The Food Geek

Curried Sweet Potato and Yogurt Soup

2011-12-28T14:25:00.003-05:00

Winter is upon us, but that means fantastic warming soups such as this. Casually slam down this fantastic soup that you easily prepared, and don't forget the it-was-nothing-don't-mention-it attitude.

You can, of course, prepare the body of the soup ahead of time, reheat, and garnish to order at the last minute.

I can only assume serving a stuffed pork roast immediately afterwards would blow minds.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large diced sweet onion

1 tsp curry powder

2 medium peeled, diced sweet potatoes

1 medium peeled, diced Idaho potatoes

4 cups reduced-fat chicken broth

2 cups plain yogurt

salt, to taste

dash of hot sauce, optional

chopped almonds, garnish

parsley, garnish

cracked pepper, garnish

In a large pot, heat the oil. Add onions and saute for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add the curry powder, and stir into the onions. Add sweet and Idaho potatoes and chicken broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer soup 25-30 minutes.

Puree soup (stick blender is best), whisk in the yogurt, and season with salt to taste. Add hot sauce to taste, if you like.

Serve hot, garnish each bowl with chopped almonds, cracked pepper and a sprig of parsley as shown.

Doughnuts!

2011-10-22T12:37:00.000-04:00

I'm not one of those Krispy Kreme freaks, seeing as in Canada the closest we get to that is boxed versions in grocery stores...which likely are horrible compared to the real thing, so I ignore them. However, these? Hot and fresh from the fryer and drizzled with some buttery vanilla sauce? Rediculous. I hit them with some cinnamon-sugar as well.

2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup shortening
5 cups all-purpose flour

vegetable oil for frying (350F)

1/3 cup butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons hot water or as needed

Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy.

In a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix for a few minutes at low speed, or stirring with a wooden spoon. Beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a greased bowl, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise until double. Dough is ready if you touch it, and the indention remains.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and gently roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter. Let doughnuts sit out to rise again until double. Cover loosely with a cloth.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in hot water one tablespoon at a time until the icing is somewhat thin, but not watery. Set aside.

Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large heavy skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slide doughnuts into the hot oil using a wide spatula. Turn doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil, to drain on a wire rack. Dip doughnuts into the glaze while still hot, and set onto wire racks to drain off excess. Keep a cookie sheet or tray under racks for easier clean up.

Stolen from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/crispy-and-creamy-doughnuts/detail.aspx

Pad Thai w. shrimp

2011-08-12T19:54:00.000-04:00

Second try, got it right. Go me.

Ok, let's do this thing.

Soak your package of rice noodles in a large bowl of hot but not boiling water. After 10 minutes or so, check them now and then (nibble a piece) until it's "right". When they're ready to your liking, drain them and put them in a dry bowl to sit for later.

In a pot:

1/2 cup ketchup
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce (it smells like gym socks in the bottle but it's great in a sauce)
1 tbsp shrimp paste, from your local tiny asian grocery
1/4 cup (50 mL) lime juice
1 tsp chili flakes or hot sauce
2 tbsp (25 mL) vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup water

Put that on low heat to simmer, whisk it up until smooth, then prepare four small bowls, filled with...

chopped roasted peanuts, sliced green onions, shredded carrot, bean sprouts

Are the noodles ready yet? If so, get a wok smokin' hot on the stove, hit it with some oil, and toss a some shrimp in there. How much? A couple handfuls, make a decision already.

Once the shrimp are pink, toss in the carrots and bean sprouts, stir-fry that for a minute

Fire into the wok, your rice noodles, and then the sauce . Toss that all up, plate, dash some peanuts on there, a little more diced green onion, and a little cilantro if you have it. Go!

Coconut Thai Curry on Roasted Garam Masala Chicken

2011-06-28T22:54:00.000-04:00

Amatriciana, sort of

2011-04-22T19:03:00.002-04:00

A notable Italian / Roman dish that I twisted for my own dark purposes. Meaning, I had some chicken breast to use up, and not so much the traditional pork cheek. Also, made with no chiles...my mom is visiting and I didn't want a medical emergency on my hands.

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 pound linguine pasta, uncooked
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.     Cook diced bacon in a large saucepan over medium high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from the pan.
2.     Add onions, and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds. Add canned tomatoes, undrained; simmer 10 minutes, breaking up tomatoes.
3.     Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of 4 quarts boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.
4.     Stir basil into the sauce, and then toss with cooked pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Pork Ribs (Bone Dust dry rub)

2011-04-02T20:49:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:

        1/2 cup paprika
        1/4 cup chili powder
        3 tablespoons salt
        2 tablespoons ground coriander
        2 tablespoons garlic powder
        2 tablespoons white sugar
        2 tablespoons curry powder
        2 tablespoons dry hot mustard
        1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
        1 tablespoon ground basil
        1 tablespoon ground thyme
        1 tablespoon ground cumin
        1 tablespoon cayenne

Combine, store in a big jar, slather on pork whenever you want to bring the flavor hammer.

In this case, rub into pork ribs, then wrap them up in foil, and set on a large pan that will contain leaks (melted fat). Set your oven to 250C. Three hours in there should do it. Remove from oven, remove the foil, return the ribs to the oven for 30 minutes or so while you fire up your grill. Brush your favorite sweet sauce on them, and set them (carefully!) on the grill long enough to get a bit of a char.

Hot and Sour Soup

2010-10-03T18:07:00.000-04:00

Various recipies, various failures, finally I made a hot and sour soup I'm happy with.

Ingredients:

1 cake tofu (fresh, if possible)
2 ounces pork tenderloin

Marinade:

1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Other:

1/2 cup bamboo shoots
1 handful of dried Asian mushrooms
6 cups water
1 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
2 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons red rice vinegar, white rice vinegar, or red wine vinegar
2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
1 egg, beaten
3 green onions, finely chopped

White pepper to taste
Hot chili oil, to taste

Hot and Sour Soup Directions:

Slice pork very thinly. Mix marinade ingredients and marinate pork for 20 minutes.

Cut tofu into small squares. Cut bamboo shoots into thin strips and then into fine slices. To reconstitute the mushrooms, soak in warm water for 20 minutes. Pick them out of the water, give them a good squeeze to remove fluid, and then chop finely. Return to the "mushroom water" and set this aside for now.

Bring the water to a boil. When it is boiling, add the bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and pork. Stir. Bring back to a boil and add the tofu.
Stir in the salt, sugar, soy sauce and vinegar and sesame oil.
Test the broth and adjust the taste if desired, using white pepper and chili oil to suit your heat level.

Mix the cornstarch and water. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the soup, stirring while it is being added. Let the broth come back to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, remove the broth from the stove.

Slowly drop in the beaten egg, stirring in one direction at the same time. Add the green onion and serve hot.

Pumpkin Soup with Rice

2010-10-03T12:59:00.001-04:00

Karen is ill today, so she clapped her hands sharply and ordered soup(s).

2 lbs. roasted pumpkin flesh
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups 1% milk
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp ground pepper

1 cup cooked white rice
pinch of ground cinnamon, to serve

Simplicity itself, put first six ingrediants in a pot, heat until just starting to boil, and puree' that stuff with a stock blender. Put a scoop of rice and a sprinkle of cinnamon in each bowl. Serve!

Grilling stuff

2010-06-01T09:37:00.000-04:00

Forgive me. I have a brand new grill and I'm still just having way too much fun. Recipes and new stuff soon.

Maryland Crab Cakes

2010-04-25T15:01:00.000-04:00

Thai Red Curry with Spiced Baked Chicken

2010-02-28T14:04:00.005-05:00

I've been in love with Indian-style (ok, English-style pub curry) for so long I make it on auto-pilot at least once every few weeks. Thanks to http://foodporndaily.com/ I now get random urges for whatever happens to be there. One day mentioned red Thai curry and off I went. To my eternal shame I don't own shrimp paste (you likely don't either) and I wasn't about to take off for Somerset street in the middle of a blizzard. The vegetarian alternative is to use some soy sauce to at least replace the salty/savory that would be missing.
Ingredients:

* 2 large onions, chopped
* 1 stalk lemongrass, minced ( see instructions below) OR 2 Tbsp. frozen prepared lemongrass (available at Asian stores)
* 1-2 red chilies, OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, OR 1-2 tsp. Thai chili sauce
* 4 cloves garlic
* 1 thumb-size piece ginger, sliced
* 2 Tbsp. tomato ketchup (OR 2 Tbsp. tomato paste + 1/2 tsp sugar) * 1 tsp. ground cumin
* 1 tsp. ground coriander
* 1 tsp. ground pepper
* 3 Tbsp. fish sauce (OR 4 Tbsp. soy sauce if vegetarian)
* 1-2 tsp. shrimp paste (omit if vegetarian)
* 1 Tbsp. sugar
* 2 Tbsp. regular chili powder
* 1/4 can good-quality coconut milk (or just enough to keep the blades turning), reserve remaining for the curry*
* 2 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
* Optional: 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (OR add 1 cinnamon stick to your curry pot)

Preparation:

1. For complete instructions on how to buy and cook with lemongrass, see: All About Lemongrass: Your Guide to Buying, Preparing, and Cooking with Lemongrass.
2. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process well to create a fragrant Thai red curry paste. (Note that it will taste very strong at this point.) 3. To use immediately, fry the paste in a little oil to release flavors before adding your choice of meat, tofu, wheat gluten, or vegetables.
4. Add remaining can of coconut milk to create the curry sauce (*I cheated and added the whole can into the food processor, hence it's not very "red").
5. At this point, you're basically making a stew. I added two diced carrots and one diced green pepper. A chopped lemongrass, baby corn, bamboo shoots, thin strips of chicken, go nuts.
6. Serve with a mix of chopped cilantro and fresh basil.

The chicken? I tossed it with flour seasoned with curry powder, garam masala, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder. Baked it for an hour at 350C. Easy.

Lobster Bisque

2009-07-28T13:19:00.002-04:00

What do you do when you're home, and suddenly four savage sea-beasts burst in through the living room wall? You turn them into soup. Whoohoo! Thanks so much to Catrina and Bill for providing said sea monsters. Now, before you start on this, understand this is the "long version" and it'll be a two-day recipe. Day one is lobster stock, and day two is making the bisque. In this particular case I cheated a bit by making the stock in the morning, and the bisque late that night. Admittedly the bisque was not quite as good as the previous time I made it, but that's my fault and not the recipe following. So off we go.

First, on day one, you're making the stock.

Hi, back? Welcome to tomorrow. Let's make our bisque.

Ingredients:

finely chopped lobster meat, from four small lobsters
1/2 cup white flour
1/3 cup butter
7 cups lobster stock
1 small can tomato paste
1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup sour cream
1 pinch nutmeg
diced fresh tarragon, to taste
salt, pepper, to taste

Let's start by making a roux. Melt the butter in the bottom of a large pot, over medium heat. Add the flour and combine to make a paste. Cook the paste, while stirring it around, until it smells not like flour but sort of nutty and a little browned.

Slowly, while stirring, add the lobster stock. Once combined, bring to near-boil while stirring. You should be able to see the thickening agent of the roux upon the stock, if not, you can add some cornstarch slurry, or toasted flour, to make the stock a bit thickened.

Stir in the tomato paste, sherry, heavy cream, sour cream, and nutmeg. Once this is done, you can add your salt, pepper, and tarragon until the flavor of each is where you like it. Add your cooked lobster chunks, and once hot you're good to serve. If you want a smooth bisque, you can puree' the whole thing now.

Serve using a sprig of tarragon, and a twist of cracked pepper as garnish if you're feeling fancy.

Pork Chops, German, with onion and stout beer gravy

2009-07-23T21:11:00.000-04:00

Ok, so we're in the Boston area visiting Brian and Jim. Some beer is involved. Ok, a lot of beer is involved. Soooo when it was my turn to make dinner, I says, I says to myself "Self, how can I involve even more beer in this week? Possibly with pork and onions?" Brian and Jim have some sweet stout beer in the fridge, home-brewed by their father. This seemed like an obvious solution. It turned out even better then I imagined. Served with garlic mashed potatoes and orange-tarragon carrots. Guess I'll post those recipes later.

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 tbsp vegetable oil
* 2 large pork chops, or 4 small
* salt, pepper to taste
* 2 large onions, finely diced
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 tbsp butter
* 3 tbsp flour
* 2 cups room temperature dark German beer
* 1 cup hot chicken broth
* salt and black pepper, again, to taste

Heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Once very hot, add the oil to the pan and make sure the bottom is coated. Add the pork chops, season with salt and pepper, and brown both sides well. Remove them, set aside covered with foil. Reduce heat to medium, and add the onions and garlic to the pan, followed by the butter.

Cook, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant and the onions are translucent. Add the flour, and cook for several minutes until the flour is a paste and smells nutty rather then like...flour. Combine the beer and chicken stock, and add to the onions. Stir with a wisk to remove brown bits from the pan until you have a nice gravy. Add more beer and chicken stock if you need. Return the pork chops to the gravy, reduce heat to low, cover with the foil. Simmer on low for 30 minutes. Serve.

Big Ass Classic Lasagna

2009-07-15T22:45:00.003-04:00

This ended up being the Last Supper of sorts, the final cheesetastic bomb before I abruptly turned to exercising and eating healthier. Fare thee well, piles of cheese, I may not see you for a while. It pains me to say it now, but this was reeeeeeeally good.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb (250 g) lasagna noodles
1 pkg (300 g) chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups (500 mL) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup (50 mL) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Meat Filling:
1/2 lb (250 g) Italian sausage
1/2 lb (250 g) ground beef
1 each onion, carrot, and celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) each dried oregano and basil
Pinch hot pepper flakes
1 can (28 oz/796 mL) tomatoes (not drained)
1 can (14 oz/398 mL) tomato sauce
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

Cheese Filling:
2 eggs
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper
1/4 tsp (1 mL) nutmeg
2 cups (500 mL) cottage cheese
1 cup (250 mL) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup (125 mL) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Meat Filling: Remove sausage from casing; crumble meat. In Dutch oven, cook sausage and beef over medium-high heat, breaking up with back of spoon, for about 5 minutes or until no longer pink; remove to plate. Spoon off all but 1 tablespoon (15 mL) fat from pot.
Cook onion, carrot, celery, garlic, oregano, basil and hot pepper flakes, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and meat; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, breaking up tomatoes and stirring often, for 20 to 25 minutes or until thickened. Add pepper.

Cheese Filling: In bowl, beat together eggs, pepper and nutmeg. Blend in cottage cheese, mozzarella and Parmesan.
In large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles for 6 to 8 minutes or until almost tender. Drain and place in cold water. Arrange in single layer on damp tea towel.

Spread 1 cup (250 mL) of the meat filling as base in greased 13- x 9-inch (3 L) baking dish. Top with one-third of the noodles in single layer; spread with one-third of the remaining meat filling. Spread with half of the cheese filling, then half of the spinach. Starting with noodles, repeat layers once.

Top with remaining noodles; spread with remaining meat filling. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover loosely with foil; bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

It-goes-with-chicken pilaf

2009-07-14T12:35:00.002-04:00

It doesn't actually contain chicken, but it...goes with chicken. It's the best name I could think of given limited creativity.

1 carrot, diced finely
1 stalk celery, diced finely
1 onion, diced finely
1 cup diced mushrooms (I didn't have any on hand) :(
pinch of dried thyme

1 can (16 ounces) chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine, or apple juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (or 1 tbsp dried)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1.5 cups uncooked rice, white or parboiled

Lightly coat a dutch oven, or large braising pan with no-stick spray and set over medium-high heat. When hot, add carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, and thyme. Sauté, stirring often, for five minutes until the onions are soft.

Except for the rice, add everything else. Bring to a boil, add the rice, then turn heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms and Peppers

2009-07-07T19:27:00.004-04:00

My response to a challenge from Karen: Make dinner using only what you can find in the house, today, right now. I was allowed one lifeline item, and I chose mushrooms.

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp each salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

1 chopped red onion
2 chopped white onions
1/2 red pepper chopped
1/2 green onion, chopped
about two cups small whole mushrooms

3 slices bacon, diced

1 whole chicken, in pieces, skin-on and bone-in

1/2 cup red wine

butter and flour to make a roux

Ok, let's hit it. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Combine the balsamic, sugar, rosemary, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Put the vegetables+mushrooms into a large bowl, add about 2/3 of the balsamic mixture to this, toss it around to coat, and save the rest of the balsamic mix and keep it aside. Put the now-coated vegetables into a baking dish, and toss the diced bacon on top of that.

Pat dry the skin of the chicken, put the pieces on top of the vegetables (skin side up). Brush with the remaining 1/3 of the balsamic mixture. In the oven it goes for 30 minutes. Then out it comes, turn the oven down to 325 F. While waiting for the oven to cool a bit, add the red wine to the chicken and vegetables, then back into the oven for about 30 more minutes. Chicken should be 165 F internal temp, then it's done.

Remove the chicken to a separate platter, and cover with foil. Now remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and keep those aside, covered also. In a sauce pan, melt some butter over medium heat, and stir a tablespoon or so of flour into it, so you have a thick but liquid mixture. Now add the cooking liquid you have from your baking dish, and stir with a whisk so you have your pan sauce.

We served the chicken and vegetables (and sauce) over hot buttered noodles, because, well, any excuse to eat hot buttered noodles is a good one.

Onion Rings

2009-06-13T22:22:00.002-04:00

I tossed these together on a hot day to go with some grilled burgers. I used sunflower oil in the fryer, in case you're wondering.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk, or as needed

optional:
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp tumeric

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).

2. Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Toss the onion slices into the flour mixture until they are all coated; remove them and set them aside. Whisk the egg and milk into the flour mixture using a fork. Dip the floured rings into the batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. Spread the bread crumbs out on a plate or shallow dish.

4. Deep fry the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain.

The paprika and tumeric are purely to add a little golden colour, feel free to omit.

Roast Loin of Pork with Baked Stuffed Apples and Cider Gravy

2009-04-26T19:12:00.003-04:00

My wife's parents were up for the weekend, and brought with them a big pork loin roast...so I thought I'd find something new and give it a go, and here we are. Making the gravy from apple cider, rather then, say, chicken stock really gives the entire roasted dish a new personality. Naturally to continue the theme the stuffed apples are honestly for looks and showing off a little, but it takes the whole platter to a "little more special" level. We also had braised brussels sprouts with maple syrup and thyme (yes again, I love these things now) and simple mashed potatoes with parsley.

After that, we played board games (Settlers of Catan) for hours...the whole day was disgustingly wholesome.

Moroccan Chicken Soup

2009-03-02T10:24:00.004-05:00

I've never, in years, gone so long without making anything truly new. I need a kick in the ass or something. If you know me, and there's something you like I've never made, send me an e-mail. I'll try it just for the novelty if nothing else.

Onto the food. Strongly flavored, spicy, warming, and bold, it was a great soup for a very very cold night.

1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp butter
1 pound raw chicken cut into strips or cubes, I used chicken thigh
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp flour
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp harissa (or hot curry paste if you're insanely lazy, I guess)
4 cups chicken stock
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas (drained, rinsed)
salt and pepper to taste (don't be stingy, flavor is good)
finely chopped fresh parsley / cilantro mix for garnish
lemon wedges if you're cool

In a hot non-stick pan, add olive oil and then butter. Have chicken ready to immediately add to save the butter from scorching. Cook the chicken for several minutes, until it starts to brown. Remove and set aside, leaving as much of the oil/butter in the pan as possible.

Add the chopped onion and garlic to the pan, cook for several minutes until softened but not brown. Stir in the flour and cook for 3-4 minutes until now things begin to brown a little. Add the spices and the harissa and cook for a minute. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes. Toss in the chicken, and the chickpeas.

Cover and cook for 20 minutes or so, on low heat. Season with salt and pepper as you sample. Serve and garnish with your chopped green stuff. Use more then I did, I hardly had any left. :P

Pork Meatballs

2008-08-18T20:39:00.000-04:00

For the past few years I've largely been making a "meat sauce" with beef, as per my wife's liking. This time I went for something a little different, making my own meatballs...actually for the first time I think. Hi Kelly. You can stop making fun of me now.

Ingredients

1 cup (250 mL) fresh white breadcrumbs
1/4 cup (50 mL) milk or cream
2 tbsp (25 mL) grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh garlic
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp (10 mL) dried oregano
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 lb (500 g) ground pork
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil

Cooking Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine breadcrumbs, milk, cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and egg. Mash to a paste and add pork; mix thoroughly. Form into walnut-size balls.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add meatballs and cook until no trace of pink remains and browned evenly, about 15 minutes. Or, cook in oven on a greased baking sheet at 325°F (160°C) for about 20 minutes.

(Healthy) Shepard's Pie

2008-06-19T21:32:00.004-04:00

Not fancy, not really photogenic, and usually pretty boring stuff. But I've never made one before, so it was neat to finally crank one out. It was really good, and this is a healthy version so it was even pretty decent for ya. Recipe cribbed from here. Karen's mom positively loathes Shepard's Pie in all it's forms, so it's sort of like forbidden fruit around here.

Beer Braised BBQ Pork Butt

2008-06-02T19:04:00.002-04:00

In pork terms, butt means "shoulder" so get over yourself. Anyway, good news / bad news. Good news is, this is fantastic. It really is one of the best meals I've made in months. Bad news is, I took a terrible photograph and I'm not even using it. I'll update this with a new photo when I make it again (and I will).

Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman
Show:	Good Deal with Dave Lieberman

For the dry rub:
2 tablespoons salt
About 40 grinds black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground mustard seed

12 ounces good ale or dark beer, such as Bass
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 5-pound pork butt (shoulder of the animal)

Combine rub ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Rub all over pork butt. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour and as long as overnight.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Unwrap pork and place in a roasting pan with sides about 2 inches high. Cook 45 minutes until dark browned and even blackening in places. Remove from oven. Lower oven to 325 degrees F. Pour beer over the top and add chopped garlic around the pork. Cover tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil or twice with regular foil. Poke about 10 holes all over the top of the foil. Cook pork butt 2 1/2 hours longer until so tender that it comes away very easily from center bone.

Place the meat on a plate and pour the pan juice (there will be plenty) into a saucepan. To the pan juices add:

1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
1/3 cup dark brown sugar

Bring to a simmer until reduced by half and thick, about 20 minutes.

While the sauce is boiling down, pull apart the pork with 2 forks. Pour the sauce over the pulled pork and work through until fully absorbed.

Greek Vegetable Skewers with Feta Olive Drizzle

2008-05-31T20:15:00.001-04:00

It's been a while since I've had anything of note to put here, with spring arrival I've done either a lot of re-visiting of my earlier BBQ-friendly foods from earlier items here already, or some generic hot dog / burger stuff like everyone else. This, however, was finally something I've not done before, odd since I really love Greek takeout-style food, and these turned out great, I was really pleased with them. Easy too.

Serves 4

4 bamboo Skewers
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
12 medium mushrooms
8 slices (about 1-inch thick) zucchini
8 chunks (1 1/2-inch pieces) red bell pepper
8 chunks (1 1/2-inch pieces) yellow bell pepper
8 chunks (1 1/2-inch pieces) red onion
Salt and pepper to taste

Feta Olive Drizzle
1 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped (optional)
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tsp oregano

Soak skewers in white wine and lemon juice for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the Feta Olive Drizzle ingredients together in a blender and combine. Once the skewers are soaked, pour the wine and lemon juice into the drizzle also.

Place all the vegetables, except for the red onion (it'll come apart) into a large bowl with the drizzle and toss to coat.

Thread onto each skewer the mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, red onion. Just before pushing a chunk of red onion onto the skewer, dip it by hand into the drizzle.

Lightly brush skewers on each side with olive or salad oil and season to taste with more salt and pepper.

Place on a preheated medium-high grill and cook until vegetables are cooked crisp/tender, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.

To serve: Drizzle with Feta Olive Drizzle, serve with rice and tzatziki.

Baked Beans

2008-03-24T11:00:00.005-04:00

I used to hate baked brown beans. HATE them. From the can? Hate them. The ones my grandfather made? Hated them. Much like my broccoli re-awakening (going from boiled-to-death-and-covered-with-packaged-cheese-sauce of childhood to discovering that one could actually leave them a bit firm, bright green, and enjoy them on their own) it took a single alternative meal to reverse my feelings on the bean subject.

The memory is a little fuzzy now, but it was one of my earlier meals in Almonte, courtesy of Michael Dunn. When I learned that baked beans were a featured part of the meal, I had to prepare myself for some pretending-that-I-liked them acting. No need, they were great. I mean, really great. It turns out, canned beans and my grandfathers were sort of "UK style" based on tomato sauce, with not much sugar, and no tanginess at all, and made with mushy white "Navy" or haricot beans. These were more southern US + a dash of Quebec style, which means firm black turtle beans, and aforementioned tang from the addition of yellow mustard and ketchup (which has vinegar), and much sweeter (molasses, brown sugar, maple syrup). Wow, just so different, so good, so dark, such a different texture.

Karen's parents latched onto this recipe also, and as far as I know, have made no other one since.

3 cups black turtle beans
1/4 lb. slab bacon or salt pork
1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes
2 cups chopped onions
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Dark maple syrup to taste '

Rinse beans and sort, if necessary, discarding any blemished ones and any grit.

In large Dutch oven or stockpot, cover beans with 3 times their volume of water. Bring to boil; boil gently for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain, discarding liquid.

Return soaked beans to pot along with 3 times their volume of fresh water. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 to 45 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, dice bacon and it set aside. In bowl, and using potato masher, mash tomatoes in their juice.

In bean pot or 16-cup casserole, combine beans, reserved cooking liquid, bacon, tomatoes, onions, ketchup, molasses, mustard, salt and pepper.

Bake, covered, in 300°F. oven for 2.5 hours. Uncover and bake for 1 - 1.5 hours longer or until sauce is thickened and coats beans well.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

2008-02-10T13:55:00.000-05:00

Hmph...finally got around to making this. I've been meaning to, oh, forever or so. Spicy, warming, good for ya.

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or butter)
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 strip bacon, diced
1/2 Tbsp flour
1 (8 oz) bottles clam juice along with 1 cup water
1 can high-quality diced tomatoes, processed until smooth
2 cups Clamato
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1 sprig of fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 potato, scrubbed and cubed
1 (6.5 oz) can of chopped clams, juice drained and reserved
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. In a large saucepot, heat olive oil over medium heat and toss in the onion, celery, garlic, and bacon; cook 4-5 minutes until the onion is wilted and translucent. Stir in the flour until it blends
into a paste.

2. Slowly whisk in the clam juice until smooth. Add tomatoes, Clamato, and sugar and give a good stir. Toss in the pepper flakes, thyme, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the potato, bring to a boil, and boil hard for about 5-10 minutes or until the potato start to
break down. Then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add clams and simmer an additional 8 minutes or longer as flavors come together. Season again as needed and serve.

WW hand-wringers take note, each cup of this is two points. Enjoy.

Crab and Corn Pasta

2008-02-10T12:13:00.000-05:00

Hey, where have I been? Well, I've been dragged into WW with my wife. So, in the beginning I was eating so simply there was nothing worth writing about, but now I'm putting some effort into finding extra-healthy things to make that I'd not be embarrassed to post (for example: ham sandwich on whole wheat bread with some lettuce!). This meal here, for example, was very satisfying and feels more decadent then it really is.

If you have all the ingredients on hand, this simple supper can be made in 20 minutes.

6 oz uncooked penne
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium red peppers, seeded and chopped
2 medium onion(s), sliced
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cup fat-free skim milk
10 oz frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 oz canned crabmeat, drained

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

Cook the penne according to package directions; drain and keep warm.

In a large saucepan or saute' pan, heat the oil. Sauté bell pepper and onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.

Gradually stir in milk; bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly (use a wisk to scrape up any cooked flour from the bottom of the pan, to thicken the milk), 1-2 minutes. Stir in corn, crabmeat, basil, salt and pepper.

Remove from the heat; stir in penne. Reheat 2-3 minutes and serve, sprinkled with cheese and parsley.

For you WW monsters out there, divide this into four portions, each is 8 points.

Jalapeño Poppers

2008-01-10T17:07:00.000-05:00

I'm not usually the kind to crank out hors d'ourves, actually these were Karen's idea...I liked these so much I think we'll be making these a lot. They're hot without being brain-melting painful (well, perhaps the odd one is if you don't seed it with care), crunchy, and savory. Easy to make too.

* 2 sprays olive oil cooking spray, divided
* 2 oz light cream cheese
* 1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
* 1 Tbsp fat-free mayonnaise
* 8 small jalapeño pepper(s)
* egg whites from two eggs
* 3/4 cup cornflake crumbs

Instructions

* Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

* In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese and mayonnaise; mix well and set aside. Halve jalapeños lengthwise and remove seeds. (Don’t rub your eyes.) Stuff jalapeño halves with cream cheese mixture.

* Place egg substitute in a shallow dish. Place cornflake crumbs in a separate shallow dish. Dip stuffed jalapeño halves into egg substitute and then roll in cornflake crumbs to coat.

* Transfer jalapeños to prepared baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.

* Bake until filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve hot. Yields 2 poppers per serving.

For you WW freaks, each popper is 1 point.

Roasted Pork Loin with Maple-Mustard Crust

2008-01-03T18:11:00.000-05:00

Cider Brine:

4 cups apple cider (or apple juice I guess)
1/2 cup pickling or kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cloves garlic, smashed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 pounds (or so) of pork loin

Bring the brine ingredients to a slow boil, stir until everything is dissolved, then cool to room temperature. Put the pork into a large ziploc and add the brine, press the air out so the pork is in constant contact with the brine. Put in the fridge for 8 to 18 hours.

For the roast:

1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbs grainy Dijon mustard
2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 F. Combine the crust ingredients. Pat the pork dry with a paper towel. Brush the pork all over with the mustard mixture. Roast the pork for 15 minutes, then reduce to 350 F and continue cooking until internal temp (thickest part) is 145 F.

Served with the Brussels Sprouts from the previous post, and some finely chopped potato and carrots that I had in the roasting pan, with the pork loin on top of them.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Thyme

2008-01-02T19:33:00.000-05:00

First, here's the recipe.

Ok, so, what's with the bad reputation of Brussels Sprouts? It's one of those "yuck foods" you see in children's stories. They're great. Like cabbage only sweeter and seemingly less sulfurous...although that only comes from overcooking anyway. Certainly more elegant-looking then cabbage. I've just had these for the 1st time in my life, seriously. I don't know how I made it to 35 without having these. Will be making them a lot now.

Any why boil them? This method has got to be much better.

Toasted Flour

2007-12-29T18:57:00.000-05:00

This is a new trick I've only just picked up while browsing Slashfood. A contributor named Marisa made a Thanksgiving post that I recalled and looked up for Christmas turkey use.

Now, of course, you can just go read her post (please do, otherwise I'd just be copying everything she said), but her and I e-mailed back and forth a few times and a few things came up worth mentioning. I've used uncoated pans (the new saute' pan that Karen just picked up for me, pictured, is great for containing the potential huge mess) while Marisa, I found, used a nonstick pan. I'm pretty sure this is the reason my flour toasted so quickly (12-15 minutes vs. 30 to 60). Also, I just have to say if you have a badass flat whisk you'd normally use for deglazing...that's what you should use.

So, true to the original story, the gravy we made for Christmas dinner was fantastic. With so much flavorful, colored flour, you can expand your turkey juices more and have more gravy then you normally would, and the pre-cooked flour required little cooking to remove the "doughy" flavor that you normally need to work out.

This 2ed batch I just did is for some shrimp gumbo I'll be making tomorrow. A nice dark roux is a tradition of this dish, and this should give me a nice head-start.

Fries

2007-12-11T12:17:00.000-05:00

Yes, you likely are thinking this is one of those things anyone can do. And you're right...anyone can make fries. Badly. You see, there is a little bit of technique to this, and many times it isn't done. You know the local fry truck (if you're in Ontario) you hit up all the time? Some do it right, but most of them do it wrong. There are three trucks here in Almonte, and they're all on the wrong side of technique. You can tell not from taste (they taste fine) but texture. If you snack down on the fries and they're tasty-but-limp and even soggy feeling, you know they cheated.

The "thing" is cooking them twice. Once at about 280 F for about eight minutes, then setting them aside to cool. Make a few batches so you have enough. Then you cook them again for about 3 minutes at 375 F. That's it. The first cooking does all the "cooking" and the 2ed does all the color, flavor, and crispiness. If you do the whole step in one go at 375F, see above for cheating = soggy + limp.

Now, leave the skins on. They make the fries look home-made, and the skin has flavor. Same with cutting...just use a knife. If you peel the potatoes and then use some device to make perfect fries, then they just look like they came from a bag which is lame. Yes, I used a mandolin for this batch but it was for five people so I did a pretty large amount and I was in a bit of a rush. :)

Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs

2007-12-11T12:03:00.000-05:00

I'll be a bit lazy and just link to the recipe, but man...this was good. You can serve with mashed potatoes, or as I did, with hot buttered broad noodles.

Pork Medallions with Garlic

2007-12-07T17:15:00.000-05:00

The sauce obscures it, but this is actually a stuffed pork roast, the center of the medallion has a little surprise of bacon and, obviously, garlic. The pan sauce with wine and shallots was amazing.

1 bulb of garlic, minced into a paste
2 slices of bacon
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbso butter
flour, salt, pepper

2 shallots, diced very finely
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp of demi glace (I'm sure you have this lying around)

Butterfly the pork roast (you could also use two pork tenderloins and sandwich them) and spread the entire inside with the garlic paste, then lay the strips of bacon inside also, lengthwise. Tie up the roast with string, spacing your string for future individual servings. Dust the outside of the roast with the mixture of flour, salt, pepper. Preheat your oven to 400 F.

Heat a oven-friendly frying pan (no plastic or wooden handles) and add the olive oil first, then butter (the oil raises the smoking temperature of the butter). Sear and brown the roast on all sides. Thow the pan in the oven for 20 minutes or so, don't worry about when it's "done" as this is just to make the outside nice and crusty for flavor.

Remove from the oven, and set aside the roast under foil to rest for a while. Discard any extra fat from the pan you roasted in, and add 1 tbsp of butter, and the shallots. Cook over heat for a couple minutes until softened. Deglaze with the wine + stock and scrape up all the yummy bits with a wisk. Add another tbsp of butter. Add the demi glace if you have it. Add the drippings from the plate you're resting your roast on. Reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. Keep warm.

Put a cast iron pan on, get it hot. Really hot. Carve the roast into the medallions, and sear both sides until browned a bit, this will finish the cooking process for the inside of the roast (so not too thick, eh?). Serve with mashed potatoes, veg of choice, and spoon the warm sauce over.

Recipe is blatently stolen from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook, and altered just a touch. :)

Beef and Barley Soup

2007-11-26T16:13:00.001-05:00

The winter tires are on, there's a boatload of snow outside, and the fireplaces are going, so let's roll with it. Time for hot soups and stews for thawing you out after stumbling inside from shoveling out the $%@&* driveway.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef, cubed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large celery stalks, diced
3 large carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
6 cups beef broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup of pot barley
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves.

Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper. Add half of the beef and cook until brown, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef.

Add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, rosemary, and oregano to the pot. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Return the beef and any accumulated juices from the bowl to the pot. Add the broth and tomatoes with their juice. Bring the soup to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the meat is just tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Add the barley. Cover and continue simmering until the barley is tender. Stir in the parsley. Season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Hunter's Beef Stew

2007-10-15T10:49:00.000-04:00

The book this recipe is from calls it "Hunter's Beef Stew"...and then calls for cubed beef. Do guys get dressed up in an orange vest and camouflage hat, pack a lunch, grab some rifles and then use skill and guile to track down the crafty and elusive cow? You know, the animal you could stroll up to and kill with a sledgehammer as it patiently waited for you.

Pumpkin Pie

2007-10-15T10:44:00.000-04:00

'Tis the season for pumpkin pie. As I had never made one before, I actually made two from entirely different recipes. Both went over well, but this one was slightly preferred as it had a darker, richer color to it so the eye appeal was better.

Filling:

2 eggs slightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp each nutmeg, ginger
1/4 tsp each allspice and cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 can (1 lb) pumpkin
3 tsp molasses
2 cans (6 oz size) condensed milk
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 400 F
In large bowl combine eggs, sugar, spices, salt, pumpkin,
molasses, and condensed milk, stir with wooden spoon until smooth.

Lightly brush pie shell with egg white and fill with pie filling.

Bake 55 - 60 minutes or until tip of sharp knife inserted in center
comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack, serve garnished with whip cream if desired

CCK KF1301

2007-09-17T17:37:00.000-04:00

Behold! After a few years of loyal service from my Global Santoku G-46, I finally added to my "collection" of one good knife with a second one, a Chan Chi Kee KF1301 cleaver, much desired amongst the knife nerds and hard to find (hushed whispers on message boards about how a friend of a friend has an uncle who knows this guy who knows a place in San Francisco you can buy one). For some reason, outside of Kowloon, Hong Kong the only other official listed store is in Toronto. Which leads to...

Much thanks to my Toronto-area buddy Randy, who stopped by Chan Chi Kee Cutlery in Pacific Mall and picked it up for me...actually he bought it for me, what a guy! I've only just unwrapped it and right after I post this I'm going to maim and kill some tomatoes.

Naan Bread

2007-08-29T13:06:00.000-04:00

The instructions are pretty lengthy, so I won't re-post them here (and there are many recipes for this stuff so you can find your own as well) but keep in mind you can do 1/2 of this work a day ahead, so it's no big scary deal. And the resulting flat bread was extremely yummy...soft, buttery, wicked finger-burning hot right from the cast iron pan, I might add.

We brushed the bread as it cooked with a butter / olive oil mixure with a clove of garlic cooked into it (see bottom of picture). Cooking this outside on a fire pit just made it better somehow. We had this with beef kabobs and tzatziki, but of course, some good strong curry would be ideal with this.

Crab Alfredo

2007-08-24T21:25:00.001-04:00

Ever consider murdering yourself with dairy fat? Well, here's how you do it, you make this then you eat a lot of it. Now kiss your wretched life goodbye as you moan on the couch while your soul marches towards the glowing light.

This was a) stupidly delicious, and b) so...excessive it took me three days before I could bring myself to look at the picture I took so I could make this post. I think I had some toast and salad the next day, but it's kind of a blur.

Let's roll.

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream (or half & half if you wuss out)
1/2 cup (or more to taste) grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and white pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper
6 to 8 ounces cooked snow crab meat, cut into chunks*

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour, and cook briefly until the mixture looks sandy. Do NOT let it color.

Wisk in the heavy cream, and stir until the mixture forms a thick sauce.

Stir in the cheese, and season to taste. Don't miss out on the dash of cayenne, it's good. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors, and stir in the crab meat. Too thick? Add a splash of your pasta water.

Cook only until the crab is heated through, toss with your freshly drained pasta and get down to the business of entering a food coma.

*Mine was flakier, and sort of dissolved into the sauce. Still really good though.

Peach-Blueberry Cobbler

2007-08-19T22:03:00.001-04:00

After we cranked out a really nice roasted whole chicken and vegetables (and gravy, hello) Karen got in the mood to bake. Yes, Karen, my wife. That Karen. Yes, I know.

Yes, KAREN. Ok? You can let it go now.

Anyway, she hit it out of the park. Ryan and myself were all over it, and declared that Karen should make it "every day!". Props for recipe to Alton Brown (Good Eats), but Karen made some alterations (rhubarb replaced with blueberries, lime replaced with lemon, etc.).

Peach-Blueberry Cobbler

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons, plus 1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon
4 1/2 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces, plus extra for dish
1 1/2 ounces shortening, chilled and cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons ice water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ½ cup blueberries
2 pounds sliced peaches, peeled and sliced into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside.

Place the flour, 1-ounce sugar, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3 to 4 times. Add the butter and lard and pulse until the mixture just becomes crumbly. Sprinkle the mixture with the ice water a little at a time and process just until the dough holds together when squeezed in a fist. Place the dough into a 1 gallon zip top bag and place into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the 1 cup of sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir in the blueberries, peaches, and lemon juice.

Remove 1/3 of the dough from the bag, pinch into pieces and distribute evenly in the bottom of the prepared dish. Pour the fruit mixture into the dish and crumble the dough over top of the fruit mixture evenly. Bake, uncovered, for 60 minutes or until the dough is cooked through and starting to turn golden.

*If using frozen fruit, increase cooking time to 90 minutes.

Change the oven setting to broil and continue to cook until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

Grilled Corn

2007-08-07T20:03:00.000-04:00

Pull down the husks but leave them attached. Remove the silks. Pull the husks back over the corn. Tie the ends of the hunks with string or a metal twist tie. Soak the corn in water 15 minutes. Grill over medium heat until done, turning on each side, about 10 to 15 minutes.

If you're not eating them right away, wait a few minutes, remove from husks and grill the corn directly for a touch of charring. Mmmm.

Fra Diavolo BBQ Sauce

2007-08-07T19:58:00.000-04:00

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

Fantastic bbq sauce, strong with both spicy hotness and brown sugar sweetness.

Fra Diavolo BBQ Sauce:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
3 cups canned plum tomatoes, pureed
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat oil in a medium saucepan on side burners or grates of the grill. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper and cook until sauce has thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Red Wine Pot Roast with Honey and Thyme

2007-08-03T09:45:00.000-04:00

Recipe by Dave Lieberman

1 bottom round roast, about 4 pounds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 small onions, medium diced
1 head garlic (about 10 to 12 cloves), lightly smashed
1 pound carrots (about 4 medium), roughly chopped
2 cups low-sodium chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
2 cups medium-bodied red wine
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes *

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season roast with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven over high heat for a couple minutes. Add the meat and brown well on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Remove and set aside on a plate. Lower heat to medium and saute onions, garlic, and carrots for 5 minutes. Add the broth, wine, honey, and thyme, stir to combine, and then add the roast back to the pot.

Cover pot and transfer to oven. Bake for 2 hours, turning the meat over twice. Add the potatoes to the pot and bake, uncovered, for another 30 to 45 minutes longer until both the potatoes and the meat are fork-tender.

* I did garlic mashed potatoes separately, because I was dying for them, and also...this would be a great recipe for a slow-cooker (don't forget to brown the meat in a "real" pan first.

Chicken Wings

2007-07-18T15:34:00.000-04:00

One of many things we made while Mel was visiting. :) Very simple. Bake chicken wings, make sauce, toss together, bake a touch more, you're done.

INGREDIENTS:

20 chicken wings
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup red pepper sauce (more or less per taste)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tsp salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Bake wings in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked through and crispy.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine melted butter, red pepper sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, honey, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Mix together.

4. When wings are baked, dip in sauce to coat well, then shake off excess and return coated wings to baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and bake for another 15 minutes to set sauce.

Simple Lamb Stew

2007-07-10T18:29:00.000-04:00

Special thanks to Linda for gifting us with some lamb. :) Originally, I was going to make a hot and spicy curry with this, but right after Jim and Brian left we were craving something a bit less exotic after the flavor rampage (curry, nachos, cajun pasta...). So, here we are, a classic European-ish lamb stew that was just great.

INGREDIENTS:

4 strips of bacon, diced

2 pounds cubed lamb shoulder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup water
2 cups beef stock
1 teaspoons white sugar

1 cup diced carrots
2 large onions, cut into bite-size pieces
2 potatoes, diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brown bacon in a dutch oven. Remove bacon, crumble, and set aside.

2. Put lamb, salt, pepper, and flour in large mixing bowl. Toss to coat meat evenly. Brown meat in the dutch oven in the bacon fat.

3. Remove the lamb, set aside. Add the garlic and yellow onion and saute till onion begins to become golden. Deglaze frying pan with 1/2 cup water and add bacon pieces, beef stock, and sugar. Cover and simmer for 90 minutes.

4. Add carrots, potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, and wine to pot. Reduce heat, and simmer covered until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf, thicken if needed, serve.

Twice Baked Potatoes

2007-07-07T13:52:00.000-04:00

If you don't like these, then I'm sorry, but we can't be friends anymore. Potato, cheese, bacon, butter, salt...everything that is good in the world is right here. These are a fantastic side dish to ribs, grilled chicken, or even a big salad. Not so much with steak or anything heavy, as the potatoes are nearly a main meal themselves, they're filling.

INGREDIENTS:

4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar
cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

4. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.

5. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Donairs

2007-06-14T17:19:00.000-04:00

I arise from the ashes of fantasy gaming to bring you an Eastern Canadian classic, donairs! Also known as gyros, and not wildly far away from shawarma, this flatbread sandwich of Turkish origin is relatively unknown away from the coast. It was brought to our shores via Berlin, where Turkish immigrants created a version to suit European tastes.

A variation on the döner kebab known as a Donair was introduced in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in the early 1970s. A restaurant called King of Donair claims to have been the first to serve this version in 1973.

The recipe for meat and sauce can be found here. This is the one I've used for years. :)

Hot Dogs

2007-04-01T22:23:00.000-04:00

Who likes hot dogs? Boy, I sure do. Who likes history? ... Well, I don't care, here you go.

"A hot dog is a type of fully-cooked, cured and sometimes smoked sausage of even texture and flavor that is softer and moister than most other sausages. It is the sausage most readily eaten as finger food, especially in the United States. It is usually placed hot in a soft, sliced bun of the same shape as the sausage, and optionally includes condiments and toppings.

Hot dogs are also called frankfurters, or franks for short (named after the city of Frankfurt, Germany, the original frankfurters are made of pork only), or wieners or weenies (named after the city of Vienna, Austria, whose German name is "Wien", the original wieners are made of a mixture of pork and beef). In Australia, the term frankfurt is used rather than frankfurter.

Sausages similar to hot dogs were made and consumed in Europe, particularly in Germany, as early as 1864. Even in the United States, the hot dog's association with baseball also predates the 1904 Exposition. St. Louis Browns owner Chris von der Ahe sold them at his ballpark in the 1880s. While many persons are credited with the "invention" of the hot dog, according to the National Hot Dog Council the hot dog was invented in the 17th century by a German butcher named Johann Georghehner."

Chicken Corn Chowder

2007-03-13T19:22:00.000-04:00

It's warming up now, but last week when it was super cold outside, I went on a bit of a run with hot soups. This is beyond simple. Heck, I taught Jeff to make this years ago (actually, it's a bit updated from back then).

It's pretty zippy, if hot isn't your thing use half of the jalapeños and go from there.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2.5 cups kernel corn, thawed if frozen
3 cups of chicken broth
1 small can of jalapeño peppers
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 cup milk
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
cracked black pepper and salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven, then saute' onion until softened. Add kernel corn and saute' further for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and puree the mixture with a stick blender (or food processor). Add all other ingredients and heat through. Once milk is added, ensure the soup does not boil.

Beef and Broccoli

2007-03-02T21:58:00.001-05:00

For Yvonne and Tom. :)

INGREDIENTS:

* 3/4 pound lean beef

* Marinade:
* 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (substitute rice wine if desired)
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon water
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch

* Sauce:
* 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon water

* Thickener:
* 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
* 1 pound fresh broccoli
* 2 garlic cloves

* To Cook Broccoli:
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

* Other:
* 2 tbsp canola oil

PREPARATION:

Cut the beef across the grain into thin slices. Add the marinade ingredients, adding the cornstarch last (use your fingers to rub it in). Marinate the beef for 30 minutes, at least.

While the beef is marinating, prepare the sauce and vegetables: for the sauce, mix together the oyster sauce, light soy, dark soy, and water in a small bowl and set aside.

In another small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water thickener and set aside.

Wash and drain the broccoli. Cut the stalk diagonally into thin slices. Cut the flowerets into 3 or 4 pieces. Crush the garlic.

Heat the wok on medium-high and add 1 tbsp oil, and coat the entire center of the wok. When oil is just barely starting to smoke, add the beef. Stir-fry until nicely browned. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add the crushed garlic and stir fry very briefly until aromatic.

Add the broccoli, sprinkle the salt and sugar over, and stir fry briefly, turning down the heat if necessary to make sure it doesn't burn. Add the 1/2 cup water, and cook the broccoli, covered, for 4 - 5 minutes, until it turns a bright green and is tender but still crisp. Remove from the wok and drain.

Clean out the wok and add the other tablespoon of oil. Add the broccoli and the beef. Add the flavor sauce and cornstarch mixture in the middle of the wok and stir quickly to thicken. Mix everything together and serve hot over steamed rice.

Turkey Pot Pie

2007-02-19T10:08:00.000-05:00

I'm posting this a month late, thanks to my addiction to Vanguard.

Karen's parents were here and we ("we" meaning mostly Diane) cooked up a random turkey. Now, when I was a kid, my grandfather was constantly whipping up chicken / turkey pot pies, and I had never made one, so here was my chance. Karen did the crust, I did the filling. It turned out great, and Ryan packed away a large plate of it too.

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe pastry for a (10 inch) double crust pie
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, diced
3 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 cups water
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 cups cooked turkey, cubed
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll out bottom pie crust and place in the 10 inch pie pan and set aside.

Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion, celery, carrots, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the bouillon and water. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in the potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm.

In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the turkey and flour. Add the milk, and heat through. Stir the turkey mixture into the vegetable mixture, and cook until thickened. Pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Roll out the top crust, and place on top of filling. Flute edges, and make 4 slits in the top crust to let out steam.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Seafood Chowder

2007-02-04T22:38:00.000-05:00

Angela had a sleepover and spent the day with us, and while she was entertaining Ryan (playing Age of Mythology with him) I kicked out a pretty good seafood chowder. Hey, something I made that I've not already done...I've been re-making a lot of the previous stuff lately, as this has been going for a little while now. :)

1 1/2 cups milk
1 (8 ounce) cream cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup whole kernel corn
1 1/2 cups chopped potatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 pound white fish fillets
1/2 pound shrimp
1/2 pound bay scallops
1/2 pound crab meat
1 can chopped clams

Directions

Place 1/2 cup milk, cream cheese, and garlic in a large pot over low heat. Cook and stir until blended. Mix in green onions, carrots, corn, potatoes, parsley, and remaining milk. Season with the spices. Simmer 25 minutes. Do not boil.
If you need to thicken the chowder, finely grate a small potato and add in for starch.
Mix the shrimp, scallops, crab meat, and clams, and continue cooking 10 minutes, or until seafood is opaque.

Brown Sugar Meat Loaf

2007-01-14T12:35:00.000-05:00

Can you have too much meat loaf? Perhaps according to your doctor, but it was a rhetorical question so let's move on. I have in the past already done a meat loaf, but this one was quite different so I'll add it as a separate entry. This one was sweet and mild, seasoning-wise. It would be good for kids. I kept some of the brown sugar / ketchup mixture in reserve and brushed it on the top for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

INGREDIENTS

* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup ketchup
* 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
* 3/4 cup milk
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* 3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
2. Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

Leek, Brie, & Beef Bageutte

2007-01-08T19:35:00.000-05:00

Seared beef, saute'd leeks in butter, roasted garlic, and melted Brie cheese on toasted bageutte slices? Yes please, and right now.

You don't need a recipe...just throw this together and it'll be awesome, trust me.

Mushroom & Cheese Egg Puffs

2006-12-31T19:04:00.000-05:00

Long time between posts nowadays, eh? I end up going back and making some things repeatedly (because they're good) and also during the holidays, we end up being out more often then usual and other people cook for us (which is nice). These, for example, are from Karen's dad. They were a great breakfast in cute little individual portions.

8 oz. package button mushrooms, sliced
1 small red pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups frozen hash browns
2 tsp paprika
pinch each salt and pepper
8 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 green onions, diced
1/2 cup finely crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 375F. Heat an oiled nonstick pan over medium heat and cook mushrooms until browned at the edges. Add peppers, garlic, hash browns, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir until potato has heated through. Set aside to cool.

In large bowl whisk eggs with milk, dijon, salt and pepper.

Oil a large muffin tin, fill each cup with potato and pepper mixture, top with feta and green onions, then pour over egg mixture to fill in. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Curried Potato Pancakes

2006-12-08T12:35:00.000-05:00

How did I not think of this earlier? So easy and so good.

Ok, grate up about 5 potatoes and put them in a big mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then add about 1/2 tsp each of garlic, cumin, tumeric, onion powder, cayenne pepper or chili flakes, ginger, cinnamon, and garam masala. Crack an egg into the mixture, toss in 1/2 cup of peas, and mix well with hands. Cook in a well-oiled cast iron pan until golden browned on both sides.

Garnish with a little sour cream and chives. Mmmmmm.

Roasted Tomato and Beef Tortellini Soup

2006-11-25T14:32:00.000-05:00

Wow, just awesome. I think Karen and I had about 3 bowls each of this.

1 lb. ripe plum tomatoes, halved*
1 red pepper, quartered and seeded
1 large red onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 F and spread out the above ingredients on a roasting tin and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 30-40 minutes (toss them around 20 minutes in) until soft and charred.

Tip the vegetables into a food processor, add 1 cup of beef stock, and process until smooth. Strain through a sieve over a large saucepan.

Add four more cups of beef stock, add 1 tbsp of sugar, and 1 tsp of salt. Toss in some fresh prepared beef tortellini (I used the Ziggy's brand from Loblaw's). Use less then you expect you will need...they swell up to about x3 the original size.

Simmer until the pasta is al dente (try one), and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot in warmed bowls, add a small pinch of cheese, and garnish with fresh basil leaves. I, alas, did not have any so I chopped up some chives.

* two cans of tomatoes if you can't get nice ripe fresh ones...unripe nasty grocery store tomatoes are much worse then canned ones. You would have to skip the roasting of the tomatoes and just do everything else, still.

Salmon with Potato & Leek Hash

2006-11-11T13:53:00.000-05:00

I took a break from computer games and the Raptors' games and make a nice dinner for myself while Karen was out. I tend to make things she's not into while she's away and have the chance, and salmon isn't her favorite thing.

The potato leek hash recipe (I made 1/2 of the indicated amount) is here. The salmon is basically rubbed with a little butter, seasoned, and pan-fried in a cast iron skillet.

Ryan's pizza

2006-11-11T13:50:00.000-05:00

Understandably frustrated with my recent slowdown in cooking new things (basketball season, playing Neverwinter Nights 2 until my eyes bleed) Ryan took it upon himself to feed the family and made a pizza (under mommy's supervision).

Pork Roast with Jus Lie'

2006-11-03T17:53:00.000-05:00

I made this a week ago...been too busy playing so much Warhammer I can't post about cooking. :)

4.5 lb pork roast
minced garlic, or garlic-infused olive oil
rosemary, minced
salt & pepper

Allow the pork roast to rise to room temperature, then rub all over with the garlic, then the spices. You may dust it with flour also (I did). Roast for 1 hour at 375 F / 190 C

3 diced onions
3 diced carrots
2 ribs of diced celery
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup white wine
2 cups water
2 thyme sprigs
10 peppercorns, whole
2 bay leaves

After the pork has cooked for it's 1 hour, scatter onto the roasting pan the onions, carrots, and celery. Roast for another 30 to 45 minutes until internal temp of the roast reaches 160 F / 70 C

Remove the roasting pan from the oven, remove pork and set aside for 20 minutes, tented with foil. Place the roasting pan on the stove-top and cook until the mirepoix is browned and the fat is clear. Pour off as much of the fat as possible. Deglaze pan with the wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the tomato paste and cook until it's turned brick red and smells sweet. Add the water, bay leaves, peppercorns, and thyme, and simmer for the remainder of the 20 minutes the pork is resting. Strain the juice into a smaller saucepan, heat to simmering again and thicken with cornstarch slurry to make a nice gravy.

Braised Beef

2006-10-28T18:37:00.000-04:00

Most people like summer the best, but cold weather is for me, prime cooking season. Soups, stews, roasts, and braises are all things not best enjoyed in July.

Today we'll do braising. If you own a slow-cooker you've been doing this already. Low heat for long cooking times tenderizes even the cheapest, nastiest cuts of meat. Also, it makes for terrific sauce as the flavors of your aromatic vegetables transfer to the liquids, and the connective tissues of the meat breaks down and lends body to the sauce.

This will not be an exact recipe, and you really don't need one...braising is pretty fail-safe as cooking methods go, as long as you hit the few important parts correctly.

First, you can either do this in a heavy, lidded dutch oven, or with a slow cooker. If you're doing the slow-cooker method, you need to start off with a heavy frying pan and transfer to the slow-cooker later.

First, cut a standard mirepoix of 50% onion, and 25% each carrot and celery. You want enough so that mixed together it'll fully cover the bottom of your pot.

Take your roast, pat it dry with a paper towel, and dust it all over the flour and salt. Heat the dutch oven / frying pan to medium-high and put two tablespoons of vegetable oil in it until it just starts smoking a little. Using long tongs, place the beef in the pan and sear it really well on all sides. You want a nice brown crust on every surface...do not hurry though this part, this is where you develop flavor for the whole dish. Once the roast is well browned all over, set it aside.

Turn heat to medium. Add in the mirepoix and stir it around as it cooks until the vegetables soften. Add a spoonful of tomato paste and stir through, cooking until it's rusty brown and smells sweet. Add a spoonful of flour and stir to combine.* Now add one cup each of red wine and beef stock (more of each if your roast is large and feeding several). Scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot, then return the beef to the pot.

Toss in two bay leaves, a spoonful of whole peppercorns, a clove of garlic, a sprig of thyme, and a couple pinches of salt. I put in some chopped shallots too. Turn heat to very low, cover, and simmer gently for 6-8 hours.

Remove the roast, set aside and cover with foil. Strain the solids from the liquid, discard solids. Return the liquid to the pot, and season and thicken as required (cornstarch slurry is fine) over medium heat to make your gravy. The solid vegetables you're throwing away are pretty much flavorless and it's all in the sauce, so I have other vegetables cooked separately that I serve alongside the beef. Enjoy!

Chicken with Mushrooms, Thyme, and White Wine

2006-10-02T19:37:00.000-04:00

Extremely easy for such a good flavor, this would be a great beginner dish for someone in the early stages of learning to cook for themselves.

1 tablespoon olive oil
Boneless, skinless chicken.
2 large onions, sliced thickly
1 tablespoon white flour
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1 package sliced mushrooms
parsley for color and garnish
salt and pepper to taste

In a large non-stick pan, heat the oil, medium-high. Place the chicken in and brown on both sides (cooked through not required). Remove. Toss the onions in the pan for several minutes until softened. Re-add the chicken, and coat with the flour and thyme. Add the wine, and cover with a lid. Turn heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove lid, add the mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste, and combine to heat the mushrooms though. Serve with some fall vegetables.

French Onion Soup

2006-09-27T23:56:00.000-04:00

Holy horrible photo, Batman. I'm never shooting a pic on the downstairs bar ever again...the lighting is flat and lifeless. I'll replace this one next time I make the soup, promise. As it is I had to swipe one of my guest's bowls as I had forgotten to take a photo at all until Karen reminded me.

Don't let the bad photo ruin it, though, the recipe is excellent.

2 tablespoons butter
8 onions, thinly sliced
50 ml red wine
50 ml balsamic vinegar
2 liters beef stock
1 bouquet garni
salt and pepper to taste
2 baguette croutons per bowl
Gruyere or Provolone cheese

In a large dutch oven or other suitable pot, heat butter until it just begins to brown. Add onions and cook over medium heat, until they caramelize and brown a bit. This will take some time, don't leave it. Stir occasionally until it happens.

Raise the heat to medium-high and add the wine and vinegar, then the stock. Add the bouquet garni and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni. Ladle into bowls, add the bread pieces, and pile on some cheese. Broil in a hot oven or just torch the cheese by hand like a crazed welder, which is way more fun.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2006-09-23T20:16:00.000-04:00

I don't even need to say anything.

...

See?

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 cup butter flavored shortening
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter flavored shortening, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla .Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until light brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Hot Hoisin Chicken

2006-09-23T14:49:00.001-04:00

Have you ever, on the last day before a big grocery trip, throw something together with whatever you have around the house? This would be it. The only two things I had that were really fresh and good were some boneless, skinless chicken thighs and a large bag of terrific carrots from the market. This is what I came up with...I'll do the recipe from memory...

Eight pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 cooking onions, chopped
1/2 red pepper, sliced thin
1/2 green pepper, sliced thin
4 carrots, cut into thick sticks
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, or 2 light
1 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup hoisin sauce

Cut chicken thighs in small pieces. Heat oil in wok or large nonstick pan. Fry (in batches) until edges are browned, set aside.

Stir fry carrots until partially cooked, this may take 10 minutes or more. Set aside with the chicken. Briefly stir-fry onions, peppers, ginger, and garlic until slightly softened. Re-add carrots and chicken to the wok.

Add soy, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce and toss to heat through. Serve over steamed rice or rice noodles.

Simple, huh? If you have hoisin sauce just hanging around, of course. Black bean or teriyaki sauce should work well also.

Beef Fried Rice

2006-09-20T20:00:00.000-04:00

It's a good thing I took this picture when I did, five minutes later most of this was gone. I think Karen and I left teeth marks on the wok.

Ingredients

2 Tbsps. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 lb. finely chopped beef
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2 cups cooked rice, cold

Instructions

Combine soy sauce, sugar and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Cook eggs about 45 seconds, stirring constantly, until eggs are just set. Transfer eggs to a bowl and set aside.

Add beef, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry until browned, remove and set aside.

Heat a bit more oil, and add carrots. Stir fry for 5 minutes, then add celery and green onion. Stir fry for one more minute then remove and set aside.

Increase heat to high and add rice. Stir-fry about 1 minute, until heated through.

Add all other ingrediants to wok, stir fry to heat through. Serve.

Curry Stock

2006-09-17T14:29:00.000-04:00

Part two. This is used with in conjunction with the curry sauce, as just posted.

ingredients

250ml water
the coarse stalks from a 15g – 20g bunch of fresh coriander
10 whole black peppercorns
1 × 2.5ml spoon whole coriander seeds
a thin slice of fresh ginger (skin left on)
1 skinny clove of garlic, peeled but left whole

method

1. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan.
2. Bring the water to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Pour off the liquid through a sieve into a jug and discard the herbs and spices left in the
sieve.
4. Use as directed in the recipes. Refrigerate the stock once it has cooled to room
temperature. It will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Base Curry Sauce

2006-09-17T12:27:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to do this for a while now, but it'll be lengthy and involve several posts so I've put it off a bit. But anyway, now is the time, so here we go. I ordered online a cookbook specific to replicating the curry dishes that can be had in English curry houses. Curry as we know it (Vindaloo, Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken and all that stuff) isn't really from India directly...you normally can't go there and just find it (unless they have some places now to keep the tourists happy). In the 1970's when "Indian" food really took off in England, it was actually restaurateurs from Bangladesh, mostly the city of Sylhet.

So, the book. It's not exactly a series of separate recipes, but more of a "system" that a restaurant would follow, as they have to put out a lot of food in a fairly short time, but the food benefits from long cooking. To solve this issues, they make a vast amount of a long-cooked basic sauce, and a basic stock. Pretty much every dish is created from this base, saving a lot of time. It's not unlike a typical Italian place which has many dishes coming forth from a gigantic pot of a basic tomato sauce. I've previously posted one finished dish from this system, Beef Bhuna, but note there is no recipe. I really appreciate this book and the author's intent, so I won't publish and recipes except for the few that he has available as "samples" and are publicly available from his website.

So, a day or two before you are going to cook your dishes for the guests, you make your sauce and stock and keep them on hand, this way when it's time to start cranking out dishes you're pretty much 1/2 done already.

Curry Sauce

3 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter)
2 medium onions - finely chopped
4 cloves garlic - peeled and sliced
1.5 inch piece root ginger - peeled and thinly sliced (it should look about the same volume as the garlic)
teaspoon turmeric powder
teaspoon ground cumin seed
teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/2 small can of tomato paste mixed with 1 cup of water

Method

Heat the oil in a heavy pan then add the chopped onion and stir for a few minutes with the heat on high.
Add the ginger, garlic. Stir for 30 seconds then put the heat down to very low.
Cook for 15 minutes stirring from time to time making sure nothing browns or burns.
Add the turmeric, cumin and coriander and cook, still very gently, for a further 5 minutes. Don't burn the spices or the sauce will taste horrid - sprinkle on a few drops of water if you're worried.
Take off the heat and cool a little. Put 4 fl oz cold water in a blender/food processor, add the contents of the pan and whizz until very smooth. Add the tomato paste mixture and stir. Even better, do this right in the pot and use a stick blender.
Put the puréed mixture back into the pan and cook for 20 - 30 minutes (the longer the better) over very low heat stirring occasionally. You can add a little hot water if it starts to catch on the pan but the idea is to gently "fry" the sauce which will darken in colour to an orangy brown. The final texture should be something like good tomato ketchup. Keep in the fridge until needed.

Turkey Noodle Soup

2006-09-05T15:11:00.000-04:00

At the end of a relaxing long weekend at Karen's parent's place, we left with a big Ziploc bag of leftover turkey. As I still had chicken stock in my fridge from one that I roasted last week, I decided to make soup. Good news for Karen, as she picked up a bad cold while we were gone.

1 tbsp olive oil
2 large carrots, diced
4 celery sticks, diced
1 lb. chopped cooked turkey
6 cups good chicken stock*
1 large onion, halved
2 bay leaves
175 g vermicelli pasta
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in large dutch oven or stock pot, saute carrots and celery until slightly softened. Add turkey and stock, onion halves, and bay leaves. Simmer for an hour, do not boil if possible.

2. Optional step: Remove and chill the soup, then skim off the surface fat, this will make the finished soup more clear and consistant.

3. Add the pasta and chopped parsley, and season. Simmer for 6-8 minutes until the pasta is cooked. Serve.

Angry Red Lentil Soup

2006-08-29T14:38:00.000-04:00

A hearty soup with spicy-hot zip, fantastic for cold weather. It's a shame the lentils turn corn-yellow when cooked, because the colors in the bowl don't reflect the agressive flavor.

4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced carrot
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 habanero pepper, minced
1/2 cup red lentils
2 cups water
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
chopped chives, for garnish
fresh grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

Instructions:

Place cooking vessel on camp stove over medium to medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Add onion, carrot, garlic, and habanero, cook until onions are caramelized. Add red lentils and toast for about 30 seconds.

Add the water and cover the pot.

Simmer the soup until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the lentils from sticking.

Mash the soup with a fork or wooden spoon against the sides of the pot, breaking up some of the lentils to thicken the soup. Season with salt and pepper.

Garnish and serve.

Chicken, Spinach, and Pine Nut Stuffed Shells

2006-08-19T22:48:00.000-04:00

Hey, special treat for me...the wife cooked for me. :) I was her loyal sous-chef and did some of the dirty work, but she was in control of what went where and when, and I just followed orders. The meal was just terrific, I honestly could not have done it better.

16 jumbo pasta shells
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken meat
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1 package thawed chopped spinach
1/2 container ricotta cheese ( 237.5 g)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili flakes
shredded chedder cheese
fresh parsley

Sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 16 oz can of diced tomatoes
1/2 can of tomato paste
fresh parsley

1. In saute pan, heat olive oil and add onions and garlic until softened. Add diced tomatoes, paste, and parsley and simmer until reduced. Replace lost liquid with chicken stock and reduce again. Add a shot of vodka, combine, and set aside covered to keep warm.

2. Cook pasta shells, underdone and firm, then drain and set aside.

3. In large mixing bowl, combine all other ingrediants and stuff shells. Arrange in casserole dish and cover with the sauce, then shredded cheese and parsley. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Serve with fresh parmesean and a twist of cracked pepper if you like.

Simple Roasted Chicken

2006-08-14T11:45:00.000-04:00

Why use a recipe? You want a roasted chicken and you want it today. No problem.

Take some butter out of the fridge and let it soften to room temperature. Cheat with the microwave if you have to.

Chop up a whole mess of root vegetables so they're roughly the same size. Potatoes, squash, onions, carrots, yams, etc. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, rosemary, and olive oil. Toss them around, then into a roasting pan.

Cut a lemon into quarters and shove some lemon inside the chicken, along with whatever else you have. A piece of onion, a chunk of orange, more rosemary, a sprig of thyme, whatever. Rub the chicken all over with the soft butter. Toss some salt and pepper all over it. Lay it on the vegetables. Roast for an hour at 400 F then test either with internal temperature (170-180 F), juices running clear, or wiggling a leg (the chicken's, not yours) to see if it's loose. Everyone seems to have a technique. Don't worry, chances are you won't poison yourself. Enjoy.

Risotto 1.0

2006-08-06T17:24:00.000-04:00

I've never made risotto before in my life, so I did a "beta test" while we really didn't have a meal planned. It was ok but I'll be trying again before I post a recipe.

Twice-Cooked Pork

2006-08-05T19:20:00.000-04:00

I've actually been making this for years, but not since I started the blog, as I was always trying to reach for new things. This is a really great dish, nothing too exotic for ingredients so you can get everything at the local grocery store, and if peppers are in season, and you find a pork shoulder (or whatever you use) on sale, the whole thing is very inexpensive.

1 pound cooked, cubed pork
1 tablespoon dry sherry
5 thin slices of ginger (pretend you're making dimes)
3 green onion, diced
2 each red and green peppers, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons black bean sauce (PC Memories of Hong Kong works)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tsp salt

Add cooked pork to a hot wok, stir-frying until edges are browned and crispy. If there isn't enough fat in the pork to coat the wok, add a tsp of vegetable oil.

Add ginger slices, green onion, peppers, garlic, and 0nion. Stir fry for several minutes until vegetables are slightly softened. Add rest of ingredients, and heat through. Serve over steamed rice and pass the green tea. Clumsily fumble with chopsticks, then abandon them for forks (just trying to stay accurate here).

Simple Tomato Sauce

2006-08-03T22:37:00.000-04:00

The Pierce's dropped by with some gifted Roma tomatoes, so I whipped up a quick sauce immediately. Nothing gourmet here, really, unless you've never had a tomato sauce with some butter in it before. Try it.

6 Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (796ml) can crushed tomatoes
1 (156ml) can tomato paste
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

Heat large pot of water to boiling. Cut a small X in at the bottom of each tomato, and boil for two minutes, then cool in cold water. Peel and set aside.

In a large dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, paste, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. Add sugar. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Process ½ of the sauce until smooth, and combine with the chunky sauce. Serve.

Rice Pudding

2006-07-30T20:48:00.000-04:00

Whoohoo, we have a new digital camera now, thankfully. Didn't realize how much we used it until it was gone.

Another guest-posting, this time my wife's mother Diane with some old-school rice pudding. It's great. If you've never had rice pudding, this is like a warm bowl of spiced, sweet oatmeal. It would make a great winter-evening dessert.

There are many recipes for this using cooked white rice, but this one is Minute-Rice so you lazy buggers have no excuse to not try this. :)

Also, rather then typing out the recipe, I'm attaching this photo. It's one of those great my-grandma's-had-this-recipe-book-for-a-hundred-years looking thing, all yellowed and covered in tape. It's got character.

Crispy Baked Chicken

2006-07-19T17:26:00.000-04:00

Crispy Baked Chicken

After a scorching couple of days, today was cool enough that I felt like making something beyond "Ham Sandwich" so here we are. Karen has been growing her own lettuce so we had a great salad with this.

I'm almost fondly thinking of winter, now that I have a cooking blog going...Summer is like the off-season for dishes that are worth showing off a bit. Ah well.

In other news, disaster has struck and our digital camera appears to be broken. :(

Ingredients

4-6 pieces of bone-in chicken, skinless if you prefer
2 cups of corn flakes
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 egg whites (I used Egg Beater, easier)
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
vegetable cooking spray

Directions

1. Combine corn flake crumbs, mustard, pepper, paprika, garlic powder in a food processor and reduce it to a consistant powder. Add to a large plastic bag, such as a Ziploc.
2. In a shallow bowl, combine egg white and lemon juice.
3. Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture then coat with the crumb mixture.
4. Place breasts on a baking pan that has been lightly coated with vegetable cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes.

Chili-Roasted Cod and Braised Kale

2006-07-11T11:47:00.000-04:00

Yes, that's right, no sausage or heavy cream to be found here. This is something you can eat and not die, which hopefully will be a theme going forward.

Chili-Roasted Cod

3 pounds fresh cod fillets (about 3/4-inch thick), skin on
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Coat a roasting pan with cooking spray, arrange the cod in a single layer, and dust with the spices.

Pre-heat oven to 350 C and cook for about 8 minutes.

Braised Kale

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 teaspoon salt
12 turns freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons minced garlic
8 cups (firmly packed) torn and stemmed kale pieces
1 cup chicken stock
Splash cider vinegar

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add the garlic, kale, and chicken stock and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes; add a splash of cider vinegar in the last minute of cooking. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Grilled Pork Ribs

2006-07-07T12:30:00.000-04:00

This is not so much an exact recipe as a general technique thing, or more exactly, to tell you what not to do. Please, don't take the raw portion of ribs and toss them into dry heat such as your oven or BBQ. You'll have a dry, tough, nasty meal and be wondering why. One should do the actual cooking of the ribs with wet heat, and in order of best to worst is: *

a) steaming
b) boiling
c) microwaving (covered dish)

* the exception is smoking, aka "real barbeque" but I don't know anyone who owns a wood-fired smoker and is dedicated enough to stand watch to make sure you have the right temperature for six solid hours. I'd love to try it, but buying a smoker just to do that on occasion isn't terribly sensible.

After this, you "finish" the ribs with hot, dry heat for flavoring and having a bit of crusty texture.

Ok, enough blah-blah and on with the food. Season the ribs generously with a dry rub (recipe follows), then steam the ribs until they're almost falling off the bone. They won't be terribly attractive at this point, but that's ok. Remove the ribs to a platter, brush them with a liberal coating of a sweet / tangy sauce, and grill them just enough to get some grill marks and a touch of blackening at the edges. Brush on a little more sauce if needed and serve immediately.

Here's a dry rub called "Bone Dust" from Ted Reader, aka "King of the Q" (his cooking show).

½ cup paprika
¼ cup chili powder
3 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. ground coriander
2 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. curry powder
2 tbsp. hot dry mustard
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. dried basil
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper

Run the whole thing through a coffee mill so the powder is consistant. Makes about 2.5 cups.

Pan Fried Pollock

2006-06-23T20:08:00.000-04:00

No, it's not a new nickname I've taken up...it's really Alaskan Pollock (aka walleye pollock) which is a member of the cod family. It's the world's most abundant food fish, which is why it's usually the least expensive type you see at the supermarket. You could use pretty much any mild white fish here, but actual Pollock is good for people who arn't exactly crazy about fish, as it's so lightly flavored you'll be mostly tasting whatever seasonings you use. It's the tofu of fish (tm). Ok, I just made that up.

Anyway, I shallow-fried mine outside on my BBQ side burner, in a cast iron pan. Shallow-frying means you're essentially deep-frying it, but as the oil only goes up about one half of the depth of the food, you're deep-frying one side at a time, in effect.

I seasoned the fish with a good coating that was 1/2 flour, and 1/2 Emeril's Essance, with some extra salt and pepper added also.

The vegetables I just blackened a bit on the main grill as I was doing the fish on the side. Served with a cup of steamed white rice.

No recipe other then the spice mix linked previously...hey, that was easy.

Root Vegetable Soup w. Cauliflower

2006-06-14T20:11:00.000-04:00

Wow, summer has really put the beatdown on the blog. I mean, unless I want to post "hot dogs" and "chicken with some sauce on it with foil-wrapped potatoes" things are gonna be slow. I'll try to find some summer stuff soon.

Anyway, this is from the previous weekend when it was raining and unpleasant, so it's more of a winter soup. It's really good, but not exactly inspiring for June.

2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 large potatoes, diced
3 celery sticks, diced
7 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 medium cauliflower, chopped
1 tbsp chopped dill
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1 cup light cream
salt and pepper to taste
chopped chives and parsley for garnish

1. Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven, add onions and garlic and fry until softened. Add potatoes, celery, and stock and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Add carrots and simmer for another 10 minutes.

3. Add cauliflower, dill, lemon juice, mustard powder, and caraway and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Process soup with a stick blender, or in batches in a food processor. Return to pot and add the light cream. Season to taste, serve garnished.

Carbonara Sauce with Rotini

2006-05-31T09:12:00.000-04:00

This is by no means the traditional recipe, by the way. According to "All the Best Pasta Sauces" by Joie Warner, it's an "updated classic". If you want to do it the authentic way, here you go.

Who likes history lessons? Nobody? Too bad.

"Previously unknown, spaghetti carbonara's popularity began after the Second World War, when many Italians were eating eggs and bacon supplied by troops from the USA. It also became popular among American troops stationed in Italy; upon their return home, they popularized spaghetti alla carbonara (spaghetti with carbonara sauce) in North America."

Anyway, on with the eating part:

2 large eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
3/4 pound bacon, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
cracked black pepper
parsley garnish
pasta shape of your choice (smaller shapes are best for cream sauces)

In large serving bowl, whisk eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until blended, set aside.

Cook bacon until crisp, transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain. In same frying pan, cook garlic briefly (do not burn!), add tomato and cook until soft. Set aside.

Drain cooked pasta, and toss in the serving bowl with the egg mixture. Add the bacon and tomato and toss again. Serve and garnish with pepper, parmesan and parsley.

Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

2006-05-26T17:20:00.000-04:00

Finally, a good excuse to play with fire. I knew learning how to cook would pay off.

Oh yeah, the soup. Spicy and creamy...you'll like it if you're into Mexican or Thai food, it reminds me of both...I know that sounds odd.

2 tomatoes, skinned
1 onion, chopped
3 cups kernal corn
2 red peppers
1 tbsp olive oil
3 red chiles, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cilantro
2.5 cups milk
1.5 cups chicken stock
3 potatoes, diced
4 tbsp heavy cream
cracked pepper, chopped parsley, and cilantro for garnish

Process tomatoes and onion in food processor until smooth, add one cup of the corn and process again. Set aside.

Grill the red peppers on a bbq (or use a blowtorch) until blackened. Put into a plastic bag (or a covered bowl) and allow to cool. Remove blackened skins, seeds, and dice the peppers. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a pot, add chiles and garlic, stir briefly (do not allow garlic to burn) then add the tomato puree', cilantro and cumin, and cook for several minutes, stirring often.

Pour in the milk and stock, and add the remaining corn kernals, potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Serve in deep bowls, garnish each with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream, and additional chopped cilantro and parsley, and cracked pepper.

Chickpeas and Corn Salad

2006-05-17T13:37:00.000-04:00

This is one for the Weight Watcher people...the entire recipe makes 11 points worth of salad...devide up as you like (my serving shown was about one third of it). Add some bean sprouts, some red onion and you have a pita stuffing.

1 can chickpeas, drained
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup diced green onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
chopped parsley
1 tbsp olive oil

Combine everything in a bowl. That's it.

Tex-Mex Chicken Salad

2006-05-16T17:29:00.000-04:00

I'm about as Texan as winter boots, but I love southwest flavor. Here's a great marinade for chicken or white fish before you grill, or in this case, saute' for topping an otherwise cold salad.

1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon cracked pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt

Marinade your chicken for 4-6 hours. White fish would only need 1 hour or so.

I cooked the chicken (with marinade still with it, not drained) in a non-stick pan, and as it was finishing up, tossed in a handful of mushrooms to heat up. Meanwhile, in a hot cast-iron pan, I was charring up some peppers and onions. Toss the whole pile on cold lettuce, top with chopped tomatoes, cheese, salsa, diced red onions, jalapenos...

Pasta with Lobster and Asparagus

2006-05-14T23:19:00.000-04:00

This is Mother's Day for Karen, so here's my offering of appreciation. Ryan, sadly, cooked nothing for her at all. :(

Oh, and it was awesome. I mean that in the most humble way possible.

Ingredients:

1 cup asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tbsp. butter
6 oz cooked lobster meat (I used two small canning lobsters)
2/3 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
pinch cracked black pepper
dash of ground nutmeg
8 oz fetuccine

Method:

Cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook asparagus and mushrooms in margarine or butter for 5 minutes or until just tender.

Add lobster and cream; heat through.

Add cooked fettuccine to the skillet. Then add Parmesan cheese, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg. Toss until pasta is coated. If necessary, cook for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce is desired consistency.

Serve immediately. Sprinkle with additional pepper and chopped parsley.

Lobster Stock

2006-05-14T23:13:00.000-04:00

It's not a recipe for a meal, exactly, but it's certainly useful. :) You can often get lobster shells for free from your local seafood vendor.

Ingredients

1 pound uncooked lobster shells
2 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, washed and sliced
1/2 onion, sliced thin
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 rib celery, sliced thin
1 tablespoons tomato paste
3 sprigs parsley
1 fennel stalk (optional)
1 cup white wine
4 cups water (or chicken stock if you want a richer stock)

Instructions

Rinse and dry the lobster shells. If you're using the heads, remove and discard the gills and stomach. Grind the shells in a food processor or wrap them in a towel and crush with a mallet. Heat the oil in a heavy pot, add the shells, and cook over medium-high heat until bright red. Add the leeks, onion, carrots, and celery, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute.

Add the parsley, (optional) fennel stalks, wine, and water (or chicken stock); bring to a simmer and cook gently for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Strain, cool thoroughly, and refrigerate or freeze.

Corn and Jalapeno Soup

2006-05-12T19:44:00.000-04:00

It's been a cold, wet day and evidently the weekend will be the same. Get ready for some cold-weather cooking then. Here's a spicy soup that will keep you warm, and I think some shrimp would be great in this also if you have some.

2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, slivered
2.5 cups corn kernels
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped*
3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 red pepper, finely diced
chopped cilantro for garnish

1. Heat oil in sauce pan or dutch oven, and add onions. Stir and sweat them until softened and starting to brown. Add garlic, corn, potatoes, and jalapeno. Stir and cook until the corn begins to soften. Add chicken stock, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool somewhat, then transfer to food processor** and add salt, chilli poweder, sugar, and black pepper. Process until smooth. Return to cooking pot and add diced red pepper.

3. Serve, garnish with chopped cilantro.

* If you want it hot, leave the seeds in.
** If you use a stick blender, no need to wait for cooling it down. Just process the hot soup rignt in the cooking pot.

Cajun Haddock w. Peppers

2006-05-10T19:05:00.000-04:00

Wow, a healthy dish. Must be summer. :P This is actually from one of Karen's WeightWatchers books, and it was pretty good. I'll make it a bit hotter next time with some ground chiles, though.

1 pound haddock, monkfish, etc.
2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 green bell peppers, cut into strips
1 large onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced or slivered
1 can diced stewed tomatoes
1 tsp thyme

1. Use 1 tbsp of the seasoning to dust the fish. Heat oil in large nonstick pan, fry about 3 minutes each side until browned. Remove and set aside.

2. Add to pan peppers, onions, garlic, and the other tbsp seasoning. Cook until vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes and thyme, bring to boil. Return fish to the pan, lying on top of the tomatoes. Simmer on medium for 8 minutes or so until fish is opaque throughout.

I served with brown rice and broccoli.

Jerk Pork with Mango Chile Sauce

2006-05-04T16:00:00.000-04:00

Spicy! Have some ice cream handy for dessert for this one. The sauce adds a really nice sweet/hot/tart element to the deep earthy/hot jerk seasoning. I stole this from Bobby Flay if you want to look up his recipes.

Ingrediants:

Pork chops or skinless bone-in chicken

Jerk Rub*:

2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cayenne powder
2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
2 teaspoons dry thyme
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Mango Chile Sauce:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 habanero, chopped
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
Salt to taste

Combine all sauce ingrediants, simmer on low for 20 minutes, puree in blender. Return to pot and keep warm until service.

* Lazy? Forget the jerk rub and brush on some President's Choice Memories of Montego Bay jerk sauce.

Grilled and Stuffed Peppers

2006-04-30T17:42:00.000-04:00

After a long, annoying week of cold and rain, this weekend has been terrific. I decided to do a meal entirely outdoors and actually use my grill's side burner. I've had this thing for four years and it's the first time it's actually seen flame.

1/2 cup white rice, steamed and cooled
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 red onion, diced
1 lb. medium ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 small can tomato paste plus equal amount water
2 red peppers, halved
2 green peppers, halved
grated chedder cheese

Heat oil, then sweat onions until translucent. Raise heat, add beef and brown. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once browned, add garlic, basil, and oregano. Combine, and add tomato paste, and water. Combine and add rice and mix until consistent. Reduce heat and keep warm.

Grill peppers until slightly blackened but still firm, then move to cooler side of grill on top rack to roast. Once softened, add filling and top with grated cheese. Roast until cheese melts and serve. Great with a salad or on a bed of kernel corn.

Caribbean Chicken with a Peanut Brown Sugar Spiced Rub

2006-04-19T20:46:00.000-04:00

I ripped this from License to Grill, but adapted it to the oven because I was feeling lazy.

A bit like jerk seasoning, not as hot and a lot sweeter. Very yummy.

10 chicken thighs, skinless but bone-in

1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Place the peanuts and bay leaf in a coffee grinder and reduce to powder, place in large mixing bowl. Add all other seasonings and combine.

Coat the chicken and bake for 60-70 minutes at 300 C

Shorter and higher temperature cooking would scorch the sugar.

Little Better Burger

2006-04-19T19:36:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know you already know how to grill a burger. You may want to try this out though...not much work and makes them more juicy and flavorful.

Ok, make a slice of toast. Remove from toaster and let it cool down to room temperature again. Drop it into a blender or food processer and destroy it into a powder. Dump that into a large mixing bowl.

Add a teaspoon each of: salt, pepper, garlic powder, cornmeal
Add 1/2 teaspoon each of: cumin, ginger
Mince an onion finely and toss in.
Crack an egg in there too.
Add a tablespoon of Worcestershire if you have it.

Now mix it all up well, and then add in 2 lbs of ground beef. Using your hands (nothing else will really do it) combine the whole mess and make your patties.

Braised Pork Chops w. Cajun Ragout

2006-04-14T13:16:00.000-04:00

I barely have a recipe for this, as I basically threw it together from stuff we had around the house. It was actually really good and I'll try to recall it here.

The pasta side is a simple garlic-butter sauce with a little parsley. I intended to use linguine but at the last moment realized I didn't have any. Spaghetti it was.

1 tbsp canola oil
2 pork chops
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
2 tbsp chopped parsley

At the bottom of a Dutch oven, heat oil until just smoking. Add pork chops, and let sit untouched until they release easily from the bottom (3-4 minutes, but give them a tug-test with tongs to see for yourself). Flip and repeat, then remove and store to one side.

Add peppers and saute briefly until slightly softened. Add chicken stock and tomato paste, then Cajun seasoning. Combine until consistent, then re-add pork chops and reduce to low heat, and cover with lid. Simmer for 45 minutes, checking now and then to stir the liquid mixture and add a little stock or water if required.

Remove pork chops and plate, then cover with the sauce. Serve with pasta or rice or whatever starch you prefer.

Mediterranean Sausage w. Basil Soup

2006-04-14T13:00:00.000-04:00

I've not been cooking much lately (outside of some terribly boring stuff) since Ryan was injured, but now that the long weekend is here I have a little extra time and energy (Ryan gets up several times a night and needs something, so sleeping has been rough for over a week now).

So, the soup. Amazingly good, better then most $12 bowls at upscale restaurants.

1 tbsp canola oil
2 onions, diced
3 links medium or hot Italian sausage, sliced or crumbled
1 cup red lentils
1 can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
2 tbsp basil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted if possible
1 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp each basil and parsley, finely chopped (for garnish)

In a Dutch oven, heat oil until almost smoking. Add sausage and cook until browned. Remove and keep warm in a foil-covered bowl.

Add onions and saute until softened. Add chicken stock, lentils and cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes, covered.

Add basil and pine nuts. Puree with stick blender, or food processor (in batches).

Return to pot and add sausage, heat through, then serve in warmed bowls garnished with the 50/50 mix of parsley and basil. Pass out some warm crusty bread too.

* As an alternative method, grill or bake the sausages separately, then slice thin and add them to the bowls at the end with the garnish. Nice presentation and also accommodates your vegetarian friends who snuck in for dinner.

Cajun Sausage and Peppers

2006-04-06T12:43:00.000-04:00

Please make this. It's inexpensive, easy, and extremely good. The flavors are spicy and deep and taste like hours of work. Bask in the cheers of your guests, who are devastated by your casual brilliance (ok, I'm pushing it, but it's yummy).

The flavors are intended to mimic Jambalaya, by the way.

2 strips bacon, sliced small
2 links hot italian sausage, removed from casing and sliced*
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 rib celery, diced**
1 green pepper, diced
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf

Medium shape pasta, penne or rotini are both good here.

In a dutch oven-type covered pot, fry bacon for one minute. Add sausage and stir on occasion until browned and cooked. Add onions, stir for one minute, then add garlic and do the same.

Add celery and peppers and stir until slightly softened. Add the can of tomato paste, and stir to coat. Continue frying until the paste darkens...the sugars in the tomato will caramelize and deepen the flavor.

Add the chicken stock, and all the seasonings, and stir well, scraping up any bits from the bottom to make sure it's all combined. It should be fairly thick.

Cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. This would be a good time to add the pasta to the (salted) boiling water you have on standby.

When done, add pasta to the pot and combine well. Plate and toss on some parsley and parmesean. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy

* much easier if the links are cold, almost frozen but not quite
** I didn't have celery on hand when I made mine

Macaroni and Cheese

2006-04-01T13:45:00.000-05:00

In 1937, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese dinner was introduced in the U.S. and Canada. The timing of the product's launch had much to do with its success. During World War II, rationing on milk and dairy, and an increased reliance on meatless entrees, created a captive market for the product, which was considered a hearty meal for families. Now, of course, you can enjoy this delicious product simply because you want to.

First, the pasta. A noble food of rich and ancient history, this should be prepared with care and respect for ideal flavor and texture. Generally speaking, the more water the better (to disperse starch), and it should be well salted (imagine sea water as your ideal). Bring the water to a strong boil and use high heat for the duration of cooking, as fast cooking of the noodles will produce better results. Stir often, and when you believe them to be approaching al dente (firm to the tooth) remove one and eat it. When at the right level of doneness, drain immediately and return to the pot.

Add two tablespoons of good quality, fresh butter (not margarine, which has inferior properties of flavor and richness) and 1/4 cup of whole milk. Stir gently (being careful not to damage the shape of the macaroni) until all noodles are evenly coated. Add the cheese powder in a nice even layer on top to help avoid clumping. Again, stir gently to coat evenly. Serve immediately for best texture and moistness. Enjoy.

Penne with Sausage and Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce

2006-03-29T22:53:00.000-05:00

An elegant pasta dish that's sure to impress company. Most people I've showed this recipe to in the past have taken to making it fairly often, it's not hard at all.

Usually it's all tossed together, this time I layered it on the pasta for whatever reason.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 links hot Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vodka
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

450 grams penne (pre-cooked weight), cooked and drained

Directions

In large skillet, heat oil over moderate heat. Remove casing from sausage and add to skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat, until browned. Add garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring until garlic is golden brown.

Add tomatoes and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

Add vodka and cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, add the other 2 tbls vodka and add pasta, toss to cover penne with sauce. Stir in fresh parsley and serve. Garnish with fresh grated parmesean and additional parsley if desired.

Chinese Sausage and Rice

2006-03-28T11:29:00.000-05:00

Karen again! *gasp*

I started making this about the time that Jason and I started going out. Some of our dates were wandering along Sumerset poking around the Chinese Grocery stores. I would see these boxes of vacuum sealed sausages and wonder what you would do with them or how to cook them.

Jason’s co-worker (at the time) Karen Benson told us that they are GREAT when you use them in the rice cooker. These are handy little machines that you put in a specified amount of rice and water, flick a switch, and it makes perfect rice every time! The process of cooking the rice makes a lot of steam and cooks the veggies and meat along with the rice. Every time I make this J is never thrilled with it, seems to find a way to have a second bowl. :P Also, I can be proud that Ryan LOVES it! He usually has seconds as well.

1 package Chinese sausages (smokey-sweet)
5 stalks celery
2 red onion – med
2 red pepper – large
3 cups uncooked rice

1 cup boiling water
1 tbsp beef stock powder
½ cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup light soya sauce

Dice all vegetables, small pieces but not minced

The sausage should come out of the package in one lump. Start at the end and slice the entire package very thinly.

The rice in the rice cooker pot, washed, the vegetables, then sausage. Pour the hot liquid over entire contents.

Turn on the cooker with the lid on and dinner will be done when it turns off.

Tip: Take out of the cooker immediately. Stir everything up until it’s well mixed I have found that if I leave it in there the rice on the bottom burns.

Meat Loaf

2006-03-23T19:45:00.000-05:00

Screw gourmet food. I've been sick for about two weeks now and I've been more focused on "survival" then properly reducing a nice deglazed sauce. Please forgive me for not posting such delights as "ham sandwich" and "can of Campbell's tomato soup that tasted like metal" and who can forget "turkey soup that I was too congested to actually taste".

Anyway, I'm starting to get over it, and today I put together something I've not made in a few years. Meat loaf. Sure, it's not worth showing off, but it tastes good and somebody out there may want to try this version of it.

12 soda crackers
1 slice bread

2 lbs lean ground beef

1 egg
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
2 tsp parsley flakes
2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp mild bbq sauce
1 onion, diced finely

Preheat oven to 350 C

Run the soda crackers and bread through a food processor.

Combine all other ingrediants in a large bowl and combine well with your hands.

Press firmly into two loaf pans and bake for 1 hour. If you wish, combine ketchup and brown sugar and brush over the top 15 minutes before they're done.