Kate's Cuisine

Now That’s a Stir-fry!

kate — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:18:02 +0000

1 large spaghetti squash $3.08
3 tablespoons butter, melted $0.18
6 tablespoons canola oil, divided $0.42
1 yellow zucchini $1.78
10 asparagus stalks, chopped $3.60
2 cups chopped fresh green beans $0.78
1/2 red onion, sliced $0.33
1 green pepper, thinly sliced $0.45

For the sauce:
6 cloves garlic, minced $0.06
1 cup soy sauce $0.85
3 tablespoons molasses $0.18
3 tablespoons honey $0.33
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce $0.24
1 tablespoon ground mustard $0.09
1 tablespoon paprika $0.48
1/2 teaspoon dill $0.25
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch $0.41
Salt and pepper to taste $0.02

Total Cost $13.53

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and place both halves flesh side up on a baking sheet. Mix together the butter and canola oil and brush liberally over both halves of the squash. Season generously with salt and pepper and place in the oven. Bake for about 60 minutes until tops are golden brown and pierces easily with a fork.

2.) Nearing the end of the squash’s cooking time (about 20 minutes to go), heat remaining oil in wok or skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the vegetables and stir fry until they are tender and beginning to brown, but still crisp.

3.) While the vegetables are cooking, mix all the sauce ingredients, except for the cornstarch. Once all of the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, slowly whisk in the cornstarch, whisking quickly to avoid lumps. (You can also mix the cornstarch with water beforehand to avoid lumps.)

4.) When the sauce is mixed, add to wok or skillet and turn up heat just so the sauce can come to a quick boil. Once it reaches the boiling point, turn down heat and allow everything to simmer together for a minute or two.

5.) Remove squash from oven and allow to cool for one minute before handling. When ready, scrape squash out with a fork using long, length-wise strokes. Spoon squash onto plates. Top with stir-fry, spooning extra sauce over squash.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

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Now That’s a Stir-Fry: Review

kate — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:17:21 +0000

This is an excellent vegetarian meal and the spaghetti squash makes a very nice alternative to rice or noodles. The sauce is something that I whipped up with whatever I had in my cupboard and it turned out to be very good! It has a smoky, sweet flavour to it that really is also different and another nice variation to the stir fry sauces that are usually either sweet or spicy. I don’t make vegetarian meals too often, because we’re all serious carnivores over here. But this was wonderful!

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Kate’s Roast Beef

kate — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:00:57 +0000

Hands down, one of the easiest meals to make!

3 pound roast beef (the cut is up to you but go for lean with nice marbling) $12.07
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard $0.36
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce $0.12
1 teaspoon red chili flakes $0.23
1 teaspoon onion powder $0.15
1 teaspoon ground sage $0.24
1 teaspoon dried parsley 0.67
1/2 teaspoon paprika $0.08
3 tablespoons canola oil $0.21
Pinch of salt and pepper $0.02

Total Cost $14.15

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Whisk together Dijon, worcestershire sauce, chili flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, sage, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper.

3.) Heat oil in a large oven-proof pot over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, rub mustard mixture over entire roast beef. When oil is hot, place the beef in the pot and sear on all sides, about 3-4 minutes each side.

4.) When the beef is nicely browned on all sides, cover pot with oven-proof lid or aluminum foil. Transfer the pot to the oven and roast 60 – 75 minutes, depending on the size of the roast and how you like it done. 60 minutes or under should give you a roast that’s nicely cooked to medium. To get a better estimate of how long your roast should cook, figure in about 15 minutes per pound.

5.) After taking the roast out of the oven, let it sit for 5 minutes to rest. This will allow the juices to settle and you’ll be left with a much more tender and juicy roast beef because the juices won’t be all over your cutting board!

6.) After resting, slice the beef into 1″ – 1.5″ thick slices.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

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Kate’s Roast Beef: Review

kate — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:59:51 +0000

Roast beef is known as one of the most delicious and decadent dishes you can cook. But really, roasting a cut of beef is one of the easiest dishes you can make! If you get really picky about whether it’s medium, medium-rare, or well done, you could run into issues because roast beefs come in different shapes, sizes, and cuts. But even that isn’t too tricky, you can usually tell just by gently pressing the meat while it’s cooking, or by making a small cut in the beef while it’s cooking (a major no-no by professional chefs I’m sure, but it will do the trick in a pinch.)

There are also thousands of different ways you can cook roast beef. This one just happens to be my favourite because it’s so flavourful. But once you get the hang of roasting beef (or really, just see how easy it is!) then you can also experiment and include flavours that you really love. It’s soooo easy to create your own signature roast beef!

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Orange-Soy Glazed Chicken Breasts

kate — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:27:47 +0000

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice $0.46
1/4 cup soy sauce $0.80
1/2 cup sugar $0.10
2 teaspoons orange zest $0.30
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts $13.20
2 teaspoons salt $0.02
1 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper $0.01
4 teaspoons olive oil $0.24

Total Cost $15.13

1.) In a medium saucepan over medium heat, place the orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, and sugar. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook until liquid has reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes.

2.) Remove the glaze from the heat and reserve 1/2 cup for later use. Place the chicken breasts in a plastic freezer bag and pour the remaining liquid over them. Refrigerate for two hours, and take out of the fridge for 30 minutes before cooking to allow the breasts to come up to room temperature.

3.) Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and discard the marinade. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place the chicken, smooth side down, on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Turn 45 degrees and cook an additional 4 minutes.

4.) Turn the chicken over, brush each breast with 1 tablespoon of the reserved glaze and cook for another 4 minutes on the other side. Remove from heat.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

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Orange-Soy Glazed Chicken Breasts: Review

kate — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:27:07 +0000

This recipe came from Emeril Lagasse and because of that, I expected it to be much better. It’s not that it was bad, necessarily. It just wasn’t pop in my mouth fantastic like Emeril’s stuff usually is. I really like marinating meat, especially for a long time. But at the same time, it bothers me because I have to remember to thaw it out in the fridge the night before, and make sure to remember to give it enough time in the fridge to get all flavour-packed and delicious. While a truly great recipe is worth all this planning, this one just wasn’t. Like I said, it’s good. Just not Emeril-good.

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Stuffed Acorn Squash

kate — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:45:23 +0000

4 acorn squashes $4.99
1 onion $0.17
4 cloves of garlic, minced $0.04
2 tablespoon canola oil $0.14
Salt and pepper to taste $0.01
4 Italian sausages, casings removed $2.68
1 1/2 cups Ricotta cheese $1.99
1 red bell pepper, chopped $0.45
1 1/2 cups Asiago cheese, shredded $3.54

Total Cost $14.01

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then cut the bottoms of the squash and remove the seeds. Stand the squash up so that the open tops are on top and place them in a casserole dish. Brush the inside and the top of the squash with the canola oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake for about 25 – 30 minutes.

2.) Once the squash has been removed from the oven, preheat the broiler.

2.) Meanwhile, heat up 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and the red bell pepper. Break up the sausage so that it’s in small pieces and fry until it’s browned. When browned, remove everything from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl.

3.) Add the ricotta cheese to the sausage mixture and mix until it is all well combined. Stuff each of the squashes with 1/4 of the mixture. Once stuffed, top each squash with a handful of the Asiago cheese.

4.) Place the squash about four inches under the broiler and broil until the cheese on top has melted and is bubbly and golden brown.

Read the review here

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Stuffed Acorn Squash: Review

kate — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:44:18 +0000

I was lucky enough to be given a bunch of acorn squash and wanted something more to do with it than just roast it. So I came up with this stuffed squash recipe and it is delicious! To be honest, I didn’t even know if I was going to like it. But, pork and cheese, what more could you ask for? And, even though it looks like you slaved over it, the most you really have to do is brown the sausage. The rest of it pretty much takes care of itself.

This squash can be used as a side, an entree, or an appetizer at a dinner party. I also froze a few of mine and they freeze beautifully. Just remember to either thaw them fully or to cover them and keep them in the oven for at least an hour, if you’re baking them from frozen. They take a long, long time to cook after you’ve frozen them – but they taste just as great!

And the best, and most surprising part of this recipe? My 2-year-old loooooooves it!

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Sausage Pepper Casserole

kate — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:21:15 +0000

3/4 cup dry bread crumbs, soaked in 2 tablespoons melted butter $0.45
2 tablespoons melted butter $0.12
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour $0.02
Salt and pepper to taste $0.02
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard $0.01
1 1/2 cups milk $0.41
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese $2.50
1 onion $0.47
1 green bell pepper, julienned $0.45
4 mild Italian sausages, cut into 1″ rounds $2.68
2 cups cooked rice $0.28
2 tablespoons canola oil $0.14

Total Cost $7.55

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.) Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add Italian sausage and brown.

3.) Meanwhile, place butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Wait until butter just starts to bubble and add flour, pepper, salt, and mustard. Stir until all ingredients are well combined. Slowly add the milk while stirring and bring to a simmer. Continue simmer for 10 minutes. Make sure that you stir constantly while the milk is simmering or it will burn. Continue stirring until the milk has started to thicken, about 10 minutes. Once milk has thickened, remove pan from heat and add cheese. Stir the cheese until it has melted.

4.) Drain the sausage and place in a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

5.) Add the rice and green peppers to the sausage in the casserole dish. Pour cheese sauce over the entire thing and stir until it is well combined. Sprinkle the butter-soaked bread crumbs over the entire casserole.

6.) Place in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, until the cheese sauce has started to bubble and the top is golden brown and crispy.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

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Sausage Pepper Casserole: Review

kate — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:20:33 +0000

I came up with this recipe one day when I really wanted macaroni and cheese, but I wanted something different. And this one’s pretty good! The rice sort of takes on a creamy texture due to the sauce, and the spice of the Italian sausage adds a really good punch of flavour to it. And green peppers go so well with sausage, don’t they? Although there are quite a few steps to this recipe, it’s actually pretty simple, especially if you have some frozen rice that you can just thaw out for it. Good ol’ fashioned comfort food, in a slightly different way!

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