Love Hummus !

Love homemade hummus !!   I made two for a neighbor's pool party  .. on the left is a spicy chili, roasted garlic and basil .. on the right , a roasted red onion , thyme and fresh garlic :))  MmmmMmmm just add some 9 grain crackers and your set ! Total cost for both $5 ( 20 people snacks worth ) The garlic & herbs were from my own garden too , making it extra special :)

#Simplegoodfood #GoodfoodCheap #RichsgoodFood ..
Here is one of my original recipes for hummus    :

http://richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.ca/2010/11/roasted-red-pepper-garlic-hummus.html
     

Sausage n Broccoli Pita Pizza

Love making pita pizzas... so simple, so quick and extremely delicious !

I recently had my first attempt at homemade sausages ( Garlic n Onion ) and just happened to have a couple leftover ...  So .. I just had to try them on a pizza .

Ingredients : ( Per Serving )

1 Whole Wheat Pita 
 1 Cooked Garlic Onion Sausage ( Sliced ) 

1/4 of a Red Pepper ( diced ) 1/3 head of broccoli ( small florets ) 

1 cup of cheese , blend of mozzarella, and 5yr old cheddar ( sliced of shredded ) 4 cremini mushrooms ( sliced )
Splash of EVOO
Salt n Pepper to taste 

Crisp up the pita in the oven , 3 or 4 minutes per side at 350f 
Arrange the sliced sausage, broccoli, mushrooms and red pepper, 
sprinkle with a little salt n pepper 
Cover with the cheeses , and back into the oven on an oven safe plate 
about 15 minutes at 350F , or 3 minutes under the broiler ... 
and you are ready to eat !  

I usually leave mine in for a few more minutes as I prefer it extra crispy , however ... I was too hungry ! 

Simple, Good Food .. and the best part is its inexpensive and you can use whatever you happen to have in the fridge .

Peace , Love and Good Food
Rich 

Roasted Chicken Pasta Bake

Love making comfort foods,  not only are they delicious , but they are usually very simple and cheap .... not that I overly like the word cheap ... preferring frugal , but it seems to fit !   I even named a recipe series after it .. Good Food , Cheap !  Hahaha This one certainly fits the bill with a total cost of under $10 ... and 6 to 8 servings :))   $1.25 a plate sound good for a balanced meal ?

Ingredients : 

One Pound of Pasta ( Rotini ) 

One Pound of Roasted Chicken ( leftovers )

One Jar of Stewed Tomatoes ( homemade )  

One head of Broccoli  (small florets )
One Red Pepper ( sliced )
A Handful of Cremini Mushrooms (sliced )
A Couple of Onions  (sliced )
A Couple cloves of garlic ( minced ) 

A 1/4lb of Mozzarella ( shredded )
A 1/8lb of Aged Cheddar ( shredded )
A 1/16lb of buffalo parmesan ( fine shred ) 

 

Prepare the pasta as per the packages instructions ... cutting short the cook time by a minute or two helps with the finished dish I find :)  Assemble all your ingredients ,  and start building dinner ... pasta in first ( I use my lasagna dish )  then add the chicken, onion , mushrooms & stewed tomatoes ...   season at this point , S&P , Italian Herbs ... diced garlic :) mix it up well, and pop into a 350F oven for about 20 minutes .

After twenty minutes ..  and the cheeses and broccoli , and back into the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes .  

Ta....  Da !!!   Dinner is served :)  Just let the pan rest for a couple of minutes , before digging in ...  

Portion it out , add some garlic bread or a caesar salad if you like and enjoy !  

There you have it ...  My Three cheese Pasta bake ...   you can easily substitute any .. or all of the ingredients and make it your own dish :)   I hope you enjoy !  

Peace, Love and Good Food
Rich

Bacon n Eggs Skillet Pizza

Happy New Year !!  Thank you all for a wonderful 2013  I appreciated all the comments , chats , likes and critiques ...    

After a late night, and more than a few ales :) I needed something hearty to start the day off , and one of my newest creations .. Mashed Potato Pizza came to mind , with a breakfast twist . 

Ingredients :

Mashed Potato
2 strips of bacon - rough chopped 
2 Cremini Mushrooms - Sliced1 Tablespoon Pepper Jelly 
Aged Cheddar - Grated
1/4 Red Pepper - Diced
1/2 Red Onion - Sliced
4 Grape Tomatoes
2 Eggs

Preheat your oven to 350F
Using a fork , create a 1" thick base of mashed potato in your skillet , lightly pressed
Drizzle the pepper jelly on top if your in the mood for a bit of sweet heat .
Arrange Bacon , Mushrooms , Onion and Red Pepper


Side note : This recipe is Gluten Free

 

Pop into the oven for about 20 minutes, the bacon should just starting to get crispy

 

Remove from oven , Sprinkle on the Cheddar
Crack your eggs on top
and return to the oven for 12 minutes

 

Remember...  cast iron gets HOT!!

 

Its that easy ...  after 12 minutes the eggs should be nice and runny
 Grab a tray or a trivet , and dig in , right from the skillet :)

Wishing you all a peaceful and prosperous 2014 !!
Rich

Mashed Potato Skillet Pizza

The Original Dish :)

Mexican Sausages from the butcher , Local Yukon Spuds & Cremini Mushrooms , Onion & Garlic from my garden , and some flash frozen peas ...  Oh can't forget the butter either !  Hahaha

I don't know about you , but i LOVE Bangers n Mash  :) Its more of a cool weather meal for me , as all that boiling water really heats up the kitchen .  So , earlier this week I made myself some ( See above )

I must say, it was delicious ! Such Simple, Good Food :)  As always tho , I made way more than I could eat in one sitting ...  Then I had a thought. On how to recreate the leftovers into something different , and tasty !





Ingredients :
1 Sausage ( Preferably from a butcher )
 2 Cups Garlic mashed Potatoes ( Or whatever is your fancy )
2 Cremini Mushrooms, Sliced
1/2 Red Onion , Sliced
1/2 Jalapeno , Sliced
1/2 cup Mozzarella , small cubes
2 thin slices 5 yr old cheddar , diced

You will need an oven safe pan for this , I choose my 8" cast iron skillet ...

Preheat oven to 350F , pan can be preheated too if you like. 
Drizzle the pan with a bit of EVOO
Use a fork to smush the mashed potato in the pan
Start adding the toppings, Sausage, Onion, Jalapeno , Mushrooms ...

Into the oven for 20 minutes

Side note : This recipe qualifies for Gluten Free

 

Sprinkle the cheeses over the top , return to the oven for 20 minutes



Its didnt have quite enough colour for me , so I cranked it up to 400F and popped it back  in for a few more minutes ...  

 

And this was what I was rewarded with ...  Creamy Garlicky Goodness , topped with all my favourite flavours :) Yummy !!

 

No need for plates , just grab a tray ( as the pan is HOT! ) and a fork , and enjoy !


This recipe is part of my Creative Leftover series , any feedback would be greatly appreciated .

Peace , Love and Good Food !
Rich

Ryan's Roti - Rich's Restaurant Review

It's funny .. I'm always taking photos of the food i eat , judging it , rating it .... but when it comes to writing about it ! hahaha I have such a hard time ,  I guess I'm just not a writer!

So.... Ryan's Roti & Jerk was recommended to me , love trying new places and I just love spicy foods. Located at 1051 Simcoe St North , in Oshawa ( at Beatrice SE Corner ) 

 

First Impressions : Clean , tidy , with an easy to choose from photo based menu . Two basic options , roti or over rice with a salad .  I choose the roti , feeling hungry .  

 

Second Impression ... The food , smells delicious , I opted for a spicy beef roti , personally being  rather hungry I was hoping for a little more ;)  Especially after seeing the size of the rice and salad dish my friend ordered 

 

The smell was amazing , once i cut into it ... love the fragrance of curry !  The potatoes were soft , and nice and chunky , the beef well marinated and cooked , simply flaked apart . Had a bit of a sweat going by the time I finished it 

Value -  Descent - $7 and I was content 

Taste -  Good -  No veggies, Nicely Spiced Beef, potato was just right 

Texture -Nice   - Soft, with slight chew, beef flaked apart 

Service - Quick and efficient , could have been friendlier
Overall - I would return, to try and compare the rice/salad dish

Would love to hear from you , Did you like the review , was it helpful ? What would you like to see ?   Any advise or suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)

Peace, Love and Good Food - Rich 

One Pan Roast Chicken Dinner

I love roasted dinners, and they are even better if you dont have a mountain of dishes to wash afterward too !   Here's a simple, one pan method that will have you happy and full in about an hour .

 

Ingredients :
1 Broiler Sized Chicken
4 medium potatoes
1 head of broccoli
1 onion

Marinade for chicken:

1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 good pinch of dried basil
Salt n Pepper

 

A couple of hours before your ready to cook , take a mixing bowl , and add the marinades ingredients .. stir well .. and add the chicken , turning to cover all .  Cover and place in fridge for at least 2 hours , more is just fine ( I have left it over night before )

 

When ready , preheat the oven to 350F , and grab a large baking tray .
Chicken in the middle breast side up , pour the extra marinade over top.
Slice the Spuds into thick 1" wedges , and arrange  around the tray .. a light drizzle of oil , and a pinch of salt and pepper will help out .
Into the oven for 40mins

 

After 40 minutes , I like to have a look , and turn the potatoes .
Now , is the time to add the broccoli  ( again S&P and a drizzle of oil help )
Set the timer for 20 minutes and relax



Thats it...   portion out the chicken how you like , add a few spuds and a spear of broccoli and you have a delicious , healthy, one pan dinner :)
I hope you enjoy


Peace, Love and Good Food

My Fave Late Night Snack .. Crisps n Cheese

A great late night sack ... old fashioned crisps, a hot chili pepper and a chunk of blue cheese ! MmmmmMmmmm

Sausage n Pepper Pita Pizza :)

Very similar to my last post of Chili n Cheese Pita Pizza ,but with a few extras ...

Ingredients :

1 Whole Wheat Pita
1 Tablespoon Salsa verde
1 Cooked Sausage ( Salt n Pepper )
1/2 a Red Pepper
1 cup of cheese , blend of mozzarella, gouda and 5yr old cheddar
Splash of EVOO
Salt n Pepper to taste



 

 

 

Crisp up the pita in the oven , 3 or 4 minutes per side at 350f
Spread the salsa verde on , and arrange the sliced sausage and peppers,
sprinkle with a little salt n pepper
Cover with the cheeses , and back into the oven on an oven safe plate
about 15 minutes at 350F , or 3 minutes under the broiler ...
and your ready to eat ! 

Simple, Good Food .. and the best part is its inexpensive and you can use whatever you happen to have in the fridge . 

Chili n Cheese PIta

Ive been meaning to get back to blogging , and actually typing out recipes for everyone .  Im hoping to be able to streamline them and reduce the amount of typing required ( The hardest part for me ! ) So here we go, Simple Good Food !

One of my favourite go to snacks or light meals :)

Ingredients :

1 Whole Wheat Pita
1/2 cup each of shredded mozzarella & 5yr old cheddar
Splash of Olive oil
One Cayenne Chili Pepper ( minced )
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste

  

Lightly spray or brush the pita with oil
place in 350F oven on rack , about 3 minutes per side
remove from oven , should be halfway to crispy
Place onto an oven safe plate or baking tray
Sprinkle on Cheeses and chili pepper
Salt n Pepper, and return to oven for about 12 minutes
or until cheese is melted to your liking :)
You could also use the broiler for this , reduce time to about 3 minutes .

Thats its , So Simple, So Good !
Enjoy   

How to season a cast iron pan

Love my cast iron cookware :) I have quite a collection going with several sizes of skillets , a flat plate , and a even a few enamelled ones.  I was recently given 3 more skillets , small medium and large sizes ...  all brand new , and need of seasoning .

Its a very easy skill to learn , and comes in very handy , as its the same method to re-season an old pan , or one that was forgotten and rusted up  .

All that is required , other than the cast iron pans them selves is :

- Steel or Copper Scrub
- Dish Soap ( the only time your cast should ever see it ! )
- Hot Water
- Towel
- Hot Oven

Start by giving your pans a good wash, with hot soapy water , and a metal scrub - This is to remove the oil it was shipped in , and /or  to remove a rusty spot.

After washing , dry the pan well... you can pop it in the oven , or just give it a good towel dry ,  add a good splash of  high temp oil , or lard ,  I used sunflower .  

Rub the oil , all around the pan ,  including the handle and the bottom...  try not to have any puddles of oil . 

Pop it into a 350F oven for at least 1 hour , two is best ... longer is just fine ...  make sure to turn on your fan , and maybe open a window:) It will smoke !   After the cook time ,  I simply left them in the oven to cool on their own .    

That is it!! Its that easy :) Your cast iron pan is now ready for use,  just remember to rub a little oil into after each use... eventually , you will have a glossy black pan , that will rival the best non stick pan .

Good luck, and enjoy !  Well taken care of cast iron pans can last for generations !