Quick and Easy

How To Make The Best Chili – A Blend and Extend Recipe

Everyones chili preferences are very personal; for example, hot and spicy, meaty, vegetarian – the sky is the limit. Chili maestros will always tell you that they make The Best Chili. Well, I am here to tell you that I make the ‘best chili’ and this is the recipe that will back up that claim! If you have been following my blog, you will know that I have been experimenting with recipes that are ‘Blenditarian’, (also known as ‘Blend-and-Extend’ in Canada). By definition, ground meat recipes are stretched with finely chopped mushrooms. For my version, I add finely chopped vegetables with the mushrooms to create an even more aromatic flavour. This represents a more sustainable and nutritious approach to healthy eating. This all ties in very well with the new Canada Food Guide recommendations of eating less meat and more vegetables. I have created a base called Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend. This blend (or base) can be used in a wide variety of easy to make recipes.

How to Make the Best Chili | urbnspice.com

In this post, you will learn how to prepare this base blend to utilize it to make a fabulous chili – “The Best Chili”. I make the blend base ahead of time and freeze it in family size portions. Once you have the blend base made, dinner can be on the table in less than ten minutes. Enjoy!

This Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable base can be used to make many dishes such as: Spaghetti Sauce; Sloppy Joes; Taco Salad; Hamburger Soup; Beef, Cheese and Macaroni Casserole; and much more. (Refer to “What Else Can I Do With This Recipe?” Section below to learn more).

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Spicy Sausage and Cabbage Fry with Greek Yogurt Sauce

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Inspiration of Urb’n’Spice Series

Sometimes inspiration can be derived from necessity. Have you ever gone to the grocery store to purchase a specific ingredient or item and it ends up to be something entirely different than what you expected? This recipe was developed due to a case of mislabelling. I actually needed to buy mild Italian sausage, however, the package was mislabelled and I bought a spicy version instead. Not wanting to waste food, my original meal plan was altered to accommodate this Spicy Sausage and I created the following Spicy Sausage and Cabbage Fry with Greek Yogurt Sauce.

The ingredients for this dish have originated from all over the world: Hot Italian sausage; Chinese Napa cabbage; Canadian mushrooms; Greek yogurt sauce and Asian inspired seasonings. It all comes together into a balanced fusion dish. I encourage you to try it as it is a delicious, quick and nutritious meal.

Spicy Sausage and Cabbage Fry | urbnspice.com

Spicy Sausage and Cabbage Fry served in a flour tortilla

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Egg Rolls – Exposed in a Bowl

By Denise Pare-Watson

BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

Prelude: Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge that incorporates their Blenditarian approach into interesting and fun dishes. To clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.” This approach stretches ground meat by adding finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. The theme for the month of September honours National Mushroom month is all about incorporating“The Blend”(mushrooms + meat) into dishes that can be served in a bowl. As Blenditarian.com states: Bowls are a convenient (and delicious!) way to enjoy your favourite grains, veggies and proteins in one simple dish. There are no boundaries regarding what you can add to your bowls – including The Blend. With this in mind, I developed a bowl recipe that is enhanced by using the Blend. You will enjoy trying this recipe for Egg Rolls – Exposed in a Bowl.

Egg rolls are an American Chinese appetizer that most everyone is acquainted with. They are typically filled with pork, cabbage and other vegetables, enclosed in a wheat wrapper and deep-fried. The filling on its own is a healthy low-carb option that is also gluten-free and dairy free. While the filling is typical of what you would find in any egg roll, mushrooms were added to the turkey meat, together with onions and garlic. The remaining vegetables (carrots and cabbage) were cooked until ‘al dente’ to add texture to the dish (See Method, step 4)….

Back-to-School Blenditarian Sloppy Joes

By Denise Pare-Watson

BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

Prelude: Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge that incorporates their Blenditarian approach into creative and fun dishes. To clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.” This approach stretches ground meat by adding finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. The theme for the month of August is all about incorporating “The Blend”(mushrooms + meat) into a back-to-school weeknight dinner dish. As Blenditarian.com suggests, “It’s that time of year: school is back in session and schedules are jam-packed. Make back-to-school dinners tastier and better-for-you by adding The Blend (mushrooms + meat) – a quick and easy technique that’s perfect for adding nutrients to dishes for those who are always on the go or simply looking for a way to incorporate more veggies into meals.” Therefore, I am sharing a recipe below for Back-to-School Blenditarian Sloppy Joes that you will want to try!

This recipe utilizes a package of savoury meat blend (the first Urb’n’Spice Blenditarian recipe). I keep several pouches in my freezer for quick meals like this and for other quick meals like date night spaghetti sauce, chili, and hamburger macaroni casserole (recipes coming soon in future Blenditarian posts). This recipe for Back-to-School Sloppy Joes can be made in under ten minutes with just a few additional ingredients.

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Greek Yogurt Lemon and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

By Denise Pare-Watson

Planning a menu for a pure white dessert can be a challenge. Having said that, I created a Greek Yogurt Lemon and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta for Canada Day. Panna Cotta is a natural choice for its purity of white colour and its simplicity to make. I love the fresh look of panna cotta, a gelatine set custard made from dairy products which often include cream and/or milk. In this recipe, Greek yogurt is used because of its tangy taste.

Creating a pure white dessert requires eliminating vanilla bean paste because it would tint the custard to an ivory colour. To solve this problem, I added just a smidgeon of vanilla bean powder, which will show only the tiny specks of the vanilla bean seeds in the dessert while retaining the purity of the white colour. As well, I used lemon in two ways (juice and zest) as a flavouring ingredient, which compliments the tangy Greek yogurt.

Skip to Panna Cotta Recipe

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The Secrets of Chicken Soup

By Denise Pare-Watson

There are Secrets of Chicken Soup. I read a lovely article from Chef Laura Calder about the secrets of making Chicken Soup. Her article confirms everything I stress in my Soup and Stocks Class. The “tweaking’ part of the soup making process is important and essential – and fun!

One of my students told me she was a bit shy to try making her own chicken soup after a failed attempt tasted like the chicken had run through the pot. She is now confirmed and confident soup maker. You will be as well after you read Laura’s Mom’s recipe for chicken soup.

Making soup is one of my life’s greatest pleasures. I make soup when I am happy, or stressed, or when there is a chill in the air, and for no reason at all. My own Mom’s soups were famous in the neighbourhood full of wholesome, hearty ingredients from my father’s gardens to feed a gaggle of little girls and their friends.

I also love soup classes – it is one of my favourite classes to teach. Most of the comments that I have received have been from this class. Students went home with litres of soup, a booklet of recipes and a whole new perspective on taking their soup making to a whole new level.

In the meantime, try this fantastic easy recipe for chicken soup. You might learn a secret or two, too!

Five Minute Chicken Soup - really! | urbnspice.com

Five Minute Soup – really! | urbnspice.com

LEARNING TIPS:

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

Tweaking
Ice Baths
__________

Please share this article and comment on your soup adventures.

Other Urbnspice Soups You Will Enjoy:

Urb’n’Spice’s Five Minute Soup

Roasted Butternut Squash and Roasted Pear Soup – an elegant soup fit to serve company

Chilly Day Soup – A Market Inspired Vegetable Soup

Home Welcoming Hearty Black Bean Soup

The Ultimate French Canadian Yellow Split Pea Soup with Smoked Sea Salt

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

The Five Minute Soup

By Denise Pare-Watson

For those busy winter evenings or weekend lunches – something quick and nutritious is always a bonus. This Five Minute Soup will become one of your ‘go-to’ favourites. All you need is 4 cups of broth, a few dried vegetable flakes and leftover chicken, beef or other meat of your choice.

Five Minute Soup – really!

The Five Minute Soup

Try this super quick soup recipe and enjoy it in just five minutes. It uses dehydrated vegetable flakes, which are now available everywhere.

If you follow my Urbnspice blog, I use these vegetable flakes for many recipes, particularly when developing gluten-free recipes. Gluten Free Rock Star Veggie Burgers is just one example of how this unique ingredient can make a flavour punch in preparation of a dish.

The Five Minute Soup

Yield: 4 – 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 litre (4 cups) rich chicken or beef broth
1/4 cup dehydrated vegetable flakes
2 cups diced leftover chicken or roast beef
A handful of cooked noodles or rice, optional

METHOD:

Pour the broth into a 2-quart saucepan
Add the dehydrated vegetable flakes and bring the broth to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer.
Add the diced meat (chicken or beef or even tofu) and the noodles if you are using them.
Once the meat is heated through, taste the soup and season to taste, if necessary with salt and pepper
Ladle the five-minute soup into warm bowls and enjoy.

NOTES:

Match the broth to your meat: for example: chicken stock with diced chicken, etc.
For a Gluten Free version of this soup, use rice instead of the noodles or use gluten-free noodles
If your broth is not rich enough, tweak the soup by adding Worcestershire or Soya sauce or bouillon cubes/paste.
Grate some Parmesan Cheese or Romano Cheese on top

You Might Also Like:

Tweaking: A Study in Flavour Amendment

Gluten for Punishment

Gluten-Free Veggie Burgers using dehydrated vegetable flakes

Stuffed Whole Cabbage

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Panko Parmesan Chicken Breasts

By Denise Pare-Watson

This recipe for Panko Parmesan Chicken Breasts is a lovely quick dinner item using boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It is one of our go-to recipes which you can make in a non-stick pan or baking sheet lined with parchment. Do give it a try. We serve it sliced on top of a bed of baby greens or a simple salad for a healthy dinner.

Caesar Salad and Parmesan Chicken Breasts | urbnspice.com

Multi-use for Roasted Garlic Dressing: Caesar Salad and Parmesan Chicken Breasts

Panko Parmesan Chicken Breasts

YIELD: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

4 Chicken breasts, skinless, boneless
1 cup panko crumbs
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking spray

METHOD:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Spray the chicken breasts lightly with pan spray.
Season lightly with salt and pepper on both sides.
Combine the dry ingredients: panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, paprika, and seasoning.
Dredge the chicken breasts in this mixture, pressing lightly so that the crumbs adhere.
Place the coated chicken breasts on the baking sheet.
Bake at 350°F until the breasts are golden brown. (this takes approximately 8 – 10 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken breasts).

LEARNING TIPS:

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

Parchment Paper
__________

You Might Also Like:

Make It Your Own Burger

Potlatch Salmon

Roasted Turkey Thighs with Honey Dijon Glaze

How to Make Roasted Garlic Dressing

Enjoy this quick easy-to-make dinner ready in under 30 minutes with 5 ingredients or less. We love slicing it the next day and serving it in a panini.

As always, if you give this recipe for Panko Parmesan Chicken Breasts a try, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media:

Urbnspice Facebook Page: Please LIKE my page

Urbnspice is on Twitter

You will find lots of fun boards on Pinterest

I am also on Instagram

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