Oven Fried Paprika Chicken with Mushrooms and Roasted Cauliflower

I don't think the picture is very flattering but the whole meal was quite tasty. Roasted Cauliflower is better than french fries or anything similar. For such a tasteless vegetable it really comes to life when roasted. Its like this nutty crispy goodness and tossed with a little Parmesan cheese there is no stopping it.

The Chicken cutlets were breaded in some crunched up saltine crackers with a bunch of paprika and a bit of salt and pepper. They were quite good and since they were so thin only took a few minutes in the oven to cook. I topped them with some sauteed mushrooms with a little white wine and chicken stock to make a little sauce.

Good times and this will definitely be enjoyed again in the Smart-Clutterbuck household.

Chana Masala and Roses

I made Indian last night. Chana Masala with onions and peppers, some steamed veg. and of course Naan (why else would anyone eat Indian?)

It was great and very easy.

However, the best part was being surprised with some beautiful flowers from Clutterbuck. He's a keeper!

Healthy Risotto and Honey Garlic Salad

I made a healthy risotto the other day. I don't really know how extra healthy it was but I didn't use any butter and only 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Plus I loaded it up with mushrooms and peas. It was so good. Risotto is just so good and I really enjoy making it. Once you do it a few times you realize how really simple it is.

The salad was a basic garden salad with whatever veggies I had on hand (red onion, yellow pepper, toasted almonds, sauteed mushrooms and mixed baby greens). The dressing was what made it great. Its recipe is as follows:

• 1 part oil
• 1 part vinegar (i used apple cider)
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2-3 cloves of garlic (minced)
• salt and pepper to taste

I emulsified it in my food precessor and stuck it in the fridge to hang out for as long as possible. It was so good! Try it! You won't be disappointed.

High Class!

I made my own version of General Tsao's Chicken last night (yet another dish that seems to have multiple spellings).

• Chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
• Chicken broth
• Soy sauce
• White wine vinegar
• Sugar
• Cornstarch
• Onions
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Hot pepper flakes
• Served over brown rice

It was really good. A perfectly proportioned meal...I love when that happens.

Anyway, it didn't look all that great so I didn't snap any photos, but I did take this one of the view I had while cooking. I think its much more entertaining.

Sanchez doing the "bunny rabbit". A pose he normally saves for the middle of the bathroom floor in the mornings. Apparantly last night he was felt it was appropriate for the counter during dinner preparation.

Veggie Soup and other healthful things

Eating the last batch of veggie soup for lunch at work today. I'm eating it as I type. I think the secret weapon here was water chestnuts. I've been putting them in everything lately. I don't even know what they are but I love 'em!

I made another great dish last night, but forgot to take picture. It was a sort of asian peanut noodle stir fry dish. It was really good. More on that later (when I photograph the leftovers in the fridge).

In other news, a month ago, Clutterbuck and I decided to invest in some good bicycles. We shopped around and test drove them all over the city and finally decided on the perfect ones. Now we're riding in to work whenever we can (22k round trip), biking all over the city on weekends and absolutely loving it. We even invested in a basket so Phoebe can come along on some rides.

Great times!!! I so enjoy the summers in Toronto!!!

Homemade Veggie Soup

As it sounds. All the veggies you can find, some veggie broth,herbs and spices to season (I used hot pepper flakes, thyme, salt, pepper and chives) a tiny bit of pasta, and garnish with parmesan cheese.
We'll be living of this for the next week. We're trying to whip our bodies back into shape after a vacation in Chicago that involved a lot of eating and drinking.

Asian Beef Salad

Ok, so as I've stated in previous posts, I just can't get into eating a salad as a meal. However, this one changed my mind.

I marinated some sirloin in some garlic, white wine vinegar, peanut oil and hoisin sauce overnight. Clutterbuck grilled the steak on the BBQ while I boiled the reserved marinade.

I tossed together any fresh veggies I had in the fridge (bell pepper, celery, water chestnuts, carrots) with a bunch of baby greens, topped it with the thinly sliced beef, some mandarins, chow mein noodles and then the cooked marinade as a dressing.

It was incredibly good. I'll be making it again soon since I have have the sirloin hanging out in my freezer.