Wallpaper Highlights for Homeday Friday

I love wallpaper.  It goes in and out of favour in home décor but as far as I'm concerned, there is always room in your dwelling for some exciting paper pattern.

 

There are literally thousands of fantastic colours and styles out there to make your space sing.  Use it for a feature wall in your bedroom or make your powder room a thing of beauty.

 

Here are a few selections to get you drooling and dreaming of what your papered place can look like!

 

Silver Textured Metal Wallpaper

Iida Shades of Grey

 

Parakeet Birdcage Vintage Wallpaper

 

Fountain Field

 

Pearls and Bowties

 

Brown Natural Grasscloth

 

Passion Flower

 

Men in Black Retro Spaceship

 

Nursery Rhymes Vintage Wallpaper

 

Gold Square Pearlescent Square Tile

 

Glitter Purple Squares

 

Minobe Gray with White and Purple Flowers

 

Green White Floral

 

Silver on Silver

Lady Marmalade Chicken Legs for the Brain Dead

Hey there Soul Sisters (and Brothers!).  Just in case you didn't get the reference, it's an ode to Labelle's 70's cult classic hit, "Lady Marmalade".  Here's a darn super stupid easy recipe for chicken legs a la marmalade.

And by the way, who doesn't like chicken legs? Plump, juicy and cheap - they are perfect to feed a family or a crowd.  A sweet coating with just a little zing, these gams are sure to hit the spot.

So crank up your Labelle tunes, break open the marmalade jar.  And, if I may be so bold as to suggest to you, "Voulez vous 'cook-ez' avec moi, ce soir?"

Here's what you'll need:

                            10 chicken legs

                            2/3 C marmalade

                            2 T of taco/chili spice mix* OR

                            2 T of regular chili powder

                            *(Get the recipe here.)

Watch the how to video below!

Here they are...

Plump, juicy, crispy

with a sweet heat that's sure to please!

Don't you want to gobble up the whole plate?

(Uh... we did!)

Leek and Feta Pie aka "Zelnik"

My friend Michele, whom I’ve known since I was 5, remembers eating this particular dish on my late sister Mary’s porch when we were teens.  Mary was an amazing cook and effortlessly made her own phyllo for this recipe.  (Check out Mary’s cherry cake recipe here, too.)  

This leek and feta pie is known as "zelnik" in my culture.  I love the word "zelnik" - sounds like a planet somewhere in another galaxy!

Michele had requested that I make this dish so she could try it at home herself.  Of course, I don’t expect you to make your own phyllo like Mary did!  There are lots of commercial varieties out there to make quicker work out of this delicious concoction.

There are not a lot of ingredients involved at all.  A warning, however…  If you are wary of using butter, this is likely not the recipe for you.  You can try using olive oil instead for a less saturated fat version or maybe 1/2 the butter along with 1/2 a cup of olive oil mixed together.

It is a bit time consuming to put it together (about half an hour), but I guarantee, the taste will make you feel it was totally worth it!

By the way, I completely lost my ingredients picture so had to put together a visual list for you in my not conventional way.

I can’t wait for you to try this and please,  let me know what you think!

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 package phyllo pastry

1 cup butter

4 eggs

3 medium sized leeks

 
1 tub feta cheese (should equal to 1 to 1 1/2 cups crumbled)

  

1 tub full fat 4% cottage cheese (about 2 cups)

Watch the how to video for step by step instructions:

And here it is...

Crispy layers of buttered cruchy phyllo...

A filling of eggs, sauteed leeks and 

gooey feta and cottage cheese binding them together!

Tell me you haven't died and gone to heaven!

And Michele...

Remember to eat this on the porch and think of Mary :-)

Cameraman Dave's Chili

So the other day, Cameraman Dave stepped in front of the lens to flex his cooking skills.  He loves chili and he makes a darn good one!  Veering from the traditional kidney bean version, this one uses black beans and corn.  It's so simple, this could be a Brain-Dead Thursday recipe!

 

Also below is a recipe for a spice mix that is great for either tacos, chili or even popcorn!  It does have some bite so if you are the sensitive type, reduce the black pepper to 1 t and omit the cayenne and/or red chili flakes.  You can always add heat later. 

 

If you're feeling lazy to make the blend, you can use a ready made package blend - there is no shame in that!  Or, even simply, add a few tablespoons of chili powder, a T of cumin with some salt and granulated garlic or a clove of the real stuff.

 

I'm so proud of Cameraman Dave for not only making this with his own little paws but he also took the pictures himself :-)

 

It was delicious and a real treat to come home to after a long day's work!

 

Here's what you'll need:

                            1 pound lean ground beef

                            2 cans (540 each), chopped tomatoes (not drained)

                            1 can (540 ml)black beans (drained and rinsed)

                            1 can (341 ml) corn kernels (drained and rinsed)

                            1 medium onion, chopped

                            1 medium pepper, diced

                            3 T "magic mix" as Dave calls it!

 

"Magic Mix" aka Taco and Chili Seasoning

                            4 T chili powder

                            2 T ground cumin

                            1 T black pepper

                            3 t sea salt

                            2 t paprika

                            1 t dried oregano
                            1 t granulated garlic
                            1 t onion powder
                            1 t crushed red chili pepper flakes
                            1/4 t cayenne pepper

                            Mix together thoroughly.

                            Store in an airtight jar.

Fry beef over medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon.
Cook until most of the pinkness is gone.


Transfer meat to a big pot.


In the same frying pan, add 2 T of oil.


Fry onions over medium high about 3 minutes.


 Add peppers to onions and fry for about another 3 minutes until onion is soft and peppers are tender.


Add veggies to pot...


Add beans...


Add corn...


Add canned tomatoes, 1 cup water & 3 T spice mix.
Cover.  Simmer on medium low about 15 minutes.
Check seasoning.  Add more "magic mix" to taste.


The final yummy product!
Top with cheddar and sour cream...
Enjoy with some hot buttered corn bread and
the "cerveza" of your choice!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steak House Creamed Spinach

Any trip to a steak house includes tried and true accompaniments to a perfectly grilled piece of meat: baked potato, onion rings, grilled mushrooms, to name a few.  A perennial favourite and classic side dish is creamed spinach.  Now when was the last time you made this at home to go with your BBQed steak?

I love this dish because it's so retro yet holds up today.  I can imagine how those 50's steak houses were filled with well dressed patrons enjoying chateaubriand, green goddess salad and bananas foster.  Yuuum!  We'll get to those recipes at one point but for today, let's start with the classic creamed spinach for a taste of velvety deliciousness to enhance your steak dinner!

Here's what you'll need:


                                    1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach (300 gms.)

                                    1/2 C full fat plain yogurt

                                    2 T butter

                                    3 T parmesan cheese

                                    1 T flour

                                    1/2 t onion powder

                                    1/2 t salt



 

If your spinach is frozen,

microwave on high for about 1.5 minutes to get it going.

Melt butter in a frying pan on medium heat.

Finish thawing spinach in butter, breaking it up as you go.

 

Sprinkle onion powder and salt.

(I used fancy Himalayan salt just cause I had some.)

Stir through.

 

Add yogurt and mix through.

 

Sprinkle flour over spinach.

Increase heat to medium high, stirring to thicken.

 

Add a few grindings of black pepper and add parmesan.

Stir for another minute until well heated through.

 

Classic steak house creamed spinach!

Buttery and silky smooth, it partners beautifully

with the juiciness of a perfectly grilled steak...

Even Popeye would approve!

 

 

 



2 Ingredient Lemon Treats for the Brain Dead

OK you slacker!  I know you're tuning in on a Thursday because your energy reserves are on fumes!  Here's a brain dead recipe that you can make with minimal effort.  You can get your lazy tush in gear and whip up these insanely easy lemon treats!

Once again, an angel food cake mix is the star of the show to make these lemony spongy treats.  These are not lemon bars exactly because there is no base but they are definitely a great and quick facsimile of the traditional more labourious kind.

This recipe is for Bob R., a wonderful nephrologist (kidney specialist), I work with.  He loves lemon bars and makes some pretty darn good ones!  (Like it's not enough he's a doctor and he can cook!?)  So this one's for you, Bob.  I tempt you to join us other Thursday Brain Dead Devotees and take the easy way out for a change!

Here's what you'll need:

               1 box angel food cake mix (430 gms)

                               2 cans lemon pie filling (540 ml each)

Put dry cake mix & cans of pie filling together in large bowl.

Mixed with a spatula.

It will take a little elbow grease to incorporate together...

But you can do it!

Pour into 9x9″ (or 24x24 cm) baking pan 

sprayed with non-stick spray.

I suggest putting it on a cookie sheet just in case of runnage.

 
Bake at 350F, 50 minutes if using the same pan size  I did.
If you have a 9x13", try baking for about 30 minutes.
Whatever you use, it should be golden all over like in the pic.
Let it cool on a wire rack.

Serve up sprinkled with icing sugar 

and some berries if you like.

This would also be fabulous with an unsweetened 

raspberry coulis if you want to fancy it up a bit.

Can this get any easier?

I mean, c'mon!

2 ingredients, a little output from you

and you get these luciously decadent lemony delights!

Even Bob would love these!