Tag: fresh rosemary

Spaghetti Squash Chicken Pot Pie

If you are fortunate to live somewhere where spaghetti squash is available, you probably know that it is a very versatile squash and a great replacement for pasta! Cut it in half horizontally, remove the seeds, spray some olive oil over it and bake cut side down in a pyrex dish in the oven for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees. When it is done, remove it from the oven and turn cut side up. Let it cool a bit and then take a dinner fork and begin to shred it into strands.

While the shreds are resting, prepare the “pot pie” ingredients.

Spaghetti Squash Chicken Pot Pie

  • 5 cups cooked spaghetti squash, *see note below
  • 3/4 cup diced onion
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 cups shredded chicken (or turkey)
  • 2 cups frozen peas and carrots (I used a can of Niblets)
  • 10 ounces button mushrooms, sliced OPTIONAL
  • 4 tablespoons of butter
  • 4 tablespoons of flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Fresh black pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1/4 Panko breadcrumbs

1 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2 Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.

3 Add the onions, stirring into the butter and cook until the onions have completely softened, about 10 minutes.

4 Stir in the garlic and cook one minute longer.

5 Add the Niblets, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and rosemary then cook about 5 minutes.

6 Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for a minute while stirring, then slowly pour in the milk.

7 Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the bottom of the skillet and stir the milk into the vegetables. Let the filling come up to a simmer and then let thicken for 3-4 minutes.

8 Stir in the chicken and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, then remove the skillet form the heat. Taste for seasonings and adjust if needed.

9 Pour the filling into a large bowl along with the cooked spaghetti squash. Stir gently to combine the filling, then pour into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish that’s been buttered or sprayed with cooking spray.

10 Top the casserole with the remaining parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs then bake for 30 minutes.

11 To brown the topping even more, place the casserole under the broiler for 3-4 minutes.

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Coffee Rubbed Cowboy Steak

What is a cowboy steak you ask? I am psychic and a former Scout leader, thus I am prepared. LOL.

A cowboy steak is a thick (2 ½”-3”) bone-in ribeye cut between the ribs and feeds 1-2 easily. … Many companies cut all the meat away from the rib bone (Frenching), but at The Butcher’s Market, we leave that rib meat attached for additional flavor.

(Google to the rescue, again). As the definition states, one of these should easily feed two guys.) We purchased this one a week or so ago and let it age in our refrigerator in the sealed bag.

With COVID and self isolation, we do not always have traditional meals on certain days of the week. It was a weeknight, not Sunday. No overnight marinating for this recipe and it came out as per the directions!!! Tender, juicy and, no, it did not taste like coffee after it was taken out of the oven. Itis a guaranteed winner. Bonus – there was enough left for a leftover meal of Cowboy Steak Stroganoff, tonight. More on that next week, my friends.

Coffee Rubbed Cowboy Steak

1 cowboy steak, 2-2 1/2 pounds, roughly 2.5 inches thick

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons ground coffee
  • 1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed from sprig. minced
  • 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

FOR THE ROSEMARY BUTTER

Soften the butter in a microwave safe bowl until malleable, 10-15 seconds. Stir in fresh rosemary until fully mixed. Spoon the butter onto tin foil doing your best to reshape it to resemble a round stick of butter. Place in refrigerator for about 10 minutes and remove 5 minutes before adding to the steak.

1 Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Remove steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking, this is to bring the steak to room temperature and ensure your cooking times are more accurate. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Rub with ground coffee on all sides, but mainly the top and bottom.

1 Add oil to an oven safe cast iron skillet and turn up to medium high heat, allow the skillet to become hot first. Place the cowboy steak face down and sear undisturbed for 2 minutes. Flip and sear for an additional 2 minutes. This will give your steak a nice seared edge.

2 Transfer your skillet directly to the oven. [WARNING] skillet may be hot, handle with oven mitts.

For medium rare, bake for 20-25 minutes. For medium, 25-30 minutes. Well done, 30-35 minutes. Just to note, a digital thermometer is critical to ensure accurate temps. Take the steak out of the oven roughly 5° cooler than your desired final temp. Steak will continue to cook after it’s taken off the heat. I took mine out at 120°F. And voila!

Come back next week for the Leftover Cowboy Steak Stroganoff…

Maple Peameal Bacon Roast

After finally getting together all of the ingredients to make MY OWN peameal bacon, I was ready to savour the flavour of a peameal bacon roast! For those not familiar with peameal bacon, it is an Eastern Canadian thing. A pork loin is brined for 5 days and rolled in a crust of cornmeal and placed in the refrigerator for a few days before slicing OR freezing for future use. If any of you are interested in the recipe for making your own peameal bacon, drop me a line. For now here is the roast recipe…

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Maple Peameal Bacon Roast

  • 1 – 3 1/2 lb. peameal bacon
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C

  1. Cut six 1 inch slits across the roast. Place on a rack in a large rimmed baking pan lined with foil.
  2. Combine maple syrup, Dijon mustard, rosemary, salt and pepper. Brush the mixture over the roast.
  3. Bake in centre of oven for 25 minutes and baste with remaining mixture.
  4. Bake for another 50 minutes OR until thermometer registers 130 F/55 C
  5. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Makes a great dinner with some roasted vegetables of mashed potatoes and a side dish of green beans!