’ve cooked and baked up a storm.

I’ve always loved unusual, simple, tasty little treats. Madeleines certainly fit that description. These little cakes (they have also been called cookies) have French origins and are made with a special pan which can be purchased from specialty cooking stores, or online. I remember when I brought my Madeleine pan home. I was so excited because I had a new baking utensil to play with. I searched through my cookbooks and found a recipe that was so unusual for me, but had my favourite ingredients. I decided to give it a try and now I will share my very first Madeleines with you all. Remember to check out my guest post for the recipe, and be sure to say hello to Renee 🙂

 

 

Zucchini and cheese. Such a great pairing. I enjoyed these little darlings with some tea- any kind will do. I also added some cream cheese to each savoury bite. I think this is a great way to spend these chilly afternoons. There’s really no fuss in making Madeleines. The ingredients are simple and the recipe is quite versatile. The recipe used was slightly adapted from “Quick Cooking, 1,001 Recipes”.

 

 

 

I haven’t had my Madeleine pan for long, but without a doubt… I know I will get lots of use out of it.

 

 

 

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Quinoa Brownies

Oct 18, 2012 by lovelypantry

Today, I’m doing a guest post for Kimberly over at Badger Girl Learns To Cook! Kimberly has a weekly feature called Healthy Blogger Thursdays and I was fortunate enough to be invited! I’m really happy to be a part of such a wonderful network of food bloggers. We truly support each other and get introduced to new bloggers regularly. Check out Kimberly’s blog and follow her culinary journey focusing on clean eating and using whole foods in her diet. You’ll also be introduced to such amazing health conscious bloggers that inspire with wonderful recipes, health tips, and other health related topics.

Todays recipe is just so simple. I’m going to call it healthy because my favourite superfood is included and you probably wouldn’t even know. I rave about Quinoa all the time because of its wonderful benefits and versatility. I adapted this recipe from Donna Hay’s cookbook “Fast, Fresh, Simple”. The original title is “Standby Brownies” since cocoa powder is used instead of melting chocolate. Please visit Kimberly’s blog for the full recipe and my very first guest post 🙂

 

Sometimes you just really need a chocolate fix. I do, all the time! Quinoa Brownies certainly hit the spot ~ especially with a glass of really cold Almond Milk.

 

 

I just love Kimberly’s “can-do” attitude towards eliminating processed foods and learning how to cook! It’s both refreshing and inspiring! Thank you Kimberly for including me as part of your Healthy Blogger Series!

 

~Lyn

 

 

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Broiled Chicken Thighs With Pineapple-Cucumber Salad

Jun 20, 2012 by lovelypantry

Have you ever had a pineapple-cucumber salad? I haven’t. I saw the photo on the cover of May 2012 issue of Everyday Food. I had to try it. So I did! Such a refreshing recipe! I was certainly glad to try it. Double points for me because my son ate it all ~ and asked for more! He has excellent taste buds although they are still maturing. The original recipe called for cilantro. I’m so not a fan. I used parsley from my little herb planter that sat by the bay window in the kitchen. It felt very rewarding to use it! Now that its gone (RIP indoor herbs) I’ll have to try again. But I won’t stop until I have my own flourishing indoor herb collection.

This bright zesty salad is so easy and would be perfect for a summer barbecue or a quick side dish. The chicken was fast and flavourful – I should try it on the grill next time!

 

 

 

This is the easiest rub you could ever do. Such a terrific idea for a last-minute meal.

 

 

This is the first time I’m pairing cucumbers with fruit. The lime juice gave it a nice zesty kick and everything together felt so very refreshing.

 

 

A fast summer meal! Keep this recipe in mind if you’d rather be spending time soaking up the sun, than labouring in the kitchen.

 

 

Happy Wednesday!

~Lyn

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