How to Pack a Punch - Quinoa and Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers

Again, shout out to my friend MR for introducing me to the wonderful world of quinoa. Such an amazing, healthy, substitute to rice. Recently, I've learned to flavor my quinoa which makes it that much more appetizing to eat! One time, MR fried it with a bit with kale, green onions and a few spices and it was SO delicious! Even cooking it in veggie/chicken stock makes a huge difference. And here LC goes again, impressing me with her newest concoction - quinoa and turkey stuffed bell peppers. Watch out, the size is deceiving ... this bell pepper sure packs a huge punch in a small package!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp herb de provence (or any other seasoning you like for poultry)
• 2 jalapenos, diced and seeded
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 cup of quinoa
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Lemon zest
• Cheese, any kind
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 bell peppers, cleaned and cored

Here's how:

Preheat oven to 375F. Cook onion and garlic until soft. Add turkey, Worcestershire sauce, herb de provence and jalapenos to pan. Slowly cook and add tomatoes and quinoa. Add salt and pepper to taste (adjust seasoning if need be). Spoon mixture into peppers and place into deep pan for baking. Add 1 cup of war water to the pan. Cover tightly with foil. Cook for 40 minutes and uncover (watch out because the steam is realllly hot!). Top with cheese and cook additional 10 minutes until melted. Voila! Fancy meal at your table - just like that.

Scalloped Potatoes Done Right: My Ultimate Favorite Side Dish

One of my favorite side/carb dishes ever is my sister's scalloped potatoes. The simple yet perfect blend of cheeses, butter and thin slices of potatoes bubbling in the oven is my idea of the best comfort food. I'm told that it depends on the sharpness of the mandolin (LC uses an Asian brand purchased from Ming Wo) that truly makes this dish. Whatever it is, I always go back for a second helping, no matter how BULL I am! So, from her kitchen to yours, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 4 large potatoes (russet or Yukon), thinly sliced
  
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese
• Butter, cut into small cubes
• Salt and Pepper
• Milk
  

Cooking Instructions:

To assemble, begin by layering the ingredients in a square pan starting with potatoes, butter, S&P and cheddar cheese. Repeat until you reach close to top of pan. Then pour milk about 1/4 of the way up the pan (about 2 cups). Top with Parmesan cheese. Tightly wrap foil around edges and bake in 375 F. oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes at 400 F. until golden brown. Let sit for 15 minutes and serve in squares. Yum!

Summer Salmon in a Basil Mussel Broth

Seriously, can my food life get any better? Restaurant quality cooking (in most cases, even better) in the comfort of my sister's home. I get served like a king, JC does the dishes and I just kick back and relax while I instantly reminisce about the amazing meal I just had. That just made me sound like a big fat slob but I just love getting pampered at my big sister's place! I hope these blog posts show my gratitude for it. This day, I share with you, my experience with her Cornmeal Crusted Salmon in a Basil Mussel Broth. That's right, we're high class baby, and living large! (She is, anyway.)

Straight from Michael Smith's 'The Best of Chef at Home' cookbook, here's how!

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs, mussels
• Splash of white wine
• Splash of heavy cream
• 2 tbls of basil pesto
• 1 cup of fine cornmeal (important to use fine cornmeal, coarse does not coat as well)
• S&P
• Skinless salmon fillets
• Vegetable Oil
  

Directions (Broth):

• Toss mussels, wine and cream in stockpot and cook until mussel shells pop open
• Cool mussels so you can shuck them
• Strain the broth and throw the mussels back in and put aside until ready to serve salmon
  

Directions (Salmon):

• Toss salmon, one at a time, in a large resealable bag with cornmeal, S&P
• Add cooking oil in pre-heated pan
• Add the crusted salmon fillets and pan-fry until golden on the first side (about 5 minutes), then turn and crisp other side

Serve finished salmon with a ladleful of preheated mussel broth.

LC makes everything sound easy but she is just a natural cook and knows her way around the kitchen. I would be slightly afraid to try something like this but I will definitely give this recipe a whirl someday! Of course we added a few sides to go with this entree. Some mini skewers of grape tomatoes, bocconcini and basil, a fresh Caesar salad, a bread loaf from Steveston and my panko crusted prawns! Oh, and some watered down frozen orange juice to wash it all down, my fave! :)

LC Strikes Again, This Time with Lemon Chicken and Pea Risotto

So my gourmet chef of a sister strikes again. This time, with savoury pea risotto and succulent lemon chicken (with a side sauce too!). She gets fancy guys. I don't know if I'll ever have the patience to cook risotto. Considering you have to constantly stir over the heated pot, dripping sweat, checking on everything else that's cooking. But I do love to eat it so I will give it a whirl one day and share my experience with y'all! She paired this meal with some good ol' homemade bruschetta and buttered carrots. MMmmMMm.

To her, everything is 'easy to make'. And although she lets me share her recipes with you, you'll never be able to eyeball everything the way she does. This woman needs no recipes! But, I promise you, it's not too hard to attempt at home and you'll continue to impress your friends. Her risotto is prepared by sauteing onions and garlic first, then adding the rice for 2 minutes. Here's the repetitive part. Adding ladles of chicken stock, stirring, waiting for the rice to absorb the liquid and then continuing until desired consistency. Repeat until rice is 'al dente'.

The lemon chicken marinade consists of fresh rosemary, thyme, olive oil, lots of lemon juice and lemon zest and marinated for at least 4 hours or overnight. Grill or roast in the oven, squeeze lemon on top and season generously with salt and pepper to finish. Juicy AND healthy, this is a killer combination. :)

Secret Ingredient to the Best Shepard's Pie? FISH SAUCE!

MmmMmmm, one of my favorite meals from LC and so easy to cook too! Don't ask me why I chose the hottest day in July to cook this meal but sweating in the 30+ degree weather with the oven on is a suicide mission. BUT, it was all worth it for the end result!! Fluffy mashed potatoes oozing with cheese over an amazing bed of ground beef and veggies. Yum! This hearty melt-in-your-mouth recipe will have all your friends begging you for more. Plus, pair it with a fresh summer salad topped with papaya and crispy tortilla chips and you'll be everyone's best friend. :)

Ingredients:

Lean ground beef (about 1 pound or one package)
1 chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 & 1/2 cup veggie medley (corn, carrots, peas, mushrooms) - your choice!
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp ketchup
salt and pepper to your liking
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp Montreal steak seasoning
3 potatoes - chopped, boiled and mashed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp butter

Cooking Instructions:

Ground beef mixture
Mix ground beef with steak seasoning, fish sauce, salt and pepper
- Saute onions until translucent
- Add garlic to beef and brown
- Add veggies and cook together
- In another pot, mix cornstarch with beef broth, slowly add to pan and stir often to thicken to gravy and add ketchup
- Spread beef mixture into a 9 x 13 inch pan

Topping
- Mix together the mashed potatoes, sour cream, and cheddar cheese (can boil and mash the potatoes while cooking the beef mixture)
- Spread evenly over ground beef mixture in pan and top off with another 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Give it a whirl and let me know how it goes!

LC's Special Summer Drink to Cool You Off in the Blazin' Heat

My sister LC introduced my piggy cousin LW and I to an extremely refreshing drink to cool you off in the Vancouver heat. Buy a bottle of concentrated black current juice (Ribena Original above) and simply mix with some tonic water. The key is to add many cubes of ice to keep it ice cold. Oh and a lime wedge for that extra kick. You can add, mix, and pour to your heart's content. You will definitely say 'Ahhhhhhhhhhh.....' after your first sip.

The Perfect Pork Tenderloin

Another lovely meal at my sister's place to celebrate my cousin LW getting on the honor roll for the first time! His special request was scalloped potatoes so it was specially prepared for him along with a few other dishes. Nachos is a quick appetizer that is easily prepared and fun to chow down on. Made with marble cheese, jalapeno peppers and sides of guacamole, sour cream and salsa. Always a fun munchie while watching sports on TV!

I was feeling quite lazy to whip up my own guacamole and opted to buy a pre-packaged one from Urban Fare. This Western Family's guacamole was actually super tasty, but a bit on the pricey side.

A lovely fresh salad is a staple to every meal to compliment the heavy protein and carbs, and to keep you regular! Here we have some spinach tossed with strawberries, goat cheese and nicely toasted pine nuts! (Pine nuts are really expensive, btw.) I love nuts in salads!

And here is LW's prized possession. Scalloped potatoes thinly sliced and layered in butter, marble and Parmesan cheese and milk. Then baked until a bubbly brown crust appears, this side dish satisfies your stomach like no other!

For the main course, LC marinated her pork tenderloin in fresh thyme, rosemary, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and JC grilled it to perfection on the BBQ.

The middle pieces were juicy and plump with flavor oozing in every bite!

Ta Da! Dinner at LC's never gets boring and there is always more than enough to go around and bring home for leftovers!

My Quick and Easy to Cook Seafood Creations!

This appetizer I'm about to share with y'all is a Phan party favorite! It's super easy to pull together with a guaranteed 'party in your mouth' flavor! Warning, the ingredients are a slight bit on the fattier side so diet-conscious people, watch out! Combine 1 cup of mayo, 1 cup of sour cream, 1 1/2 cups of Parmesan cheese, 1 package of an 8 ounce cream cheese, 4 cloves of garlic, and two cans of crab meat (make sure you select a can with crab legs!), mix together and scoop in a pan or container for baking! At 350 Celsius, bake for 45 minutes until a crispy golden brown on top and serve with tortilla chips, bread or my favorite, Stacey's pita chips. Trust me, everyone will be drooling over this!

Next up is this delicious Atlantic Salmon Salad recipe that my sister LC passed along to me. Again, really quick to prepare and a potluck fave! Lay the filet of salmon out on foil and season with salt, pepper, fresh dill, and slices of lemon (don't forget to squeeze all over as well). In the oven it goes at 350 Celsius just for a mere 30 minutes and you have yourself an amazingly moist and tasteful fish! We love to top this dish off with Olivieri's Sundried Tomato Pesto sauce and served over a fresh garden salad as you can see below! This was my contribution to our DC reunion potluck and the rest of the yummy dishes and photos are yet to come in another post! Happy cooking!

Best paired with Urban Fare's Shiitake Sesame Vinaigrette Dressing, one of my favorite salad dressings that I've mentioned before.

Linda (Phan) is the Man

The best part about my sister moving out (sniff sniff), is going over to her place for dinner! Now let me tell ya, she sure knows how to satisfy your stomach. Always prepared with healthy portions (and a healthy salad of course), plenty of sides to choose from, awesome beverages and to top it off, she uses her finest china on us. We are treated like kings and queens. Above, you will find her noted salmon with dill, lemon, S&P topped with tomato pesto, steak, Uncle Ben's rice (our fave), corn, fried rice (my mom had to bring that of course) and a salad. MmmMmmm, it's no wonder my brother-in-law gained a few pounds since meeting her. =)

The picture above features her yummy-looking (and I say this because I wasn't invited over for this dinner so she took a picture of it on my camera to rub it in) pork tenderloin with lemon sauce, roasted potatoes and buttered baby carrots. DROOL.

Another family dinner with Linda's braised short ribs, Uncle Ben's wild rice (chicken flavored) and my famous 'beets 'n' sweets' (sweets meaning sweet potatoes).

Last but not least, an amazing mac 'n' cheese coupled with fried farmer's sausage and onions. Plus a tiny greek salad at the top left. More from the kitchen of Linda Chau to come...