Linguini with Tomato and Clams

This is the ultimate in quick and easy dishes, don't let the anchovy paste scare you, you won't even know it's in there!  Using canned clams makes this quick and easy - but you can easily substitute fresh shellfish too - just brush the shells of fresh clams clean with a vegetable brush under running water - add before reducing sauce to simmer and discard any that don't open!

What's for Dinner? Chicken, Chick Pea and Lentil Curries!

This recipe for chicken curry is makes a great curry base that can be used for a variety of different dishes! Substitute the chicken and chickpeas for beef and peas, paneer (fresh Indian cheese), eggplant, potatoes, vegetables..or even goat or lamb! This recipe will make enough of the curry base for the two dishes, chicken and chickpeas and the spicy lentil dish to follow! However, the recipe is easy to halve if you are only making one of the two dishes! (Please excuse my lack of authenticity).

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

This is a very easy soup with few ingredients. Check your local farmers market in the fall for butternut squash or the versitile squash is generally available in most grocery stores nearly all year round!

Top with soup cream, yogurt or tzatziki!

Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin

This is a quick recipe and a different way to serve pork tenderloin.  The loin is butterflied and pounded thin for fast cooking then serves with a sweet and sour sauce.  Serve this over rice or noodles or with added vegetables for a quick and easy meal!

What's For Dinner? Feta and Tomato Orzo, Green Beans and Red Snapper

This whole meal comes together in less than 30 minutes and the orzo is great as leftovers.  If you've never used orzo before, it's a small rice shaped pasta but if you can't find orzo, any small pasta will do!  Salty Feta and Sweet tomato compliment each other well in the pasta - seared snapper and a side of green beans make a complete meal!

Honey Mustard Pork Chops

This is an easy way to jazz up the humble pork chop. The original recipe was a Weight Watchers Recipe that I have adapted to save time (the original recipe called for a 4 hour marinade). Depending on the thickness of your pork chops, this recipe goes straight from the frying pan to the table in about 15 minutes!

Spiced Vegetable Quinoa with Vegetables

Did you know Quinoa, a seudo grain native to South America, is a relative of spinach, beets and the tumbleweed? Its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice, and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods. It is a good source of dietary fiber (7g per serving) and phosphorus and is high inmagnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. (from Wikipedia).

Quinoa is very easy to cook, it takes only 15 minutes which is basically the same amount of time as white rice, with many more health benefits! It's also very versatile, like rice, and can be served hot or cold!

I served this quick and easy spiced quinoa with broiled salmon, but it would do just as well with pretty much anything or even on its own!

Lemon Caper Fish Filets

This simple, healthy week night meal can be made with chicken, or turkey instead of fish if desired!  I used Basa, but Tilapia or any flaky white fish would work.  Filets are browned then tossed back in the frying pan in a light sauce of capers and chicken broth - subtly tart with lemon - this dish is flavourful and healthy!  Serve fish alongside rice or potatoes and a side salad or vegetable!

Chicken Fingers

Ok, not exactly a very healthy recipe...so put aside your New Years Resolutions for a bit and make some chicken fingers! (If you need some more convincing, Shaun calls these the BEST chicken fingers he's ever had...but maybe he's just buttering me up...make them and decide!)

**Note -- If you really don't want to pan fry these you could likely spritz them with non stick spray and bake them, they won't taste quite the same but I bet they'd still be good!

Jen's Ball Game Meat Balls

This is my friend Jen's recipe for Ball Game meatballs! A sweet and sour meatball with a twist! Don't let the sauerkraut scare you, it adds a subtle sourness to the recipe that's balanced by the cranberry and chili!
I've used frozen meatballs here but you can make your own of course - Jen's hint for fast and easy meatballs - Ground Beef and Stovetop Stuffing!

What's For Lunch? Mama's Noodle House

What's for Lunch?

A few weeks ago Shaun told me about a new Asian Grocery store on Winnipeg just off of McPhillips, Lucky Supermarket. I can't resist an Asian grocery store and inevitably leave with a bag full of exotic ramen and strange and wonderful meat and vegetables and while I am intensely loyal to the tiny but very well stocked Van Loi Market on the nearby, this new and much larger grocer also boasts an instore bakery, fully stocked fresh meat and seafood counter, cooked meats counter (featuring char sui pork, cooked half and whole duck and pork ribs amongst others) as well as a cafeteria style restaurant/dim sum bar. The restaurant, serving what I assumed was Chinese fare was well priced at roughly $7 for a very large portion of “pick three options” plus noodles/rice. The dim sum was slightly more expensive then the Dim Sum Garden, Rupert St we usually frequent at about $3.50 per order (Dim Sum garden charges $2.60/order at happy hour).

With all this you would expect us to have actually eaten there...that was not the case....ha ha! Shaun deemed the food as convinced me to pass as he didn't see anything that caught his fancy so off we went...and I am so glad we did!

(Photo by NAM)

Shaun took me to a tiny Asian restaurant frequented by late shift Liquor Inspectors (who came I suspect, for the late night hours...(open till 2am!) And returned I can confirm, for the delicious food, hearty portions and great prices!)

Mama's Noodles House (Serving Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai and Japanese Cuisine) is located at 141 McPhillips and could be easily overlooked by the casual observer, once housing a burger joint according to Shaun, the building is bland and nondescript. The food however is a whole different story.

Shaun quickly informed me there was really no need to look at the menu, and indeed there really wasn't. “Mama's Specials” are updated daily on a whiteboard over the cash register and there is no need to look any further. Among the specials on the day we went was Deluxe Beef Pho – a beef noodle soup in a light home made broth, a noodle and a rice dish. All priced below $7 and for a massive portion..

We did glance at the menu long enough to order 2 pork Salad Rolls ($3.85) to share as a starter.

Which were fresh and delicious, containing flavourful grilled pork, noodles, bean sprouts and veggies. The peanut sauce that came with them was clearly home made and very very tasty.
 

Since it was -40 (or felt close to it) Shaun and I both ordered the Beef Pho (soup) as our main course. Each portion arrived in a massive bowl, hot and steaming with a light broth that tasted home made. Amongst the rice noodles in the bowl were slices of rare beef (that cooked quickly in the hot soup) and beef meat balls. Vegetables were served on the side (bean sprouts, onions, Thai basil, tiny mouth searingly hot red chili's and lime wedges).
 

 

The soup was delicious, fist pounding on the table delicious, and everything else that came out of the kitchen looked to be equally as good and also in massive portions. The table across the aisle from us ordered the noodle dish from the specials board and it looked very impressive as well!

I would eat at Mama's Noodle House again in a heart beat and I hope anyone from Winnipeg reading this will support this small mom and pop restaurant. My empty bowl and full belly is testament to its deliciousness! Yum!

Mama's Noodle House – 141 McPhillips – 204-783-4847

Take out also available!!!