Summer Rolls

Originally published on May 6, 2014

I love rolls. Any kind of rolls really. Whether something is rolled in tortillas, egg rollwrappers, or even lettuce, there’s something about having a neat little bundle on your plate that’s just incredibly satisfying. These summer rolls are not only pretty, but they’re also very, very healthy. Plus, you won’t be able to stop at just one. To make the assembly of these even easier on yourself, make sure you have the vegetables prepped before you even begin. Once those rice papers are softened, you’ll need to move quickly. I also placed the chili peppers in just a couple for those that like heat, and I placed them right on top of all the other vegetables. This way, those that don’t want them can easily see which ones won’t set their mouths on fire and opt for those instead.

Ingredients:

4 rice papers 
2 small packages (about 2 cups in total) rice noodles
1 cup watercress
1 cup baby spinach 
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced 
4 or 5 radishes, thinly sliced 
2 chili peppers, sliced (optional) 
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional) 

Directions:

1.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it’s rapidly boiling, place the rice noodles in, stir to break them up a bit, and then let them sit for three minutes. Use tongs or a spaghetti spoon to take the noodles out of the water and transfer them to a bowl of ice water. This will stop the cooking process, and will also prevent the noodles from sticking together once they’re drained. Reserve the boiled water in the pot, as you’ll need it for the rice papers. Once the rice noodles have sat in the ice water for a few minutes, drain them completely.

2.) Assemble the summer rolls one by one. Start by dipping the rice papers in the hot water in the pot and let it sit for one or two minutes. While you should try to submerge as much of the rice paper as you can, try not to let it go completely as the wrapper will become very thin and pliable, and there’s a chance you may not be able to pull it out of the water nice and straight if you let go of it.

3.) Once the rice paper has softened, lay it down on a cutting board or plate and start to assemble the rest of it. Start by laying some of the spinach and watercress down the centre of the wrapper. On top place a small handful of the rice noodles, with some pepper pieces and sliced radishes (and chili peppers, if using.)

4.) Fold one side of the rice paper over the filling, and press down lightly to make it stick. Fold the ends up and over the filling, and press lightly. Tightly, tucking the filling under as you do, roll the rest of the wrapper to ensure that the rolls are fairly tightly packed and then press the seams gently to make sure that they stick and will not come undone.

5.) When finished, sprinkle all rolls with cilantro if you choose, and serve with a dipping sauce such as Thai peanut sauce, if you choose.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Simply Sauteed Swiss Chard

Originally published on May 7, 2014

Swiss chard, just like kale or spinach, is a delicious vegetable that will also give you your daily quotient of leafy greens that all of us need. They also aren’t very hard to cook. Just saute it like you would saute spinach with lemon or another acid, and it takes just a couple of minutes before you get a tasty healthy side dish on your plate. Remember when you’re buying Swiss chard that it comes in a couple of varieties – red and green – so you may have to experiment a bit before deciding which one you like the best. When looking for either type, also keep in mind that their stems are quite delicate, so be sure not to purchase any that are bruised or broken. But, unlike other types of leafy greens, you can eat Swiss chard whole – meaning the stems and the leaves, and both are perfectly appetizing.

Ingredients:

1 bunch Swiss chard (red or green,) washed and dried, and chopped
2 tablespoons butter 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced 
1/2 cup dry white wine 
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1.) Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add garlic and onion and saute just until onion is soft, about three minutes.

2.) Add Swiss chard and toss to coat in oil. Add wine and lemon juice and toss to coat. Cook until Swiss chard has just wilted, and then remove from heat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper, and then taste, adjusting if it needs more seasoning.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

Tuscan Chicken

Originally published on May 8, 2014

I really, really love Italian food and chicken recipes such as this one prove that it doesn’t always have to be pasta. When I first heard about Tuscan Chicken, I heard that it was the Italian version of lemon chicken (which it isn’t) and that it has a very interesting marinade (which it does.) That marinade is in fact,a mirepoix that simply sits on top of the chicken while it sits in the fridge for a couple of hours. Then when you’re ready to cook, you pretty much just have to bring it up to a boil and then let it simmer away. Takes some time, yes, but the entire thing is really pretty easy.

Ingredients:

4 chicken legs with thighs attached
1/4 cup olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped 
3 celery stalks, chopped 
4 cloves garlic, minced
Zest and juice of one lemon 
3 twigs of rosemary, stripped of leaves
1 cup dry red wine
1 small can tomato paste 
1 cup chicken stock 
Salt 
Pepper 
Torn basil leaves for garnish, if desired

Directions:

1.) Rinse and pat chicken dry and place in a large pot (the same one you will cook the chicken in.) In a separate bowl combine the olive oil, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, lemon zest, juice, rosemary, salt and pepper. Mix together to ensure that all vegetables are coated and then pour over top of chicken. Place in the fridge and marinate for 3 or 4 hours.

2.) When ready to start cooking, take the pot out of the fridge and bring the chicken back up to room temperature. This will probably take about an hour.

3.) Place pot over medium-high heat and brown the chicken on both sides. This should take about 15 minutes. Add the wine and reduce for 5 minutes. Combine the tomato paste with the chicken stock and then add to the pot, mixing well to ensure that everything is combined thoroughly. Bring to a full boil then lower the heat and simmer for 30 – 45 minutes more, until the chicken is completely cooked through. Scatter torn basil leaves over top, if desired.

4.) Serve and enjoy!

Grilled Peaches

Originally published on May 11, 2014

Happy Mother’s Day! There are several dishes I make that always remind me of my mom. Grilled cheese sandwiches are one of them, and anything with peaches is another. My mom lives in beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake, an area that’s known for a lot of things – wine and peaches being just two of them. Every year my mom goes to an orchard just around the corner from her house and buys me an enormous bag of peaches. The bag is not your average grocery bag. It’s a gigantic clear bag that is as big as a garbage bag, and it’s as full as it can get (and still be lifted by a human being) with peaches. I spend a day or two canning most of them, but always reserve a good bowlful or two to create beautiful peach dishes (peach pancakes and peach pie being two of them.) But doing something with these peaches doesn’t always have to be long and involved. In fact, often I’ll just brush them with a bit of honey and toss them on the grill. They’re really nothing short of brilliant, and one of my favourite ways to enjoy one of my favourite summertime fruits.

So this one mom, goes out to you. Thanks so much for the peaches, and just for being my mom. I hope you  have a very, very happy Mother’s Day!

Ingredients:

6 peaches, cut in half with the pit removed 
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
4 tablespoons honey
Whipped cream for garnish, if desired

Directions:

1.) Preheat outdoor or indoor grill to medium-high.

2.) Brush each peach half with olive oil and drizzle honey over top.

3.) Place peaches, cut-side down, on grill and cook for about two minutes, just enough to warm the surface of the peach and carmalize it a bit, and to show grill marks.

4.) Remove from heat and garnish with whipped cream if desired.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Compound Butter

Originally published on May 12, 2014

Today’s post isn’t really a recipe at all, but rather just a “how to” make sauces, breads and rolls, steak, and anything else that you think could use a bit of extra flavour. The secret is compound butter, and not only can you add it to just about anything you want, but you can add any flavour you’re craving into it. It’s super easy.

First, start with softened butter. If you don’t, you won’t be able to blend all the other ingredients that you need into it. Second, decide what ingredients you want to add to the butter. Fresh tarragon, dill, basil, and even thyme are all great ingredients as are spices including garlic powder, onion powder, and anything else you think would be complimentary to the butter. This might also depend on the dish you plan on using it with, as you’ll want to make sure that the different flavours won’t be off-putting with anything you pair it with. I also suggest putting just a bit of salt into the butter as well, even if you’re using salted butter. This will help bring out the flavour of anything you’ve added to the butter. Then just put it all in a bowl and mash it all up until everything is thoroughly mixed together.

If you want to make the butter really pretty, place it on a big sheet of plastic wrap, right down the centre. Fold the plastic wrap over it and then roll it back and forth, until the butter has formed a log. Then to store it just wrap the rest of the plastic right around the butter log and place it in the fridge to set. You can even place it in the freezer and then just take off slices as you need it. It’s particularly good for butter-basting steak, or even rubbing along the crust of pizza dough (make sure it’s softened first if doing it this way.)

There is little that I love more than something that is so simple to do, but yet tastes so good!

Chicken Pad Thai

Originally published on May 13, 2014

I just recently discovered something. I love Thai food! I love noodle soup, I love peanut sauce, and I love the traditional ingredients that are used, including chilies and peanuts. I also just found out that I really, really love pad Thai. It’s a dish that I’ve always had to stay away from because it typically involves shrimp, as well as fish sauce – which typically involves oyster and clam juice of some kind. Being severely allergic to shellfish, it was just something that was always off-limits to me. That is, until I got into my own kitchen and became determined to make a dish that is pretty darned close to the authentic dish.

So my version of pad Thai uses chicken instead of shrimp, and soy sauce in place of fish sauce. While eating it, I wanted to sing the song from that commercial. You know the one where the dad goes on a business trip and sings about how lucky he is to be away from his kids? (I always thought there was a certain level of horribleness to that commercial.) But, one of the main lines he sings is – “That’s really good pad Thai!” And this certainly is.

Ingredients:

1/2 package (about 2 cups) rice noodles
2/3 cup chicken stock 
1/2 cup ketchup 
1/4 cup soy sauce 
2 tablespoons white sugar 
2 tablespoons cornstarch 
Zest and juice of one lime
1 teaspoon hot sauce 
4 teaspoons vegetable oil 
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced 
2 carrots, julienned 
1 red bell pepper, julienned 
2 cloves of garlic, minced 
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced 
2 green onions, sliced 
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions:

1.) Fill a kettle with water and bring to a boil. Pour water into a very large bowl and place noodles in it. Soak them for 20 minutes, then drain and place in a large bowl filled with ice water. Allow to soak in the ice water for about 5 minutes, then drain and set aside.

2.) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the chicken stock, ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, lime juice and zest, and hot pepper sauce. Whisk to fully incorporate all ingredients and then set aside.

3.) In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add eggs and cook, stirring constantly, until they are scrambled, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

4.) Add remaining oil to the skillet or wok and increase heat to medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown thoroughly, cooking for about five minutes. Transfer to a plate.

5.) To the pan add carrots, red peppers, garlic, and ginger and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly tender. Add noodles and cook for about one minute, while incorporating everything together.

6.) Add chicken back to the pan and stir in the sauce. Stir everything together and cook for about 3 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is no longer pink inside.

7.) Return egg mixture back to the pan and toss gently for one minute, or until it’s heated through.

8.) Plate the pad Thai, sprinkle with green onions and peanuts and garnish with lime wedges.

9.) Serve and enjoy!

Breaded Pork Chops

Originally published on May 14, 2014

Way back in the day when I was still a young thing in high school, I had a boyfriend whose mom made the very best pork chops. It was one of the reasons I loved going over there for dinner, even if his parents weren’t the nicest people I’d ever met in my life. But those chops, man were they good. They were super duper thick, and breaded all around so that with every bite you got a nice, satisfying crunch. They were also moist and juicy, and just about some of the best pork chops I’d ever eaten. Well, the relationship didn’t last, but I’ve never stopped thinking about those pork chops. Now, I can eat them in the comfort of my own grown-up kitchen.

Ingredients:

4 thick bone-in pork chops 
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups bread crumbs 
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano 
Salt 
Pepper 
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper (depending on the size of your trays and of the chops.)

2.) Set up a breading station with three different bowls, side by side. In the first bowl place the all-purpose flour. In the second, the lightly beaten eggs. In the third, place the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs up thoroughly so that everything is fully combined.

3.) Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. One by one, place them in the flour first, covering to ensure that the chop is fully coated. Remove from the flour and shake off excess. Then place in the bowl of eggs, submerging them so the pork chop is fully covered. Remove from the eggs and let the excess egg drip off it. Lastly, place the chops in the bowl of bread crumbs and cover with the crumbs. Pat down slightly so that the crumbs stick to the chop. Remove from the bowl, shake off excess crumbs and then place it on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pork chops.

4.) When all pork chops have been breaded, drizzle them with the olive oil, and place them in the preheated oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes, until they are completely cooked through.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Right on the Rack Pork Roast

Originally published on May 15, 2014

There are about a million different ways you can do pork roast. It’s a relatively neutral canvas so whether you’re feeling Italian, French, or even Southwestern, you can pretty much season it however it suits your fancy at the time. It seems that every time I find a new way to do it, it becomes my favourite – until the next time I come across a great pork recipe. I have to say, this way is my new favourite, even though it’s not really a recipe.

What I mean  is that, again, you can flavour the roast however you want, but it’s the technique that really makes this pork what it is. It’s very similar to those huge open ovens you see in the streets of Greece (I’ve actually never been to Greece, but I have seen it done on TV) where the roast rotates on a spit and drips down onto potatoes below, infusing them with flavour and turning them golden brown. I was always jealous of those that got to eat this type of roast, but now I’ve figured out that you can do it right in your own oven. And let’s be honest. Doing it this way really has nothing to do with the roast, because it’s the potatoes that steal the show.

Ingredients:

1 pork roast, about 3 pounds
1 tablespoon ground coriander 
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon paprika 
1 teaspoon dill 
Salt 
Pepper 
4 or 5 russet potatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon bacon fat or lard 
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a cast iron skillet with the bacon fat or lard. Make sure that one oven rack is in the centre of the oven, and another is directly below it.

2.) Pat the pork roast dry. In a small bowl combine the coriander, ground mustard, paprika, dill, and some salt and pepper. Rub generously over the entire pork roast.

3.) In a large bowl, place the potatoes, salt, pepper, and vegetable oil. Toss so that the potatoes are just covered in the oil and then place into the cast iron skillet.

4.) Place the cast iron skillet into the oven, onto the second rack (the one at the bottom.) Then, place the pork roast directly on the oven rack above, fat-side up, making sure the entire pork sits right over the cast iron skillet. You don’t want the juices running right onto the burner elements, or anywhere else in the oven. They need to be able to drip right down into the potatoes.

5.) Cook the pork roast and the potatoes at this high temperature for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 300 degrees and cook for another one hour, or 20 minutes per pound until the center has reached 140 degrees F. Don’t worry – your potatoes will not be mushy when it’s time to remove them from the oven. Also stir the potatoes once or twice while cooking at the lower heat, but remember to pull out both racks when you do so that the pork juices once again don’t just fall into the oven.

6.) When two hours has passed, remove both the potatoes and the roast from the oven. Allow the roast to rest for about five minutes while you arrange the potatoes on a large platter. Then slice the pork roast into about 1/2″ slices and arrange right on the potatoes, or to the side.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Watermelon Tomato Salad

Originally published on May 16, 2014

I always have an abundance of watermelon during the summer (who doesn’t?) and my kids can never gobble it all up before it goes bad. This year though, I’m prepared, with a watermelon margarita recipe, and this delicious watermelon tomato salad. Both are so good, I’ll have to be careful to leave some watermelon in the fridge just for snacking.

Ingredients:

5 cups watermelon, cubed and seeded
2 tomatoes (make sure they’re quite ripe,) cut into cubes
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 red onion, finely diced 
1/2 cup white wine vinegar 
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
Black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.) In a large bowl combing watermelon and tomatoes. Sprinkle with sugar and salt and toss to coat. Allow to stand for 15 minutes.

2.) Stir in onion, vinegar, and oil. Cover and put aside in refrigerator for two hours. When about to serve, sprinkle with pepper to taste.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

Cat’s Pizza Sauce

Originally published on May 17, 2014

If you’re already going to the time and trouble of making your own pizza dough, why not take it a step further and make your own pizza sauce too? This one from Cat Cora is easy to make, comes together in a snap (although you’ll have to wait a bit for the flavours to marry,) and you’ll take that “from scratch” idea up another level. And if you haven’t been watching, make sure you check out Cat along with other celebrity chefs on Sunday for America’s Best Cook. Just because, it’s a really great show!

Ingredients:

1 4-ounce can of tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water 
1/3 cup olive oil 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1/2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Mix together the tomato paste, water, and olive oil and mix well. Add garlic, oregano, basil, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and place in fridge to allow flavours to develop for two hours. Then just spread over pizza dough.

2.) Serve and enjoy!