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The rarely updated blog of Joel Dixon

Viewing blogs tagged Recipe

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Garlic Potato Skins

# Posted by Joel Dixon at 31/10/2007 10:43:46

Belinda has told me that a number of people have said "I didn't know Joel could cook" to her recently. We assume people are saying this because they have seen my recipe entries on this blog. My response to Bell is generally "I can't cook, but I can follow directions pretty well".

The magical Internet helps me no end. From recipes, history and techniques and simple conversions - I would probably have starved if it wasn't for the Internet's help.

I decided that I needed to do some actual cooking - and tried to think of my own recipe. Whatever it was, it was going to have cheese and maybe some garlic or onion - and it had to be simple. In the end - I remembered some incredibly nice Potato Skins Belinda and I ate at Planet Hollywood many years ago that I would try to replicate with a twist (the garlic).

It went pretty well, except I used way too much garlic (some bites really hurt my mouth) which I've rectified in the recipe below.

Garlic Potato Skins

Garlic Potato Skins

Ingredients
Russet Potatoes - 2
Garlic, minced - 1 to 2 cloves
Cheese (I like a Tex-Mex mix), grated - a few cups depending on taste
Bacon bits - small handful
Spring Onions, chopped - around a cup
Corn Chips - small handful

Method
1. Bake the potatoes.

2. Quarter the potatoes and remove most of the middle, leaving about 1 or 2 centimeters of "middle white bit" next to the skin.

3. Spread a small amount of minced garlic onto the middle bit of each potato quarter.

4. Sprinkle a small amount of cheese on each potato quarter.

5. Sprinkle a small amount of bacon pits, spring onions and corn chips on each potato depending on taste.

6. Sprinkle some more cheese on the top of the potato skin.

7. Cook in oven until cheese has melted.

It's obviously a very simple recipe, but I was still surprised it was edible as it was my first attempt at something creative.

During cooking
Before cooking



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Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Garlic Lime Chicken

# Posted by Joel Dixon at 30/10/2007 12:01:37

I like lime, and I love garlic - so this recipe seemed like a good find.

Garlic Lime Chicken
Garlic Lime Chicken

Ingredients
Soy Sauce - 1/2 cup
Fresh Lime Juice - 1/4 cup
Worcestershire sauce - 1 tbsp.
Garlic, minced - 3 clothes
Dry Mustard (mustard powder) - 1/2 tsp.
Coarsely Ground Pepper - 1/2 tsp.
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts - 4

Method
1. In glass bowl mix soy sauce, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, dry mustard, and pepper.

2. Place chicken in resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over chicken in bag, close bag securely, and toss to coat chicken well.

3. Place bag with marinade and chicken in refrigerator 30 minutes or more.

4. Drain and discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken with more coarsely ground pepper.

5. Grill until cooked (can also be pan-fried).

Here's a picture of the chicken mid-marinade - it smelt delicious!

Being Marinaded



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Saturday, October 27, 2007

2 Minute Noodle Egg Stuff

# Posted by Joel Dixon at 27/10/2007 01:13:50

Today's recipe was suggested to me by a reader of this site - Hitman. It was actually really nice, and incredibly simple to make. He could have come up with a more creative name - but you can't say it's misleading!

2 Minute Noodle Egg Stuff

2 Minute Noodle Egg Stuff

Ingredients

Packet of two minute noodles, chicken flavour
Egg
Cooking Oil

Method

1. Cook noodles following package direction.
2. Drain water from Noodles, stir in egg and chicken flavour.
3. Heat frypan on low.
4. Add a little bit of oil to the base of the fry pan.
5. Add Noodle / Egg mixture to frypan.
6. Flatten out, like a thick pancake.
7 Cook one side on low heat until golden brown.
8. Flip the Noodle-Egg pancake. (Hitman suggested to add a little bit more oil to the base of the pan to fry it up)
9. Cook the second side on high - until crispy.

Good for an after-work snack, and so easy a caveman could do it.



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Friday, October 19, 2007

Chicken Vegetable Curry

# Posted by Joel Dixon at 19/10/2007 14:15:18

Another internet find, Chicken and Vegetable curry is one of the nicest meals I've discovered since living in Edmonton.

Chicken and Vegetable Curry

Chicken and Vegetable Curry

Ingredients
Chicken, cubed - 1/2 lb. (225 gram)
Medium Potato, cubed
Carrots, sliced - 2
Bell Pepper (Capsicum), chopped
Large stalk of broccoli, chopped into smaller pieces
Garlic, minced - 5 cloves
Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp
Curry Powder - 3 tbsp
Corn Starch - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Milk - 2 cups (500 mL)

Method
1. Slice chicken and vegetables.
2. Heat wok or skillet on medium-high heat.
3. Add garlic, soy sauce, chicken and vegetables to wok or skillet. Let warm through (2 minutes).
4. Add curry powder, flour, sugar salt, and milk.
5. Stir-fry until chicken is completely cooked.
6. If vegetables are still too firm, reduce heat, cover and simmer.
7. Add additional milk and curry if needed for desired taste.
8. Serve on a bed of basmati rice.

Chicken and Vegetable Curry being cooked
The mixture bubbled up a little bit, which dirtied my saucepan, but it was still delicious!



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Sunday, October 07, 2007

Spinach and Feta Chicken

# Posted by Joel Dixon at 07/10/2007 08:16:52

I'm a little behind on posting my latest recipes - so it's time for another chicken dish I found on the net:

Spinach and Feta Chicken

Spinach and Feta Chicken

Ingredients
Mayonnaise - 1/2 cup (120 mLs)
Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and drained - 1 (10 ounce - 275 gram) package
Crumbled Feta Cheese - 1/2 cup
Garlic, Chopped - 2 cloves
Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts - 4
Bacon - 4 or 8 slices

Method
1. In a medium bowl, mix mayonnaise, spinach, feta cheese, and garlic until well blended. Set aside.

2. Carefully butterfly chicken breasts, making sure not to cut all the way through. Spoon spinach mixture into chicken breasts. Wrap each with a piece of bacon, and secure with a toothpick. Place in shallow baking dish. Cover.

3. Bake in moderate (190 Celsius or 375 Fahrenheit) oven for 1 hour, or until chicken is no longer pink.

Being cooked
Chicken about to be cooked

This recipe was quite nice - but I definitely used too much of the spinach and feta mix. If I had have placed half of the mixture into each piece of chicken - it would have ended up much nicer.



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Sunday, September 30, 2007

Chicken and Onion Risotto

# Posted by Joel Dixon at 30/09/2007 06:52:53

Another recipe from the Group Recipes site, this one was originally called Roasted Chicken and Risotto, but as I didn't buy any roasted chicken (I just cooked it in my frying pan) I've renamed it Chicken and Onion Risotto. I don't think it hurt the taste.

Chicken and Onion Risotto

Chicken and Onion Risotto

Ingredients
Olive Oil - 4 tbsp.
Chopped Onion
Balsamic Vinegar - 1/4 cup (120 mL)
Uncooked Arborio Rice - 1 1/2 cups
Dry White Wine - 1/4 cup (120 mL)
Chicken Broth - 7 cups (~ 1.5 litres)
Chopped Thyme - 2 tbsp.
Chopped Cooked Chicken Breast - 2 cups
Butter - 2 tbsp.
Salt and Pepper - to taste

Method
1. Heat up 2 tbsp. of oil in a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat.

2. Stir in the onions and saute this for approximately 15 to 20 minutes (the onions should turn dark golden brown when finished).

3. Remove from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar. Set this aside for later.

4. Heat up the remaining oil in a different large-sized skillet on medium heat.

5. Stir in rice and mix it all up thoroughly.

6. Let this heat for about 2 minutes and then pour in the wine and thyme.

7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and begin pouring in the broth. Do this 1 cup at a time. As each cup is absorbed add more broth. Continue doing this until all of the broth is absorbed and the rice becomes "al dente" (takes about 20 minutes).

8. Stir in your onion mixture and allow it to heat all the way through.

9. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the chicken and butter.

10. Season with salt and pepper (amount depends on your tastes).

This was very nice - but also very rich in flavor. It would make a great side dish, but not the best for dinner one night - then lunch the next day.

Rice being cooked
This is the rice being cooked

Onions being cooked
The onions being cooked - after the balsamic vinegar has been added



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Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Tangy Chicken Potato Bake with Sweet and Spicy Onions

# Posted by Joel Dixon at 25/09/2007 13:22:39

This meal is the first time I've gone with a side dish for my meal, and it surprisingly turned out quite well. It actually came from a Jean Paré book, which I had bought on the first shopping trip I took here. It took this long for me to get the time, ingredients and cooking utensils to give it a shot.

Tangy Chicken Potato Bake with Sweet and Spicy Onions

Tangy Chicken Potato Bake with Sweet and Spicy Onions

Tangy Chicken Potato Bake

Ingredients
Italian Dressing - 1/2 cup (125 mL)
Honey Dijon mustard - 1/4 cup (60 mL)
Chopped fresh basil - 2 tbsp. (30 mL)
or 1 1/2 tsp. (7 mL) dried

Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves - 4

Medium unpeeled potatoes cut into 2cm cubes - 4
Salt, sprinkle
Pepper, sprinkle

Method
1. Combine dressing, mustard and basil in a small bowl.

2. Put chicken in large freezer bag and coat with half of the mixture made in step 1. Seal bag and place in refrigerator for 2 hours. Drain.

3. Put potato in medium bowl and add remaining mixture from step 1, salt and pepper. Toss until coated.

4. Arrange chicken in centre of greased baking dish. Arrange potato around chicken and cover with foil.

5. Place in moderate (190 Celsius or 375 Fahrenheit) oven for about 45 minutes, or until there is no pink in chicken.

Before cooking
Chicken Potato bake before being cooked

Sweet and Spicy Onions

Ingredients
Butter (or margarine) softened - 3 tbsp. (50 mL)
Chili sauce - 2 tbsp. (30 mL)
Brown sugar, packed - 1 tbsp. (15 mL)
Worcestershire sauce - 1 tsp. (5 mL)
Salt - 1/8 tsp. (0.5 mL)
Pepper - 1/8 tsp. (0.5 mL)

Medium onions, cut into 4 wedges - 4

Grated Parmesan cheese - 2 tsp. (10 mL)

Method
1. Melt butter in large frying pan on medium heat.

2. Add chili sauce, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Heat and stir until mixture starts bubbling.

3. Add onion, stir to coat.

4. Cook covered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and caramelised.

5. Sprinkle with cheese.

The two dishes go really well together, but probably better for a fancy meal than my daily lunches!



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Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Hickory Chicken

# Posted by Joel Dixon at 19/09/2007 16:15:41
Updated by Joel Dixon at 23/09/2007 10:11:51


Turns out the Internet is not just for pr0n (don't worry, you can click that link) - I found this wonderful recipe a little while ago, and even took a photo - mid-cooking.

Hickory Chicken

Hickory Chicken

Didn't take too long to make, and it looks really nice (especially with the sprinkled bacon pieces)

Ingredients
Hickory Bacon Strips - 12 slices
Skinless Chicken Breast - 4 fillets
Large White Onion
Fresh Garlic - 4 cloves
Medium Portabella Mushrooms - 4 (I left this out - mushroom is pure evil)
Sea Salt
Bundle of Fresh Leaf Spinach
Cheddar Cheese - 4 thick slices

French Bread to serve - 4 slices toasted

Method
1. Cook bacon in large skillet on medium to high heat until crispy. Remove bacon strips, drain on paper towel and set aside.

2. Cook chicken in bacon drippings on medium heat, until golden brown. Remove, drain on paper towel and set aside.

3. Slice onion, garlic, and portabella mushrooms. Cook together in bacon drippings, on medium to high heat, until tender and caramel in color. Remove and set aside in bowl.

4. In same skillet, arrange cooked chicken breast, salt to taste, topping with 2 slices cooked bacon on each breast. Pile the onion, garlic and mushrooms on top. Add the bunch of fresh spinach, covering the entire pan of chicken arrangement.

5. Place lid on top of skillet and steep on low heat until spinach is limp, but still bright in color.

6. Remove lid. Add 1 slice cheddar cheese for each chicken breast, replace lid until cheese is melted.

7. Remove from heat. Using spatulla, place each individual chicken breast on top of toasted french bread on each serving plate.

8. Crush remaining bacon strips and sprinkle on top of each breast.

As promised, here's a photo at the start of step 5. Admittedly, my spinach wasn't exactly fresh!

Hickory Chicken being cooked



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Monday, September 17, 2007

Texas Hash

# Posted by Joel Dixon at 17/09/2007 14:15:05
Updated by Joel Dixon at 23/09/2007 10:11:16


Time for another beef recipe, so I scoured the net and found Texas Hash:

Texas Hash

Texas Hash
You can see my nice heat pad under the delicious dish

Apparently, a hash in this case is a mixture of beef and leftovers to form a meal. I've never had a hash before - but it's not a bad use of leftovers.

Ingredients
Ground Beef - l lb (450 gram)
Large Onions - 3, sliced
Large Green Pepper - chopped
Diced Tomatoes - 16 oz (450 gram) can (do not drain)
Regular Rice - 1/2 cup (uncooked)
Salt - 2 tsp
Chili Powder - 1 to 2 tsp
Pepper - 1/4 tsp

Method

1. Heat a moderate (180 Celsius or 350 Fahrenheit) oven.

2. In large skillet cook and stir meat, onions and green pepper until meat is brown and vegetables are tender.

3. Drain off fat and stir in tomatoes, rice, salt, chili power and pepper and heat through.

4. Pour mixture into ungreased 2 quart (just under 2 litre) casserole dish.

5. Cover with foil (or lid) and bake for 1 hour.

6. I (and the original author) like to add about a cup of shredded Colby cheddar cheese the last ten minutes or so.

Texas Hash in preparation
The Texas Hash before going into the oven



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Friday, September 14, 2007

Chicken and Tomato Pasta

# Posted by Joel Dixon at 14/09/2007 13:01:47
Updated by Joel Dixon at 23/09/2007 10:10:19


So far I've done fairly well in terms of feeding myself. Sure, I think I may have had a small sombrero growth at the back of my head from all the nachos and salsa chicken I was consuming, but the last few weeks have involved normal meals with vegetables.

The most recent recipe I found was a huge step forward - it tasted delicious! "Chicken and Tomato Pasta" just overtook the previous number 1 of Tasty Chicken. I highly recommend you try this one.

Chicken and Tomato Pasta

Being Cooked

The above photo is the chicken / sauce being cooked. Man, it really smells good at this point!

Ingredients
Chicken Breasts - 4, cut into bite size pieces
Olive Oil
Minced Garlic - 2 cloves
Stewed Tomatoes - 2 cans
Cream Cheese - 1 8 oz (225 gram) package, cut up
Basil - 1 tsp
Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Dry Pasta of your choice - 16 oz (450 gram) box
Fresh Baby Spinach - 2 handfuls

French Bread to serve

Method

1. In a large, deep frying pan, brown chicken over medium-high heat in a bit of olive oil.

2. Add garlic and let cook just until garlic begins to brown.

3. Add to pan the tomatoes, cream cheese, basil and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer, stirring occasionally.

4. Start boiling pasta. I chose macaroni. Macaroni ... ain't nothing wrong with that!

5. When pasta is almost done, add spinach to water and continue cooking.

6. When cream cheese has melted, the sauce is creamy and the pasta is done, drain water and add pasta and spinach to pan and stir.

7. Serve with French bread. (I didn't)

Chicken and Tomato Pasta

It really was quite nice - I'm starting to enjoy this cooking thing.



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