Category Archives: Main Course

Easy to make meals using regular ingredients. Stress free dishes!

Main Course, Recipe, Seafood/Fish

Creamy, Cheesy Shrimp Florentine Linguine

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cheesycreamyshrimpa

You can use fat-free half and half, and reduced fat Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses. Serve with a green salad and/or garlic bread. – Wannabe Gourmet Jonathan

2 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 pounds fresh shrimp without shells or tails, deveined
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh basil, cut in a chiffonade
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp paprika
16 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 lb cut whole leaf spinach
2 cups half and half
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
cooked pasta water
1 lb linguine pasta

Heat a large skillet until hot – add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and immediately add garlic and shrimp, cook on one side for about 1 minute until pink on one side, on medium-high heat. Flip the shrimp to the other side, sprinkle the top of cooked side of shrimp with basil,  and paprika, cook for another 1-2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until shrimp is pink on both sides. Remove the shrimp from skillet. If shrimp is a little undercooked – it’s fine because you will continue cooking it in the sauce.

To the same skillet add sliced mushrooms. Add more olive oil if necessary. Cook on high heat for about 2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until mushrooms become soft and release juices. Salt midway through cooking. To the skillet with mushrooms, add cooked shrimp. Immediately add spinach, half and half and all of the cheese – bring to boil, then reduce to simmer, and cook, constantly stirring, until all cheese melts. Cover with lid and remove from heat.

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some of pasta water. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water. Add pasta to the skillet with shrimp and mushrooms and cream sauce. Stir well, season with more salt and add more crushed red pepper flakes and basil, if desired.
If the cream sauce is too thick and you want it creamier – add some pasta water in small amounts until you reach desired consistency.

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Fruit, Main Course, Recipe

Cranberry Citrus Fig Sauce for Pork and Chicken

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cranberry-citrusa

Finally! A return to cooking and new recipes! – Jonathan (The Wannabe Gourmet)

1 1/2 cups of dried cranberries (divided)
2 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
4 slices naval orange (including rind)
4 slices lemon (deseeded but including rind)
4 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
14 fresh figs, quartered and pulp scooped from outer rind

Place 1 cup dried cranberries in a saucepot. Cover with 2 cups water, adding cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add sugars, citrus slices, orange juice and vanilla extract. Return to boil, reduce to simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will cause the pulp from the orange and lemon to cook away from rind. Remove rinds and cinnamon stick. Allow to cool slightly, then process until almost smooth in a food processor fitted with a chopping blade.

Return to saucepot, add cardamom and ground cinnamon. Add fig pulp and remaining 1/2 cup of dried cranberries. Return to boil, and reduce to simmer and stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes until lightly thickened and dried cranberries have plumped. The figs will have dissolved into the sauce, and the seeds will be floating on the surface. Stir to combine completely and allow to cool slightly (sauce will continue to thicken as it cools).

Use on pork chops, ham steaks, or even grilled chicken. Use leftover sauce within 2 days, or freeze for up to a month.

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Main Course, Recipe, Seafood/Fish

An easy Sunday dinner…

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Easy, peasy, and so delicious.

2 Albacore tuna steaks
8 ounces Basmati rice
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tbsp butter
8 ounces sliced mushrooms, sauteed

Heat oven to 425F. Place tuna steaks in a baking dish and add 2 cups of water.  Bake, covered in foil, for 25-30 minutes, or until tuna flakes and is cooked through.  Drain off cooking liquid and reserve. Using forks, flake the tuna.

In a medium sized saucepan with a tight fitting lid, melt butter, and sauté onion until just translucent. Add Basmati rice and swirl around with onion and butter to coat.

Add enough water to the reserved cooking liquid (if necessary) to make 2 cups of liquid. Add to the rice, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and clamp on the lid. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes or until all liquid is evaporated.

Turn the rice out into a serving dish and, using forks or bamboo spatulas to combine, add tuna and mushrooms. (Never use spoons because that makes the rice gummy.) A nice addition might be freshly cooked peas, asparagus cuts, or even broccoli florets. Some people might like quartered hard boiled eggs (I recommend 3 or 4 eggs be used), and you may sprinkle with dill, cilantro, or parsley for additional colour if desired.

Serves 4, generously.

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Main Course, Recipe

Chicken Chorizo…Caliente!

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Easy, peasy, tasty, and even better the second day!

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 links of skinless chorizo sausage
2 lbs fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and dried
1 large red onion cut into wedges
zest of 1 unwaxed orange
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 425F.

Cut chicken and chorizo into about 1 inch cubes. Cut fingerlings in half, if needed, to make all about the same size. In a large bowl, toss chicken, chorizo, potatoes, and onion with olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle orange zest and oregano overtop, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

Serve with fresh lime to squeeze over, and your favourite veggie as a side dish.

Serves 6 generously, 8, reasonably.

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Main Course, Recipe

Lemon Chicken with Mushrooms and Angel Hair Pasta

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Who says you have to have high fat or even high sodium to have huge flavour? This dish goes to show that the addition of spices, and minimal oil help keep everything down to quite a low calorie count.

1 medium onion, sliced thinly
3 cups button mushrooms, sliced
6 tbsp water, divided
olive oil (see directions)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or more, depending on how hot you like it)
3 garlic cloves, minced
16 oz broccoli florets, blanched and heated through
3 portions of angel hair pasta, cooked al dente
3 tbsp lemon juice (the juice of one whole lemon)

In  a large pan, place 1 tsp olive oil. Using a paper towel, wipe the oil around to lightly coat the surface of the pan, and remove the excess (retain this paper towel). Place over medium heat and add mushrooms, onions, and 3 tbsp water. Place a lid on the pan, and allow them to steam in their own liquids. Stir occasionally until they are tender. Remove from the pan and cover to keep warm.

Using the oil soaked paper towel, wipe down the pan again, and add garlic, chicken cubes, crushed red pepper flakes, and remaining water. Cover to allow chicken to steam and cook through, stirring occasionally.

Return the mushrooms and onions to the pan, along with the blanched broccoli and the al dente pasta. Add lemon juice overall, toss to combine and heat through.

Serves 6 as dished, or 4 with larger appetites.

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Main Course, Recipe

Chicken Picatta with Lemon and Pickled Peppercorns

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A little bit of a change from your traditional chicken picatta, using pickled peppercorns instead of capers (find them in your supermarket in the same area — normally next to the olives). They give a great flavour without adding heat. Please don’t be put off by the length of ingredients — it’s really a simple dish to create!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves pounded to 1/4″ thickness
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter (separated)
2 lemons (one juiced, one cut into slices)
1 cup dry white wine (if you choose not to use alcohol in your cooking, you may substitute chicken stock)
4 tbsp pickled peppercorns (drained from brine)
cooked brown rice

In a shallow dish, beat egg and water until combined; set aside. In another shallow dish, add flour, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Stir to combine.
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil and 2 tbsp of the butter. Once that has melted and begins to sizzle, dredge chicken first in the beaten egg (allow excess to drain off), then in flour mixture. Place in pan. Cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until brown and slightly springy to the touch. Once chicken has been cooked, remove pieces to a warmed serving platter and cover to keep warm. Take pan off the heat and add the wine. Place back over heat and allow to come to a slight bubble. Add juice of one lemon and the peppercorns. Allow to reduce slightly then remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 tbsp of butter. Swirl until melted.

Serve by placing brown rice on your plate, then a chicken breast cutlet, a slice of lemon, and pour some of the peppercorn pan sauce over top. Add a green salad for a complete meal.

Serves: 4.

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