Flexible Dish: Chicken & Pesto Pasta

I may as well permanently apologize for all my future delayed posts because I am like that.  I just get caught up with the kids and LIFE...but will try to be more active and not just sharing pics of food via Instagram!

I don't know why but I didn't taste pesto until I was a mom.  A mom of 3...and even then it wasn't something I chose to try.  Let's just say that pesto wasn't in my household growing up either...

But anyway I absolutely freaking love it.

It's basil-y and garlic-y and so green and healthy and delicious.

I have made my own once and it was tasty too but pine nuts are crazy expensive - so I now opt for the no-name/generic store brand named stuff and am just as happy...my wallet is happier too.

My neighbour is a vegetarian and she keeps sending me snap chat pics (or is it just called "snaps"?) of her "pesto pasta" and I thought - it cannot be that hard.

So one night I felt like pasta and this is obviously a dish my kids will not eat - so I made sure to enjoy it at night while they slept.  And it was glorious.

It might change your life.

It's kind of like when I discovered how easy (although time consuming!) making fresh pasta was - and I was addicted.

Well, have no fear - I used store bought whatever shape is in your cupboard pasta.  So that'll save you a crap load of time.

Unlike my vegetarian buddy - I added some cooked chicken pieces, shredded prosciutto, some sliced veggies and a lot of chili flakes - and I have 0 regrets.

And you know what else is freaking awesome?!  You can eat this as a main dish, a side dish, a guilty pleasure dish, hot or cold...or when you need to fend off someone with your stellar pesto-y breath...don't limit yourself.  The skies are the limit.
Hence the "Flexible Dish" section of the blog I just added today.

As always - measurements are guess-timates.

What you need (portioned for 2 very hungry people):

• 3 cooked and lightly seasoned (salt and pepper with minced garlic) chicken breasts
• 4 strips of prosciutto shredded with your fingers
• 1/2 medium red onion peeled and chopped
• 5 large white mushrooms washed and sliced
• 1/2 red pepper washed, seeded and diced
• Pasta in fun shapes (I used heart-shaped ones)
• oil
• salt
• Ready-made pesto
• Cream cheese (plain)
• Milk or cream
• chili flakes

What to do:

• Boil water and add a bit of oil and a pinch of salt
• Add pasta and cook according to directions
• Drain the pasta but save a bit of the water (maybe a tablespoon's worth!) - remove from heat!
• In a separate pan or sauce pan - put some oil and fry the veggies a bit on high heat
• Add a couple heaping tablespoons of pesto into the pot with the pasta, the chicken and veggies
• Add a monster sized blob (aka a massive heaping tablespoon of cream cheese) and stir while on low heat
• Or just shut off the heat - your burner will be warm enough to keep cooking the "sauce" part of this recipe. Just make sure you're constantly stirring and keeping an eye on it so it doesn't burn!
• Add a bit of milk (or cream) to your pasta pot, stirring regularly so the cheese melts and the pesto is well blended in too
• Stir in shredded prosciutto and chili flakes according to taste and serve hot!
  
  
  or
• Let it cool and chill it in the fridge and serve it as a cold pasta salad

I had some that night and the next day straight out of the fridge and it was delicious both ways!

I genuinely love my neighbour and hate her at the same time (lovingly) for introducing me to such a SIMPLE meal that I made a bit extra with protein and veggies.

Confession time...I had some pesto pasta tonight - without the protein or veggies - because I walked 15km today and was feeling a bit lazy...
Isn't that awesome though? Not the 15 km part but how freaking flexible this meal is.

And it's fairly CHEAP!  You can of course adjust what veggies you want in there - the veggies I listed were merely suggestions as they were what I had on hand.

Enjoy this dish in your nicest pair of yoga pants/sweats and please don't hate me for loving this dish...
Blame my neighbour.

XO,
Dominique

Side Dish: Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

Who doesn't love garlic bread?  Besides the few that are allergic of course...
And who doesn't love freshly baked bread?  AND CHEESE?! Beside those that have dairy allergies too - that sucks truly...

Anyway - my point is - that I love cheesy garlic pull apart bread and it's wicked easy to make - although mildly time consuming.
And guess what? You can use your bread machine that has been collecting dust since your Aunt Judy dropped it off in fear of making Uncle Bert too heavy with the baked goods from it.

This recipe will be short and sweet.

Here's the recipe I use via Genius Kitchen (which I believe used to be "food.com") to make my Italian bread dough.
Bake according to the recipe and all will be fine.

**If you want it extra garlic-y - and who wouldn't?! Add some garlic powder in the machine too!

Now, here's the recipe part!

What you need:

• One Italian loaf - freshly baked and cooled
• Butter
• Garlic powder
• Minced fresh garlic (optional)
• Parsley (fresh or dry) chopped up
• Shredded/grated cheese (I use a pizza mix from the grocery store)
• Parchment paper
• Bread knife (you know - the long zig-zaggy looking one)

What to do:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 150*C.
2. Melt about ½ cup of butter in your microwave or on the stove with the garlic powder (and or fresh).
1. Add your parsley after butter is melted and give it a good stir.  Keep warm so it is still melted.
3. Cut your loaf of bread in a criss-cross fashion. 
   **Don't cut all the way through the loaf or else you'll be making croutons...
1. Cut approximately 4 vertical cuts then turn the loaf and cut in the opposite direction 4-5 times more. (Think like a checker board).
2. The less you cut - the bigger the chunks.  It's up to you how many chunks of bread you want to make and the size of them.
3. Set your loaf onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
4. Put your shredded cheese inside the cracks you've created - both horizontally and vertically.
1. YES you will put more cheese on top! Don't fret! The reason why you should stuff the cracks now with cheese is because it's easier and less messy than once you have butter poured in there and you won't burn your fingers this way either with the hot butter.
5. Pour your garlic butter (watch your fingers!) all over the bread - making sure it's well coated inside each crevice and all over the top.
   Don't be ashamed for how much butter you use!  There shouldn't be a massive pool of it on the paper- but you want to ensure the bread is full of flavour.
6. You can brush more butter on and around the loaf if you fancy and then top with shredded cheese.
7. Bake the loaf on the center rack for about 5-10 minutes- until the cheese is melted and your house is smelling so delicious that the vampires won't be coming over anytime soon...
8. Enjoy!

I should've added more cheese.

Be careful as this will be piping hot because the hot melted garlic-y butter and the cheese will be gooey and yummy and so lovely!
And all you have to do is just pull those chunks of cheesy garlicy bread off as you go and enjoy it!!

Serve this up when having a game night with your friends or as a side for a salad (just kidding!) and pasta night!  Also goes well with a nice stew or soup on a chilly day!

It looks fancy with minimal effort.

Add extra garlic butter for dipping -because why the heck not?!

Enjoy...and don't forget to wear your stretchy pants...it's how I roll personally. :)

XO,
Dominique

Sweet Tooth: Rocky Road Ice-Cream

I don't know a single person that does not like ice-cream!  It goes with everything dessert wise and I love it!
I also have to admit that I love the fact that I can make it at home and it's not as sickeningly sweet as the store bought versions or the McDonald's sundae versions too....

I also love the fact that I do NOT need an ice-cream machine for the ice-cream I make because I love the "No Churn Ice-Cream" method.

Pretty much you whip cream until it thickens and there's peaks, add a pinch of salt and a can of condensed milk and your flavours then freeze that sucker in a container for a few hours (or overnight) and poof.  You have ice-cream.
No need for stirring it, or freezing a bowl or container in advance and definitely no need for extra space for your ice-cream machine!

I personally have a kitchen stand mixer - a Kenwood Chef Sense model (the 1100W one) that I got on sale a couple years ago (which I dragged home via sled because I live in Finland and there was a lot of snow and I don't have a car but anyway!) and the great thing about it is that I can get various attachments for it like a meat grinder/sausage maker, juicer, food processor and so on.
But most importantly - I can make some ice-cream!

Of course an electric hand mixer works just as fine - I got rid of mine after my kids dented the beaters and after I invested into this puppy.

So - I made Rocky Road ice-cream today because my friend had been hinting how awfully sugary the one in the store was and I agree.  After I eat store-bought ice-cream I feel a huge sense of guilt and like my teeth are threatening to fall out due to the intensity of the sugar that clung to them.

Here's what you need!

• 4dl of whipping cream
• 1 can of condensed milk
• pinch of salt
• A hearty teaspoon of vanilla extract - ok vanilla extract is crazy expensive here so I've been using vanilla syrup - like for coffee drinks!  It works for me and my wallet...
• Chocolate - I used Fazer Milk chocolate about 100g chopped up roughly but use what you like! Chocolate chips could be doable too!
• 1 sleeve of Grov Marie biscuits (let's say about 14-ish) - the closest thing I could find to a graham cracker here or an Arrowroot cracker - crush them up without shame!
• I used a jar of pasta sauce to crush them up in a stainless steel bowl...
• Candied cherries
• Salty or dry roasted peanuts - couple handfuls should do the trick.  Unless you're allergic (or whoever is going to eat this ice-cream is)- then probably you shouldn't.
• Mini marshmallows - one bag 
• Some sort of mixing device - electric hand mixer or stand mixer - whatever works for you!
• A spatula - I prefer silicone - they're cheap, easy to wash and dishwasher friendly usually!
• A container that can handle freezing with a lid - I just use those empty candy boxes from the bulk candy section that the grocery store leaves behind for customers to take for free.  But I've seen people use loaf pans or large Rubbermaid-kind of containers too.
• A freezer with space - or a very cold balcony.
• 15 minutes or so then a few hours of patience.

What to do!

All my goodies into a bowl.

Aww look at that little peak!

1. Pour your whipping cream into your mixing bowl and begin to mix your whipping cream until thick and peaks are forming.  
2. Sprinkle your pinch of salt and pour your can of condensed milk in there too.  (I find having a spatula very handy for scraping out the layer of condensed milk that can't seem to leave the can!)
3. Mix some more and add your vanilla extract.
4. Add your chopped chocolate, crushed cookies (aka anger management), nuts, mini marshmallows and mix slowly.
   ** You can simply fold it in with your spatula or just slowly mix it with your mixer.
5. Pour into your container and pop it in the freezer for a few hours.

Before it went to the freezer...

That is it.  You don't need to check on it or stir it or whatever you're supposed to do with an ice-cream machine.

Few hours later I had to try it. 
It was a bit soft because it hadn't frozen completely but it was still yummy!

Some other flavour ideas that I have done (you'll have to use your imagination because I may not don't have the photos for them on my phone...):

• Vanilla: Cream + Condensed Milk + Vanilla extract
• Old Fashioned Vanilla:  Cream + Condensed Milk + Vanilla bean pod split and scraped out
• Cookie Monster: Cream + Condensed Milk + Vanilla extract + Blue food colouring + crushed Oreos and crushed chocolate chip cookies This was a Pinterest WIN!
• Vanilla Maple: Cream + Condensed Milk + Vanilla extract + maple syrup (aka some Aunt Jemima stuff) 
• ** I served this with a home-made salted caramel sauce and a brie and pear tart and it was a real decadent treat! **
• Mint Chocolate Chip: Cream + Condensed Milk + Peppermint extract + Green food colouring + dark chocolate chips
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: Cream + Condensed Milk + Vanilla extract + chunks of cookie dough (without eggs) Ben & Jerry's is crazy expensive here so I make my own.

And there you have it!

XO
Dominique

...Under Construction!...

Yep you caught me.  I started a blog after the kids went to bed and I have to get up early in the morning and rush about....and then I am leaving you with this pitiful little blog post saying "Hi - yeah bye".

I'll be back - I promise.  I at least should say a bit about myself right?

Well, I'm a divorced mom of 3 kiddos - V-Man (8), A-Man (6) and M-Girl (4).
If you think that sounds familiar - you're right.  I also write for my other blog (rarely I know!) called "Blogging in My Undies" - which is mostly about my life as a mom and raising a kiddo with non-verbal autism and so on.

But I wanted to get away from all that.  I wanted to write a blog and make a Youtube Channel (in progress also) from my messy-ass kitchen...
I am a chef (or cook - whichever term you prefer) part-time and have a lot of time where I should be cleaning but where is the fun in that?!

Here's what I am hoping to cover (in no particular order of course) in this blog:

1. Recipes - whether I am testing new ones, trying to make trusted and true basic comfort food better or just simply winging it...I want to share my ups and downs.
2. Cooking on a budget - I am broke AF and have to get creative at times!
3. Cooking with limited resources - not just because I am broke AF as mentioned but because I don't live in a country with many common North American ingredients that you can find at your local Walmart/massive grocery store chains.  I live in Finland. (Moi!/Hei!)  
4. Product testing - I love those product testings and reading reviews online - I also rant and rave about products I love (or hate) regularly to my friends...may as well do it here so I stop repeating myself to them. 
5. Cookbook reviews - I won't promise that I will buy every book out there but I have quite a few and I should probably use them for actually cooking/baking from...instead of just reading the recipe description and looking at the pictures like a 5-year old.

I'll be honest and never sugar coat anything in here when it comes to reviews (especially during reviews!) - you know, unless I am supposed to sugar coat something like a donut...mmmm donuts...

So follow along and let's see how this goes!

XO,

Dominique

PS Please bear with me as I am tweaking this blog, the layout and so on! :D