Bits 'n' Bites

If you're like me, you're forever thinking of what to make for dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast. You have a number of tried and true recipes to fall back on and you already use a variety of ingredients, but you're not satisfied with the number of successful dishes in your repertoire; you always want to find that new recipe that will introduce your taste buds to a whole new world. Or you seek to find new combinations for old favourites to keep things fresh. On that note I'll share a few recipes I've made in the last while. Not all of them are crazy new or innovative, but they are new to me in some way or another. They also happen to consist of breakfast, lunch and dinner, so if you're lacking inspiration one day you've got your meals planned. So get cooking!

Bacon and Spinach Omelet for One

1 strip of bacon

1/4 bell pepper

A handful of spinach

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons milk

Pinch red pepper flakes

Black pepper

Grated cheese of your choice, I used applewood smoked cheddar

Dice the bacon and pepper. Saute bacon in a small frying pan on medium-high heat until it's cooked but still soft. Add pepper and cook a bit longer. At this point I like to take a paper towel and wipe out some of the bacon grease, but this is optional. Add spinach and continue until the spinach is fully cooked. Turn the heat down to medium. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add milk, pepper flakes and pepper. Pour into the frying pan and top with a lid, cooking until the eggs are no longer runny. You may have to turn the heat down a little bit more so that the bottom doesn't burn. Grate cheese over top and serve. You could use other vegetables you have on hand instead of or as well as the peppers, such as mushrooms, onions or leeks. This isn't really an innovative dish, but it was the first time I put these ingredients together so I think it qualifies to be in this post. Either way, it was mouth-wateringly delicious!

Corn Chowder

1 Tablespoon butter

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

1 bell pepper

1 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4-6 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 can corn, or 2 cups frozen

1 can creamed corn

4 cups chicken stock

Cream or milk

Salt and pepper

Grated cheese of your choice, I used medium cheddar

Dice onion, pepper and garlic. Saute the onion in butter until translucent, then add garlic and pepper, sauteing for another minute or two. Add the rosemary and cayenne pepper, stirring to coat the vegetables, then add the potatoes, corn and stock and bring to a boil. Simmer until the potatoes are very soft and break apart with a potato masher. Add cream or milk, just enough to get the creaminess and consistency you desire. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. You can either throw the cheese in the soup now, or serve it on the side for people to add as they wish.

The soup was made for one of the weekly "Soup and Bannock" days at the local Community Resource Centre. I hadn't made it before, and just kind of threw it together, with great results. I have yet to learn how to make bannock, but when I do, rest assured that you'll be the first ones to know! This bannock was provided by one of the members of my Northern Community to accompany the soup, and together they were a big success.   

Roasted Fennel and Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 chicken breasts

salt and pepper

1 lemon, juice and zest

1 Fennel bulb

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups chicken broth

Enough fettuccine for 2 people

1 cup heavy cream

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then squeeze on half the lemon. Cut the fennel bulb in eighths. Saute the chicken and fennel in olive oil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat, browning on both sides. Season fennel with salt and pepper as desired. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast in a 350 degree oven for around 30 minutes, or until the fennel is done and the chicken is almost cooked through (you'll likely take the fennel out before the chicken).

Saute the garlic in the saucepan for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Squeeze in the other half of the lemon juice and add the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is cooked and the sauce has reduced significantly. Add cream and lemon zest, turning down the heat to medium-low. Cut the chicken breasts into strips and add to the sauce, cooking for another few minutes and ensuring that the chicken is fully cooked. Serve with the fennel on the side.

I had never tried fennel before, as I didn't think that I would enjoy it since I don't like licorice. However, I'm an avid Food Network watcher, and the chefs there are forever using the root so I decided to give it a try. As I was chopping, my fears were visited again as there is a very strong licorice-y odour to the bulb, but I soldiered on. Once roasted, however, the flavours caramelize and the anise is not so strong; in fact, I really liked it. I still don't think that I would enjoy fennel raw (although I may be surprised again), and I made sure to roast it so that there was very little crunchiness left, but I would definitely roast it again, and it was a really nice compliment to the lemon in the pasta dish.

 

As always, I like to end a food post with a beautiful Northern Photo. Driving home one night we were treated to this lovely sunset scene and pulled over to enjoy it. I hope you do too.