Chicken Rice Casserole

The main dish made in the South Arm Multicultural Community Kitchen was a one pot dish.

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This Chicken Rice Casserole serves 8 to 10 people.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 medium or 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 large carrots, grated on the large grater
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into 1″ pieces
  • 2 teaspoons of salt, or lesser to your taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup dry white wine such as Chardonnay
  • 5 cups hot reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups medium grain rice such as Basmati or Brown rice
  • 1 head garlic
  • 1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped, plus more to sprinkle before serving
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to sprinkle before serving, optional

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Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

Another Mexican recipe from the South Arm Women Community Kitchen. For this kitchen, Michelle shared a Quinoa Enchilada Casserole.

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We served the Quinoa Enchilada Casserole with sides of chopped tomatoes, avocado, romaine lettuce and cilantro.

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This is a healthy enchilada baked that you can enjoy quilt-free. It is made with chockfull of quinoa, black beans and cheesy goodness which are high in protein. Leftovers taste even better.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 (10-ounce) can mild enchilada sauce (red or green)
  • 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
  • 1/2 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
  • 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
  • 1 Roma tomato, diced
  • head of lettuce, chopped

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Source: damndelicious.com

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Millet and Cauliflower Casserole

The ingredient introduced in this recipe is millet. Millet is a cereal grain with origins in Asia and Africa. Millet has been cultivated for 10,000 years. In India, it is often mixed with other grains to make flat bread. It is an important part of the diet in many parts of Africa.

Millet is gluten-free and rich in B vitamins.

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This Millet and Cauliflower Casserole is vegan, wheat and dairy free. However, this recipe is very adaptable. You may add Parmesan cheese to it to entice kids to eat. You may substitute the millet with other grain like quinoa. This casserole makes a great potluck dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups raw millet
  • 3 3/4 cups water
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 large cauliflower, chopped into 1″ pieces
  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup tightly packed chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 x 15 oz can Navy beans, rinsed and drained
  • vegetable broth
  • paprika

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Source: this recipe is adapted from The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook

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Classic Lasagna

The main course for the South Arm Community Kitchen is a Classic Lasagna. Lasagna noodle is a wide and flat type of pasta.

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Kids will love this cheesy Classic Lasagna. It is great for pot luck.

Ingredients

  • 12 lasagna noodles
  • 1 tub (475g) extra smooth ricotta cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 pinch pepper
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Tomato Meat Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 1 rib celery, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste
  • 2 cans tomato sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil

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Source: this recipe is adapted from Canadian Living

Serves 12

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Swiss Turkey Broccoli Bake

This is the first time I return to the South Arm Seniors Kitchen after the summer break and South Arm kitchen renovation. I think I missed at least one kitchen due to my trip to Beijing. The new senior kitchen facilitator is Michelle Li.

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Stella, the South Arm seniors program coordinator decorated the table with a Christmas theme since this is the last kitchen in December. Michelle also prepared some festive recipes which can utilize leftover food from the holiday feast.

Here is some tips that Michelle shared with the seniors on food safe regarding leftovers. The excerpt is adapted from dietitian Heather McColl.

  • Ensure the fridge is at the correct temperature, 4 degrees Celsius or colder; a fridge thermometer is a great tool to have.
  • Refrigerate leftovers immediately after dinner or within 2 hours of cooking
  • Cool food quickly by storing in shallow containers on your refrigerator’s wire shelves to promote maximum airflow and even cooling.
  • Quickly cool a large pot of hot food like soup or stew by chilling in an ice bath and stirring frequently before storing in the refrigerator or freezer
  • Chill large  pieces of mat or poultry quickly and safely by deboning and dividing into small portions before storing in the refrigerator.
  • Date your leftovers and use within 3 to 4 days or store in the freezer for up to 6 months
  • When heating leftovers, be sure to heat foods to an internal temperature of 74 degrees Celsius or bring liquids like soup to a rolling boil
  • Since you cant tell the safety of food by its look, smell or taste, a good rule of thumb is “when in doubt, throw it out”.

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The main course for this kitchen is Swiss Turkey Broccoli Bake. This is a good recipe to encourage kids to eat vegetables with the incorporation of a cheesy creamed sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken or turkey
  • 3 cups broccoli florets or asparagus, cut into 1″ pieces, steamed
  • 1/2 cup grated swiss, chesddar or parmesan cheese
Cream Sauce
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups milk, half and half or light cream
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • pinch of nutmeg

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This recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey and already cooked vegetables. Leftover can be packaged into individual portions and freeze for enjoyment later.

Source: via Michelle Li

Serve 4 to 6

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Swiss Chard Gratin

Minoo prepared 4 recipes for the South Arm Community Kitchen. This is my first time to the kitchen since it’s renovation. I love all the stainless steel appliances and the addition of a convection oven. It takes time to get to know where the pots and pans and utensils are stored in a new kitchen.

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The first recipe is a Swiss Chard Gratin. This is a healthier version to the regular potato gratin with the addition of Swiss Chard. You can use spinach instead. All the participants love this dish.

You can prepare this dish in advance and bake it when you need it. A great dish for potluck party and the color of Swiss Chard makes this dish very festive.

Ingredients

  • 2 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 pinch of nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded Swiss Chard

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Source: via Minoo

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Butternut Squash Gratin with Parmesan Sage Breadcrumbs

The second dish which Minoo prepared from the Vancouver Sun was Butternut Squash Gratin with Parmesan Sage Breadcrumbs. It”s in season now. Winter squash is a good source of fiber, vitamin C, manganese, magnesium and potassium. It is also an excellent source of Vitamin A and E.

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This casserole dish is tender, crisp, sweet and savoury. It is a great dish for potluck.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, about 1 pound (450g), chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 1/2 pounds (1.1 kg) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2ml) freshly ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 1/2 cups (375ml) panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup (250ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) chopped fresh sage leaves

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Source: adapted from Vancouver Sun

Makes 8 servings

P/S: the shallots are not supposed to be in the ingredients

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Maple Apple Pudding

To complete the meal at the South Arm Community Kitchen, Minoo shared an apple pudding recipe as a dessert.

For those of you who are health conscious, you would like to pay attention to this. This is because of the use of maple syrup. Two days ago I read an article that had identified our maple syrup as a superfood (see article here). Superfood is describe as food with high phytonutrient content that may provide health benefits.

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This Apple Pudding is sweetened with maple syrup. We love the addition of cinnamon which goes very well with the apples and raisins. Cinnamon is high in antioxidant and the essential oil of cinnamon also has antimicrobial properties which can help in the preservation of certain food. I love the aroma in the kitchen when baking with cinnamon.

Ingredients

  • 4 to 5 large ripe apples
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) maple syrup, divided
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) melted butter
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup (50ml) milk
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • ground cinnamon

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Source: this recipe is adapted from A Taste of Quebec (Macmillan)

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Pastel de Papa (Argentinean Potato Pie)

In the South Arm Community Kitchen, Minoo demonstrated this Pastel de Papa dish, especially for Emily. Emily had requested recipes for potatoes as her son loves potatoes. Unfortunately, on the day of the demonstration, Emily called in sick at the last minute. So, Emily, you can check in here for the recipe.

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I like the name Pastel de Papa. Sounds like Papa’s Pie. Actually it means just Potato Pie in Spanish. This is really similar to Shepherd’s Pie in that it is covered with mashed potatoes.

Pastel de Papa is a popular Argentina food. It is also known as Chilean potato pie which is a staple in that country. It’s a hearty country food and simple to make. This is a great dish for potluck party.

Ingredients

  • 10 to 12 potatoes, peel and cut into chunks
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 medium onions, dice
  • 2 tablespoons oils
  • 2 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
  • a large can of diced tomatoes
  • 3 or four eggs
  • 1/2 cup green pitted olives
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • paprika, salt and pepper to taste
  • chili flakes to taste, optional
  • freshly chopped cilantro, optional
  • few pinches of ground nutmeg

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Source: Minoo

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Potato Mousse with Zucchini

The second zucchini recipe shared by Minoo in the Gilmore Park Church Community Kitchen is a casserole dish called Potato Mousse with Zucchini.  This dish is great for party or potluck.

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The Potato Mouses with Zucchini is the supreme version of mash potato dish. It is light, cheesy and with added nutrients from the zucchini.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound potatoes
  • 1 pound young zucchini, sliced into coins
  • 1/2 pound (250g) Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 eggs
  • dried dill
  • nutmeg
  • ground black pepper
  • salt
  • butter for greasing baking dish
  • Parmesan cheese

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Source: this recipe is adapted from www.alive.com

Serve 4

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