Quintessential Pasta Dish...Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

This is one of those dishes that I think everyone should have in their repertoire. Spaghetti with garlic and oil. This is my comfort food. It's a popular late night snack after a night out. In the time that it takes the water to boil for the spaghetti, you sauté garlic and chili flakes in olive oil. Toss all together and top with chopped parsley. So easy. So good.

I have fond memories growing up, of my parents coming home with their friends after a night of dinner and dancing and my dad making this dish for everyone and the evening would start all over again. I mean, we always had pasta, garlic and olive oil in the pantry. We didn't have a lot of money growing, but we never lacked good family and friends!!

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

250g spaghetti
1/4 cup olive oil
5-6 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 red, hot chili or chili flakes to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Boil pasta in plenty of salted water until al dente. In the meantime, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add garlic and chili pepper. Sauté until fragrant. When the pasta is ready, toss with the oil and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

m xo

Springtime Golden Split Pea Soup

I planned on making this split pea soup a few weeks ago, the beginning of spring. The recipe was in the March edition of Vitality magazine. I went out and bought the split peas but they just sat there, waiting for me to make them into soup. Better late than ever.

I liked the soup but I have to warn you, if you don't like sweet, this is not for you. The lime juice at the end is definitely needed, it cuts down on the sweetness a bit. Maybe next time I would eliminate the pear, I don't think it was needed, but you be the judge. I thought this was perfect for a cool, overcast day like yesterday.

Golden Split Pea Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large white onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 cup dried yellow split peas
2 cups peeled, cubed sweet potato
1 pear, peeled, cubed pear
3 inch cinnamon stick
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons chili powder
7 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
Juice of a lime
Chopped cilantro

In a large pot, sauté onion in olive oil until soft. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and ginger and cook another minute. Next add the split peas, sweet potatoes, pear, cinnamon stick, tomatoes, chili powder and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about an hour till the split peas are tender.
Take off the stove, remove cinnamon stick and puree with a hand blender or food processor. Stir in the lime juice and chopped cilantro.

m xo

Chicken Chili

I looked out the window the other night and noticed the sun shining…then I looked at the clock…then I looked out again. It was 7:30 and still daylight! Wow, I can't tell you how happy that made me feel. I finally started to see the light (no pun intended) at the end of the tunnel. It's amazing how a little sunshine can make you feel. This winter in particular. It has been so loooong. I'm sure we are sick of hearing ourselves complain about it. I know I am.

Today was a beautiful sunny day…sunny but cold, so I wanted to make something warming and comforting. Chili hits the spot for me. The heat from the spices and peppers takes the edge off a cold night.

I used leftover roasted chicken from last nights dinner, but if I hadn't had leftovers, I would have baked off some chicken breasts and thighs.

I like using poblano peppers for this recipe when I can find them. Poblanos are a mild chili pepper originating from Puebla, Mexico. They have a nice smokey flavour. They can have a little kick sometimes, which is nice for people that don't like it too spicy. They tend to have a tougher skin than most peppers so thats why I roasted and peeled them.

 I usually do this on the grill outdoors, but again, too cold, so I just placed the whole peppers directly on my gas stove flame. Use tongs to rotate and flip the peppers. You want to keep your eyes on them. When they are completely charred and blistered, place them in a sealed plastic bag or bowl covered with plastic wrap to trap the steam inside. Let them sit for 15 minutes. Then peel and seed the peppers. You can use this method with any pepper.


Chicken Chili

Leftover roasted chicken, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 poblano peppers, roasted. peeled and chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
19 oz. can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups chicken stock or water
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
lime wedges (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, poblano peppers, jalapeño, cumin, chili powder, oregano and salt. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and fragrant. Add the chicken, kidney beans and chicken stock or water and turn up the heat a little. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the chopped cilantro and serve each bowl with a wedge of lime.

m xo