Crostini

Originally published on May 29, 2015

There’s a reason that we use the term “sliced bread” when we’re talking about how good something is. Nothing really beats soft and airy bread that melts in your mouth – and if you can get a loaf that has just come from a bakery and still has that fresh out of the oven smell, even better. But truthfully, bread doesn’t have to be soft and light to be good. In fact, you can slather it with some oil and seasoning, dry it out in the oven, and you might just find it’s much tastier than it was before it went in. That’s what this crostini recipe is all about – simple, beautiful bread that’s tasty, tasty. And while I urge you to swipe a piece or two as it comes out of the oven, leave some for the amazing dip and spread you can use to top them with.

Ingredients:

1 baguette, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup – 1/2 cup olive oil
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.) Brush one side of each slice of baguette with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper over both. Place in the oven and bake for 10 – 15 minutes, until crostini is firm and starting to brown. Flip the crostini over about halfway through baking time.

3.) Serve and enjoy, or place in an airtight resealable bag, squeezing all of the excess air out, and store at room temperature for one week.

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

Originally published on May 30, 2015

I’m sort of conflicted as to why artichoke and spinach dip appears on just about every single restaurant menu. On the one hand, it’s absolutely delicious. I mean, it’s so good that you don’t even care if you wreck your appetite for that $15 meal you ordered that will arrive after that dip, so it’s easy to see why restaurants would push it. On the other hand though, it’s so simple to make at home I don’t understand why anyone would pay to have someone else make it for them. Seriously, this dip takes just two minutes in the mixer, then 15 in the oven; and when it comes out, you’ll have an ooey gooey dip that’s perfect for any party – or just when you need a snack.

1 box (10 oz.) frozen cut or chopped spinach, thawed
1 jar (12 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
Crostini, pita chips, or tortilla chips, to serve

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Place the spinach between two sheets of paper towel and squeeze all of the excess water out.

3.) Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment and whip until it’s softened. Add the spinach, artichokes, cream cheese, sour cream, and cheddar. Season with salt and pepper and mix everything together. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

4.) Spoon the mixture into a round oven-proof casserole dish and smooth out the top so that the dip cooks evenly. Place the dish into the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the cheese has melted and the dish is entirely hot throughout.

5.) Serve with chips, crostini or crackers, and enjoy!

How to Supreme an Orange

Originally published on June 3, 2015

When I first started thinking of garnishes for the blog, to be honest, I didn’t know if it was something that was really worthwhile. But as time has marched on and I’ve found more and more pretty and delectable garnishes, I’ve found that it’s truly got some merit to it – especially when it’s something as dainty as a orange that has been “Supremed”. Many people think that this technique is “segmenting” an orange but in truth, if you want to do that, all you have to do is peel the orange and separate all the pieces. If you want the garnish that gives you a jeweled orange to sit atop any salad or other dish, you must Supreme it. And it’s really easy to do. Here’s how:

  • Start by cutting off both ends of the orange. You don’t want to take too much of the orange when you do this, just enough to show the flesh of the orange.
  • Stand the orange up on one of its ends. Using a short paring knife, cut the peel off the orange just where the white membrane meets the pulp of the orange. Let the knife follow the curve of the fruit, slicing the peel away as you do.
  • Now, if there is a tricky part to this technique (which there’s really not), it’s getting those wedges out perfectly. Remember that if you just cut away where the membrane is, you’ll end up with those somewhat uglier segments that haven’t been Supremed, they’ve simply been cut out of the orange. To get the Supreme wedges, cut each wedge just inside of those membranes. You’ll need to cut them out on a slight angle, and then repeat with the opposite side before continuing on with the rest of the orange.

That’s really all there is to it! Just three simple steps to take an orange from average to Supreme. Now, how are you going to use it now that you’ve got it? In any way you choose!

Harvest Salad

Originally published on June 4, 2015

This salad sort of comes from my work. While we serve a salad that’s very, very similar to this (and we do call it Harvest Salad), I did have to make several substitutions due to what I had in my fridge. It’s so good, I often say I’m pretty sure this 

This salad sort of comes from my work. While we serve a salad that’s very, very similar to this (and we do call it Harvest Salad), I did have to make several substitutions due to what I had in my fridge. It’s so good, I often say I’m pretty sure this salad isn’t even good for you. It tastes like candy!!

Ingredients:

For the salad:

  • 2 cups, firmly packed, fresh spinach $1.49
  • 1 orange (I cut my wedges in half but you can leave them whole if you’d like) 
  • 1/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup cucumber, cut in a large dice
  • 1/4 cup candied pecans 
  • 2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled 

For the salad dressing:

  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh raspberries (can use frozen, just thaw them first)
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon seedless raspberry jelly
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Directions:

1.) Place spinach in a large bowl and place all other salad ingredients on top.

2.) One by one, measure out and place all dressing ingredients in a large measuring cup. Process with an immersion blender to fully combine and emulsify the salad dressing. Pour as much as you’d like over the salad and save the rest in an airtight container in the fridge.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

 

Glazed Sausage Kabobs

Originally published on June 7, 2015

My kids love food on a stick, and I love making it for them. These sausage kabobs are true perfection. They’re easy, they’ve got a ton of flavour and, put a platter down in front of any group and you’ll soon have tons of “oohs” and “ahs” headed your way. Even if that weren’t the case, I am still dreaming about these sausage kabobs.

Ingredients:

4 Italian sausages, cut into approximately 1 1/2″ pieces
About 20 cherry tomatoes
1 large handful of basil leaves
3 tablespoons peach preserves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil
Skewers, soaked in water if wood to avoid burning

Directions:

1.) Place basil leaves on a cutting board or other surface and drizzle olive oil over them. Gently rub the basil leaves together and turn them to thoroughly coat them in the oil. This will prevent them from burning on the grill.

2.) Assemble the skewers by threading the ingredients in this order: sausage, tomato, basil. Continue threading the ingredients in this order until all skewers have been made.

3.) Heat grill to medium heat. When hot, place kabobs onto the grill and cook for about 10 minutes, until sausages are completely cooked and brown.

4.) While kabobs are cooking, make the glaze. Place the peach preserves and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine and heat over medium-low heat until the glaze has reached a nice consistency and is hot throughout.

5.) Remove kabobs from the grill and place on a serving platter or cutting board. Brush the glaze over top.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

French Potato Salad

Originally published on June 11, 2015

Need a potato salad for a barbecue or potluck this summer? This might just be the one you’re looking for. With just a few ingredients this is one salad in which the potatoes really shine. It’s super tasty and you can make it the night before and have your side all ready to go for dinner the next day. One of the ways this salad beats other potato salads, especially in these hot, humid months, is that it doesn’t contain any dairy so it can sit out for a little while and you don’t have to mess around with keeping it on ice.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1/4 red onion, sliced
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Directions:

1.) Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water; salt the water generously. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are cooked through and just fork-tender. Drain and rinse potatoes under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Drain again thoroughly.

2.) While potatoes are cooking prepare the dressing. In a large bowl whisk together the oil, mustard, vinegar, shallots, parsley, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

3.) Add potatoes and red onion to the bowl of dressing and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or, place the potato salad in an airtight container and store in the fridge overnight, up to three days.

4.) Serve and enjoy!

Corn and Black Bean Salad

Originally published on June 12, 2015

While preparing my menu for my daughter’s First Communion last month, I knew I wanted to put out a terrific bean salad of some sort, and that I wanted to keep it relatively simple – simple has been my thing lately. As I started rinsing beans, shucking corn, and whipping together the vinaigrette, I realized the salad I was making was very similar to the one we made for our Mother’s Day buffet at work. With tons of leftovers I ate 

bean salad for the rest of the week. As the week went on, the entire dish became even more flavorful.

Ingredients:

2 cans (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed 
4 ears corn, shucked with the kernels cut off
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
Zest of 2 limes 
Juice of 6 limes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1.) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Cover tightly and place in fridge for at least 3 hours to allow the flavours of the bean salad to marry.

2.) Serve at room temperature, and enjoy!

How to Make Perfect French Toast

Originally published on June 29, 2015

French toast is something that seems pretty easy, doesn’t it? I mean, you take some bread, let it go for a swim in milk and eggs, and then fry it up in a boatload of butter. But, if you want to get French toast that you’ll be thinking about for the rest of the day, there are a few things you can do to make this breakfast basic truly fantastic.

  • Use the right bread. That thinly sliced Wonder bread might be fresh, soft and delicious, but it’s not the stuff you want to use for French toast. If you do, it will fall flat – if it doesn’t fall apart first. What you want to use is a thick bread that has a very dense crumb. Think cake, but in bread form. Oh yeah, it’s already gettin’ good! Thick-sliced country bread, Challah, and brioche are all great choices that will stand up to the soaking you’re about to put it through.
  • The drier the bread, the better. Bread is already pretty moist. Add more moisture to that and well, you can guess what’s going to happen. By using dry bread, the custard have plenty to soak into so either lay your bread out the night before or put it in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes before making your French toast.
  • Strain your custard. This is a must. Even if you’ve whipped up your custard using a mixer, there’s a chance that you’ll still have stringy bits of egg in there – and that does not a good custard make. Instead, strain it before you place your bread in and you’ll have smooth, rich custard with no stringy bits.
  • Use full fat. You are, after all, having French toast. Now is not the time to skimp. Unless you have some kind of food allergy or special dietary requirements, use full-fat cream or at the very least, full-fat milk. Again, this will help add to the creaminess of the custard and you’ll be happy you did.
  • Really saturate that bread. Just getting the surface of the bread wet will give you a creamy exterior, but you’ll find it also won’t penetrate the bread enough to give you that soft, creamy interior. To make sure that my bread is really saturated, I place my bread on the custard, flip it over, and then push the bread down into the custard, holding it completely submerged for a few seconds. If you’re using the right bread, it still won’t fall apart, but it will give you that creamy, yolky inside you’re looking for.
  • Get that pan hot! And you need to do it before you put any bread in. If you don’t, the egg is going to seep out from underneath it and form a pool for the French toast to cook in. It won’t only be difficult to cook, it will be difficult and unappetizing to eat. By making sure your pan is hot, hot, hot, the eggs will start to cook as soon as they hit it, and you’ll be on your way to perfect French toast.
  • After frying it, bake it. Okay, this isn’t a must for perfect French toast, but it’s a technique I’ve recently found and have fallen in love with. Baking French toast makes it act a bit like quiche in the way that it will puff up and become even more luscious. Just like quiche, it will start to fall quickly after you’ve removed it from the oven but if nothing else, it really fills the house with all those great baking aromas. It makes me happy, happy, and I bet it will for you, too.
  • Use the recipe below. It’s the one I use when I’m cooking French toast for my family, and I haven’t had any complaints yet.

1 1/3 cups full-fat milk or cream
3 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar 
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
6 – 8 slices thick bread
4 tablespoons butter, for frying
Powdered sugar and/or maple syrup, for serving

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Whisk the milk or cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Strain the custard into a shallow bowl or casserole dish.

3.) Soak the bread in the custard mixture. You can do this in batches, soaking some slices while frying the others, or if your dish is big enough, you can do it all at once.

4.) Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted and is starting to foam, your pan is hot enough to add the bread. If your frying pan is big enough you can do all the slices at once, or fry them in batches and move them to a baking sheet as they’re finished. You want to fry the French toast for a couple of minutes on each side. This is building the crunchy exterior that’s one of the best parts of French toast.

5.) Once all of your French toast has been fried, place it all on the baking sheet and place the entire thing in the oven. Bake the French toast for 8 – 10 minutes until it’s entirely golden and puffed up.

6.) Sprinkle all French toast with powdered sugar and/or drizzle with maple syrup and serve and enjoy!

How to BBQ a Whole Chicken

Originally published on July 11, 2015

Throwing an entire chicken on the grill and barbecuing it can seem like a daunting task. But if you forget about the fire and gas and just focus on cooking the chicken, you’ll find it’s not much different than roasted chicken that comes out of the oven. Of course, with that comes the fact that when barbecuing chicken, you may still have some of the problems that you do when roasting it, namely overcooking and drying out the white meat. Learn how to BBQ a whole chicken while avoiding those problems, and this dish makes a pretty impressive centrepiece.

  • Prepping the chicken. I used to think that spatchcocking a chicken simply helped it fit nicely onto the barbecue. The truth is though, spatchcocking in this case removes the biggest obstacle you’ll face – drying out the breasts before the legs and thighs are cooked. When you spatchcock a chicken, you untuck the dark meat from where it usually sits – underneath the breasts and under layers and layers of fat. This is why they typically take so long to cook. But take them out from under the bird and they’ll cook in just about the same amount of time as the white meat.
  • Season, season, season. Even though you’re using a barbecue instead of an oven, you’re still dealing with chicken, which can be kind of bland on its own. Whether you’re just using salt and pepper or your favourite barbecue rub, sprinkle it generously over both the top and underside of the chicken before you even think about placing it on the grill. If you’re going to be using barbecue sauce, save this until the very end, just as you would when roasting in the oven.
  • High and dry. When roasting chicken, high and dry is the way to go, meaning high heat and no water or moisture added to the pan. Roasting chicken this way is how you get that crispy, crackly skin that’s always the best part of the chicken. When barbecuing chicken, the high and dry concept still holds true – but you need to be careful with the heat. If you just fire up the grill and throw the whole thing on over full heat, you’ll end up with chicken that’s burnt on the outside, under-cooked on the inside, and lots of flareups along the way. Instead, use indirect heat by lighting only one side of the grill. Clean the racks and light one side of the grill to its highest temperature. Close the lid, and wait for the grill to preheat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. When hot, open the lid and oil the racks. Turn the direct heat side down to medium-low. This will heat the entire interior of the grill, without having to worry about your bird charring and burning along the way.
  • Positioning the chicken. How you place the chicken onto the grill also makes a huge difference in the way it will cook. Make sure the legs and thighs are pointed towards the hottest part of the grill. On my gas grill, this meant laying the chicken sideways, with the legs and thighs closest the heat, while the entire chicken was still over the indirect heat side of the grill. This will help them cook faster than the white meat, which will be the furthest away from the heat, making sure the entire bird is cooked evenly through without being over-done or under-done.
  • Start skin-side up. Often when roasting chicken, we start at a high heat to sear and crisp the skin before letting the chicken through at a slightly lower temperature. But when you put a chicken on the barbecue, you need to do it the other way around, otherwise your crispy skin will quickly turn into a soggy, rubbery mess. So, for the entire time the chicken is cooking over indirect heat, keep it skin-side up. Doing it this way will allow the skin to protect the meat and lock in all that juiciness.
  • Knowing when it’s done. Using a meat thermometer is the easiest way to test the doneness of the chicken, but you can also use the thigh test you use when roasting a chicken or turkey. Just gently separate the thigh from the rest of the bird and check to see if the juices run clear. You can also use the finger poke test to test the firmness, and therefore the doneness, of the meat, just like you would with steak.
  • Finishing it off. Once the chicken has completely cooked over indirect heat, it’s time to finish it off by placing it skin-side down over direct heat. If you’re using barbecue sauce, now is the time to slather it on. And don’t worry, the chicken should only be directly over the flame for a few minutes, so it won’t burn. Remember that once the skin is crispy and the chicken is entirely cooked through, only flip the bird over to move it off the heat and onto a platter. Flipping it while it’s still over direct heat will only release all of the juices that you’ve collected throughout the cooking time.
  • Serve, and enjoy! After the grill has been turned off and the chicken has been fully cooked, whether or not you cut it at the table or beforehand is entirely up to you. I will tell you though that placing the whole chicken in the middle of the table will echo your own “oohs” and “aahs” that were muttered during cooking time. Whatever you do, let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes after removing it from the heat, as always.

Stir Fry Chicken with Garlic Sauce

Originally published on July 20, 2015

I’ve always tackled my stir fry the same way. Stir fry the meat, add a large mixture of vegetables then your sauce, and serve over rice or noodles. I’m not sure what inspiration I was feeling last time I made chicken stir fry, but I suddenly wanted to try something different, beyond just the sauce and side. Instead of adding a bunch of vegetables, I stuck to a simple spinach mix; and instead of stir-frying it all together, I used separate pans and brought everything together at the end of cooking time. I also marinated the chicken (something I hardly ever do) and I have to say, this might just be my favourite way to stir fry.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed 
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water 
1/4 cup honey 
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
2 bunches baby spinach 
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1.) In a large bowl combined the garlic, soy sauce, water, honey, cornstarch, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Mix thoroughly, add the chicken, and turn to completely coat the chicken in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for two hours.

2.) Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When hot add the chicken and stir fry for 8 – 10 minutes. Reserve the remaining marinade.

3.) While chicken is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a separate skillet set over medium heat. When hot add the chopped mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes, until they just start to brown. Then add spinach, salt, and pepper, and cook just until the spinach has wilted, turning occasionally.

4.) When chicken is done stir-frying, add the reserved marinade and cook for another 5 minutes, until the marinade has turned into a glaze and coats the chicken.

5.) To plate, add cooked spinach mixture over top of rice or noodles, and pile chicken on top of spinach.

6.) Serve and enjoy!