Dinner

Good evening,


It was another beautiful day in Toronto.  I went and completed my grocery shopping with my neighbour and friend.  The kids and I went for a bike ride.  When we returned home we ate dinner.  For dinner, I finished up my tuna salad from lunch, with the balsamic vinegar salad dressing.  On a baguette, I added tuna and peppercorn goat cheese.  I also ate some heirloom tomato with salt and pepper.  Heirloom tomatoes have a refreshing taste and there are so many kinds.  I was eating a brandy wine.  You can purchase heirloom tomatoes at local grocery stores, organic stores and farmers markets.  Heirloom means that they have been passed down for generations.  

Amazing Tuna Salad

I have just created one of my most delicious recipes.  So in all honesty, I am needing to stick to my budget right now.  So, when I looking through my fridge and cupboards I came across a can of white tuna, almonds, pears and I thought what can I make with a WOW factor, without feeling like I am compromising my taste buds???  This recipe may look like it took a while, however the prep time was about 10 minutes.


T's Tuna Salad with homemade almond brittle, pan fried pears and peppercorn goat cheese


Step 1:


1/2 cup blanched sliced almonds
small piece fresh ginger grates
1/2 teaspoon tamari soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup

I started by roasting almonds in a frying pan with grated fresh ginger, after they started to brown i added some tamari soya sauce and maple syrup.  Place in a bowl to cool.


Step 2:


2 whole pears skinned and cored, then sliced 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup white wine


In a frying pan on low heat add pears, cinnamon and white wine.  Allow to soften and simmer.  set aside to cool


Step 3:

1 can of tuna (I used white) drained really well
1 tablespoon mayo


mix together


Step 4:


baby spinach
carrots sliced
celery chopped
peppercorn goat cheese crumbled


Step 5:


Mix together all but almonds.  Serve and top with almonds.  See salad dressing below




Salad dressing


olive oil
balsamic vinegar
splash of soya sauce
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
pepper to taste

I do 2/3 (ish) oil to 1/3 vinegar.  I add ingredients than add more of this or that depending on how it tastes together.  Cooking is an experiment.  

Salad dressing

Just walked over to the healthy butcher, where I bought several types of mustard to make a salad dressing for dinner tonight...they sell a Canadian Mustard called Kozlik's.  I love to eat the mustard just on pretzels.


My salad dressing for tonight 


2 part olive oil
1 part white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maple mustard
1 teaspoon smoked mustard
1 scallion grated
half a lemon juice
lemon zest
salt and pepper
and a splash of real maple syrup


mix together and keep refrigerated 

Lunch

"The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude." 
— Julia Child

Yesterday, I had lunch with my friend.  This is a left over salad.  Use up all ingredients in fridge, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, peppercorn goat cheese. mushrooms.  It doesn't take much to create something fabulous you just have to try!
We also ate the rest of the Onion soup and the Lasagne.  No food wasted.

lasagne

So I just finished another 12 hour shift, I am using Friday's left over dinner of spaghetti sauce to make lasagne tonight.  So cheaters lasagne...which is delicious.  

T's Cheaters Lasagne

Tomato Sauce Recipe from March 2

Mozarella cheese, asiago cheese, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese grated

Oven ready lasagne noodles

Warm spaghetti sauce up in a pot until heated throughout, place in bottom of a lasagne tray a small portion of sauce, place lasagne noodles on top of sauce top with cheese, and another layer of sauce till tray is full...remember that in the oven the sauce will bubble so leave room at top to account for the bubbling.  Top with the cheese and cook according to directions on oven ready lasagne noodles.  

(I had sauce warmed and lasagne ready for oven in 10 minutes)

Throw together a salad and use salad dressing from Friday night.

Or use rest of baguette from French Onion Soup to make garlic bread.  Either way you have made a healthy delicious dinner that isn't out of a box.  In 10 minutes prep time.  Cooking isn't all that much work, it's just about planning and thinking about what is in the fridge.  Left overs can be made into new meals with a little work.  trying out new things too...and as I always say...if it tastes bad...order food!!!!

Spaghetti Sauce

So Tonight's dinner was delicious.  When I went to the Healthy Butcher on Queen they had no more Hot Italian Sausage, so I used Chorizo Sausage.  Delicious.  I also made a home made salad dressing to be served with spinach salad.

T's Mustard Dressing

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons smoked mustard
2 teaspoons maple syrup
pinch of salt
and pepper to taste

mix and serve.