Peanut Butter

Originally published on July 8, 2014

Did you ever think you could make peanut butter that was better than what you bought at the store? Or perhaps even more so, did you ever think there was a need to make peanut butter at home? I never did, until one day when I made my summer rolls and needed my Thai peanut sauce to go with them. Everything was going swimmingly until I opened my cupboards to find that we had run out of peanut butter. Luckily, we did have a huge bin of peanuts that I could pretty easily turn into a luscious butter.

You can make this recipe even easier on yourself by buying roasted peanuts. I never do, only because I never know what I’m going to use them for. If you do, skip the part about roasting them in your oven (although I will tell you that the butter is even better when it’s freshly made, and still a little warm from those peanuts that were in the oven.)

Ingredients:

3 cups unsalted peanuts
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey
Salt 

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Place peanuts in a large bowl and add some salt, and the oil. Shake, toss, or mix with a wooden spoon to ensure all peanuts are coated in the oil and salt. Place onto a baking sheet and place sheet in the oven.

3.) Roast the peanuts for 30 – 35 minutes, making sure you turn them once. When they are done roasting, take them out and allow them to cool slightly (just so you can handle them.)

4.) Place the peanuts in a food processor, along with the honey. Blend or process them for a few minutes, until smooth. Taste, then add salt or more honey if necessary.

5.) Serve and enjoy, or place in the fridge for later use.

Perfect Lamb Loin Chops

Originally published on July 10, 2014

Welcome, welcome, welcome to my very first post on lamb! Can you believe it?!? This blog has been kickin’ around for five years and I’m just now getting my first post up about lamb! I’m so excited about it, although there is a very good reason why it’s taken me this long – lamb is expensive! But if you too are watching your wallet and you want to make some tasty lamb for yourself, there’s a way it can be done. It’s one of the most useful things in recent history that my mother has taught me.

If you want to get around the expensive price tag of lamb, opt for lamb loin chops instead of lamb rib chops. Rib chops are those that are cut right from a rack of lamb, the ones with that come with their long bones Frenched (meat and fat trimmed back from them) and look a bit like a meat lollipop. Loin chops on the other hand, are cut further away from the rib, closer to the leg of the lamb, and (as you can see from the pic above) look a bit like tiny T-bone steaks. The bonus with the loin chop is, not only are they cheaper than the rib chops, but you also get more meat and less fat with them, so they make for a pretty hearty dinner. Just like the rib chops though, be sure not to cook loin chops for too long or else they’ll become tough and chewy and lose some of their robust earthy flavour. Just a minute or two a side – in a screaming hot pan or grill – will do.

Ingredients:

6 lamb loin chops 
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus one tablespoon for the pan or grill 
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Place rosemary, garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper on a plate or in a shallow casserole dish. Stir to combine. One by one, place loin chops into the mixture, turn to coat, and then set aside. Repeat with remaining chops. Once all the chops are finished, you can marinate them for up to an hour (or even longer in the fridge.) I didn’t plan ahead that long, so I just let them sit on the counter for a few minutes while I pulled the rest of my dinner together.

2.) When ready to cook the lamb, place a skillet or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat (of course, you could do this on an outdoor grill as well.) Add a tablespoon of oil, or oil the grates, and wait for the pan to heat. Add the lamb chops and cook for just over one minute to two minutes on one side. Flip, and cook for one minute on the other side.

3.) Turn heat off, remove lamb chops to a plate or cutting board, and tent with foil to keep warm while resting them for a few minutes.

4.) Serve and enjoy!

Bruschetta

Originally published on July 11, 2014

Bruschetta is one of those things that is a favourite of most. What’s not to love about grilled bread, dripping with olive oil and tomatoes, with some fresh herbs sprinkled in? And while bruschetta really is a simple enough dish to pull together, there are a few things to remember if you want it to take you to that next level of heaven. That is, if you want actual bruschetta and not just a bunch of bread with tomatoes on it.

The most important thing to remember when you’re going for the authentic is to oil the bread and rub garlic on it immediately after toasting. In Tuscany, the word “bruschetta” actually translates into ‘oiled slice’ so as long as you’ve got that part down, whatever you choose to do with the toppings is your business. But remember to rub the garlic on and to never, ever mince it into the tomatoes. That raw garlic is likely to be too strong for most, and rubbing it on allows the garlic to melt into the bread. It’s also the way the Tuscans do it.

Ingredients:

1 baguette, cut into 1″-thick slices 
1 pint cherry tomatoes(you can use just red, or tri-coloured if you want extra aesthetic effect,) sliced in half 
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise 
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, rolled up together and then cut across (chiffonade) 
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons 
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Place halved tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix to allow all the ingredients to come together, and then let sit out on the counter while you prepare the baguette. This will give the topping ingredients a few minutes to really blend and marry together. It also releases some of the juice of the tomatoes, making the bruschetta even juicier, messier, and yummier.

2.) While the topping is come together, place a skillet over medium-high heat on the stove and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to it. Place bread in and toast on one side for 2 – 3 minutes. Flip, and allow the other side to toast for the same amount of time. Remove from skillet, and place in more bread if you need to do it in batches.

3.) As soon as the bread comes out of the skillet, rub it with one of the halved garlic cloves on both sides. Continue doing this until all of the bread has been rubbed with garlic.

4.) Once all of the bread has been toasted, start piling the tomato topping onto it. As each slice of the baguette has had topping added to it, arrange it on a plate for serving. Once each slice of bruschetta is loaded with toppings and on the plate, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Parisian Scrambled Eggs

Originally published on July 12, 2014

Right now I’m reading My Life in France, by Julia Child. It’s a wonderfully funny and interesting book, and is somewhat familiar to me since it’s what the movie Julie and Julia is based on, and I’ve seen that about a kabillion times. In the book, Julia speaks about a Chef Bugnard that was immensely helpful to her during her time at Cordon Bleu, and she speaks at great length about the time he showed her how to make scrambled eggs. Before I read that chapter, I thought everyone made scrambled eggs the same way. Throw the eggs into a bowl with some cream or milk, beat it all into submission, and then pour into a hot hot pan before again, beating it all and scrambling the whole mess up. Turns out, that’s the way Julia was doing it, and she was wrong. We all were.

No, according to Chef Bugnard, you have to beat the eggs only slightly before turning them into the pan, and for heaven’s sake, don’t add anything else to them just yet! Let them sit in a pan over low heat for a few minutes without touching them, and then add the milk or cream and start turning them over. The result?  Something that is much looser, much lighter, and much more custardy than the scrambled eggs we’re all used to. And to tell you the truth? While I think it’s worthwhile for everyone to try this method so they can determine for themselves whether or not they like it, I think I’ll leave this one to the Parisians.

Ingredients:

6 eggs, very lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter 
2 tablespoons milk or cream 
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Place a skillet over medium-low heat. When hot, add the butter and when the butter has melted, add the eggs. Allow the eggs to sit in the pan for 3 minutes, and then slowly start loosening them up and scrambling them within the pan. After you’ve turned the eggs once, let them sit for one minute so the uncooked portions can cook some, and then turn them again before letting the eggs sit for another minute. Continue doing this until the eggs have almost set in the pan, but are still quite loose.

2.) Add milk or cream and lightly mix it into the eggs. Let the eggs sit for another minute, just until the liquid has been absorbed, and then remove the entire mixture from the heat.

3.) Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the fresh parsley and mix to combine the seasonings.

4.) Serve and enjoy!

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Originally published on July 13, 2014

Because I turned my nose up at the idea of Parisian scrambled eggs yesterday, I thought it only fair to bring you my version of perfect scrambled eggs today. These are small little mounds of eggs that are light and fluffy and, even have a little bit of onion in them (because I love an extra little bite in my scramble.) I also find that the sour cream gives these eggs even more lift than regular cream or milk, and a little bit of zip too. They’re not like custard at all (because if I want custard, I’ll make custard) but instead, are just perfect scrambled eggs.

6 eggs
2 tablespoons sour cream 
1 green onion, sliced 
3 tablespoons butter 
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Lightly beat the eggs together with the sour cream and set aside.

2.) Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When melted, add egg mixture and allow it to sit for just one minute (or even less), until the bottom is set. Scrape the egg with a spatula in order to scramble, and then add green onion slices. Mix and scramble again and then take off heat so that the egg does not over-cook. Season with salt and pepper once it’s off the heat, as seasoning sooner can make the eggs rubbery.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Roulade

Originally published on July 14, 2014

Can I ask you what, exactly, is the difference between chicken roulade and chicken involtini? Before I started making this dish, I thought there was a big difference. But as I started making it, I couldn’t help but notice just how similar the two are. So what is the difference?

As far as I could tell, there are three. The first, involtini is typically made with some type of cheese. It doesn’t really matter which, but it’s usually mozzarella or Parmesan. Second, ivoltini is also usually served on spaghetti sauce, or with spaghetti sauce draped over it. Roulade is not. And third, roulade is a French dish, while involtini hails from Italy.

All of this being said, if you start preparing roulade and get to thinking that it’s a lot like making involtini, there’s a reason for it. The two are very similar.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 cups fresh spinach, stems removed
1 onion, diced 
4 garlic cloves, minced 
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 2 
Salt
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a skillet and place over medium heat. When hot, add onion and garlic and saute just until onion is soft and both ingredients start to become fragrant. Add spinach and start turning so all leaves have a chance to wilt. When all the spinach has wilted some (but not completely into thin green strands,) season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. You still want the spinach to have a little bit of body to it.

3.) One by one, lay the chicken breasts between pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound them lightly until they are all of even thickness. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.

4.) Lay one chicken breast flat on a work surface and place a handful of the spinach mixture right onto it, laying it right down the centre of the breast. Start at the narrowest end of the chicken breast and begin rolling it up along the spinach mixture, rolling the chicken around itself. Make sure you roll the breast tightly, or it will come undone while cooking. When finished rolling, secure with toothpicks to keep the chicken breast tightly rolled. Repeat with each remaining chicken breast.

5.) Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. When hot, add each of the chicken breasts, placing them on the side of the breast that does not have the seam. Sear for 3 – 5 minutes, just until the chicken breasts have browned on that side. Then, turn the breasts, turn off the heat on the stove, and place the cast iron skillet into the oven. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes, until the chicken has just cooked through, but do not overcook it, or it will end up being very dry.

6.) Remove chicken from oven, set on a work surface, and cover with foil. Allow to rest for a few minutes before slicing on a bias and fanning slightly.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Jul

Dijon Breaded Pork Chops

Originally published on July 15, 2014

I love Michael Smith. He not only creates beautiful and tasty food, but he makes it accessible to everyone from other chefs, to the home cook that has just started cooking for their family. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him make these specific pork chops, but I did watch him slather lamb chops in Dijon one day, a day that I just happened to have pork chops in my fridge. They’re much like breaded pork chops, as I knew they would be, but they bring a little extra zip to the meat. And because you’re breading the pork, it won’t dry out in the oven, which is always a concern when you’re cooking any kind of pork. Breading pork chops this way is also nice when you don’t want to deal with the mess of fully breading the chops, or when you don’t have flour or eggs on hand.

Ingredients:

4 bone-in pork chops 
6 – 8 tablespoons Dijon 
2 cups bread crumbs 
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 
3 tablespoons dried thyme 
2 tablespoons butter, melted 
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and pat the pork chops dry. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.) In a large bowl combine the bread crumbs, the Parmesan cheese, dried thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

3.) Slather the chops on both sides with Dijon mustard. If you want to keep the mess down, slather one side and then place that side down into the bowl of bread crumbs. While the chop is in the crumbs, slather the other side with Dijon and then flip it over to coat the other side in bread crumbs. As you’re finished breading the pork chops, place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

4.) When all of the chops have been breaded and are on the baking sheet, drizzle the melted butter over top of them.

5.) Place the pork chops in the oven and bake for 30 – 35 minutes, until the chops are fully cooked through. When they are done, remove the chops from the oven, tent with foil, and allow them to rest for several minutes.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Red Slaw

Originally published on July 16, 2014

I go back to my hometown a couple times a year, and I always love doing foodie experiments while I’m there (and I don’t think anyone minds being my guinea pigs.) This past visit, we had an abundance of red cabbage to work with and so, after several other red cabbage experiments, I threw it together with some veg to make a coleslaw and use up the last of it. It wasn’t any different than making any other type of coleslaw, but because red cabbage is more bitter than other cabbage, you do have to make up for that with either sweeter veggies or a sweeter dressing (not too sweet mind you, we’re not talking dessert here.) I chose sweet, sweet peppers and added a couple of teaspoons of honey.

Ingredients:

1/2 head red cabbage 
1/2 sweet Vidalia onion 
5 or 6 radishes, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced 
1 cup mayonnaise 
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey 
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Start by making the dressing. Combine the mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, honey, and a bit of salt and pepper. Stir to thoroughly incorporate all of the ingredients and then let sit for a few minutes so the flavours can marry.

2.) To a large bowl add red cabbage, Vidalia onion, radishes, and yellow pepper. Taste the dressing and adjust seasoning if necessary. Then pour over top of salad ingredients and mix so that all vegetables can become lightly coated in the dressing.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

10 Minute Chops

Originally published on July 19, 2014

Sometimes you just don’t have a lot of time to get dinner on the table and on those nights, it’s helpful if you can keep a few tips in mind. For me, it means using a quick-cooking protein (us carnivores rarely go meatless around here,) that doesn’t require a long marinating time, and it also means cooking it on the stove. Have you ever realized how much quicker things cook on the stovetop than they do in the oven?? It’s remarkable! So for this quick-cooking meal…..

I used boneless pork chops that don’t only cook really fast, they’re also super cheap – usually about $5 for a package of 6 or more. (Buy them on sale and you get two packages for that price.) When ready to cook, I threw together my tried-and-true BBQ rub and let it sit for just a few minutes. Of course, you could make these 15 minute chops if you wanted that flavour to be even stronger, but it was pretty intense with just the few minutes I gave it.

Ingredients:

6 small boneless pork chops
2 tablespoons onion powder 
2 tablespoons garlic powder 
1 tablespoon chili powder 
1 tablespoon paprika 
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) In a large bowl combine onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

2.) Add chops to the bowl and quickly rub the spices all over them, making sure the chops are fully coated. Let sit for a minute or two while you get your skillet ready.

3.) Place a large skillet over medium-heat and add the olive oil. When oil is hot, add chopsto the skillet one by one, shaking any excess rub off of them as you take them out of the bowl.

4.) Cook the chops for four minutes on one side, then flip and cook for another three minutes on their other side.

5.) Remove chops from the skillet, and place them on a serving platter.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Raspberry Crumble Pie

Originally published on July 20, 2014

Sometimes I can’t decide whether I want a crumble or a pie, so why not combine the two and get the best of both worlds? My younger daughter loves this dessert because she’s “not a big fan of pie” (her words, and she’s 6) but it’s got that sweet and crunchy crumble topping, so it’s not really all pie. I love it because the filling is sweet and tart and well, I’m also a sucker for that topping. It’s raspberry season, so that’s what ended up in this pie but you could use just about any berry and they can be fresh or frozen, so you can enjoy it all year round!

Ingredients:

For the pie:

1 prepared pie crust
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 cup white sugar 
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups raspberries

For the topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup butter, chilled and cut into cubes

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrneheit.

2.) In a large bowl, beat eggs until they are a light yellow. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, and salt together. Stir into egg mixture, then gently fold in raspberries. Pour into prepared pie crust.

3.) Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the centre is just about set. Meanwhile, make the topping by combining the brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and almonds. Cut in the chilled butter, until the entire mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4.) Remove the pie from the oven after its first bake time. Sprinkle with the topping mixture and place back in the oven. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and crunchy.

5.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

6.) Serve and enjoy!