5 Ingredient Alfredo Sauce

This is the simplest Alfredo recipe I have ever made. Just to warn you, this is not diet food. There is something about Winter that makes me crave comfort foods, like creamy pastas. Actually, let me be honest: I crave comfort foods all year round. :)

I normally love pre-made sauces, including Alfredo. However, a small 410 ml (14 oz) bottle costs $2 and serves two in my household (the suggested serving size is 4). A quick search on Allrecipes yielded this delicious Alfredo sauce: rich and creamy. This is the Alfredo sauce that will make you want to lick your bowl clean. So if you are on a diet, consider this a cheat day. I would highly recommend doubling the recipe so you can get a second helping.

Add in some cooked chicken and you have the four food groups. Parsley is a vegetable right?

Ingredients
3 tbsp butter
1 cup heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1-1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat.

2. Add cream. Simmer for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.

3. Add in garlic and Parmesan and whisk quickly, making sure the Parmesan is thoroughly incorporated.

4. Stir in parsley and serve. 

I would recommend serving this with a nice crusty loaf of bread (recipe here)

Source: Slightly adapted from Allrecipes

Braised Carrots

Raw carrots are not popular with my little man at the moment. In an effort to get him to eat more carrots, I have been experimenting with steamed carrots, roasted carrots and braised carrots.

I thought this recipe was pretty darned fantastic!! The little man liked braised carrots better than raw carrots as the sugar helped to sweeten the carrots. I predict more braised carrots in the future as this recipe is a keeper.

Ingredients
3 cups baby carrots (or 1 lb carrots, peeled, cut into wedges)
1 cup chicken broth (I used 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base with 1 cup of water)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp brown sugar

Directions
1. In a medium pot over high heat, add carrots, chicken broth, butter and brown sugar. Stir everything together and bring to a boil.

2. Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to medium, cover and simmer until the carrots are tender.

Source: Tyler Florence, Food Network

Hellmann's Parmesan Crusted Chicken

This Parmesan Crusted Chicken recipe comes from Hellmann's. It has become a family favorite as it is easy to make and incredibly delicious.

A few weeks back when I was making my Skillet Chicken & Broccoli, my husband poked his head into the kitchen. He asked hopefully "Are you making the Hellmann's Parmesan Chicken?". When I said I was not, I could see his disappointment. I guess Hellmann's Parmesan Crusted Chicken was due for a dinner time appearance.

When I was planning what to make for dinner one night, I recalled my husband's request for Hellmann's chicken. So I made it that night for dinner. My husband was ecstatic and proclaimed that I was "the best wife ever". There is a lot of truth to the saying "The Way To a Man's Heart is Through a Man's Stomach".

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup seasoned Italian croutons

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Using a food processor, grind the seasoned croutons until it is coarse crumbs. In a bowl, mix mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese.

Ground croutons and mayonnaise/Parmesan mixture.

3. Arrange chicken on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Pat dry with a paper towel.

Pat dry the chicken breasts so the mayonnaise mixture will not slide off.

4. Spread the mayonnaise mixture over the chicken breasts and sprinkle the ground croutons.

Divide mayonnaise mixture and spread evenly over chicken breasts.

6. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

This is definitely a "fool-proof" recipe as the chicken is always juicy and tender.

Source: Slightly adapted from Hellmann's

Not Your Average Tuna Melt

In junior high, my culinary skills were just short of pathetic. My repertoire consisted of Kraft Dinner, hot dogs and tuna sandwiches. I loved to eat, but I was a complete disaster in the kitchen.

That said, I have experimented with different ingredients in my tuna sandwiches to change it up. I have to admit that this version is my favorite by far.

I love the crunchiness of the celery and water chestnuts (not a tree nut) combined with the saltiness of the capers and olives in a creamy mayonnaise base. It is an easy and delicious option for lunch, dinner, or as a filling snack.

Ingredients
2 cans of canned tuna in broth, drained (170 g each)
1 can water chestnuts, drained, roughly chopped
1/4 cup olives (I used kalamata), finely diced
1/2 mayonnaise
1 stalk celery, small dice
1 tbsp capers, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
Grated cheese, mozzarella or cheddar
Sliced bread (toasted) or Quick Dinner Rolls

Directions
1. Mix tuna, water chestnuts, olives, mayonnaise, celery, capers and parsley together in a large bowl.

2. Spread mixture over toast or buns and top with cheese.

3. Broil on medium in an oven or toaster oven until the cheese is bubbly and melted.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom

Chocolate Crazy Cake (Egg-Free, Milk-Free and Nut-Free)

Crazy cake supposedly originated during the depression era when eggs, milk and butter were a luxury item. Since then, crazy cake has made its rounds on Pinterest and I have made this recipe countless times since I saw it early last year.

When I first started this blog in August, Pauline of Hypefoodie contacted me and have been a great resource, offering advice and re-posting my recipes. So please go check out her blog, Hypefoodie, for some delicious allergen free recipes!

Since both Pauline and I write food blogs geared towards custom eaters, this crazy cake is an ideal choice. This recipe is fantastic for those individuals who are allergic to dairy as there are no eggs, milk or butter! For a complete (top 9) allergen free recipe, you can also substitute all purpose flour with gluten-free flour.

Best yet, the cake is mixed and baked in the same pan making clean up a breeze. After all, a little piece of moist, chocolate cake can make anyone go a little crazy.

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour (can substitute with gluten-free flour)
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
5 tbsp vegetable oil (I used canola)
1 cup water

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a greased 8" x 8" square baking pan, mix the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt.

3. Make 3 holes in the dry ingredients: 2 small and 1 large.

4. Pour vinegar in one small hole, vanilla in the other. Pour the vegetable oil in the larger hole making sure the three liquids do not touch each other.

Top left (clockwise): Vinegar, oil and vanilla.

5. Pour water all over and mix until the batter is smooth.

6. Bake in the middle rack for 35 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

7. Cool and top with your favorite frosting or serve on its own.

Moist and chocolatey. Mmmm...

Source: Sweet Little Blue Bird

Homemade Frozen Pizza

I love the convenience of buying frozen pizza. It is fantastic for those nights when you have just enough energy to turn on an oven.

The trick to a homemade frozen pizza is to make extra pizzas when you are making homemade pizza. Since I made a BBQ Chicken Pizza on yesterday's post, I decided to make one extra pizza to freeze to eat for later.

My homemade frozen pizza was a huge success! The result was a crisp and chewy pizza crust that tasted like it was freshly made (after one week in the freezer).

Ingredients
1 fresh unbaked homemade pizza (try my recipe for 35 Minute BBQ Chicken Pizza or 30 Minute Hawaiian Pizza)

Directions
1. Place unbaked homemade pizza on a pizza pan lined with parchment paper.

2. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze. You can either leave the pizza in the pan (to use within a week's time). For longer storage: remove from the fridge after 4 hours and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminium foil. Label with the date, baking instructions and freeze for up to 3 months.

TIPS

• Prepare extra ingredients and extra pizza dough.
• Avoid items that do not freeze well: produce/vegetables with a lot of water content (spinach, arugula). Add those items right before you bake.
• Wrap the pizza tightly with plastic wrap and aluminium foil to prevent freezer burn.

35 Minute BBQ Chicken Pizza on Whole Wheat Crust

Yesterday I posted a recipe for roast chicken. Since I had some leftover roast chicken, I decided to make the 35 minute pizza again. Except this time with a whole wheat pizza crust.

My husband proclaimed this the best pizza that I have ever made! It was so good that we  could not stop eating it.

Makes: 2 - 10 inch pizza (TIP: Make extras to freeze for homemade frozen pizza)

Ingredients
2-1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 package)
1 tsp white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil (to grease the cast iron skillet)

Toppings
1 cup shredded chicken
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup spinach
250 ml Bold and Tasty BBQ sauce (or bottled BBQ sauce)

Directions
1. Place a cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. If using a pizza pan, see details below.

2. In a stand mixer, dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Allow yeast to proof for 10 minutes until creamy.

3. Using a paddle attachment, whisk in oil and salt.

4. Switch to a dough hook and stir in the flour until smooth. Allow dough to rest for about 5 minutes.

5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a round disk. Using your rolling pin, roll the dough out into a round or stretch the dough out by hand.

6. Using an oven mitt, take the cast iron skillet out of the oven. Add two tablespoons of oil to coat the bottom of the cast iron skillet.

7. Transfer the pizza crust to the cast iron skillet. Spread BBQ sauce evenly across the pizza crust. Top with spinach, shredded chicken and mozzarella cheese and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.

8. Allow pizza to cool for a few minutes before eating.

Pizza Pan Method

• Grease pizza pan with oil or dust with cornmeal. Do not put the pizza pan into the oven. Transfer the pizza crust to the pizza pan, add desired toppings and bake as per directions (step 7) above.

Make Ahead and Freeze

• Check out my post here on how to freeze pizzas to eat later.

Source: Dough: Slightly adapted from Allrecipes; Toppings: Frugal Allergy Mom

6 Ingredients Roast Chicken

I have roasted chicken a handful of times. It is always a success but cost wise, it is almost always cheaper to buy pre-roasted chicken from Costco.

When I saw a whole chicken go on sale for $1.99/lb, I purchased a two pack for $15. I recalled a particularly great roast chicken recipe that I made a few times before which tastes just like a store bought rotisserie chicken. I served the roast chicken along with roasted potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, roasted cauliflower, roasted carrots and quick dinner rolls. Yes, it was quite the delicious feast.

Ingredients
1 (3 pound) whole chicken, giblets removed
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1/2 cup butter, divided
1 stalk celery, cut into 3 pieces

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken in a roasting pan.

3. Mix the salt, ground pepper and onion powder in a small bowl.

4. Rub the chicken with the seasoning all over, inside and out.

5. Place 3 tbsp butter and celery pieces in the cavity of the chicken. Arrange the remaining butter around the chicken in the pan.

6. Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes until the internal temperature of chicken registers 180 degrees F.

7. Remove from the oven and baste with melted butter and drippings.

8. Cover with aluminium foil and allow to rest for 30 minutes before serving.

This is sooooo good!

Source: Allrecipes

Roasted Carrots

Lately, I have been obsessed with roasted cauliflowers and roasted brussels sprouts. I have been experimenting with roasting any vegetables we have in the fridge and naturally, roasted carrots were next on my list.

Ingredients
1 lb baby carrots (or 5 carrots, cut up into 4" long sticks)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Toss carrots, oil, salt and pepper in a lidded container.

3. Transfer carrots to a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminium foil.

4. Bake for 30 minutes or until soft.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom

Baked Oven Fries (Free of Top 8 Allergens)

I love mashed potatoes. My husband loves mashed potatoes. So you would naturally assume the little man would love mashed potatoes. The truth is, he does not.

On the bright side, the little man loved this recipe for roasted potato wedges! It is crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside; similar to a french fry. It was so good that we made this twice in two days!

Ingredients
8 medium Russet potato
1-1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh thyme)
1-1/2 tsp dried oregano (or 1 tbsp fresh oregano)
1-1/2 tsp dried rosemary (or 1 tbsp fresh rosemary)
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Scrub the potatoes or peel the potatoes; I left the peel on since my potatoes were fresh. Cut in half and then cut each half into thirds so you have around 6 to 8 wedges per potato. Place the potato wedges into a lidded container.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the thyme, oregano, rosemary and olive oil. Add the olive oil mixture, salt and pepper to the lidded container.

4. Close the lid and shake vigorously, tossing until all the potato pieces are coated with oil.

5. Place potato wedges on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminium foil. Make sure there is enough room so the potato wedges are not too crowded.

6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are golden and crispy.

Source: Adapted from Farm Flavor

35 Minute Pizza

Before we discovered our little man had nut allergies, we would go pick up something or eat out on those nights when we are swamped or too tired to cook. As part of our little man's allergy management plan, we now try to eat most of our meals at home.

My husband came home on one of those nights when I had no dinner planned, let alone dinner on the table. When he asked me what was for dinner, I came up a brilliant idea of making my 10 Minute Cast Iron Pulled Pork Tortilla Pizza. The only issue was that we didn't have enough Mission flour tortillas.

I searched for a quick pizza dough recipe that can be baked right away, expecting not to find anything. Luck was on my side as I found this pizza dough recipe which takes only 30 minutes before dinner is on the table! The pizza will be ready in less than the time it takes to call for delivery.

This recipe yields a soft pillowy pizza dough and infinitely better than the store bought pizza. We made a margherita pizza for dinner that night, in case you are wondering. :)

Makes: 2 - 10 inch pizza

Ingredients
2-1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 package)
1 tsp white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil (to grease the cast iron skillet)

Directions
1. Place a cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. If using a pizza pan, see details below.

2. In a stand mixer, dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Allow yeast to proof for 10 minutes until creamy. (I used this time to prepare my pizza ingredients)

3. Using a paddle attachment, whisk in oil and salt.

4. Switch to a dough hook and stir in the flour until smooth. Allow dough to rest for about 5 minutes. (You can use this time to get the ingredients ready or get yourself a drink)

5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a round disk. Using your rolling pin, roll the dough out into a round. You can also stretch the dough out by hand.

6. Using an oven mitt, take the cast iron skillet out of the oven. Add two tablespoons of oil to coat the bottom of the cast iron skillet.

7. Transfer the pizza crust to the cast iron skillet. Add desired toppings and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the pizza is golden brown.

8. Allow pizza to cool for a few minutes before eating.

Pizza Pan Method

• Grease pizza pan with oil and dust with cornmeal. Do not put the pizza pan into the oven. Transfer the pizza crust to the pizza pan, add desired toppings and bake as per directions above.

Source: Slightly adapted from Allrecipes

Skillet Chicken & Broccoli

This is one of my favorite meals to make when I want something filling and don't have a lot of time to stand over a stove.

You can slice the chicken into strips instead of cooking the breast whole to speed up the cooking time. The cream of mushroom combined with the rice, chicken and broccoli is filling and makes a satisfying meal. It was the perfect meal for our family after an extremely long afternoon walk to a nearby lake.

Ingredients
2 tbsp oil
4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
3 cups broccoli
2 cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup

Directions
1. Heat the cast iron skillet over high heat and once the pan becomes hot, add the oil.

2. Lower the heat to medium high. Using an oven mitt, swirl the oil until it evenly coats the pan.

3. Add the chicken breasts making sure to sear both sides until it is golden brown. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the chicken registers 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer.

4. Remove chicken from the skillet and add the cream of mushroom soup.

5. Bring the cream of mushroom soup to a simmer, scraping the chicken pieces from the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the broccoli florets. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Serve over rice.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom

Sweet Potato Pie

We were at the Richmond Farm Market when my husband mentioned that he has always wanted to try sweet potato pie. Buying a sweet potato pie from a bakery is not the cards for us with the little man's nut allergies due to the risk of cross contamination with nuts. As a result, we decided to make a sweet potato pie from scratch.

The challenge came when we had to buy sweet potatoes. We picked up what we thought was sweet potatoes and was told by the cashier that we picked up yams instead. So we bought "yams" and sweet potatoes to hedge our bets. After we got home, we read an article online that said in North America, most of the yams are actually sweet potatoes.

This meant we had two pounds of sweet potatoes! When life gives you two pounds of sweet potatoes, you make two sweet potato pies. ;)

Edit (December 27, 2014): We made this recipe again at Christmas. We substituted one cup of white sugar with half cup of white and half cup of brown sugar. We also replaced the milk with evaporated milk. We thought this version yielded in a richer, smoother and fluffier filling. Try both versions and let us know which one you like better!

Ingredients
1 lb sweet potato, scrubbed clean
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar (Variation: use 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar)
1/2 cup milk (Variation: use evaporated milk)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 - 9 inch unbaked pie crust


Directions
1. Boil whole sweet potato in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it can be easily pierced with a fork. Rinse sweet potatoes under cold water and remove the skin.

Sweet Potato or Sweet Potatoe?

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Blend the sweet potato and butter in a mixer. Mix in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth.

4. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.

Ready to bake.

5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. The pie will puff up (like a souffle) but will deflate as it cools. Allow pie to cool for 1 hour before slicing.

Pie Squared

6. Serve with whipped cream.

Pure deliciousness!

Source: Allrecipes

Pie Crust

For me, the difference between a good pie and a great pie lies in the crust. I personally prefer a thinner crust that does not taste soggy.

I guess you can call me a pie snob. Except this pie snob cannot make a good pie to save my own life. However, my dear hubby is fantastic at making pies. The photographs below and the delicious sweet potato pie were the result of my wonderful hubby's hard work. :)

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup shortening, well chilled
4-8 tbsp ice cold water

Directions
1. Blend flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Cut 1/2 inch cubes of chilled shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces remaining.

3. Add in 4 tbsp of the cold water over the flour mixture. Mix the dough until it holds together. Add more water if necessary, by the tablespoon.

4. Divide the dough into two pieces.  

• For Double Crust Only: shape one ball slightly larger than the other.  
• For Single Crust Only: shape the two balls the same size.

5. Flatten the balls into 1/2 inch thick disks, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

6. Place the disk of dough on a lightly floured work surface. With a floured rolling pin, roll dough outward from center into a circle 1 inch wider than the pie plate. Roll the dough into the rolling pin and gently transfer the dough into the pie plate without stretching.

7. Trim evenly around the plate and prick the pie crust all over with a fork.

9. Fill unbaked pie crust according to recipe.

We made sweet potato pie (recipe here).

10. For Double Crust Only: Roll top pie crust (the larger disk) and lift onto filled pie. Trim dough to 3/4 inch overhang. Fold top crust under bottom dough edge. Press edges together and flute. Cut slits in top crust. Prick the pie crust all over with a fork. Bake according to recipe directions.

Source: Slightly adapted from Crisco