Serrano Pesto Sauce

This is VERY spicy! This is so good and will have you bound flavour after flavour!

I love this sauce as a spice but also because it has protein, which is nice. I don't have to search for a protein to make a dish with this sauce. 

I had lunch with a friend today and he said that this dish reminded him of when he was in Nepal. He also added that must be why my husband loves spicy food. Seriously, we have to have several different kinds of spicy sauces in the house at once because he has to have spice on everything!!  

I made this for my husband to surprise him to show him I love him. He LOVED it. He said that it was spicy, not too acidic, and that it was rolling in flavours. The smile on his face was so worth it.

When I did this, I was making the recipe up as I was going along, and it was SO worth it. I love this recipe and it's a keeper!

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Parmesean cheese

1/4 Cup Milk

1 C E.V.O.O

1 cup dry roasted peanuts

8-12 serrano chiles

1/2 ounce ginger, shaved and cubed

1 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp basil

Directions:

1. Dice the chilis

2. Cube the ginger

3. Add the chilis to a food processor

4. next add all the peanuts, minced garlic, basil, cheese

5. add 1/3 cup E.V.O.O and start blending until it stops blending

6. Open the blender and stir well, blend again

7. Repeat 5 & 6, three times

8. Open again and add in the milk and blend, at this point it should blend very quickly

9. Put into your fav jar taking any chunks of ginger out (unless you want them there) 

10. TA DA!

This is so good- this should last you a VERY long time. You can freeze it, give away to friends. Remember that when adding to pasta, use 1 tbsp of it at a time to help monitor the spiciness of the dish. Because there is EVOO in it, it should keep for weeks in the frig. Super nummy! Enjoy!!

Happy Father's Day!

Cafe Chika Chili Cool! 

My kids and I came up with an idea for my husband to create a cafe for him. We wanted him to do some elaborate but he was so tired that it was best to let him sleep in and bring him some breakfast in bed, home made Chili for lunch and Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp for dinner. Via came up with the breakfast, Avi came up with the lunch, and Kai, really me, came up with dinner. It took the kids a LONG time to come up with the name! We then did stuff outside and each kid got a lot of special time with just dad! Finished off with a family movie- Nanny McPhee (the first) and then after the kids went to bed we watched The Other F Word- which is a great father's day movie (but because of words, you should not watch with kids) so we watched after the kids went to bed. All in all, a very full day!

Breakfast:

Sunny Pancakes and Eggs

Ingredients:

Pancake mix

blueberries, can be dried

2 eggs

dash of hot sauce

icing

Directions:

1. Make your pancake mix according to the box

2. Use cookie cutters, we used the shape of star and gingerbread man. Put into the pan and pour the batter in (halfway is good). And make as you would make normal pancakes. Then when done let cool and then use something to push out the pancakes you just made.

3. You can free form it for the tree. use a measuring cup and slowly poor it into the shape of a tree. Add the blueberries before you flip it.

4. Crack the eggs, add in black pepper and a dash of water. Mix and cook as scramble eggs. 

5. Organise your pancakes on the plate.

6. Add your eggs as the sun and as hair for the gingerbread man.

7. Use blue berries on the gingerbread man for buttons

8. use the icing to write #1 in the star.

9. make waves around the sun in the icing as well (to help with the hot sauce).

10. Use a teaspoon to help with the hot sauce. Pour a little bit at time around each the icings around the sun.

11. Ta Da!

Note: This took the longest to prepare.

Lunch:

Black Bean and Soy Chorizo Chili over Pasta & Root Beer Float

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Vegetable Seasoning

1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder

dash of cinnamon

1/4 tbsp black pepper

1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper

dash of salt

1/4 tbsp powder garlic

1 onion 

2.5 tbsp garlic minced

10 oz soy chorizo

10 ounce tomato sauce

15 ounce corn

28 ounce crushed tomato

28 ounce Frumano's chunky crushed tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

30 ounce canned black beans

15 ounce canned kidney beans

Directions:

1. Mix together all the spices together in a small bowl

2. chop onion, yes they make you cry! Put into the pot

3. add minced garlic and let it saute

4. add soy chorizo and saute in for a few minutes

5. Continue to add in all the ingredients one at a time, including the spices.

6. Let cook over medium heat while you make your pasta. 

7. Pour over and voila! 

 Note: This is spicy-- so if you have a sensitive child, this is not something you want to share with them. 

Note 2: This will leave you with a lot of left overs! 

Dinner: 

Garlic Shrimp over Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients:

16 ounce Angel Hair Pasta

16 ounce to 32 ounce Shrimp, based on preference

1 head broccoli

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp Worcester sauce

1/2 tbsp crushed red peppers

1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions: 

1. Put the shrimp in a big bowl, detail them if you need to.

2. In a small bowl mix the olive oil, lemon juice, Worcester sauce, and crushed peppers and mix well.

3. Pour the small box mix over the shrimp and stir and let sit a few minutes

4. In the mean time, get your broccoli cut up and ready to steam.

5. In the same pot as your pasta, put water to boil pasta and bring the water to a boil. Then add the pasta and put a steamer over it and steam your broccoli at the same time!

6. On medium heat, start sauteing the shrimp until you get it done- you may have to fry them in more than one batch- a few minutes on each side.

7. strain your pasta and add over the steamed broccoli and shrimp.

8. Choice of vino and Enjoy!

Dessert: 

Kid Decorated Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

Sugar Cookies

Frosting

Writing Icing Pens

Sprinkles of Choice

Directions: 

1. Do home made sugar cookies or buy them

2. Give the kids each a few to decorate

3. Don't forget to decorate some yourself! 

4. Enjoy!

Hope all you amazing dads had an awesome father's day and no one is not good enough to celebrate your dad! 

Why Cook for a Week At a Time

After being asked why and how I cook for the week in one day, I will write about it. First, why? Because the reasoning is important. In the next post, I will talk about the 'how'. The nice thing is that it is not limited to these 7 things nor do you have to look at them like a to do list- they all come with the simple act of cooking.
With pun intended, here is my reasoning and food for thought, for the 'why': 

1) You Save Money.

Woot, woot! Cooking multiple meals at once helps you save money, regardless if you use same ingredients or not. A win win really. Good meals and saving money.

2) More Conscious Cooking. 

You know more what is going into your body and also you are more aware of your own meals than just cooking one night at a time. You think of the week's cooking rather than 'what do I cook tonight?'.  I notice when I cook on the fly, I tend to cook more repetitiously rather than having different things. Therefore, cooking for a week at once ignites my love to cook and I don't get bored with food as easily.

3) More Variety Within the Same Food Umbrella. 

So if I love pasta, or pasta is a staple for me, I can vary what I want to try and cook with pasta. Sometimes, we go, hmm, spaghetti, I would love that. We make what we know, which is a lot of the same. Thinking out side the box within the spaghetti food group is a good idea. So even if I make 3 dishes of spaghetti in a week, I can think, what else or how else can I do this. 

4) Time. 

The time is a HUGE concern for us being a family of 5. Being able to cook for a week in one day goes by faster when I already have the oven on from cooking another meal, dishes out, ingredients out, and most important, the time. On average I spend less time in one day than trying to sit and cook meals every night, on a cumulative scale, by alot. And it allows me to do more during the week with my family.  Also the stress becomes less. 

5) Less Dishes During the Week.

Anyone say, yes please! Especially when you swear that dishes are multiplying by the dozen only to realise you cycle through the same set numerous times in one day. One side affect of having kids. 

6) Less Waste in Food. 

When you are cooking for one week, or shopping for one week, you are thinking more about what needs to be used in the frig, what you can incorporate into new dishes and how to avoid wasting any food. Nothing bugs me more to realise that I bought something at the grocery store to have it sit and go bad. 

7) Better Food.

I find when I cook ahead of time, I have food that I can't wait to devour. I want to try it or eat it again. So, I find that I can make restaurant quality food in my home within a very small budget. And I have have better nutrition as well. I approve!


What is my reasoning, what is right for me, may not be for you or the same for your reasons for another person. So while these are my reasonings, I urge that you find your values and thoughts regarding you and your food in your house. You are the cook, you have the power!

My next post will go more into the details of how I do it. What is the time required? How do I come up with dishes? All of that will be touched on in the next post.


Leave me a note, why do you or why would you cook for a week at a time? 

Tofu Alfredo Sauce

• Honestly, it sounds weird putting tofu and alfredo together- but TRUST ME, this is SO good. And you can justify eating this for several reasons!
• 1. Protein, unlike most sauces for pasta, this is so full of protein that in a quick pinch, you can add this and have a good amount of protein to a meal.
• 2. This makes SO much that this will last you. When you use it, you only need 3-5 tablespoons of it for every pound of pasta.  Hard to believe, right? But true. 
• 3. If you have kids, we can be your puppets! We have done the tried and true test. My kids LOVE this so much, we go through it quickly. 
• 4. Not only is this much better than store bought, it is more economical and has better ingredients. It may turn into a family staple since we love good food. 









Ingredients:

19 ounce Tofu

1/2 Cup Broth, Chicken or Vegetable

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder, to taste

1/4 tsp Vegetable Seasoning, to taste

4 tbsp Butter

Directions:

1. Slice the Tofu like a vegetable

2. Make chicken or vegetable broth, if you do not have any, then add in the basil, garlic powder, and vegetable seasoning

3. Put all the ingredients into a blender, and well, blend it! 

4. Store in an 18-24 ounce jar and put into the frig. 









Eating Directions:

1. Cook your pasta al dente, or the way you like it

2. For a pound of pasta I recommend 3-5 tablespoons of the sauce, either warmed up in a pot or nuked in the microwave

3. Pour over and stir in and enjoy a new yummy recipe!












This makes enough for a family of 5 for 3 meals and counting. 

Another tip- Freeze half of it. It will make it worth it.




                                       Enjoy!!!                                                              

Starfish Teething Cookies

                       

I am on a mission:  To create homemade food my kids will eat that is more economical and healthier for them. And to provide to all my friends and viewers that have kids an EASY and fun recipe to enjoy. 

Let us just admit it now, that my 6 year old eats more than I do sometimes. So having good snacks and food that is not expensive is a must. Even more fun with the kids helping out. 

It is amazing when you go to the store how expensive it is to get a box of teething biscuits or crackers, especially when you look at the ingredients, and think "I can do that!". 

Well, this is the answer! 

And it's yummy enough for you to enjoy with the kiddos.

I have to be honest, because I want to taste before I post, I tasted this and it was good. I have eaten a few, I can not lie. 

My (baby) son does not like to eat the commerialised teething biscuits- and since he does not have many words yet, I am sure he is not rejecting those and loving these to please me. Especially because he is a picky eater.

   

My daughter Via loved to help make these. So, get the kids involved. You can have them use cookie cutters, we used the star, and make shapes. 

Starfish Teething Cookies

makes 28-30

Ingredients: 

2 Cups Flour OR 1 cup flour & 1 cup dry infant rice cereal

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Sugar

Cold or ice water (can use part use to flavour if you want)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven 425F 

2. Mix flour and cereal.

3. Gradually stir in oil. 

4. Mix a little ice water at a time (start with 1/4 cup) until dough begins to form a ball and pull away from the bowl.

5. Roll out to the thickness of a cracker on a floured surface and cut into desired shapes.

6. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet 10-12 min. or until lightly brown. Cool completely.

7. Store in an airtight container.

          

 

Hope you enjoy these as much as I know I will be baking them!!!