Healthy Monday night dinner

Well I outdid myself in the kitchen last night.  Just another busy Monday around here however I felt very inspired to be adventurous in the kitchen!  This was one of those dinners where Kevin looked at my wide eyed and said "Wow-you spoil me".  It's true - I do have my moments!

My mouth is watering just looking a this picture!

Menu:

*Michele's Chicken Charmoula with Cucumber yogurt sauce & Chipotle Harissa - Whitewater Cooks with Friends

*Quinoa with Sundried tomatoes and parsley 

*Mixed Green Salad with 'Super Healthy Vinaigrette'

Super-Healthy Vinaigrette Recipe

Cookbook: The Very Best Healing Foods by Rachel Fontaine

*Bought this book at Costco and love it*

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp honey

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (leaves & stems)

2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small shallot, chopped

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

a pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender or shaker.  Mix for 1 minute.

YUMMY!

The Chicken Charmoula was to die for.  It was chicken skewers with lemon wedges and onions marinated in a delicious charmoula sauce and then BBQ'd.  So juicy and delicious with the tzatziki and chipotle sauce to dip.

Okay I think I need to go to bed before I decided to make a midnight snack.

Bye for now

Words of Wisdom - Week 3

"Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."~Harold R. McAlindon~

Photo of the Week "The Shoes"

Finally found my wedding shoes!! These are worth being the photo of the week!


Bought at: Le Château

Now to start wearing them in! 

Greek Lemon and Orzo Soup

My all time favourite soup is the Greek Lemon and Orzo soup from the 'Plaza' in Kenora, Ontario. So unbelievably yummy! I was craving this the other day so I experimented with a recipe I found online.  It was not nearly as good as the Plaza's but it was still very tasty! We enjoyed it with toasted Nann bread and a side of sliced tomatoes with goat cheese, fresh basil and a balsamic reduction drizzle.

Greek Lemon and Orzo Soup

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/rachael-ray-30-minute-meals/greek-lemon-and-orzo-soup

INGREDIENTS

• 64 ounces (8 cups) chicken broth
• One 2-inch strip lemon peel and juice of 1 large lemon
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch saffron or saffron powder
• ½ cup orzo
• 2 large eggs plus 3 large yolks
• 2 drops hot sauce
• Flat-leaf parsley, chopped (a couple of generous handfuls)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Pita chips (any flavor), for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a soup pot, bring the broth, lemon peel, bay leaf and saffron to a boil. Stir in the orzo and boil for 5 minutes. Cover, remove the pan from the heat and let the orzo steep for 5 minutes. Discard the lemon peel and bay leaf.
2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks, lemon juice and hot sauce. Whisk in ½ cup soup to temper the eggs, then whisk the egg mixture into the soup. Cook on low heat, whisking, for 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley; season with salt and pepper. Serve with pita chips.
   
   
   
   

Words of Wisdom - Week 3

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." -Oprah Winfrey

Photo of the Week - "The Abominable Snowman"

Kona the "The Abominable snowman"

One of my favourite things is taking my dog out to play in snow - after a week of -30 we really appreciated the "warmer" temperatures today! This is what his face looked like after 20 minutes of frisbee playing down on the ice

Artichokes

Homemade Spinach Artichoke Drip

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a small baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hot-artichoke-and-spinach-dip-ii/

This recipe was so easy to make and was beyond delicious!!