Spaetzli with Pork and Sauce

Prep and cook time (meat and sauce): about 40 minutes
Prep and cook time (everything): about 1hr, 15 minutes

First off , before I really get into this, the prep and cook time for everything might be high.  I am not the best multi-tasker.  The time I indicated is me doing the spaetzli first, they moving onto the other stuff.  See the alternatives at the bottom that can speed things up some.

(c) Helpful Daddy 2011

Oh wow!  I has been ages since I have posted a recipe.  The laziness is just completely uncalled for.  I have had the pictures for this recipe for months now, and yet, it is just now that I am deciding I can post it.  My title for the recipe is fairly self explanatory; Spaetzli with Pork and Sauce.  The recipe for the Spaetzli can be found here.  It is dead easy to make.  I believe for this current recipe, I had some frozen in the freezer.  Anyway, the pork recipe I have to give some credit to my mother in law, who's similar recipe was the inspiration for this one.  Here is what you will need:

2 Pork Tenderloins
1 large onion, diced
2-3 carrot, sliced thin
2 cups chopped broccoli
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
3 tsp of flour (or corn starch)
2 Bay leaves
2 generous pinches of sage
3-4 cloves
Salt and Pepper to taste
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preheat skillet or pot to about medium heat.  Remove the silver skin from the tenderloins while the pot is heating up.  Season the meat with salt and pepper.  Put the EVOO into the pan, and then cook the meat - about 7 minutes a side or until done.  While the meat is cooking prepare the veggies.  When the meat is done, remove it to a plate for the time being.  In the same pot, add a little more olive oil and toss in the onion, garlic and carrots.  Saute for a few minute to help remove the stuff stuck to the bottom from the meat.  

Add the chicken stock, broccoli, and herbs and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots are to the desired tenderness.  While the sauce is simmering, slice the meat into 10cm (~1/2") slices.  Make sure that you keep any of the juices that come out of the meat while cutting it - we will add it to the sauce for more flavour.  When the stock is done cooking, whisk the flour into the the heavy cream and add to stock and keep stirring until it is incorporated.  Add the meat back to the sauce to warm back up again.  Serve over the spaetzli with some shredded cheese.

-Note, it goes without saying, but don't eat the bay leaves of cloves.

Alternatives:

-As always you can reduce the calorie and fat content by replacing the heavy cream with evaporated milk

- If you aren't down with the home made spaetzli, you can buy pre-packaged stuff that cooks like pasta

- You can also use pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

-Add any other veggies you like to jazz it up.

That's all for now

-d
o_0

Linking up with Skip to My Lou

Three Cheese Lasagna

Prep Time: 1hr + 3hrs Cook Time: 40min

(c) Helpfuldaddy - guaranteed to widen you arse

I am going to start off with saying that I hate making lasagna. I love to eat lasagna, but making it seems like such a chore to me. Ironically, as it turns out, lasagna is my wonderful wife's favourite meal. Once a year (maybe, twice a year) I cave in and make her a lasagna. I can't say that this is the healthiest lasagna that you will ever have, because it is loaded with cheese (which of course, makes it so great). So on with the show, here is what you will need:

Homemade Bolognese Sauce - I posted this last year some time. This is where a lot of the time comes from.
1 package of fresh pasta sheets. We like the whole wheat kind
1 250ml tub of cottage cheese
500gm of pizza mozzarella cheese - shredded
2 cups of milk
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Make the Bolognese sauce as per instructions on linked post. Keep over low heat until needed.

Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. In a saucepan, over medium heat, heat up the butter until it just starts to melt, then whisk in the flour. When that becomes a smooth texture, keeps whisking and pour in the milk. Whisking constantly, keep the sauce at medium heat until it just starts to boil, then reduce heat to a little hotter that low. Add the Parmesan cheese and whisk until it is thoroughly melted into the sauce. Keep at this temperature, stirring occasionally, until needed.

Now for the fun part - assembling the beast. In a 13x9 casserole dish, start by putting a thin layer of sauce on the bottom, just for some moisture for the pasta sheets. Add a layer of pasta sheet. Top this layer with the whole tub of cottage cheese, and a little sauce to boot. Add another layer of pasta sheets. Top this later with a thin layer of sauce and some white sauce. Add another layer of pasta sheets. Top this layer with another this helping of pasta sauce and a generous layer of cheese. Add the final layer of pasta sheets. Top this layer with more pasta sauce and another generous serving of cheese. Cover the lasagna with tin foil and put it in the oven for 30 minutes, the take the tin foil off and leave in for the remaining time, or until the cheese is nice and bubbly and gooey on top.

(c) Helpfuldaddy

Alternatives:

-In the layer with the white sauce, add some thinly sliced zucchini or spinach for some green

-I like to make the sauce a head of time. The last time I made this, I prepared the sauce the night before, and let it simmer while I was watching a movie, then put it away just before bed. Sauce is always better the next day - it gives the herbs and spices more time to infuse their flavours.

-Even if you aren't rather fond of cottage cheese (which we in this house aren't), it is still great when it is melted in with everything else. It adds a bit of creaminess to the lasagna.

-If you make the sauce specifically for this dish, there will be some left over. I like to make a smaller lasagna with all the left overs and freeze it for another time.

-The great thing about lasagna is that you can add just about anything to it to jazz it up and it still will be delicious.

Enjoy,
-d

Linking up with Skip to My Lou

Chicken & Vegetable Curry Recipe

Prep Time: About 45 minutes  Cook Time: About 30 minutes.

I don't know how I missed this one.  I was sure that I posted this recipe already, as my family was curious about the recipe.  I checked all of the recipe posts and couldn't find it.  Well, at least it gives me something to write about.

I made this curry first for my parents when they came to visit about a year ago.  My parents, who are still skeptical to think that I can actually cook (you ask someone how long to boil an egg for when you are 14 and you'll never live it down), were actually quite surprised with how tastey and easy to make this recipe actually is.  There is nothing authentic about this curry, other than the spices that go into it, but it is nice an colourful and has lots of (also healthy) stuff in it.  Here is what you will need:

*3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized cubes (I like to use 1/2 breast per person, because are so many other ingredients)
*2 potatoes, cut into small cubes
*8 hard boiled eggs
*2 carrots, thinly sliced
*1 red pepper, thinly sliced
*1 zuccini, cubed
*1 red onion, finely chopped
*3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
*handful of snowpeas
*1 can of evaporated milk
*2-3 tsps of chicken stock powder
*salt and pepper
*2 tsp garam masala
*2-3 tsp curry powder (or to taste)
*Basmati rice
*Mango Chutney

Heat a heavy bottom pot over medium heat with a couple of generous splashes of extra virgin olive oil.  once hot, toss in the carrots and potatoes and cook them for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.  In the meantime, you can boil the eggs and prepare the other veggies and chicken.  After about 5 minutes, add the onions and peppers and cook for another couple of minutes, then add the chicken and the garlic and season with some salt and pepper.  (If the pan is getting a little dry, you can add a little more olive oil).

In a bowl, pour in the evaporated milk and whisk together with the chicken stock powder.  When the chicken is mostly cooked, pour in the evaporated milk and mix together.  At this point, you can add the zuccini and the spices.  Continue cooking at current heat until the mixture starts to boil, then put a lid on it and reduce the heat to medium low (just so there is a little boil going on - this heat will continue to cook the chicken and the other veggies, as well as take the starch in the potaotes and thicken up the sauce). Stir occasionally.

While this is simmering, you can prepare the basmati rice.  I always like to pre-soak my rice for at least half an hour before I cook it, but prepare it however you like.  You can also shell the eggs.  When the rice is done, put the snow peas and eggs into the curry, so that they don't over cook, but just warm up.  Serve the curry over the rice with a nice dollop of mango chutney on top.

Alternatives:

- for a more savoury dish, reduce the amount of evaporated milk and replace with heavy cream or coconut milk

- I always like to make extra so I can take it for lunch the next day.

All for now,
-d

Linking up with The DIY Home Project & Funky Polkadot Giraffe & Organic Homemaking

Seared Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Carrot Sauce

It has been a long freaking time since I have posted something.  Since I only really get time to post on the weekend, and it seems like for the past 5 weekends we have not been home, it becomes terrible difficult to find the time.  Now since I am not feeling well, and I have put Sylvia to work ;-) I have a little time.

Todays recipe I made a couple of weeks ago and got rave reviews.  Hopefully I remember how it all went down.  Here is what you will need.

2 pork tenderloins, silver skin removed
4 large carrots, chopped up
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic
2 cups of chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt
Pepper
Smoked Paprika
Pinch of cayenne
garlic powder

I a pot, pour in the chicken stock and add the onions, carrots, and garlic and bring to a low simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are soft.  In a heavy bottom frying pan (one with a lid) heat up a few table spoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.  Mix all of the seasonings together, and rub the tenderloin with all over with it.  When the pan is hot, put the meat in and put the lid on the pan.  This will make the meat cook a little faster.  Sear until it is nice and deep golden on both sides.  Remove the meat when it is cooked and let rest under some aluminum foil.  In the same pan that the meat was in, pour the chicken stock mixture in to de-glaze the pan.  This will pick up all the little pieces of meat left on the pan that are full of flavour.  Once all of the good stuff is lifted off the bottom, transfer the mixture into a blender and blend just until it is smooth, the transfer it back into the frying pan.  Finally, add the heavy cream to the carrot blend.

Serve the meat with some mashed potatoes and your favourite steamed veggies, and pour the sauce right over the meat and potatoes.

Alternatives:

-I don't really have any, but I suppose the cream could be replaced with evaporated milk.

Until next time,
-d

PS, I might start taking some pictures and posting them, if I am feeling adventurous in the future.

Turkey Dinner Leftovers

You know, like most people who aren't vegetarians, I love a turkey dinner.  Sure, it is a big production, but in the end, it is so worth it (It is even more worth it when you have said dinner at parents house, because it always tastes SO much better).  But, as with all turkey dinners, there is usually a plethora of leftovers.  And not just of the bird, but of potatoes, veggies, gravy stuffing...well, you get the picture.  So I came up with a creative way of presenting these leftovers to make them exciting.  I call in my turkey dinner pizza.  It may seem a little odd, but it is a big hit in my little household.  Here is what you will need (well, really, what you need is just what is leftovers, but this is what I like):

2 Thin crust flat bread pizza crusts
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic
One large potato, cooked and thinly sliced
2-3 cups of shredded pizza mozzarella
Lots of ripped apart turkey
Stuffing
cooked carrots
broccoli
corn
gravy
(Anything else you may have)

Take all of the leftovers out of the fridge and let sit for about half an hour to bring to room temperature.  In the mean time, saute the onions and the garlic until they caramelize then remove from heat.  On the flat breads, spread a thin layer of the gravy over them.  This acts as your tomato sauce.  Top with the potato slices, stuffing, turkey, broccoli, corn, carrots, onions (the previous in any particular order you wish) then top with generous amounts of cheese.  Toss the pizzas in a baking sheet or pizza stone and put in an oven set at 350 degreesF for about 10-15 minutes - until the cheese is nice and melting a bubbly and everything is nice and hot on the inside.  When it is done, warm up any left over gravy you have and drizzle over top of the pizza.

Alternatives:

-The reason I made two pizzas in the first place was to put mushroom on one of them.  Apparently it made the pizza that much better, but I fail to see how

-Really, put on anything you like, it will taste awesome.  If you are the people to have a ham as well (my parents are) add in some ham cubes to the pizza.

Enjoy!  Until next time,
-d

Stroganoff Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes  Cook Time:  30 Minutes (ish)

I had a craving for Stroganoff the other day.  It just came to me that I wasn't feeling having simply steak and potatoes.  Stroganoff has such a wonderful flavour, it is definitely one of my favourite tasting sauces (minus the mushrooms).  I threw this recipe together and it seemed to turn out quite well; Sylvia really seemed to enjoy it and has requested it again, so I take that as the highest compliment.  Here is what is needed for around 4 normal sized servings (there was enough for us, plus Olivia and some leftovers):

2 striploin steaks (or top sirloin, just a really good cut of meat)
4 strips of bacon (because bacon makes everything better), chopped
3 shallots, coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Mushrooms
2 cups of beef stock
couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp flour
2 tbsp cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Egg noodles

Trim most of the fat from the steaks and cut into thin strips.  In a cold frying pan, toss in the chopped bacon and then warm up to a medium heat.  When the bacon starts to crisp, put the beef in the pan and cook just until the red is gone (stirring constantly), about a minute and a half.  Don't overcook the meat, that is just cruel to your mouth.  Remove the beef and bacon from the pan, but leave all of the wonderful juices in the pan.  Next, toss in the onions and cook them until they start to turn translucent, then add the garlic and cook for a little longer until the garlic starts to cook.  Add the tomato paste and cook for a further few minutes.  Add the two cups of stock and the Worcestershire sauce, paprika and mushrooms.  Reduce the heat and add in the cream cheese and let simmer for about 10 minutes, until the stock has reduced by about a third.  Add the meat back into the pan and reduce the heat to low.  Whisk the flour into the sour cream and put into the pan.  Stir constantly until the sauce has thickened.  Serve over the cooked egg noodles and enjoy.

Alternatives:

-For an even tastier dish, remove the mushrooms ;-)

-I assume, since this is a Russian dish, adding a little Vodka into the pan to de-glaze the bottom before the beef stock goes in would be good, but I think traditionally, some red wine would be poured into the pan to de-glaze

That's it for this week, enjoy

-d

Linking up with Skip to my Lou & Extreme Personal Measures & Funky Polkadot Giraffe & What's Cooking Thursday & Paisley Passions

Rösti Recipe

You know, this whole "working for a living" thing sucks.  There is never enough time now to juggle work and kids and recipes.  I know most people have/are going through it, but I haven't since I have been married with kids up until a couple of weeks ago, so it is fairly new.  Anyway, to continue on with my Swiss fair recipes, I am going to share my version of rösti.  So what is rösti anyway, you ask?  Well, it is like a potato pancake or hash brown kicked up a notch.  You could have it for breakfast I suppose, but we typically make it for dinner, as it is really filling and takes some time to make.  Here is what you need and how to make it:

4-5 white potatoes (you could probably use any, but that is what I usually use) coarsely shredded
2 shallots or one medium onion, finely shredded
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 eggs, divided
4 slices of ham
Raclette cheese (if you can find it) or cheese curd
generous amount of salt
pepper

Shred the potatoes and put into a sieve.  Try to squeeze out as much of of the moisture in the spuds as possible.  Sprinkle some salt on the potatoes to help prevent them from getting brown.  Put the shredded potatoes in a bowl, add in one egg, the onion, pepper and garlic.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.  In an oven safe frying pan (non-stick if possible), heat to medium heat, and put in a generous amount of olive oil.  Toss in the potato mixture into the pan and constantly stir for about 10 minutes to start cooking the potatoes. After the 10 minutes, form the potatoes into a patty and cook, for about another 10 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom.  Flip the patty over, (which may seem difficult, but you can either flip it in the pan, or slide it onto a plate and flip it back onto the frying pan), and cook for another few minutes.  Put the ham onto the rösti and then the cheese and toss into the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and gooey.  Fry up the remainder of the eggs (traditionally, served sunny side up, but we like them over easy) and put on the rösti when out of the oven.  Cut into sections and serve.

Alternatives:

-You could make the rösti smaller without the toppings and serve as a side with a steak.

-To kick it up a notch, toss some raw bacon or pancetta into the potato mixture.

-You could also toss in some finely chopped broccoli and/or cauliflower to hide some veggies (we've done it before, and turned out well)

Hopefully, I will be able to post again before another two weeks, but really, it is all chore dependent.  This post took around 12 hours to get through.

-d