day 7-17 have you missed me? ;)

I know it  has been a while, exams are over now and i have been cooking up a storm in the mean time but I have not had the chance to blog between cooking, studying, examing, and sleeping. But don't underestimate me world or whoever is reading this, here are the past 11 days worth of recipes!
Day 7
Slow Cooker beef stew!
1lb boneless stewing beef
3tbsp flour
what ever vegetables you want! I used white turnip (3), sliced mushrooms, 3 onions, 2 bell peppers,3 leeks, 1 can of stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup beef broth
Toss the cubed beef with flour, toss into the slow cooker, add the rest of the ingredients. Cover with lid, cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Bon appetite!

Delish! I love beef stew! It has a hearty flavor, its very versatile so if you only have carrots to add to it thats ok, or if you want to add everything except the kitchen sink, thats ok too! Definitly a 5 star rating!!!

Day 8
Simply orange chicken!
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 can mandarine oranges in light syrup
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Add mandarine oranges with syrup into a food processor and pulse twice so its still chunky. Mix with sugar and cornstarch. set aside. Cook chicken in a pan until no longer pink. Remove from pan. Add sauce into same pan chicken was cooked in. put on med-high and cook 1-2 minutes. Add chicken back to pan cover and simmer 5-7 minutes until chicken is very tender. serve chicken with sauce over top.

This recipe was ok, i would have preferred the chicken sliced instead of whole. I processed the oranges too much so it was not the desired outcome. So overall i give the recipe a 3 1/2 stars.

Day 9!
Moo Shu Pork
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
salt and pepper
1 pork tenderloin cut into strips
2 tbsp oil
8 oz of mushrooms of any kind
1 bad of coleslaw mix
1 scallion thinly slice
bibb lettuce (optional)
Whisk hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Add the pork and marinate 10 minutes. Heat oil in a large skillet. over high heat. remove pork from marinade and  stir fry till browned. Transfer to a plate. Add marinde to the pan with 3 tbsp water. boil. Pour over pork. Heat oil in a pan and add mushrooms and fry till golden. Add the coleslaw mix and cook till wilted. add pork and scallions. Serve in lettuce leaf or over rice or alone!

This was such a flavorful meal! The pork was tender, the sauce was a little smokey, sweet and well seasoned, the veggies were tender and crisp and it was just a great taste! 5 stars!!!

Day 10
Tuskinny Chicken
1 tbsp oil
12 boneless skinless chicken thighs (i used chicken breasts, about 4)
1 1/2 cups coarsly chopped red onions   
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 medium zucchini sliced
1 bell pepper sliced
2 tsp of basil, oregano, and rosemary
1 jar pasta sauce
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can kidney beans
pepper and salt
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Heat oil in pan, and brown the chicken. Remove and keep warm. Add onions and garlic to the same skillet, cook till softened. Add mushrooms, zucchini and peppers. Cook until tender-crisp; 6 minutes. Stir in herbs. Add pasta sauce, wine, beans, and pepper. Return chicken to pan. Reduce heat to meduim low. Cook and simmer 20 minutes covered. uncover and let stand 5 minutes. serve with cheese on top.

This was such a flavorful meal! The pork was tender, the sauce was a little smokey, sweet and well seasoned, the veggies were tender and crisp and it was just a great taste! 5 stars!!!

Day 6 of this amazing adventure!!

Now I could tell you that I gave up due to my lack of blogs but that would be far from the truth. The truth is we had not groceries to cook any recipes until i got paid which is at the end of the month.
But not to worry I am back and ready to Blog!!! and COOK!
this recipe is called Maui Wowie Chicken
ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 can pineapple tidbits NOT DRAINED
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white or brown rice
3/4 cup carrots choppped finely
1 cup chopped peppers
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced
3/4 cup chopped green onion
In a skillet or wok at meduim high heat, add 1 tbsp of oil and the  chicken. Cooked until no longer pink. Add the remaining ingredients except green onion. stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 25 min or untill rice is cooked. Stir occasionally.
Stir in green onions during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve immediately


I liked this recipe but found the soy sauce overpowering, I found that i did not care for the pineapple but otherwise it was a pretty good recipe. 3 1/2 stars

Day 5 of this amazing adventure

Ok so since my culinary school, I have fell in love with pork tenderloin so you may find many of these but you will also see a lot of variety too dont worry!
Ok so this recipe is called Marla's Maple Pork
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp Dijon
2 tsp grated orange zest
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp ground corriander
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
Trim the pork of all visible fat.  Place the pork in a large, heavy duty resealable bag. Whisk together all remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour over the pork. Seal the bag and allow to marinate at least 1 hour. Transfer pork to a small roasting pan and roast uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Pork should be slightly pink and that is totally OK! Let pork stand for 10 minutes (which mean take it out of the oven and just let it sit in the pan, uncut). Slice thinly drizzle extra sauce from pan over pork! Bon Appetite!


Again, this was another great recipe! I found it was a little too sweet for my liking but this can be easily fixed by either lessening on the maple syrup, or adding a little more mustard, soy suace, it is a trial and error game :) 4 stars!!

Day 4 (and 5 to follow) of this crazy fun adventure

Ok I greatly appologize as it is exam season, i am trying to keep on top of this but no worries, i have the recipes to blog!!
So todays recipes is called: The Chicken Coup
Ingredients:
dressing:
1/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp honey mustard
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp orange juice
pinch salt and pepper
SALAD:
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup diced celery
1 large granny smith apple chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1/3 cup toasted pecans
4 cups chopped romaine
Combine all the dressing ingredients together, cover and refridgerate until ready to use it.
Toss all the salad ingredients together, Add dressing and enjoy!


Man oh Man, did I ever think i would be blogging about a salad? Nope but this is heavenly!!! Its so sweet and tart and juicy and just like the ultimate salad! I have never had a better salad (and i love to eat salad!!) another 6 stars out of 5!!!!

Day 3 of my adventure

So i missed a day due to having too much food to finish before cooking again but no worries I am back!
So this recipe is titled Stick to Your Ribs Ribs!
Ingredients
1 can apple juice
1 can tomatoes any way
1 can pineapple chunks or crushed
water
2 racks of back ribs
your favourite barbecue sauce
OK so fill a large pot(s) or turkey pan with the juice, tomatoes and pineapple. Then fill it with water respectfully so that the ribs will be covered but not overflowing. Boil the mixture, drop the ribs in in full length or cut into 3-4 piece pieces. Boil 50 min. Remove from liquid, put on large pan or sheet pan and cook at 375 for 35-40 min. Bone-appetite !!!

They are the most tenderest ribs that I have ever had in my life! The boiling mixture helps break down the tissue and that's what makes it so delectably tender!! 6 stars! lol out of 5

Day 2 of my adventure

I have realized already how much I have missed cooking. It has been my passion forever and after culinary school, when I didnt get employed anywhere after almost 6 months, my heart was sad and I lost my passion. But guess what? IM BACK BABY!
Recipe #2: To Stir With Love
ingredients:
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp apricot jam
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame oil
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp oil for the pan
4 boneless chicken breasts cut into strips
1 cup sliced red pepper
1 cup whole mini corncobs or a can of corn
1 cup sliced water chestnuts
2 cups packed, whole baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
4 cups hot cooked rice or noodles (optional)
To make the sauce, combine broth, jam, soy sauce, ketchup, ginger, cornstarch, sesame oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat the oil and in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Cook the chicken until no longer pink and lightly browned. Add the red pepper and cook 2 min. Add the corn, water chestnuts, spinach, and green onions. cook 3 more minutes. Add sauce and cook till bubbly and slightly thickened.


Wow this was another amazing dish! It was a little sweet because of the jam and the ketchup and then BAM a little spicy from the pinch of red pepper flakes. It was an amazing combination of flavours and textures from the vegetable and the chicken. Again would have to rate it 5 stars!

Day 1 on my new adventure

So pondering my hundreds of recipe books and cooking magazines, I thought to myself how could I say that I cannot think of some good recipes or different flavours, I shouldnt have to, i have it all right here in front of me. So i spent two days picking out healthy good looking and sounding recipes and began my journey.
Today I will be posting yesterdays and todays recipes as I have been meaning to start this blog.
I encourage people to comment about it and ask questions.
I will be posting the recipe, my comments and a picture.
Come with me and enjoy something new!
Day 1 (nov 16)
"Chinese Takeout" Lemon Chicken
prep time 10 min |
ingredients:
1 tbsp oil for the pan
1 lb boneless chicken breasts cut into strips
1 red pepper cut into strips
1 pkg lemon jello powder
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp zesty italian dressing
2 cloves garlic minced
Heat oil in a large skillet (i used a wok) on medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook till no longer pink (4-8 min). Add peppers. cook 2 min. Mix in a seperate bowl the lemon jelly powder, the cornstarch. Add the broth, dressing and garlic. stir until dissolved. Reduce heat to medium. Add sauce to pan and cook until sauce slightly thickened. Serve over hot rice (optional)

This was one of the most flavourfull, lemony delicious tasting meals I have made and I must say I have made many. This was a 5 star recipe! Delicious!