Dreaming of backyard pizza parties? Your dream can now be a reality!

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basil, cheese, comfort food, cooking, delicious, dough, easy cooking, easy dinner, eat, eating, entertaining, food, fresh, fresh cooking, italian, kid friendly, Neapolitan pizza, Ooni, ooni pizza oven, Parmesan, pizza, pizza oven, quick cooking, simple entertaining, summertime, tomatoes

I have always dreamed of having a backyard with a huge stone pizza oven. But I’m afraid it’s going to be baby steps for me to get to my dream, so I started my journey on Mother’s Day when I treated myself to an Ooni Koda gas pizza oven from Capital BBQ.

This pizza oven has changed my life. It is portable, meaning I can pack it up and bring it to a friends house for dinner. It weighs 12 pounds, the design is sleek, I can store it in the off-season in my kitchen. It is powered by a propane tank and it only takes 15 minutes for it to come up to 930° and it cooks delicious Neapolitan style pizzas in 60 seconds.

The high temperatures help pizza dough quickly transform to a perfectly chewy-but-crispy crust, all while drawing any excess moisture out of any sauce, cheeses & toppings you have on your pizza. The result? Crispy crust, with no sogginess. A pizza lover’s dream!

I do have a couple of tips I have learned in the 5 times I have used my pizza oven.

• Use only quality ingredients – I make my own dough and sauce and boy does it make a difference!
• Use a wood pizza peel to put the pizza in the oven and the metal one to pull it out
• Do not multi task when you are making the pizzas, they take 60 seconds and every 20 seconds you turn the pie in the oven
• The less toppings the better. Since this cooks quickly you need you keep the toppings light
• Try new things! I created a Flammkuchen style pizza that is the 💣
• It is not just for pizza! With a cast iron pan you can look steaks and chicken in it too!

The cost. My Ooni koda cost me 499$ CDN plus tax. I would say it was the best money I ever spent.

Pizza dough, sauce and recipes coming soon!!

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Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball

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appetizers, cheese, cheese ball, chives, comfort food, cooking, cranberries, delicious, easy cooking, eat, entertaining, fall, fall dishes, food, holiday, pecans, retro, simple entertaining, tasty, thanksgiving, winter

I don’t know about you but I love a good cheese ball as part of a charcuterie board. I know it sounds bit retro but I don’t care.

They are creamy, and tasty and SO easy to make. You can whip this up in 10 minutes. I prefer letting it set overnight so the flavours come together but I have also been known to eat this straight out of the bowl… this is a judgement free zone 😉

Here is what you need:

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup white sharp cheddar cheese shredded / of old white cheddar
• 1 cup dried cranberries chopped and divided
• 1 cup pecans chopped and toasted 
• 1/4 cup chives or green onions chopped (I prefer chives)
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp of seasoning salt 

1. To Toast Pecans: Pre-heat oven to 375F. Place chopped pecans on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes or until aromatic. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, cheddar cheese, ½ toasted pecans, ½ cup dried cranberries, chive or green onion, seasoning salt and garlic powder until well combined.
3. Place mixture in the center of a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper and cover completely with wrap while forming it into a ball shape. Place in fridge until ready to serve.
4. Just before serving, combine remaining ½ cup pecans, ½ dried cranberries, and 2 tablespoon chives on a flat surface or cutting board. Unwrap the ball and roll in cranberry-pecan mixture.
5. Serve with anything and devour! 

Leftovers… are awesome! Try this penne with sausage in a whisky cream sauce done in 9 MINUTES!

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asparagus, BBQ, cheese, cooking, corn, cream, cream sauce, delicious, easy cooking, easy dinner, easy dinners, easy pasta, eat, entertaining, food, fresh, garlic, italian, leftover, light dinners, pasta, quick cooking, simple entertaining, whisky

What exactly are leftovers? Leftovers are the uneaten remains of a hot or cold meal after the meal is over and everyone has finished eating.

As a kid what did that mean? It meant a gross dinner was around the corner. 😬 My mom was an excellent cook but even leftover night was a food bust.

No. Anymore.

Today is Labour Day in Canada or (Holiday Monday) and all the stores are closed. So dinnertime rolled around and I had no idea what to make. So I opened my fridge and grab a ton of leftovers and made a wicked dinner.

Here is what I used:

• 2 cups cooked penne pasta
• 1 bunch of asparagus which I cooked in garlic and oil
• 1/4 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 smoked Serrano chili ( or a chipotle if that is what you have )
• 2 cobs of corn – kernels cut off
• 3 BBQed Italian sausages sliced
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• Splash of whisky
• Parmesan
• Salt and pepper

What did I do?

Melt a bit of butter in a pan, add onion and asparagus after a few minutes add garlic and corn. After 1 minutes add chili, sausage and pasta. After 2 minutes add splash of whisky and stock and cream. Simmer 3 minutes and viola. Season with salt and pepper and top with Parmesan.

You won’t believe this is leftovers!

Soup Addict – Italian Wedding Soup

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basil, butter, cheese, comfort food, cooking, delicious, easy cooking, easy dinner, easy dinners, easy pasta, eat, fall, fall dishes, food, fresh, italian, Italian wedding soup, Italy, kid friendly, leftovers, make ahead meals, Parmesan, pasta, pork, quick cooking, simple entertaining, soup, soup recipes, wedding soup, winter, winter soups

When you live in Ottawa, and it’s the winter and it’s cold than Mars (true story) I crave soup. This delicious Italian Wedding soup always makes feel cozy and warm. Italian wedding soup is a combination of a killer broth, mini tasty meatballs, a small pasta, veggies and greens.

I honestly adore soup.  I love it for lunch with a piece of crusty bread and it makes a great appetizer before dinner. My youngest Holly loves this soup (she loves meat) my oldest Chloe avoids meat like the plague, so I wanted to create a version that would appeal to both kids. Chloe just eats hers minus the meatballs.

This soup is made on the stove 🙂 sorry Instant Pot lovers this is old school 🙂 This soup will keep in your fridge for 5 days and freezes superbly well. Rolling the meatballs are the most time consuming part of this recipe so if you have child labor kids to assist you, use it.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Pork Meatballs (can be done ahead of time and frozen):

• 1 pound ground pork (makes a tender meatball, but you can also use beef)
• 1/2 cup onion , finely diced (about 1/2 medium onion)
• 2 cloves garlic , peeled and minced (or use a rasp)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs or seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons mixed fresh herbs (parsley, basil, rosemary)
• 1 egg

Ingredients for Soup:

• 1 tablespoons butter or oil
• 1 cup onion , finely diced (1 medium onion)
• 1 cup carrot , peeled and diced (1 medium carrot)
• 2 cloves garlic , peeled and minced
• ~3 liters chicken broth – organic if you can (or homemade… I don’t have time for that though :)…)
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• 1 cup orzo, seme di Melone or acini di pepi
• 1 pound fresh tender spinach
• 2 tablespoons finely diced mixed herbs

Instructions

Meatballs:

1. In a large bowl, mix together pork, onion, garlic, Parmesan cheese, salt, bread crumbs, herbs, and egg until combined
2. Shape into tiny bite-sized meatballs, roughly 1/2 inch in diameter; place onto parchment covered cookie sheet and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. Luckily if you live in Canada during the winter you can put these babies outside to freeze while you prepare your broth 🙂 * Refrigerating is important as it will keep them from falling apart in the soup. You need a minimum of 30 mins to set up.

Soup:

1. In a large stock pot, melt butter; add onion, carrots, and garlic. Saute until tender, but not soft (about 5 minutes)
2. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Turn to simmer, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.
3. Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste
4. Drop meatballs into broth; cook 7 minutes. Add pasta of your choice and cook 5 minutes
5. Add herbs and simmer for 30 minutes to meld flavours, adding more broth, if needed. Add spinach for the last few minutes.
6. Serve with crusty bread, or garlic bread (my kids favourite) and top with additional Parmesan cheese. I also love to add a bit of Sriracha to my soup too.
7. Enjoy!

http://www.monicaskitchen.com

Egg Bites – Premake your breakfasts for the week in 20 mins!

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breakfast, cheese, cooking, delicious, easy breakfast, easy cooking, eat, eating, eggs, food, fresh, jalapeno, kid friendly, kids baking, muffins

I love eggs but I can’t be bothered to make an egg every morning.. I mean who has time for that?

Enter egg bites, baked in the oven, customizable to whatever your tastes are. Easy peasy… just how I like my mornings.

All you need is an oven, a 12 muffin tin, 8 eggs and whatever extras you want! To save a mess I use silicon muffin liners.

Here is what you need:

• 8 whole eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 Tbs heavy cream
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 slices of diced bacon
• 1/2 onion finely diced
• 1 whole jalapeño finely diced
• 1/2 cup feta crumbled

Sauté the onion, bacon and jalapeño in a pan until golden. Drop a 1/2 Tbs of this mixture into the muffin tins.

Whisk up the 8 eggs in a bowl. Add the heavy cream and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add 1/4 cup of the egg mixture into each muffin tin. Top with roughly 2 tsp of crumbed feta cheese.

Put these babies into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

Voila! Now in the morning your only concern is making a Coffee, trying to get dressed in private and herding cats.. err I mean your children. 😉

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Pizza Night !

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cheese, easy dinners, fast dinners, kid friendly, pizza, pizza night

Almost everyone likes pizza, and if you have a few staples on hand you can have a simple and creative pizza night without having to ordering takeout.

  
I like to use naan as my pizza crust. Preferably the mini naan as they make perfectly portioned pizzas. And because it is already baked, it is a huge timesaver. 

Pizza toppings can be fun: I always have jarred sauce on hand and cheese but be creative and mix it up a little with the extras.

Try these: 

Pesto, Boursin cheese, jalapeños, onions and peppers  make a delish out combination.

Onion jam, prosciutto, Gouda and arugula

Fresh pineapple, crispy bacon and cheddar

Creme fresh, red onions, double smoked bacon, freshly ground pepper and Asiago

   
    
   

Enjoy!

http://www.monicaskitchen.com

Simple Entertaining. Try a charcuterie board.

Tags

appetizers, charcutiere board, cheese, entertaining, meat, simple appetizers

Are you having people over this weekend? Put together a simple but delicious charcuterie board! A charcuterie board is usually a mix of meats, cheeses, olives, nuts and breads.

Make it your own. For the cheese chose 1 or 2, use Brie, or exta old cheddar, Parmesan or blue cheese. For the meats, try 2 or 3, like a salami, chorizo, prosciutto, kielbasa, or pate. You can pull it together is a matter of minutes and guests can freely serve themselves.

For my dinner I chose an extra old cheddar. I cut it in squares and then triangles to add to the presentation. Followed by German salami, chorizo and kielbasa. I added some fresh tomatoes from my garden too. Then comes the olives. I love olives. My favorite are called castelvetrano olives. They are delish! I wrote about them a while back so check it out!

Once you have your ingredients start assembling! If you have a wood cutting board use it as it looks lovely. Start with your meats and cheeses, add some olives and tomatoes and then fill in the gaps with slices baguettes and crackers. Enjoy!