Everything-But-the-Kitchen-Sink Spaghetti Sauce and Twice Baked Potato

As usual, I've been extremely busy. Somehow when we get our food box it always seems like sooooo much food to use in a short period of time but we always manage to get through pretty much everything each week. Since the last time I wrote I've been busy as usual with work and my counselling training and I've also accepted a new counselling position at work. I'll be split between two positions of coordinating and counselling and I'm pretty excited about it but I'm not exactly sure when I'll be starting. It also means not a lot of cooking has been going on.

When I was offered the job on Friday, Ryan and I went out to celebrate at our favourite Vietnamese Restaurant, Viva. I probably go there at least once a month, especially now that it's pretty close to our apartment. I always order the exact same thing; rice noodles with charbroiled pork and a chopped up spring roll on top - amazing and so simple.

Then on Friday we ended up going to The Keg. My aunt and uncle sent me a $50 gift card for Christmas and we never seemed to find the time to go use it so we had a bit of a "date night". Well, sort of. We walked to The Forks to buy some loose tea (mmmmm....organic peppermint!) from Human Bean and some sun-dried olives from Fentons - the reason I buy the olives from Fentons? They're only .89 for 100g. I was standing behind someone at Superstore today who bought a small container from the olive bar and paid just as much as I did for 350g of olives. Then we walked to the downtown Keg for dinner, which was very nice. The manager actually came over after I ordered to assure me the food I ordered was safe so I was impressed with that. We shared a spinach salad and I got a baked potato and sirloin and it was tasty. I only eat red meat once every couple of months...not because I don't like it but I sort of forget about it. It was a nice treat anyway. And after we walked home through the park by the river and then we watched Love Actually because Ryan had never seen it and I felt like something light. It was a nice relaxing evening for once.

On Sunday I went for an 11km x-country ski with my older brother at Sandilands Provincial Forest and didn't get home until 7:30 and Ryan was out for dinner at his grandpa's so no cooking again. I was so tired I just got Ryan to pick me up a bag of chips and that's what I had for dinner (with cream cheese on the side...mmm...healthy!) But yesterday I was feeling like using up some of the veggies in the fridge. I have a few different go-to recipes to use up everything in there but I felt like spaghetti yesterday. I literally go through my cupboards and see what veggies need to be used and toss 'em in. So here's my "recipe".


Everything-But-the-Kitchen-Sink Spaghetti Sauce

• 2lbs ground meat (I used a mix of beef and pork from Frigs)
• 1/2 onion, chopped (F.O.O.D. Box)
  
• 2 carrots, 1 sliced or you can use a mandolyn, 1 shredded (I just used a peeler) (F.O.O.D)
  
• 6 red chard stalks and leaves, stalks chopped and leaves torn into small pieces (F.O.O.D.)
  
• 1/2 can chickpeas
  
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 1 tomato (F.O.O.D.)
  
• 1 can tomato paste
  
• 1 cup beef (or other) broth (I had none in the freezer so I used oxo powder)
  
• 1 handful fresh parsley (F.O.O.D.)
• 1 tsp each, paprika, coriander, salt, pepper, chili powder, red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
  

In a large pan or pot cook the ground meat until no longer raw on med-low heat. You can remove the juices but I like to leave them in. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are transluscent and fragrant then add everything else. Stir until it's all well mixed and then let it simmer for at least 30 minutes. I prefer letting it sit for an hour so the sauce reduces a bit and gets thicker, plus it gives a chance for the taste to really come out. And you're done!

This makes a good amount of sauce. I think we had about 3 cups leftover (but there are only two of us) so I always stick about two cups in the freezer and I have the other bit in the fridge since it makes an easy lunch. We pretty much only eat our spaghetti sauce one way - baked. I used sweet potato and buckweat soba noodles which only have to be cooked for 3 minutes and taste exactly like wheat flour noodles. I turned the oven to 350 and sprinkled on the asiago cheese that we picked up at Fentons a few weeks ago on top. Popped it in the oven for 10 minutes, and then put the broiler on high. Keep a very close eye at this point, it shouldn't take more than 5 minutes to have a nice cripsy cheesy top like so:


Lastly, I was just feeling plain lazy today and I was starving when I got home from work but didn't really want to make something with effort. I had a snack to tide me over but I decided to go for a good ole' potato. I love potatoes. They're so easy. I went for a twice baked potato with the last of the asiago cheese on top. This is a pretty basic recipe that's easy and is really good comfort food.

Twice Baked Potato - Single Serving

• 1 russet potato
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp chives
• 2 pieces bacon, cooked and smashed into bits
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 2-3 tbsp shredded asiago cheese
  
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Wash your potato and pour the oil (I used olive) and cover potato. Bake for 1 - 1 hour 15 minutes. When finished baking split potato down the middle and use a big spoon to scoop the potato out of the skin and put it in a separate bowl. Try not to break the skin when you're doing this. Add the butter, chives, 1/2 the bacon bits (I like to put the rest on top after it comes out of the oven), milk, sour cream, 1-2 tbsp of asiago cheese, salt, and pepper and mash or mix with a fork. Spoon the mashed mixture back into the skin and fold it mostly closed. Sprinkle on extra cheese to your liking and bake for 10 minutes and then broil on high for 2-5 minutes, watching carefully. Let cool and enjoy!

Nom, nom, nom...worth the wait. It was devoured quickly.