Grandma's Kitchen Table

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Asian Greens with Oyster Sauce

       My 120th recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Asian Greens with Oyster Sauce, was chosen for the group by Gaye, and is found in Donna Hay's cookbook Modern Classics 1 on page 82, and online here.  (I am catching up at WWDH and I have quite a few recipes that I have missed posting along the way, so I am posting recipes I made but didn't have time to post at the proper time.  This recipe was posted by the group on December 17, 2014.)

       The ingredient list:  sesame oil, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, Asian greens (I used bok choy). 

       Originally I wasn't excited about this recipe.  I did have the ingredients on hand as we do cook with these often enough, but for some reason, I just couldn't get excited about this recipe.  Bad me.  This combination is flavorful and a great way to have a simple clean dressing that imparts new excitement into eating greens.  I absolutely love it and have it marked to make often. 

       There are times when I just want a small omelette for lunch when I am home alone and maybe a little side salad to go with it.  Things that don't take a lot of commitment.  These greens with this sauce is a perfect "side salad" to go with an omelette for a fast and easy lunch.  Definitely making these again and often. 
 

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Balsamic Chicken with Garlic Couscous

       My 119th recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Balsamic Chicken with Garlic Couscous, was chosen for the group by Margaret, and is found in Donna Hay's cookbook Flavours on page 102, and online here.  (I am catching up at WWDH and I have quite a few recipes that I have missed posting along the way, so I am posting recipes I made but didn't have time to post at the proper time.  This recipe was posted by the group on August 6, 2014.)

       The ingredient list:  chicken breasts, balsamic, chicken stock, sugar, garlic, couscous, butter, and fresh thyme. 

       I try to make chicken twice a week, beef/pork twice a week, fish/seafood twice a week, and the remaining night is whatever it is.  So a new chicken recipe is always appreciated, one cannot have too many different chicken recipes in my mind. 

       This was a tasty dish which takes very little time (less than half an hour beginning to end) and for which you probably almost always have the ingredients on hand to make at a moment's notice. One of the hardest things about cooking chicken breasts is getting them safely cooked to the appropriate temperature without drying them out, and this recipe takes the guess work out of all of that, cooking them in the balsamic vinegar tenderizes and keeps the moisture inside the meat.  It has a pleasing color when it is all finished, not from browning, but from the color of the balsamic it is cooked in.  Maybe that's why I wasn't tempted to overcook it, it was nicely browned early on from the balsamic. 

       Mark is not the biggest fan of couscous so having the additional flavors of thyme and garlic in it to give it a little pizazz helped.  It was delicious with the flavors in the chicken. 

       Would I make this again?  You bet, that chicken was moist and very flavorful, a winner for both of us.  

Eating with Ellie: Steak Fajitas

       The eighteenth recipe I made with the Eating with Ellie group is Steak Fajitas, is found on page 98 of Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders, and was Glennis's pick for the group this week. 

       Ingredient list:  steak, salt, pepper, onion, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, canola oil, garlic, tomato, cumin, coriander, cayenne, lime, avocado, tortillas, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and cilantro leaves (I used parsley). 

       This is cute, isn't it?  All those ingredients nicely tucked into that little tortilla wrapper and portable and easy (I left it kind of open for the photo so you could see all the ingredients).  Kinda maybe sort of.  I love all the ingredients in this recipe (well, except cilantro which tastes like soap to me as I am one of those people).  I love that you can pack it all into one little bundle of healthy-eats goodness.  But truth be told, I am not a fan of fajitas or tacos because for some reason I just don't have the knack of eating them neatly, they always fall apart, things are always dripping, stuff falls out, the shell falls apart, and I'm totally frustrated with it all.  Not to mention that this is a whole lot of ingredients touching in one small space.  For me.  For you, I'm sure it's fine and you look like a movie star eating it all. 

       Mark loved it and was happy to eat two of them in no time flat with minimal mess.  I, however, took one bite, things fell apart and I retrieved a knife and fork and carefully separated it all on my plate and ate the ingredients one or two at a time.  So, in case you were wondering, it works that way as well.  Would I make this again?  Probably not...the basic rule around here is that things like this are best scored out on the street and if I make and serve anything like this, it will be in salad form which comes with it's own knife and fork.  The flavors were wonderful...you'll do much better than I did and love it completely.  

       If you wonder how the others did this week, click here  to follow their post links.  You can also find the recipe schedule for the coming weeks there. Next week's recipe was chosen by Sarah, is Savory Carrot-Cashew Soup, and is found on page 76 of Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders.  Please come and join us at any time, just leave the link to your post that week so we know where to find you.  :-)

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Asparagus with Balsamic Butter

       My 118th recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Asparagus with Balsamic Butter, was chosen for the group by Margaret, and is found in Donna Hay's book New Food Fast on page 134.

       The ingredient list:  asparagus, balsamic vinegar, butter, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.

       Have to say that I have never made a recipe with balsamic vinegar and butter before.  Balsamic vinegar and olive oil, yes, quite often, but never one with it and butter, so I was eager to try the combination and see just how that worked.  It works just fine, absolutely delicious.  The butter makes the balsamic vinegar less acidic tasting while a bit of the rich vinegar kick still comes through.  The Parmesan cheese is always a win win with asparagus and the pepper had a nice kick to it as well...all in all, the combinations jazzes up asparagus quite nicely.  Definitely making this one again.

       Wonder what the others thought?  You can find that by clicking here.  Next week is Chaya's choice for the group, Pasta with Smoked Salmon and Dill Sauce found in Donna Hay's cookbook New Food Fast on page 26.  Join us and leave a link to your post at the website by clicking here, no commitment required.

Eating with Ellie: Shrimp Creole

       The seventeenth recipe I made with the Eating with Ellie group is Shrimp Creole, is found on page 184 of Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders, and was Gaye's pick for the group this week. 

       Ingredient list:  onion, green bell pepper, celery, garlic, canola oil, flour, Creole seasoning, tomatoes, tomato sauce, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, fresh spinach leaves, shrimp, and parsley. 

       The ingredient list for this recipe is long but well worth the time and effort to put it altogether.  There aren't a lot of fat or calories in any of these ingredients so when you are finished making it, you feel good about eating it. 

       It has a nice spicy kick, not too spicy so if you like more heat you can add a bit more hot sauce to intensify all that.  Leftovers are even better the next day when everything has a chance to sit and get to know each other better.  We had it over rice as she suggested.  Definitely worthy of a repeat. 

       If you wonder how the others did this week, click here  to follow their post links.  You can also find the recipe schedule for the coming weeks there. Next week's recipe was chosen by Glennis, is Steak Fajitas, and is found on page 98 of Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders.  Please come and join us at any time, just leave the link to your post that week so we know where to find you.  :-)

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Zucchini and Ricotta Frittata

       My 117th recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Zucchini and Ricotta Frittata, was chosen for the group by Chaya, and is found online here.  (I am catching up at WWDH and I have quite a few recipes that I have missed posting along the way, so I am posting recipes I made but didn't have time to post at the proper time.  This recipe was posted by the group on July 9, 2014.)

       The ingredient list:  zucchini, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, ricotta, and butter.

       I only made a small version of this using a quarter of the recipe (2 eggs worth) so that we could have it for a simple lunch with salad.
       It all went together quickly and easily, I chose to flip it to cook on the opposite side rather than heat up the broiler and that worked just fine. One thing I did make sure and do was drain the grated zucchini a bit (3 double thick paper towel changes) so that it wouldn't make everything too watery in the end.  That worked well.   Definitely worth a repeat, it would work nicely for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or even a snack. 

Eating with Ellie: Asparagus and Mozzarella Pizza

       The sixteenth recipe I made with the Eating with Ellie group is Asparagus and Mozzarella Pizza, is found on page 215 of Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders, and was Peggy's pick for the group this week. 

       Ingredient list:  asparagus, Parmesan cheese, cornmeal, pizza dough, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and fresh basil leaves. 

       This was absolutely delicious with the combination of the asparagus and cheese.  I had fresh asparagus from my CSA basket so I used a couple more spears than she specified as we love asparagus, I figured a couple of more spears wouldn't be unwelcome.  :-)  Instead of buying pizza dough I used my favorite Thin Crust Pizza Dough recipe from Nick Malgieri's Bake! as it is full of flavor, goes together quickly, and has pretty much spoiled me for all other homemade pizza crusts.  I am going to make this pizza again while asparagus plentiful and in season, it's a winner.

       If you wonder how the others did this week, click here  to follow their post links.  You can also find the recipe schedule for the coming weeks there. Next week's recipe was chosen by Gaye, is Shrimp Creole, and is found on page 184 of Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders.  Please come and join us at any time, just leave the link to your post that week so we know where to find you.  :-)

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Hot Potato Mustard Dressing

       My 116th recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Hot Potato Mustard Dressing, was chosen for the group by me, and is found in Donna Hay's book Off the Shelf on page142.

       The ingredient list:  olive oil, white wine vinegar, wholegrain mustard, potatoes, onion, and parsley.

       The potatoes are served warm and coated with this dressing, are very simple to make, and make a nice change in your weekday potato lineup without adding a lot of fat and calories.  I would definitely make these over and over as I love the tang of the wholegrain mustard and vinegar, they compliment the potatoes perfectly by bringing out the potato flavor without covering it up. 

       Wonder what the others thought?  You can find that by clicking here.  Next week is Margaret's choice for the group, Asparagus with Balsamic Butter found in Donna Hay's cookbook New Food Fast on page 134.  Join us and leave a link to your post at the website by clicking here, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Thai Red Beef Curry

       My 115th recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Thai Red Beef Curry, was chosen for the group by Gaye, and is found in Donna Hay's cookbook Modern Classics 1 on page 104.  (I am catching up at WWDH and I have quite a few recipes that I have missed posting along the way, so I am posting recipes I made but didn't have time to post at the proper time.  This recipe was posted by the group on April 16, 2014.)

       The ingredient list:  peanut oil, red curry paste, round steak, coconut cream, beef stock, butternut squash, lime leaves, and basil. 

       This one takes a little longer than most of the recipes we make, but it is worth every extra minute.  The beef and butternut get nice and tender with the extra cooking time and the flavors all meld together deliciously in the hour it simmers.  Most of the time is spent just letting it cook on the stovetop so your time is free to make a salad to serve with it and tidy up the kitchen as you go.  Not a bad deal at all. 

       The taste has a slight curry taste, but not overpoweringly so.  It has a bit of citrus kick from the lime taste.  I did need to add a little salt and pepper but she often leaves that up to the individual anyway.  I would definitely make this again as we both enjoyed it.

Eating with Ellie: Chinese Vegetable Soup with Pork

       The fifteenth recipe I made with the Eating with Ellie group is Chinese Vegetable Soup with Pork, is found on page 64 of Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders, and was Chaya's pick for the group this week. 

       Ingredient list:  pork tenderloin, oil, mushrooms, scallions, fresh ginger, chicken broth, bok choy, snow peas, baby corn, canned bamboo shoots, and salt. 

       Usually Ellie's recipes are straightforward and easy to execute.  This one was a bit confusing.  It says that it is a soup but many of the ingredients were left in larger sizes than what I usually use for soup, especially the pork which was supposed to be in quarter inch round pieces sliced from the tenderloin.  I wasn't sure how this was all supposed to work, i.e. if we were supposed to eat the soup with a knife and fork to cut the pieces smaller, etc. 

       After a quick survey of the group, Sarah, who is actually living in Singapore at the moment, thought that we were meant to use chopsticks for the veggies and meat and to use the spoon for the broth.  So that's what I did, I made things in sizes that I could easily handle with chopsticks and seemed appropriate sizes for a small bite...the pork I sort of sliced into thick ribbons. 

       The taste was nice, very light, clean, and fresh-tasting (I always think ginger does that to a recipe).  All in all it was an enjoyable dinner. 

       If you wonder how the others did this week, click here  to follow their post links.  You can also find the recipe schedule for the coming weeks there. Next week's recipe was chosen by Peggy, is Asparagus and Mozzarella Pizza, and is found on page 215 of Ellie Krieger's cookbook Weeknight Wonders.  Please come and join us at any time, just leave the link to your post that week so we know where to find you.  :-)

 

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Coconut Beef Skewers

       My 114th recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Coconut Beef Skewers, was chosen for the group by Glennis, and is found in Donna Hay's book Off the Shelf on page 94.  You can also find the recipe online here.

       The ingredient list:   steak, Thai red curry paste, coconut cream, and shredded coconut.  She recommends serving it over a simple salad, so you would need ingredients for the lettuce salad of your choice.

       Steak is usually a quick meat to make, especially if you like it rare, hardly takes any time at all to grill it.  The added coating of curry paste, coconut cream, and coconut may seem a little strange (at least it did to me when I first read the recipe), but trust me, it is delicious.  I didn't even add salt or pepper as everything was contained in the curry paste and was just the right amount for my taste.  I thought it might be sweet tasting, but again, I was wrong as it was not at all, just a nice fresh curry coconut that accompanied the meat nicely.  Definitely making this one again, for taste and ease of execution!

       Wonder what the others thought?  You can find that by clicking here.  Next week is Gaye's choice for the group, Spinach Ravioli with Basil Oil found in Donna Hay's cookbook Seasons or online here.  Join us and leave a link to your post at the website by clicking here, no commitment required.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Butter and Parmesan Linguine

       My 113th recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Butter and Parmesan Linguine, was chosen for the group by Margaret, and is found in Donna Hay's cookbook Modern Classics 1 on page 148.  (This is a Catch-Up Week at WWDH and I have quite a few recipes that I have missed posting along the way, so I am using Catch-Up Weeks to post recipes I made but didn't have time to post at the proper time.  This recipe was posted by the group on February 26, 2014.)

       The ingredient list:  linguine, butter, Parmesan, freshly cracked black pepper.  I also threw on some parsley to give it a little color. 

       Shrimp is always a good thing to serve on busy week nights as it doesn't take long to cook it and you can serve it with rice or pasta and a salad and call it a wonderful meal.  When I saw this simple linguine recipe with nothing but Parmesan, butter, and black pepper, I knew that it would pair wonderfully well with shrimp and it did.  Truly nothing special or complicated about the pasta part of the recipe, uses ingredients that you can have on hand at any time, and would be a great side dish for most any meal.  What's not to love? 

       Definitely using this one again...I used quite a bit of pepper and was happy with the result.

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Spaghetti and Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

       My 112th recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Spaghetti and Meatballs with Tomato Sauce, was chosen for the group by Margaret, and is found in Donna Hay's cookbook Modern Classics 1 on pages 134 and 148.  (This is a Catch-Up Week at WWDH and I have quite a few recipes that I have missed posting along the way, so I am using Catch-Up Weeks to post recipes I made but didn't have time to post at the proper time.  This recipe was posted by the group on October 1, 2014.)

       The ingredient list:  onion, garlic, oil, crushed tomatoes, sugar, and basil leaves (this is for the sauce), beef, pork, garlic, egg, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, spaghetti, beef stock, and red wine. 

       This all looks simple enough but the flavors are fantastic and it is far from simple in flavoring.  I usually just use beef for meatballs, so using half beef and half pork was a nice change, they seem lighter and yet deeper in flavor.  The stock and wine make the flavor deeper yet.  Everything turns out with rich color and taste.  Nothing complicated about the recipe, but it does take a bit of time. 

       Would I use this recipe again?  Yes.  It involves a bit of time and work making your own meatballs and your own sauce, but the efforts are so worth it.