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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Sometimes I just need a curry in a hurry (Cauliflower and tofu korma)

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butter, cauliflower, comfort food, cooking, curry, easy cooking, easy dinner, easy dinners, eat, entertaining, food, fresh, indian, Indian food, korma, make ahead meals, quick cooking, simple entertaining, spices, tofu, tomatoes, winter

An easy vegetarian Indian vegetable korma recipe with tofu, cauliflower, peas, and warming spices.

This curry took me 45 mins to make. Will anyone else in the house eat it? Hello no.. but now I have 4 make-ahead meals I can devour. It’s a win for Me!

I feel like roasting the cauliflower gives it a better taste and adds body to the dish, so I highly recommend. I also tossed the tofu in cornstarch and salt after I pressed it to (google how to do this) add a bit of bite it to, but that is optional. I am a texture wh@re when it comes to food. I need crunch and a toothy feel, if everything is soft I am out!

Carrots and cream (or coconut milk) add body to the korma curry base, while puréed tomatoes and lemon add the punch you need for balance.

Serves 4 or 2 if you are REALLY HUNGRY

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil or unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tsp garam masala and cinnamon and garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup roughly chopped carrots run through a food processor
• 1 onion, peeled and put in a food processor
• 3 cloves garlic, and again put in the FP
• 1 (28 oz) can pureed plum tomatoes
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup of heavy cream or canned coconut milk (add the entire can for a looser, soupier korma base, if desired)
• Add a handful of frozen peas
• 1 (350g/12 oz) pkg extra firm tofu, (pressed if you have time) cut into 1/2-inch cubes as tossed with some corn starch and a generous pinch of salt
• 1 small cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets (extra spices needed for this part see instructions)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint or cilantro, and toasted almonds and or cashews to serve (optional)
• Cooked brown rice or basmati rice, hot, to serve (optional) or naan

Directions:

1 Turn oven on to 425 and get ready to prep the cauliflower for roasting. Lay the florets in a baking sheet on parchment paper and spread them out. If they are too close put them on two different trays you do not want the cauliflower to steam you wanted to roast. Drizzle with oil, 1-2 pinches of salt, 2 tsp garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of turmeric. Toss and into the oven it goes for 15-18 mins. Cooking is fun not an exact science if you are missing the turmeric no big deal it will still be delish. You want to roast the cauliflower so you will get the all the little dark tasty spots .. that is okay. You want it to have personality not be mushy. Mushy is BAD.

2 While the cauliflower is in the oven…In a large pot, heat oil or butter over medium heat; add spices, salt, and everything in food processor. Sauté for 10 minutes, until onions are translucent.

3 Add tomatoes and cream or coconut milk, bring to a simmer, reduce to medium, cover, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are very tender.

4 In a frying pan toss the cut up tofu in 1-2 tablespoons of oil and get it crispy.

5 Then it’s magic time. Add everything into the sauce. The roasted cauliflower, the crispy tofu, hand full of peas and lemon juice. Toss gently and keep on low heat for 5-10 mins. Here is the trick. TASTE IT. Is it missing heat? I added 2 chili’s because I LOVE it spicy, missing sweetness? I added 1 tbls of honey to it, not enough salt? Add some, add more curry powder if you need it…it’s your dish adjust how you like it! Make this 24 hrs in advance so the flavours develop even more.

6 Top with nuts and fresh herbs (optional)

7 Serve hot with brown rice, basmati rice, or quinoa or naan or nothing!

Enjoy!!

Instant Pot – Tex Mex Chicken Thighs

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chicken, cooking, delicious, easy cooking, easy dinner, easy dinners, eat, eating, food, fresh, fresh cooking, instant pot, make ahead meals, pressure cooking, salsa, simple entertaining, tex mex, tomatoes, winter

This is a quick dinner that can be made on any weeknight or weekend.

All it takes is 30 mins in an Instant Pot.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kilo chicken thighs (club pack)
• 1/2 medium onion diced
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbls chili powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 cups fresh salsa
• 2 whole chipotles in adobo sauce diced up
• 3 cloves garlic
• Stems of cilantro finely diced *amazing flavour and even those who don’t like the cilantro flavour like this.
• 19 0z Can black beans
• 15 oz Can of corn kernels

Press sauté on your Instant pot until it registers HOT. Add 2 tsp oil and add your chicken thighs. Cook both sides of chicken for 5 mins add salt, chili powder, cumin, chipotles, cilantro stems, garlic and onions. Mix around for 2 minutes. Add canned corn with juice, add drained beans and stir. Top with salsa and DO NOT STIR. Tomatoes can tend to burn in the IP so just pour on top and spread out.

Put on IP Lid and seal the vent. Press Chili button – 30 mins. Viola

Do what ever you need to do and once the IP beeps release the steam vent to depressurize. Shred the chicken thighs, they will be soft and buttery. Mix everything together, add fresh cilantro leaves and check seasoning.

Serve on its own, on rice, spaghetti squash, top with chunks of avocado, cheese and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Makes 10 cups and freezes perfectly well.

Enjoy!

The BEST Mexican Corn Salad recipe

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avocado, cooking in 15 minutes, corn, easy cooking, easy dinner, easy dinners, easy salads, eat, eating, entertaining, feta, food, fresh, fresh cooking, grill, light dinners, quick cooking, simple entertaining, summer, summer salads, summertime, tomatoes

It’s late summer and corn is in season right now in Ontario and it is DELISH! I know after a few meals of corn on the cob we all want to switch it up a little … so this is a perfect alternative to corn on the cob.

Not sure if you are familiar with Mexico’s all-dressed corn-on-the-cob…but this recipe turns it into a summery salad. If you don’t like spicy foods, use smoked paprika in the crema; otherwise, chipotle powder or canned chipotles gives the salad an authentic smoky kick or in a pinch use Sriracha. The crema is also delicious with nachos, on burgers, chicken, grilled fish, honestly anything!

Chipotle Lime Crema

• ½ cup (125 mL) mayonnaise (reduced fat is fine)
• ½ cup (125 mL) sour cream
• 2 Tbls fresh lime juice
• Finely grated zest of 1 lime
• 1 clove of garlic finely chopped
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika or ground chipotle pepper
• Salt to taste

Corn Salad

• 6 cobs of corn, shucked
• 1 orange pepper diced finely
• ⅔ cup dice finely a Vidalia onion
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 whole avocados diced
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups arugula (the peppery taste is a nice compliment to the sweetness of the corn)
• 1 cup (250 mL) crumbled feta or cotija cheese if you can score that
• Lime wedges

 

Step by Step:

For the crema, whisk all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate at least 24 hours and up to 1 week.

Preheat grill to high. Clean and oil barbecue grate. Place corn on grill. Cook, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. (Alternatively, you could boil the corn in unsalted water for 5 minutes then quickly char it directly on the flame of a gas burner.) Transfer to a baking sheet and cool completely.

* TIP! Start with a large bowl and then place a smaller bowl upside down. Stand corn on end. Slice downward with a sharp knife to cut kernels away from cob. Less Mess!  Place corn in a large mixing bowl with onion, peppers, avocados, tomatoes, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix.

For each serving, place a little mound of salad greens in a bowl, if using. Spoon in some corn salad. Top with a dollop of crema and sprinkle with feta. Serve with lime wedges.

Enjoy!

www.monicaskitchen.com

 

Chicken Chili in 35 minutes in my Instant Pot – Includes Recipe!

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avocado, beans, chicken, chili, chipotle, delish, dinner, dinners, fiber, freezer dinners, instant pot, kid friendly, lunch, make ahead meals, pressure cooking, simpledinner, sour cream, southwestern, spices, tomatoes

I LOVE this shredded chicken taco chili. At times I serve it over rice, but many times just in a bowl and top it with avocado, cheese, and chipotle sour cream.

It is perfectly made in a slow cooker because you just dump all the ingredients in, turn it on and come back to the best tasting meal! But, it is amazing in an Instant Pot and takes 35 minutes! So you don’t need to plan ahead you just dump it in, turn it on and eat 35 minutes later.
This makes a lot, ~ 22 cups and it is even better the next day. It is a great freezer-friendly meal.

I have an 8 quart instant pot, so if you have a smaller one you may need to reduce by a can of tomatoes.

A serving is 1 cup and contains about 220 calories, 3 grams of fat, 8 grams of fiber, 21 grams of fiber and 28 grams of carbs.

1 medium onion, finely diced
2 (19 oz) can black beans, drained
2 (14 oz) cans of corn kernels
3 (19 oz) cans of diced tomatoes w/chilies or garlic
1 1/2 packages of reduced sodium taco seasoning (you can make your own but this is super easy)
2 tbsps cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp each of garlic and onion powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Serve with diced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream or chipotle sour cream

Combine beans, onion, corn, diced tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, spices and taco seasoning in a your instant pot.
Nestle the chicken in to completely cover, press meat/stew botton (which sets it for 35 minutes) and voila!
Once our instant pot has done its magic, open your vent and then open your lid after a few minutes. Remove the chicken and shred in a seperate dish and then return to your pot and stir it in.

Top with fresh cilantro and your favorite toppings!

In a slow cooker, prep the same way and turn on high for 5 hours or on low for 9. Shred chicken the same way.

For the Chipotle sour cream topping… take one can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (6.5 oz can) and blitz in a food processor and add in 1/4 cup of plain greek yogurt or sour cream. It makes a delicious condiment which is creamy, smokey and spicy! It’s great for chili, tacos and even on wraps.

For the love of tasty food,

Monica

http://www.monicaskitchen.com

The Caprese Salad

Tags

basil, caprese salad, easy salads, fresh mozzarella, italian food, summer salads, tomatoes

Caprese (Italian: Insalata Caprese meaning “Salad of Capri”) is a simple Italian salad made of sliced fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, seasoned with salt and olive oil. It was made to resemble the colors of the Italian flag. 

During the summer and especially during an Ottawa heat wave I can eat a Caprese salad daily for either lunch or dinner. There are some variations you can make to this salad, you can add garlic, lettuce, different herbs, and various dressings. I try to stay classic with a few tweaks here and there.

This salad takes 5 mins to prep and is delish! 

INGREDIENTS

3-4 ripe tomatoes. I use red vine ripe tomatoes and kumato tomatoes. Kumato tomatoes are usually reddish brown to purple and I find them sweeter than regular tomatoes. Delish!

A Handful of basil, I use regular sweet basil and Tuscan basil

Fresh mozzarella sliced thinly

Raddichio sliced very thin

Olive oil ( I used basil olive oil) and fig balsamic vinegar

Maldon salt and freshly cracked pepper

To assemble get a large platter. Spread out the raddichio on the bottom. Raddichio adds a nice bite to the salad, if you can’t find it feel free to use mâché, endive or arugula. 

Lay the sliced tomatoes ontop of the raddichio. Top with fresh mozzarella slices, torn basil and the oil and balsamic. Just before serving sprinkle with Maldon salt and freshly cracked pepper. 

For a spin on the salad, assemble the ingredients on a skewer instead for a cocktail party. Use grape tomatoes and boccoccini cheese instead.

Mangia! 

   
    
    
   

Simple and Delicious Salsa

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easy cooking, fast, food, fresh, garden, salsa, summer, tomatoes

Nothing beats a fresh homemade salsa served with hot and salty tortilla chips.

But did you know that you could make a fresh salsa in about 90 seconds?

Here is how:

You need approx 8-10 smaller tomatoes (I used Campari tomatoes)
1 jalapeño pepper deserved
1 red onion
1 garlic clove
Handful of cilantro
Pinch of salt

Half or quarter your tomatoes, quarter your onion, slice your pepper and garlic. In two batches toss your tomatoes into your food processor and pulse. You want to break them down but you don’t want them to be puréed. Pour into a bowl.
Next batch put in your garlic, onions, jalapeño, and cilantro and pulse until finely chopped. Put that into a bowl and mix together. Season with salt and taste.

Done and done! Enjoy your fresh salsa.

Simple and Delicious Marinara Sauce

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eat, food, Italy, marinara sauce, pasta, pasta sauce in minutes, summertime, tomatoes

There are so many ways to make marinara sauce and everyone has their personal preferences. A marinara sauce can be whipped up fresh pretty quickly – here’s how.

4 Ingredients

There are a few must haves to make the best marinara sauce in my opinion.

1. San Marzano tomatoes
2. Fresh basil
3. Parmesan cheese rinds
4. Immersion blender

Parmesan cheese rinds as such a depth of flavor to the sauce

I definitely prefer canned San Marzano tomatoes. These tomatoes are picked at their peak in the Campania region of Italy, where they grow in the volcanic soil. They are a low acid, meaty tomato and make an excellent tomato sauce.  Most grocery stores carry the canned San Marzanos now. I bought a HUGE can at Costco for 6$ 100oz. That was a steal because the local grocery stores sell a 28 oz can for 4.99.

If you use tomatoes that you feel are a little acidic, the trick is to add just a little sugar to the sauce.  My mom used to do this all the time. It softens that acidity.

Ingredients:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
8-10 garlic cloves, peeled
1 100 ounce can peeled Italian plum tomatoes, seeded and lightly crushed, with their liquid
kosher salt
Parmesan cheese rinds
20 fresh basil leaves
freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Mince the garlic cloves with a knife, toss them into the oil, and cook, about 2 minutes.

Carefully slide the tomatoes and their liquid into the oil. Bring to a boil, and season lightly with salt. Lower the heat so the sauce is at a simmer, and cook, breaking up the tomatoes with a whisk or spoon, add the Parmesan cheese rinds, cook until the sauce is chunky and thick, about 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in a huge bunch of basil (mine was from my garden) about 5 minutes before the sauce is finished. Taste the sauce, and season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Mince your garlic cloves

Saute garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes. Be careful not to brown the garlic or it will add a bitter taste.

Add the tomatoes

Add the Parmesan cheese rinds to the sauce

Add basil at the end of cooking

Eat

My best tip for making a marinara sauce, though, is to puree it.  Some people think it’s bad to puree the sauce, but I think that’s just wrong.  If you are using canned whole tomatoes, there is something about pureeing the sauce that deepens the flavor.  It makes a big difference. An immersion blender is the handiest thing to have for this.  If you don’t have one, get one – you will love it.  It can be very messy to transfer hot soup or sauce to a blender.

The sauce freezes very well.  I let my sauce cool overnight in the fridge with the Parmesan cheese rinds still in the sauce. I like freezing the sauce instead of canning it, just because it’s so much easier.  I just pour the sauce in a Tupperware container and throw it in the freezer. Or to make a lovely gift for someone, pour the sauce into some jars, add a label and viola! Dinner is served.

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I am a girl who loves food. I grew up with a Mom who was an excellent cook. She wrote a cookbook when I was a child, and as they say, the rest is history. Started a catering business in 2005 and haven’t looked back. I am a mom to 2 beautiful girls and I want them to love food as much as I do. In the meantime, I love life and love my job @ http://www.monicaskitchen.com

Easy Pasta in 15 minutes

Tags

basil, cooking, cooking in 15 minutes, easy pasta, fresh cooking, fresh pasta, mushrooms, pasta, tomatoes

I had a friend pop over for lunch last Wednesday and I needed to make us a quick bite to eat.

The day before I had bought a small little pack of fresh pasta for 2$
and some portobello mushrooms. With a few other ingredients the results were delish!

Pasta with mushrooms, tomatoes and basil

I love using mushrooms because they can actually replace the meat in a dish. Portobello mushrooms when they are cooked have a meaty texture.

Tip! When prepping your mushrooms scrape off the dark gills of the mushroom to prevent everything in your dish from going black.

Ingredients:

3 large portobello mushroom caps
1 onion sliced
Diced up smoked Serrano chili or 1/2 tsp of chipotle powder
Handful of fresh basil
Handful of sliced cherry tomatoes
Splash of white wine or sambucca or both
Heavy cream ~ 3/4 cup
Parmesan
Salt and pepper
Fresh pasta

In a sauté pan on high heat add a touch of oil and sauté the mushrooms until they start to color. Add onions. Salt and pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add wine or sambucca. Put pan back on heat to reduce. Add Serrano pepper or chipotle pepper. Add cream and reduce heat to low.

Sauce simmering

In a pot of salted water cook fresh pasta. It takes minutes to cook. I LOVE fresh pasta because it is a great chew to it which goes well with this sauce.

Pasta cooking

Once pasta is cooked, drain and add directly to the sauté pan that has the mushrooms and sauce. Coat the pasta with sauce and let it absorb. Toss in the sliced cherry tomatoes and the fresh sliced basil. Let heat for a few more minutes and put in pasta bowls, top with Parmesan and serve! Delish!

Toss pasta with sauce

This dish takes 15 mins to make. Super fast, easy and tasty, and you don’t even miss the meat. I promise.

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I am a girl who loves food. I grew up with a Mom who was an excellent cook. She wrote a cookbook when I was a child, and as they say, the rest is history. Started a catering business in 2005 and haven’t looked back. I am a mom to 2 beautiful girls and I want them to love food as much as I do. In the meantime, I love life and love my job @ http://www.monicaskitchen.com