Veggie Burgers

Originally published on September 8, 2014

Let’s be real for a minute. I’m a carnivore at heart. I love bacon and sausages, steak, and there’s little that I find as tasty as a really delicious burger. I’ve eaten veggie burgers too, but those are usually reserved for restaurants or the frozen food aisle at the grocery store. That was, until I thought, “I bet I could make my own veggie burgers.” Turns out, I can not only make them, I can knock them out of the park! And even this true carnivore would actually choose these over meat patties at any barbecue. Beware before you embark on this adventure, there is a lot more prep required than just throwing some meat together with some seasonings and egg, but I promise you, it is entirely worth it!

Ingredients:

2 cups button or cremini mushrooms, chopped in a very small dice 
1 cup cauliflower florets, processed to make a very basic cauliflower rice 
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped in a very small dice 
1 cup zucchini, grated 
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup rolled oats, processed until they are fine crumbs 
1 tablespoon paprika 
1 tablespoon garlic powder 
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon dried chili peppers
1 teaspoon mustard powder 
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 hamburger buns
4 leaves of lettuce (optional)
1 cup diced tomatoes (optional)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise, divided (optional)

Directions:

1.) Getting the moisture out of the vegetables is critical when making veggie burgers, otherwise the burgers will not hold together and they’ll be very mushy. For this reason, the grated zucchini needs to be placed in a colander in a clean sink. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt over top, toss the pieces to get the salt throughout and pull some of the moisture out of it. Let the zucchini sit for about 15 minutes, then place them all in a paper towel and squeeze to get rid of the excess moisture. Then place them back in the colander, this time over a bowl.

2.) Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When hot add mushrooms and stir to coat all pieces in the oil. Cook for five minutes before adding the yellow pepper, cauliflower, and zucchini. Stir to mix all ingredients. While veggies are cooking add the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, celery seed, dried chili peppers, mustard powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Stir again and cook for just another minute to brighten the spices and seasoning and marry all the flavours together.

3.) Once the veggies and the seasoning has been cooked, turn heat off and place everything in a bowl to cool. It needs to be completely cooled down before adding anything else.

4.) As soon as the veggies are cooled down, add the egg and the rolled oats and combine thoroughly to completely mix all ingredients together. Divide the veggies into equal servings and then form into patties and place on a plate or platter. When all burgers are formed, place in the fridge, uncovered, and let them sit for 30 minutes. This will help the patties set up and become firmer, eliminating the chance of them simply falling apart when cooked.

5.) After patties have set up in the fridge, heat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium heat and brush with olive oil. (I made mine on an indoor grill and added more olive oil whenever the grill pan became too dry.) When grill is hot, place veggie burgers on and cook on one side for about 5 – 7 minutes until nice grill marks appear and that side is completely firm. Then flip and cook for another 5 – 7 minutes. Try to only turn the burgers once, as that will help hold their shape and keep them from falling apart.

6.) When burgers are completely cooked, remove them from the grill and place on hamburger buns. If using, top with mayonnaise, diced tomatoes, and lettuce.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Chardonnay Ham

Originally published on September 9, 2014

My mom inspires a lot of my recipes. Whether it’s a dish from my childhood that I want to recreate or a recipe link that interested her and she passed on to me, I often find my recipes going back to my mom. This ham dish though didn’t come from something she likes, but something she’s actually not all that fond of – glazed ham. I love glazed ham, but even more, I don’t really care for a slab of ham that hasn’t been flavoured or seasoned in any way. So is there a common ground that will let mum and I eat ham across from each other in peace? There is, and it’s this Chardonnay ham (mom, if you’re listening, I know you don’t really care for wine either, but go with it on this one. It’s tasty, I promise!)

Ingredients:

1 3-4 lb. smoked ham
2 cups Chardonnay, divided
1 onion, finely diced
3 sprigs fresh thyme sprigs 
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons butter
Salt 
Pepper

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and score the top of the ham crosswise one way, using 1/2″ parallel cuts. Then, working from the opposite end of the ham, score it crosswise in the other direction so that the cuts resemble small diamond shapes when done. This will help the sauce really soak into the ham and give it the fullest flavour. Place ham in a roasting pan and set aside for the time being.

2.) Place 1 cup of Chardonnay in a pot and add 4 cups of water. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat and pour right over the ham. Place the roasting pan with the ham inside into the oven and bake for approximately 90 minutes, basting with the pan juices occasionally.

3.) While ham is cooking, heat butter over medium heat in a skillet. Add onion and thyme sprigs and cook until onions are very soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining cup of Chardonnay, stir, and bring to a boil again. Boil for about 5 more minutes, until the mixture is reduced to approximately 1/4 cup. Remove skillet from the heat, discard thyme sprigs, and place the mixture into a blender. Blend for just a minute or two until the mixture is entirely smooth. Then add the thyme leaves, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Blend again for just another minute to fully combine all ingredients.

4.) Remove the ham from the oven, drain the juices in the bottom of the pan, and increase the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the Chardonnay mixture over the entire ham and return it to the oven. Bake the ham for another 30 minutes.

5.) Transfer the ham to a platter, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 – 15 minutes before slicing.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Mashed Potato Balls

Originally published on September 11, 2014

Who doesn’t have leftover mashed potatoes in their fridge after a night of comfort-food-eating? It happens to all of us. And while you can just leave them in the fridge for the mandated four days before tossing them, or end up reheating them as they are, you can also turn them into something completely new. And while my daughter, Paige, probably isn’t alone in thinking that “they taste like potatoes,” it just goes to show that while something may taste familiar, doing just a little bit of tweaking and presenting them in a way that’s just a little bit different puts a fresh spin on them that makes them entirely unique. Oh, and my hubby? The one that likes his boring old mashed potatoes on this side of his plate and the same old hunk of meat on the other side? He not only gobbled these up, he went back for more!

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, plus 1 
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
2 cups panko or bread crumbs 
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder 
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried dill
6 – 8 cups of canola oil, vegetable oil, or lard, for frying
3 – 4 cups of leftover mashed potatoes
Salt 
Pepper
Directions:

1.) Place leftover mashed potatoes into a large bowl. Add the mozzarella cheese and one of the eggs and combine thoroughly. One by one, take a small handful of potatoes and roll them into a ball, setting aside on a plate as you do.

2.) Set up a breading station. In one bowl, place the all-purpose flour. In a second bowl, place the remaining 3 eggs and beat lightly. In a third bowl add the panko or bread crumbs, the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, salt, and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs together with the seasoning to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients together.

3.) One by one, roll the balls first in the flour, making sure to thoroughly coat all sides. Then, dip in the egg, turn to coat, and remove, letting excess drip off. Lastly, place the ball into the bread crumb mixture and roll to coat all sides. Remove, set aside on another plate and repeat with remaining potato balls.

4.) When all potato balls have been formed and breaded, place canola oil in a large Dutch oven and heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or use a deep fryer.) When oil is hot, place mashed potato balls in, in batches if necessary. You’ll need to turn them after about 3 minutes in the oil to fry all sides. When one batch is finished, remove from the oil, place on a plate lined with paper towel, and sprinkle with salt, if desired. Then repeat with remaining uncooked mashed potato balls.

5.) Serve piping hot, and enjoy!

Pillsbury Grilled Firecracker Chicken Wings

Originally published on September 12, 2014

Here’s a fun story about chicken wings that shows how they went from kitchen scraps to one of the most expensive parts of the bird.

Before 1964, chicken wings were in fact considered to be one of the “garbage parts” of a whole chicken. They were often thrown out or thrown into a stock pot to be used as more of a flavouring than anything else. But it was at this time when proprietor of the Anchor Bar, Frank Bellissimo, mistakenly received a shipment of wings instead of chicken necks to make his famous stock, he didn’t want them to go to waste (and apparently, had no faith that they would make just as good a chicken stock as anything else.) So instead, he handed off the shipment to his wife, Teressa Bellissimo, and asked her to make an appetizer out of them that they could serve in the bar. She fried them up, doused them in hot sauce and, because the bar was in Buffalo, New York, called them “Buffalo wings.” Today, you can still visit the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, and see their banner sign out front that marks them as the “Home of the Original.”

Today’s chicken wing recipe doesn’t include a sauce of any kind (and that’s probably why my mom, who emailed me the link from Pillsbury, likes them so much,) but they are still full of flavour – and to boot, they’re super easy and quick to make!

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken wings
2 tablespoons chili powder 
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon pepper 

Directions:

1.) Place chili powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, garlic salt, cumin, and pepper into a large resealable bag. Shake well to thoroughly mix all spices and then add the chicken. Shake again to thoroughly coat the chicken in the spices and then place in the fridge for at least one hour to marinate. You can leave the chicken in longer than that, but don’t leave them any longer than 24 hours.

2.) Heat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium heat. When hot, add the chicken directly onto the grill, or place them in a grill basket to cook. Close the lid of the grill or tent an indoor grill with aluminum foil to cover. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, turning chicken after 10 minutes. When done, juices of the chicken should run clear and the inside should reach a temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

How to REALLY Barbecue Ribs

Originally published on September 13, 2014

I’ve always stayed away from putting ribs on the barbecue because whenever I did it, the flames would burn the outside in minutes, leaving me with a tough bark that coated reallytough meat, or that left the meat inside still very close to raw. But this summer was different. This summer I played around a lot more with indirect heat, and when you use this cooking method for barbecuing ribs, the results are exactly what you want – tender meat that almost, almost falls right off the bone (unless you accidentally poke your tongs through them when removing them from the grill the way I did. Then they all fall apart.)

Ingredients:

2 racks back ribs 
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for serving
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1.) In a bowl combine paprika, chili powder, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix together thoroughly and then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Sprinkle this mixture entirely over both racks of ribs and rub into the meat, massaging as you go to really penetrate into the meat. Place in a casserole dish, cover with plastic wrap, and then place in the fridge. Let them sit for at least one hour, and up to overnight.

2.) After ribs have marinated in the rub, heat an indoor grill to medium heat (for the time being you’ll need to heat both sides of the ribs grill rack. When hot, turn off one side of the grill and close lid to keep warm and build up a bit of smoke inside.

3.) While the grill is heating, remove the ribs from the casserole dish and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Place on the side of the grill that does not have a burner turned on. Close lid, and let ribs cook for 2 – 3 hours, depending on their size, until they are fully cooked through and the meat pulls away from the bone after a slight tug on it.

4.) Leaving the grill on, remove ribs and unwrap them from the foil. Brush both sides of each rack liberally with the barbecue sauce and then place them back onto the grill, directly over the flame. Let them cook for another 5 minutes on one side, then flip and let cook for another five minutes, just until they are a bit charred and all sauce is heated through. Then turn off heat, place ribs on a serving platter and cut into portion sizes.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Stuffed Meatloaf

Originally published on September 15, 2014

I love my job. I work at a small restaurant here in town, and it’s not only a lot of fun, I also learn an immense amount about food while I’m there. I work under a great sous chef who recognizes my enthusiasm for cooking and he’s always asking me questions like, “have you ever made such-and-such before?” or “have you ever tried this?” And sometimes he stops with the questions and just offers me great ideas and advice on things I can make right at home – and then put on my blog, of course. The idea for stuffed meatloaf was his, and it excited me because, well, we all know how much I love meatloaf, and that I’m always looking for ways to shake up this classic dish. The idea of what to stuff it with was on me. Things always seem to work out for me when I go Italian and the best way to do that was to stuff it with some ricotta and spinach, and load up the actual loaf itself with all kinds of Italian flavour. It was delicious and trust me when I say the picture does not do it justice.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 
1 pound medium ground pork
1 onion, grated 
4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 cup bread crumbs, plus 1 cup
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried dill
2 cups ricotta cheese 
1 package frozen spinach, thawed, drained, with any tough stems removed
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease the sides of a loaf pan with oil.

2.) Place bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl, mix, and let sit for 5 minutes to allow time for the bread to soak up that milk. In a large bowl place ground beef, ground pork, grated onion and garlic, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and dried herbs. Season generously with salt and pepper and mix lightly so that all the ingredients are combined, but the meat is not overworked.

3.) To make the ricotta mixture, place ricotta cheese in a medium-sized bowl. Squeeze any remaining moisture out of the spinach, and add to ricotta. Season lightly with salt and pepper and mix ingredients together thoroughly.

4.) Lightly press half of the meat mixture into the loaf pan. Directly down the centre, leaving an inch of edge along the sides of the meat, make a small well. Do this by gently pressing the meat mixture down and up so that the stuffing has a small space to sit on. Fill this space with the spinach and ricotta mixture, mounding it slightly.

5.) Place the remaining 1/2 of the meat mixture on top of the bottom layer and the stuffing mixture. Make sure the meat covers the stuffing entirely, pressing it down over top the other layer of meat and the stuffing.

6.) Place bread crumbs into the melted butter and give them a minute or two to completely soak up the butter. After the butter has been absorbed, spread the bread crumbs over top of the meatloaf,making sure to cover the top of the loaf.

7.) Place the meatloaf into the oven and bake for 60 – 75 minutes, until its bubbling along the sides and is completely cooked through. Check on it periodically and if its browning too quickly on top, loosely cover with aluminum foil.

8.) Remove from oven and let the loaf rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

9.) Serve and enjoy!

Caprese Salad

Originally published on September 16, 2014

Caprese salad is the ultimate dish to show how you can make something beautiful and delicious using only a few ingredients, and just letting them shine. It’s also a dish perfect for those who like to keep things classic and traditional, and also those that like to put a spin on things. I’ve kept it classic here, but you can do so much with this salad. Just a few ideas are to use cherry tomatoes and bocconcini, put the ingredients on skewers, or dress it up with a balsamic reduction. The only thing I suggest is that you always use fresh mozzarella (you know the kind, it’s in a ball in the cheese section and will cost a couple more dollars than the blocks of cheese you’ll find in the dairy section.) Don’t stray from this. It makes a huge difference, trust me.

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes, sliced 1/4″ thick (these should be slightly thick, giving you 4 or 5 slices from each tomato)
1 8 – 10 ounce ball of mozzarella cheese, sliced to the same thickness of the tomatoes
10 – 14 leaves fresh basil 
1 teaspoon good quality extra virgin olive oil 
Salt 
Pepper

Directions:

1.) Place a row of tomatoes on the end of a plate. I only used two here in a row, but you can use as many as you need.For us this was a side dish for pasta, so we didn’t need too many. Place some slices of the fresh mozzarella about halfway up the tomatoes, then layer another row of tomatoes over the cheese. Continue until you have used up all your tomatoes and cheese. Then, stuff basil leaves behind the cheese, so that you can still see them.

2.) Drizzle the entire plate with some olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. When seasoning, sprinkle the salt and pepper from a height so that everything gets seasoned evenly.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

Cauliflower and Green Bean Casserole

Originally published on September 18, 2014

The air definitely has that certain chill to it, reminding us that winter is just around the corner, and it’s time to start pulling out those comfort foods. And, I don’t know, lately I’ve really been appreciating the cauliflower and all the comfort that it brings. That’s especially true when it’s steamed until tender and then added to my very favourite vegetable – the mighty green bean – and everything is covered in a creamy cheese sauce. That’s what makes up this dish, which is really just a gratin, but calling it a casserole just seemed so much more comforting somehow.

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, with the florets removed, cleaned, and trimmed
1 pound green beans, cleaned and trimmed
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese 
3/4 cup coarse bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1.) Preheat an oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish.

2.) Place 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. When melted, add the onion and garlic and stir. Cook for two or three minutes, just until the onion is soft and the entire mixture is fragrant.

3.) Sprinkle flour over the entire mixture and cook, while stirring, for another two minutes to cook the flour out. Using a whisk, very slowly pour in the milk, whisking as you add it and breaking up lumps. (Start very slowly at first, you’ll be able to add the milk in more quickly at the end, as the flour mixture becomes smoother and looser.)

4.) Once all of the milk has been whisked in, add the nutmeg and let cook for about 10 minutes, until mixture becomes very hot and thickens slightly.

5.) While the sauce is cooking, place cauliflower and green beans in a steamer tray set into a large pot, with about 1/2″ of water sitting in the bottom. Sprinkle the cauliflower and green beans with salt, cover and heat over high heat until it begins steaming, and then steam for about 2 minutes, until the cauliflower is fork-tender. After vegetables are finished cooking, place them into an ice bath and let sit for a few minutes, until they are completely cooled down; then drain and place into a large bowl.

6.) Once sauce mixture has thickened, turn heat off and add the Parmesan cheese a little at a time, stirring it it until it completely melts into the sauce before adding more cheese. After all cheese has been added, taste and season with salt and pepper and stir. Pour the sauce over the vegetables, and stir to coat them generously in the sauce. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

7.) Melt the other two tablespoons of butter either in a saucepan or in the microwave. Add the bread crumbs with a pinch of salt, stir to thoroughly combine and let the bread soak up the butter. Sprinkle this mixture evenly and entirely over the vegetables.

8.) Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the entire thing is hot and bubbling. If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil.

9.) Serve and enjoy!

Chicken and Ricotta Quiche

Originally published on September 19, 2014

To make a really good quiche, it needs to meet three criteria: it needs to be creamy, it needs height, and it’s got to have a crust. Let’s face it. “Crustless Quiche” may have had its day, but it has come and gone. This dish meets all of my self-made criteria. Ricotta and cream ensure that even after it’s fully cooked it will still be creamy when you cut into it, and that buttery pie crust brings everything together (not to mention makes it a quiche and not an egg bake.) Beating the eggs to their ultimate finish is easiest to do in a stand mixer, but if you don’t have one use a whisk or a hand mixer and just make sure to beat the heck out of them.

Ingredients:

1 pie crust, rolled and placed into a pie dish
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup zucchini, grated with moisture squeezed out
2 small tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup mozzarella, Havarti, or Monterey Jack cheese, grated
4 eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
4 slices bacon, cut in half and par-cooked (not crispy)
Salt
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Melt the butter in a skillet set over medium heat and then add the onion and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the rosemary and the dill, season with salt and pepper and stir while cooking for about one minute (this allows the fresh herbs to bloom and flavour the dish.) Remove from heat.

3.) Add chicken, zucchini, tomatoes, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and onion/garlic mixture into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and combine all ingredients thoroughly. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

4.) In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs very well until they are quite frothy. Add the cream and the milk and continue beating for another minute. Season with salt and pepper and beat again for another minute. Add the egg mixture to the bowl with the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.

5.) Pour egg mixture into the prepared pie crust. Add the bacon slices around the surface of the quiche.

6.) Place the quiche into the oven and bake for 60 minutes, until it is cooked through but the centre still has a bit of jiggle to it. When done, remove the quiche from the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes before slicing into it and serving.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Nigella’s 40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken

Originally published on September 21, 2014

The French are really just a meat and potatoes kind of people, aren’t they? It’s funny, because whenever French cooking comes up (with just about anyone,) talk usually turns to how difficult it is, how much butter is used, and for goodness sakes – all those different sauces! But when you take a minute to really look at French cooking, you can see it for what it is – meat, potatoes, and simple cooking. That’s exactly what this recipe for 40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken turned out to be – so simple, so delicious, and so so juicy (even without a fancy sauce to serve alongside it.) This particular recipe comes not from someone who’s actually French, but from Nigella Lawson, that super sassy Brit that also makes simple food, but makes it really, really well and with just the tiniest bit of flare. I do urge you to actually count out the garlic cloves as you go. Not because I think it will make a difference if you add 39 cloves or 41 cloves, but because it’s just more fun.

Ingredients:

4 chicken legs with back attached
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
8 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme 
40 cloves of garlic, separated but unpeeled
2 tablespoons dry white wine 
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop over high heat. When hot, season the chicken with salt and pepper and place into the hot pan. Sear for a few minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crispy then turn and cook for another few minutes until the other side is also golden brown and crispy. Remove the chicken from the pan and place in a large shallow bowl or platter.

3.) Add the thin slices of onion to the pan, along with some of the leaves from a few sprigs of thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper, and quickly stir and cook just for a minute or two. Then, turn off the heat and add 20 cloves of garlic to the bottom of the pan. Place the chicken back into the pan and top with the remaining 20 cloves of garlic. Add the white wine to the juices left in the bowl by the chicken, swirl it around to mix it up a bit, and then pour into the pan. Add the remaining sprigs of thyme throughout the pan, and cover with aluminum foil.

4.) Place the chicken into the oven and cook until chicken is juicy and nearly falling apart, about 1 1/2 hours. When chicken is finished cooking, remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

5.) Serve, with crusty bread, and enjoy!