Popcorn

Originally published on February 23, 2014

Popcorn might not be the most sophisticated or gourmet thing you’ll ever make, but I’ll let you in on a little secret. If you buy actual kernels of corn rather than the pre-packaged microwave stuff, you’ll save yourself mega bucks and will be able to flavour the popcorn however you want. Outlined here is the typical butter-and-salt variety, but you can try garlic powder, Italian spices, Parmesan, caramel and more!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels 
3 tablespoons butter, melted 
Salt 

Directions:

1.) Place vegetable oil in a very large pot over medium heat. When oil is hot, place about three kernels inside to test. If kernels pop, the oil is ready and you can add the remainder of the kernels.

2.) Place a lid over top of the pot and, while keeping over the heat, shake regularly to ensure that both popped and uncooked kernels do not burn. Cook for about three to five minutes. Make sure you don’t wait until you no longer hear popping, as this too will cause the kernels to burn. Check to ensure that enough kernels have popped before taking the pot off the heat entirely.

3.) Pour melted butter over top, sprinkle with salt, and shake one last time to thoroughly combine.

4.) Serve and enjoy!

Hoagie Rolls

Originally published on February 25, 2014

You can use regular bread dough to make hoagie rolls, but I seriously suggest using a separate recipe such as this one. Not only does it take much less time, but the buns seem to come out softer and fluffier and of course, they have those signature markings across the top. If you don’t need 18 rolls, which is about what this recipe makes, place the extras in the freezer. It’s always so nice to have freshly homemade bread on hand!

Ingredients:

2 small packages active dry yeast
3 cups water, divided and at about 110 degrees (just above body temp)
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
8 – 8 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1.) Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water with one tablespoon of the sugar added to it. Let stand for about 5 minutes, until the mixture starts to foam on top.

2.) Add remaining water and sugar. Beat in oil, salt, and 4 cups of the water, mixing until smooth. Add more flour, a little at a time, until it forms a soft dough.

3.) Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until it’s completely smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.

4.) Place a bit of vegetable oil in a large bowl, and add dough. Turn the dough to cover it in the oil, which will keep it from sticking.

5.) Cover, place in a warm spot, and allow it to rise for about 45 minutes.

6.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

7.) When ready, punch the dough down gently. Turn out again onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 18 pieces. Shape each of these into an oval.

8.) Place the different pieces of dough onto greased baking sheets, about two inches apart.

9.) With a very sharp knife, create a 1/4″ slash across the top of each piece of dough. Cover and allow to rise for about 20 minutes.

10.) Bake for about 13 – 18 minutes until the rolls are golden brown.

11.) When rolls are finished cooking, place on wire racks to cool.

12.) Serve and enjoy!

Pasta Al Pangrattato

Originally published on February 27, 2014

Pasta is one of those dishes that doesn’t really need a whole lot of changing up, in my opinion. It’s one of my favourite things to eat, and you can put down a plate in front of me that’s just pasta and sauce and I’d be very, very happy. That being said, I saw Jamie Oliver make Pasta Pangrattato on one of his many cooking shows, and I thought it looked interesting. Really it’s just flavoured breadcrumbs on top of any pasta and sauce of your choice. This recipe isn’t exactly what Jamie did (on whatever show that was,) but it’s close enough; and it’s not only really tasty, but a great way to switch up pasta – if that’s something you’re looking for.

Ingredients:

1/2 package of any dry pasta of your choice 
2 cups spaghetti sauce 
3 tablespoons olive oil 
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon anchovy paste 
1 red chili pepper, thinly sliced 
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed 
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Bring a large pot of salted water up to a boil. When boiling, drop pasta in and cook for about 7-8 minutes, until the pasta is al dante with just a bit of bite left to it. When done, drain in a colander.

2.) Warm spaghetti sauce in a separate saucepan over medium heat while the pasta is cooking. When sauce is hot and pasta is finished cooking, toss pasta and sauce together.

3.) Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add anchovy paste and chili pepper. Stir and cook for about 1 minute before adding garlic cloves and cooking for 30 seconds more.

4.) Add breadcrumbs, thyme, salt and pepper, and stir to thoroughly coat breadcrumbs in oil. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes, until breadcrumbs are golden brown and they smell incredible.

5.) Plate pasta and sauce, and place pangrattato over top.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Onion Rings

Originally published on February 28, 2014

Who doesn’t love onion rings? They’re so good, and this recipe reminds me of some of the best onion rings on the planet – those that come from A&W. Anyone else think the same? Whatever these rings remind you of, they are delicious and pretty easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 large onion, cut into slices about 1/4″ thick 
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt 
1 egg, lightly beaten 
1 cup milk 
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
Salt to taste 

Directions:

1.) Heat a deep-fryer or a quart of oil in a large Dutch oven to 365 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Separate the onion slices into individual rings and set aside. Place the flour into a large bowl and whisk in the egg and milk. Using a fork, dip the onion rings into the batter and then lift out and place on a wire cooling rack to allow excess to drip off.

3.) Spread the breadcrumbs out onto a plate or other shallow dish. One at a time, lift onion rings from the cooling rack and place into breadcrumbs. Scoop the crumbs up and over the onion, pressing slightly to ensure that breadcrumbs stay on onion ring. Lift and tap onion so that any extra crumbs will fall off onion. Repeat with remaining onion slices.

4.) Place onion rings, in batches if necessary so as not to overcrowd the deep-fryer, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are golden brown. Remove, place on paper towels to drain, and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Repeat with remaining slices.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Carrot Puree Garnish

Originally published on March 1, 2014

Whenever I’ve made a carrot side dish, I’ve typically made only roasted or glazed carrots(with the occasional carrot salad popping up now and then.) But all the purees being shown on the cooking competition shows (think Chopped and MasterChef,) got me thinking about just really mashing them up really fine. I mean, what does that taste like? And can you use it as a side dish, or is it mainly reserved for garnish purposes? Well, I’ve made pureed carrots now and I’m happy to tell you – they don’t have to taste or look like baby food! In fact, carrot puree has become one of my favourite side dishes, and there’s something surprisingly comforting about it. And it doesn’t need to be reserved for just a side either. Paint or smear it onto the plate (we’ve all seen chefs do that on TV) and you’ve got yourself a bright little garnish that will dress up any plate!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup half and half cream
2 tablespoons butter 
1/2 cup fresh parsley    
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Place carrots in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, place cream and butter in a small saucepan and warm over low heat on a separate burner. Be sure not to keep an eye on it, as cream will boil over very quickly.

2.) When carrots are fork-tender, drain and place them in a food processor. Add cream and butter mixture, parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Puree until entire mixture is smooth.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

Cold Oven Roast Beef

Originally published on March 2, 2014

There are all kinds of ways you can make roast beef, but this is one that I find most fascinating – letting it cook in a cold oven. Yes, it does go against everything you know about cooking and yes, you will be nervous for the entire 2+ hours it needs to be in there for. But trust me. Trust the process. Your beef will cook and it will be delicious. Just be sure to treat it like a souffle in that you cannot open the oven door. As long as you keep to that, you and your roast will be just fine.

Ingredients:

1 eye of round roast, about 3 pounds, room temperature
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried thyme
6 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped

Directions:

1.) Rinse your roast and pat it dry. Combine the pepper, salt, thyme, and garlic. Rub all over the roast and let sit for about half an hour.

2.) Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

3.) Place roast in a roasting pan, fatty side up. Place roast in the oven and cook for about 25 minutes.

4.) Turn oven off and allow to cook for 2 1/2 hours for medium rare, about three hours for medium. You probably won’t get the temperature of the roast any higher than this so choose another method if you like your beef medium-well or well done. And remember – do not open that oven door! 

5.) Remove from oven, tent with foil (you still have to let those juices settle outside  of the oven) and let rest for about 10 minutes.

6.) While waiting if you’d like, you can pour pan juices into a saucepan and boil rapidly on the stove, reducing it by about half.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Involtini

Originally published on March 4, 2014

This is another one of those recipes that I first saw on MasterChef (MasterChef Canada, to be exact) and knew that it was something I had to try. It sounded so interesting to me, and while I had stuffed chicken breast in this way before, I had no idea that it actually had a name and that it was from one of my favourite food regions in the world – Italy! You can stuff it with just about anything that you happen to have on hand. I chose mozzarella, spinach and prosciutto.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 slices prosciutto 
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry of all moisture
4 thin slices fresh mozzarella 
2 cups spaghetti sauce or very high quality tomato sauce
Salt 
Pepper 
1 teaspoon garlic powder 
3 tablespoons olive oil 

Directions:

1.) Rinse the chicken breasts and pat them dry. One by one, place the chicken breasts into a large resealable bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin, pound chicken until it’s an even thickness of about 1/4″ thick. Remove one breast when finished and continue with remaining chicken breasts.

2.) Lay all pieces of chicken out flat, ensuring that the smooth side of the breast is face-down, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Onto each chicken breast lay one piece of prosciutto, about 1/2 cup of spinach, and 1 slice of mozzarella.

3.) Starting from one end, roll chicken up tightly so that the filling spirals inside, and secure tightly with kitchen twine – either one in the middle of the breast, or one on each end, depending on how large your chicken breasts are.

4.) Preheat a grill to medium heat and drizzle chicken breasts all over with olive oil. When hot, place chicken breasts on the grill and cover either by closing the lid on an outdoor grill or by placing aluminum foil over an indoor grill. Cook for about 20 minutes, turning a quarter turn every five minutes or so to ensure that all sides are evenly cooked.

5.) While the chicken is cooking, place the spaghetti sauce in a small pan over medium heat, cover, and heat just to warm through.

6.) When chicken is finished cooking, rest for about five minutes before removing twine, cutting in half, and placing on a pool of sauce on a plate.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Veggie Dip

Originally published on March 5, 2014

The thing that scared me the most about doing this reduced-carb thing for the month of March was the fact that I would have to say good-bye to snacking as a whole. But just like everything else, you can still snack – even as much as you want – if you know how to do it. So while my chocolate bars and my potato chips will have to wait a few more weeks before we’re reunited, I can still enjoy something else that has actually always been one of my favourite snacks – veggies and dip! It’s really very much like the dip recipe I gave you awhile back for chips and dip, but replace the onions and spices with lots and lots of fresh herbs. And remember, if you’re doing the lower carbs with me this month, don’t worry about the fat in this dish. We’re allowed as much of that as we want!

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise 
3/4 cup sour cream 
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped 
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped 
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped 
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Place everything in a bowl and stir thoroughly to combine. Place in fridge for at least two hours to allow flavours to marry.

2.) Serve and enjoy!

Ginger Beef

Originally published on March 6, 2014

I love flank steak. In fact, I love it so much that I’m willing to say it’s my favourite type of steak. Yes, I’d even put it over sirloin and rib-eye, particularly when we’re talking about weeknight dinners. I just think it’s that good. And I think a few years ago it used to be one of the cheaper types of cuts you could find, but that’s just not the case anymore. It’s certainly not the most expensive cut you’ll come across, but it’s not the cheapest either. I still think it’s worth the few extra bucks to bring that flavour to your dinner table and when it’s time to do so, I’m always looking for different things to do with it. This ginger beef recipe is also one of my favourites, and makes a great main when you’re doing Chinese at home, or just want something really tasty.

Ingredients:

1 flank steak, sliced very thinly
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
1 large carrot, julienned 
3 green onions, thinly sliced 
1/4 cup fresh ginger, grated or minced
5 garlic cloves, grated or minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce 
4 tablespoons rice vinegar 
1 tablespoon sesame oil 
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons chili pepper flakes 
1 cup of canola oil, for frying 

Directions:

1.) Place cornstarch in a large bowl and very gradually whisk in water.

2.) Beat eggs into mixture.

3.) Add beef and toss to coat.

4.) Place canola oil into a wok or large pot and heat over medium-high heat until the oil is nearly smoking.

5.) Working in batches, add beef to the oil and cook, stirring with a fork frequently to keep pieces of beef separate. When one batch is done, remove and place on paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining pieces of beef.

6.) Drain all but one tablespoon of oil out of the pot and add carrots, onion, ginger, and garlic – in that order.

7.) Fry very briefly, stirring the entire time.

8.) In a separate bowl combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and chili pepper flakes. Add to vegetable mixture in the pot.

9.) Bring the entire mixture to a boil and then add beef back into the pot. Stir to thoroughly combine all the ingredients and cook just until all ingredients are warmed through.

10.) Serve and enjoy!

Italian Sausage and Peppers

Originally published on March 7, 2014

What’s to say about this classic Italian dish? It’s salty, savoury, and has the tiniest bit of zip from the vinegar you add to the peppers right at the end. Whenever I cook Italian sausages I always boil them first to cook them through, and then grill or saute them to get that ‘snap’ that you must have when eating sausage of any kind. I do know some people are adverse to the thought of boiling any kind of meat so if that’s you, just cook them in the pan until they are cooked almost completely through, remove, and then add them back in at the end for about five minutes to warm them back through and cook them entirely. And the colour of the peppers also doesn’t matter at all – just use whatever you happen to have on hand.

Ingredients:

5 or 6 Italian sausages 
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced 
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 
1 tablespoon dried oregano 
1 tablespoon dried basil 
1 tablespoon dried parsley 
1 teaspoon hot chili pepper flakes 
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add sausages and cook for about 10 minutes, just until the sausages are almost completely cooked through. When they’re finished cooking, score sausages (about three scores on each,) remove and set aside.

2.) Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add sausages and sear for just about two minutes on each side to get a nice sear on the casing. Remove from the pan, set aside, and turn heat to medium-low.

3.) Add oregano, basil, parsley, and chili flakes to the oil inside the pan. Cook for just about 30 seconds before adding in this order: onions, peppers, and garlic (the key here is really just to add the garlic last so that it doesn’t burn.) Stir to coat everything in the oil, then cook for about 10 minutes on low heat until the vegetables have softened but aren’t carmalized. Add red wine vinegar and stir.

4.) Add sausages back to the pan, cover, and allow to cook for another five minutes or so, just until the sausages are completely cooked and warmed through.

5.) Place peppers and onions on a large platter, arranging sausages on top.

6.) Serve and enjoy!