Menu planning and an everyday vinaigrette recipe

We have fallen off the menu planning wagon (and by we, I mean me) and desperately need to get back on. So here is my attempt at getting back into it:

Monday - Steaks, potatoes, carrots or broccoli
Tuesday - Ham, mashed potatoes, and salad
Wednesday - Homemade pizza with various toppings (recipe for pizza dough to come)
Thursday - hamburgers or hamburger steak (haven't decided)
Friday - leftovers (family swim night)
Saturday - pork tenderloin
Sunday - something roasted (beef, pork or chicken!)

No chicken on the menu this week as it hasn't been on sale for quite some time out here and we are trying to live by the sales these days. I'm hoping that chicken will fall on sale this coming Thursday. If it does, then our menu plan may change slightly.

I haven't been feeling up to cooking too much lately and relying on some tried and true recipes (that I've already posted) for suppers. I've also been adjusting to having kids in school and running around doing drop offs and pick ups. And I really need to get on top of that because in not too long, there will be another little body to take care of!! So on top of menu planning and sorting out our schedules, I want to start getting some freezer meals sorted so that we have meals ready to go come December.

We have been on a wonderful salad kick at our house for the longest time. I'm not sure if it's the salad that we love or it's the salad dressing that's doing it. Well, I already know that for my hubby, it's the salad dressing. I know this because he will use anything to sop up the leftover dressing from his plate and he has been known to actually tilt his plate and slurp up the rest!!

It's another family recipe from my husband's aunt. And I share it often when I bring salad to a pot luck. It's such a great recipe and very versatile, you can adjust it to your tastes very easily.

Tante H's Everyday Vinaigrette
source: Tante H.

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp - 1 tbsp of dijon mustard (I start off with 1 tsp and then increase depending on my mood)
1/3 cup olive oil or canola oil
lemon juice from between 1 - 1 1/2 lemons
2 -3 tbsp olive juice
chopped fresh parsley, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Using a measuring cup, measure out the oil. Add the fresh lemon juice to the oil in the measuring cup and add enough juice so that the total liquid measure reaches 1/2 cup. You can definitely use more or less lemon juice depending on your taste, but that's what works for us. I continue to use my measuring cup as my "bowl" for the dressing until all items have been added. Next, I add the dijon mustard and try to mix it in using a fork. Then I add the rest of the ingredients (olive juice, garlic, parsley and pepper) and pour it into a dressing bottle or mason jar, whichever is closer at hand. I shake it up one last time and put it in the fridge until ready to use. It should last about 5 days.
In our house, I always make a double batch because my hubby likes to use it also as a bread dipper.

Enjoy!
Happy cooking!

Quinoa Greek Salad

I copied out this recipe at a coffee group potluck because it was that good. I had never really tried quinoa before I had this salad because I was afraid of it. I know that sounds ridiculous but I was afraid I wouldn't like it. And I hate when I don't like a food. But L. brought in this gorgeous looking salad and when she said it was made with quinoa, I knew this was my chance. I couldn't stop eating it. It was so fresh and light. A really beautiful summer salad. Oddly enough, I didn't make it again until this past week. It makes a large dish and I'm the only one who eats it.

I have decided to eat better this year, so it was the perfect thing to make. It was suggested to me years ago by a doctor to remove carbs from 1 meal a day. Pretty simple but for whatever reason, I don't always. It's more about convenience and not making more than 1 meal. But now I'm making more of an effort.

Quinoa Greek Salad
source: my friend L.

Ingredients
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/2 diced English cucumber
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup diced red onion
2/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/3 cup fresh basil or parsley, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
pinch pepper

Bring the stock to a boil and stir in the quinoa. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed. Transfer to a large serving dish and set aside to cool.
Once cool, add the veggies and feta.
For the dressing: Whisk the lemon zest and juice, oil, garlic, basil/parsley, oregano and pepper in a bowl.
You can make the dressing while the quinoa is cooking.
Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and toss.
Garnish with fresh basil or parsley if you like.

This makes a lot of salad, perfect for a pot luck.

Happy cooking!

Family Reunion Potato Salad

A few years ago, we attended a family reunion for my hubby's grandmother's family. I wasn't sure I wanted to go as my son was only 3-4 months old at the time. But we went and I'm happy we did. It was nice to sit and relax and just chat with everyone. But I really enjoyed the food. And my hubby and I fell in love with the potato salad. It was incredible. We were able to hunt down the potato salad maker and get a "recipe".
I made it the summer of 2010 when we got the recipe but then I forgot it and and forgot all about it!!!
Until about 2 weeks ago. And of course, I couldn't remember the recipe. And I didn't write it down. Then something amazing happened. I heard the recipe. Yup, I really did hear it. My son was playing with my hubby's old cell phone and managed to get into the voice recordings on the phone and played my voice over and over again detailing the recipe. I was so happy!! I've made it 3 times in the last week. It's so simple. The potatoes are the longest process of the whole salad. If garlic and fresh dill are a favorite, then you will love this recipe.

Family Reunion Potato Salad
source: T family

new potatoes
mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
garlic, minced
fresh dill, minced
fresh squeezed lemon juice
salt

Cook your potatoes and cool them.
In a bowl, mix the mayo and garlic together. Then add the dill. Add in the lemon juice and a little bit of salt.
Taste test as you go so that you have a flavour that you are happy with. I tend to use 2 garlic cloves with about 1 1/2-2 cups of mayo. I use the juice from half the lemon to start. and then add a bit more until the mayo thins to the consistency that I like. For the dill, I use about 1 tsp chopped to start. I add more if I feel it needs it. And as for the salt, this is definitely a taste thing. We are a no salt house, so a little goes a very long way for us.

Once you are happy with the taste of the dressing, add it to your cold potatoes. I let it sit for a little bit before  the meal but really, you don't have to.

Happy cooking!

Broccoli Salad

I am not always a fan of broccoli salad, sometimes it's way too sweet and I just don't enjoy it when savory foods are too sweet. So I make my version a little less sweet, but still very tasty!!
I picked up this tried and true recipe from my hubby's Tante Helene. She has a ton of family recipes and loves to cook, so she's a great resource for recipes. With summer just around the corner, I will be making this soon, so I will have a picture to add as soon as I do!
Edited April 30/2012: Picture has now been added!

Broccoli Salad
source: Tante Helene

Ingredients
2 to 3 broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup orange cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 lb bacon, cut into small pieces
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar (I start with a little more than half this amount and add more if it needs it)
1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Optional: unsalted sunflower seeds, minced red onion, craisins or raisins

Place the broccoli in a large bowl.
Mix the mayonnaise, sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Taste and add more sugar if you like.
Add the mayonnaise mixture to the broccoli and stir to incorporate. Add in the bacon and mix. Now add in the cheese and gently mix. If you were adding in any of the optional items, then I would add it at the same time as the bacon.

Happy cooking!!

Tzatziki recipe

While at cooking school, recipes were always circulating and being shared. A woman from another class had brought in her family recipe for homemade tzatziki and it actually sat in my book for a very long time. I decided about 4 years after finishing cooking school to give it a try. Oh. Em. Gee. This is incredible! It is fresh and wonderful. The strength of the garlic flavor ultimately rests on the garlic you choose, but even with varying strengths, it always tastes incredible. There is a little work to this, but definitely worth it. I will probably have to try this recipe again with the new Greek yogurts that are now available to see if steps can be cut out. Be sure to start your tzatziki the day before you need to it to ensure it's ready.

Tzatziki
source: M.M. via Sandra @ Little Bit Little Bite

Ingredients
3 cups plain Balkan yogurt, drained to yield 300g
200g sour cream
2 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
90g English cucumber, grated, drained
1 tsp salt
1 tsp canola oil or vegetable oil - do not use olive oil


Pour the yogurt into a clean cloth, tie into a ball and hang in the refrigerator over a bowl to catch the drippings. Let set overnight.
The next day, open the cloth and put the thick yogurt in a bowl.
Put a grater onto the same cloth and grate the cucumber over it (use fine section of the grater). Squeeze over a bowl to extract any water. Discard the water and add dry grated cucumber to the yogurt. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate.

Happy cooking!

Homefries on the side

We enjoy to mix things up sometimes. We normally like our homefries to go with our big breakfast but since it's rare that we eat a big breakfast, we decided to add homefires to our BBQ meals. And it worked out great! Since it is no longer for breakfast, I'm able to spice up our fries a little bit more. These are great with burgers, steak, chicken or any time really.

Spiced Homefries
source: Sandra @ Little Bit Little Bite

Ingredients
white or red potatoes
canola oil
chili powder
paprika
onion powder
garlic powder
dried parsley
little cumin
touch of cayenne
sprinkle of crushed chilis
salt
freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 400F.
Mix spices together in a bowl with some oil. You do not want the mixture to be like a paste. You want it to be a little more liquid.
Wash, peel (optional) and dice your potatoes.  The quantity of potatoes will depend on you and how many you will be serving. I tend to do a lot because I like to have leftovers. Please you potatoes in a bowl.
Pour the spice mixture over your potatoes and toss. Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven.
Bake for 45-60mins, turning halfway through.

I've tried these on the BBQ as well and they work great. To speed things up on the BBQ, I cook them in the microwave for a bit before adding the spice mixture. When I feel that the potatoes are close to done, I add the spice mixture then divide into foil packets. They turn out pretty good!

Happy cooking!

Tante Hélène's Vinaigrette and Salad

My husband's aunt (tante in French), Hélène, makes a wonderful salad that is great with anything from the BBQ. It could be used pretty much anytime but I always associate it with spring/summer and BBQ. She shared her recipe with us after one of our visits to their farm so that we could enjoy it at home! And now, I'm sharing it with you. It has a tang which of course you could lessen by reducing the amount of lemon juice you use, but to be honest, it's perfect with a mixed salad.

Tante Hélène's vinaigrette
source: Hélène B.

Ingredients

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil (I use the light version)

1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh

2-3 tbsp olive juice (from a jar of stuffed manzanilla olives)

freshly ground black pepper and dried parsley to taste

Whisk together and allow to sit while you prepare your salad to ensure the flavors blend. She actually uses an old mason jar or other jar that she has laying around (an old olive jar) and just puts it all in and shakes it, which is easy and convenient. 

For the salad, you can make it your own by adding or removing anything you like. It's really how you want it!
romaine lettuce

spinach

green onions, chopped or minced depending on your preference

broccoli, bite size

cauliflower, bite size

red cabbage, shredded
red and green peppers, diced
cucumbers, diced
shredded cheese
manzanilla olives, chopped
shredded carrot
insert your favorite item here!


Mix up, serve and enjoy!!

Happy cooking!

Homemade Greek Vinaigrette

This is a recipe that I have been using since about 2000. I found it in the recipe calendar "Recipes Plus 1997" and gave it a try. Along with the dressing recipe, was a recipe for a nice salad. It was before there were any pre-made Greek salad dressings (that I could find) and the salad was exactly what I was looking for! Now, the salad was nothing special. Some romaine lettuce, feta cheese, veggies (tomatoes,cucumbers,red and green peppers, kalamata olives, red onions) and the vinaigrette. You have to remember to let your dressing sit because the herbs need to release their flavors and blend with the dressing. And so worth the wait! The flavor is fantastic and I love eating it because there are no preservatives or additives. Take the time to make this dressing, you will love it too!

Greek Salad Lemon Vinaigrette

source: Recipes Plus 1997 calendar

Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil (extra virgin or I prefer light)
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp each of dried oregano, dried thyme and salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Whisk together all ingredients. Allow vinaigrette to sit so herbs can blend. I would make it first thing in the morning for an afternoon salad.

Enjoy!
Happy cooking!

Chicken brochettes and rice pilaf (and lemon potatoes)

I grew up in Montreal where we have a very diverse mix of cultures, which I love. It allowed me to learn so much and to taste so many different foods. One of my favourites is Greek. I just LOVE it!! And when I moved to Eastern Ontario, we found a great restaurant that does great Greek fare, Philos. Now that we are out East, I haven't found a great place. We have tried 2 places so far; one was an "it's Ok" kinda place and the other was an "um never again". There is one other place that we have yet to try, but going out to eat is on the back burner for the moment. In the meantime, I managed to find some recipes for one of our favourite meals: chicken brochettes, rice pilaf, lemon potatoes and a little salad. We did pasta salad this time but usually it is a romaine salad with lots of colour: red peppers, black olives, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onions and feta cheese. I simply replaced the lettuce with some fusilli pasta. And of course, you have to have the best tzatziki (or close to it). I have a great recipe for that too...but a later post will come with the recipe. For this meal, we used the Skotidakis brand found at Costco, it was great. There is some preparation that goes with this meal, but so worth it in the end. Allow for 3-6 hours for your chicken to marinate. I started my recipe late but lucky enough, DH worked late so the chicken marinated for close to 4 hours. And as DH put it, this is restaurant chicken! LOL, so worth it.
Note: I unfortunately don't have any pictures for this meal yet. We ate so late the day it was made, that pictures weren't an option. But I will update with some pics once we have this meal again.

Chicken Brochettes
source: thebestmomontheblock.blogspot.com

Ingredients
4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
skewers (we have metal skewers for the BBQ or you could use wooden ones soaked in water)

For the marinade, combine the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano and thyme in a large resealable zippered bag or in a bowl and add your chicken. Marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours. I flipped my bag every so often while marinating. Heat the grill and skewer the chicken once marinated. Grill for about 3-4 mins each side (I did 3-4 sides - I wanted some BBQ flavour on all parts of my chicken LOL).

Rice Pilaf
source: thebestmomontheblock.blogspot.com

Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 med carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
3 cups of chicken stock or water
kosher salt to taste

Heat the oil in a pot and add the onion, carrot, celery and zucchini and sauté for a few minutes. Add the oregano, thyme and salt. Now add the rice and stir to brown for about 2 minutes. Add the stock, stir and cover. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is light and fluffy (about 20 minutes). ** This makes a lot of rice!

Lemon Potatoes
source: Australian Women's Weekly cookbook

Ingredients
(recipe is easily halved)
12 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice (fresh is best)
1 1/2 tbsp grated lemon rind
2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp dried thyme
fresh ground black pepper and salt

Preheat oven to 400F. Place diced potatoes in a bowl. Combine remaining ingredients. Once combined, pour over potatoes and stir well to coat. Place potatoes on rimmed  baking sheet and cook for 50 mins. I checked for doneness at 40 mins as my oven seems to cook faster.

Serve this meal along side a nice greek salad (romaine salad, tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, peppers, feta cheese and some Greek salad dressing) and some extra tzatziki of course!

Happy cooking!