Poutine

Poutine! The quintessential French-Canadian comfort food. Fries covered in fresh cheese curds and gravy. Does it get any better than that? While at the Farmer's Market a couple of weeks ago, I picked up some farm fresh cheese curds. In my area fresh curds are hard to find. Heck, even un-fresh curds are hard to find! This was a real treat and I wasn't about to let it go to waste.


From Wikipedia:

In the basic recipe for poutine, French fries are topped with fresh cheese curds, and covered with brown gravy or sauce. The French fries are of medium thickness, and fried so that the inside stays soft, while the outside is crunchy. The gravy used is generally a light chicken, veal or turkey gravy, mildly spiced with a hint of pepper, or a sauce brune which is a combination of beef and chicken stock, originating in Quebec. Heavy beef or pork-based brown gravies are rarely used. Fresh cheese curds (not more than a day old) are used. To maintain the texture of the fries, the cheese curd and gravy is added immediately prior to serving the dish.

In the past when I made poutine I would use a packet of powdered Poutine Gravy Mix. This time I decided to try my own. It turned out well and was quite easy. I used pre-cut frozen fries because they bake up crispy on the outside and soft on the inside - perfect for a traditional Poutine. Serve for lunch or dinner; as a side or a main.

For the gravy I mixed half a cup of chicken broth, half cup of beef broth and a splash of red wine in a saucepan. I simmered it on medium-high heat until it was reduced by a third. I added a teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with a splash of water and whisked until the sauce thickened. Finally, I seasoned it with salt and pepper. I baked the fries until crisp and placed them on a plate. I sprinkled a generous amount of cheese curds on top of the fries then drizzled with an equally generous amount of piping hot gravy. Delicious!

P.S... It's pronounced "Poo-Tin" but since French is my second language, I'm okay with "Poo-Tine". ;-)

Roast Beef with Red Wine Mushroom Gravy

I was in Toronto last week to visit some friends. While there I visited the famous St. Lawrence Market, where I bought a jar of deliciously potent Horseradish Mustard from Kozlik's Canadian Mustard. For three days I have been craving this mustard slathered over a juicy slice of roast beef. Incidentally, if you are interested in trying Kozlik's, they are sold at several stores in the Lower Mainland, including Thrifty Foods in Coquitlam!

Recipe adapted from the Canadian Beef Producers website.

Roast Beef

2-4 lb beef oven roast (I used an inside round roast)
6 cloves of garlic, cut into thin slivers (about 3 slices per clove)
course salt and fresh cracked pepper
beef & steak seasoning rub (optional)

1. Remove roast from refrigerator 1-2 hours before cooking to bring to room temperature. (A room temperature roast will brown better!)

2. Cut shallow slits all over roast and insert garlic slivers into slits. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Rub with beef & steak seasoning rub if desired.


3. Place roast, fatty side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into centre of the roast. Cook, uncovered at 450°F for 10 minutes, turning once. Reduce heat to 275°F and cook until thermometer reads 140°F for medium-rare to medium. For a small to medium roast this could take 1-1/4 to 2-1/4 hours. For a larger roast this could take 2-1/4 to 3 hours. Cooking times are estimates only and vary oven to oven. Different roast types and shape can also affect cooking times. Check the chart below for a guideline and be sure to check on your roast after 1 hour and ever 15 - 30 minutes thereafter. My 2.12 pound roast took 1 hour and 25 minutes reach 140°F internal temperature and it was cooked perfectly medium-rare. It would be even easier if you have a digital thermometer where you can set the desired temperature and it will notify you when that temperature is reached. Unfortunately, I don't have one of those!

4. When desired temperature is reached, remove roast from oven and cover loosely with foil. Let stand for 15-20 minutes before removing to a cutting board for slicing.



Red Wine Mushroom Gravy

3 tablespoons pan drippings from roasting pan
2 teaspoons butter
4 large white mushrooms, sliced
1 cup beef broth
1 cup red wine
2 teaspoons fresh cracked mixed peppercorns
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with a splash or two of water.

1. Pour 3 tablespoons of drippings from the roasting pan into a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat. Add butter and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have browned and sauce reduced by half.

2. Add broth, wine and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer until mixture has reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.

3. Add cornstarch to pan and whisk continually until gravy has thickened. Pour over steak and mashed potatoes!

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

This is a great make-ahead meal. I cooked up a big pot before going back to work to use as lunches for the week ahead.

1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
1/2 medium red pepper, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
4-5 large button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 19 oz can red kidney beans
1 - 14 oz can chickpeas
1 - 5.5oz can tomato paste
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon sliced pickled green chilies or banana peppers (optional)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

1. Add everything to your crock pot and stir together to mix well.

2. Cook on high for 3-4 hours.

3. Serve over cooked rice or quinoa and top with shredded cheese or sour cream!

This post is part of Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist.

My Grandma's Meat Lasagna

My Grandma makes a very basic meat lasagna that can be easily adapted to suit your tastes. Add or omit whatever you'd like. The basic recipe is eight ingredients but my Grandma usually kicks it up a notch by adding some minced veggies to her sauce. The layers are simply noodle, meat sauce and cheese. If you want to fancy it up you could add spinach, ricotta or cottage cheese layers. Prep is fairly quick (it can be made and assembled up to a day in advance) and the lasagna cooks in under an hour.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 stalk celery, minced (optional)
1 large carrot, peeled & minced (optional)
3-4 large mushrooms, diced fine (optional)
2 14-ounce cans tomato sauce (I use 1 can sauce, 1 can diced)
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (optional)
1 pound of cheese (mozza, cheddar or whatever you want)
9 lasagna noodles

Directions:

1. Brown onions in oil. Add beef. Season with garlic power and Seasoning Salt. Cook until meat is browned. Drain excess fat. (My Grandma doesn't do this but I can't help myself!) Add carrot, celery and mushrooms and cook a few minutes until fragrant.

2. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and Italian Seasoning. Season with salt & pepper. Simmer slowly for 20-30 minutes.

3. While sauce is simmering, cook lasagna noodles in salted water, as directed by package instructions. Drain and set aside.

4. Prepare cheese by shredding or thinly slicing - your preference. I prefer to have shredded cheese for my layers and thin sliced cheese for the top.

5. When sauce has reduced slightly (if it's runny, simmer longer), arrange 3 noodles lengthwise across a baking dish. Cover with an even layer of meat sauce, followed by an even layer of shredded cheese. Top cheese with 3 more noodles, another layer of meat sauce and another layer of shredded cheese. Finish with the last 3 noodles and a layer of cheese slices.

6. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees (F) for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes.


Tastes better than it photographs!

Basic Roast Chicken & Gravy

See part one - Brining a Chicken.

Your chicken has been brined and it is at room temperature. You are ready to roast! Start by watching this video, from CHOW, on how to truss your chicken. Trussing ensures the wings and legs are firmly attached to the body so that the bird cooks evenly and the small extremities don't dry out. Trussing also allows the bird to be turned easily during cooking. Prior to trussing, salt and pepper the inside of the cavity.

Once your bird is trussed, you are really ready to roast!

Ingredients:

2-3 lb whole chicken, brined and trussed
2 tbsp butter at room temperature
1/4 cup butter, melted (or olive oil, or a mixture of the two)
salt and pepper
1 large carrot, cut into large chunks
1 onion, cut in quarters
1 celery stalk, cut into large chunks

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees (F).

2. Smear 2-3 tablespoons of room temperature butter over the outside of the bird. If you prefer, you could also brush olive oil all over.

3. Generously salt and pepper the outside of the bird. If you'd like, you can also sprinkle with dried herbs of your choice. Place the chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Arrange vegetables around the bird in the bottom of the pan. Here's a tip: I don't have a rack for my roasting pan so I propped my bird up ON TOP of the vegetables. As long as the bird doesn't sit on the bottom of the pan, anything goes!


4. Place pan in pre-heated oven and roast at the high heat for 15 minutes to get the top nice and brown. After 15 minutes, turn chicken and roast the other side for 15 minutes. Baste with melted butter. Turn back to breast side up, baste again and lower heat to 350 degrees (F).

5. Baste every 15-20 minutes. It may take up to 1 hour and 30 minutes to cook, but test for doneness after 50 minutes. The general rule of thumb is 30 minutes per pound. Stick a meat thermometer in the fattiest part of the thigh. The internal temperature should register 165-170 degrees (F). Any less and your chicken is undercooked. Any more and you risk a dried out bird. Remember that the chicken will continue cooking after you remove it from the oven. While cooking, if the legs, wings or breast start to get too browned, cover those bits with small pieces of tin foil to avoid burning.

6. Once proper internal temperature is reached, remove your bird from the oven and set on a plate or chopping board, covered with foil and leave to rest for 15-20 minutes. When ready to cut, check here for a tutorial on how to carve your chicken.


Serve with mashed potatoes, gravy and steamed veggies. A 2-3 pound chicken will adequately serve 2 or 3 people with a bit of left overs for soup, a stir fry or a casserole!

Chicken Gravy:

For gravy, try this White Wine Gravy from Martha Stewart. For a more simple gravy, try this one, like I used:

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken stock
1 heaping teaspoon cornstarch mixed with a splash of warm water
salt & pepper

Directions:

1. While chicken is resting, remove vegetables from roasting pan and discard. Scoop out and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Place roasting pan on a burner over high heat (if pan is large, place across two burners).

2. Add chicken stock to hot pan and using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom (this is called de-glazing the pan). Bring to a boil.

3. Pour in cornstarch and bring to a boil, stirring continually. When sauce has thickened to your desired consistency, it's ready. Season with salt and pepper. Strain sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a gravy boat or glass bowl.

Next time... homemade chicken stock using the left over carcass and bones.

Baked Mac & Cheese with Caramelized Onion, Bacon and Smoked Cheddar

I was craving carbs last night so I "whipped up" a really quick and simple homemade mac and cheese. It's really not as difficult or scary as it seems. You could make it even more quick and simple by leaving out the onions and bacon, but I suggest you leave them in!

Ingredients:

6 cups whole wheat pasta noodles
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
4 tbsp butter, divided
2 tbsp flour
1 bay leaf
1 cup milk
salt & pepper
1/2 cup smoked cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
5 sliced bacon, diced and cooked until crisp
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until cooked al dente (should still be slightly firm to the bite). Drain and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Toss well to coat noodles in oil so they will not stick together. Set aside.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter to a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook down until reduced and browned, about 15 minutes. Remove onions from skillet and set aside.

3. In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add flour and whisk continually until a paste is formed (this is called a roux). Add milk and bay leaf and continue stirring until sauce thickens slightly (this is a basic French Béchamel sauce). Add shredded cheese a bit at a time and continue to stir until cheese has melted. Add caramelized onion and diced bacon and stir together.

4. Add cooked noodles to cheese sauce mixture and stir together to coat. Pour into a greased 9x13 glass baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan over top and then top with breadcrumbs. Cut 1 tablespoon of butter into 4 small chunks and drop onto top of breadcrumbs in a few places.

5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until top is golden brown and crispy.

This post is linked to Twister Tuesday at GNOWFGLINS.

Stuffed Peppers - A Guest Post from my Cousin

I put the call out to some friends and family members for some guests posts. I've been a little swamped lately since going back to work after having most of the summer off. My cousin Tobe was the first to come to the rescue with Stuffed Peppers. Tobe doesn't have a blog but she loves to cook. She also guest starred in my post a few weeks back about Canning with Grandma. Without further ado...

Stuffed Peppers by Tobe

One of my fiancé's favourite Monday night football meals is "Stuffed Peppers". They are super easy to prepare and great to serve to all our hungry football fans. I decided to take a very basic stuffed peppers recipe and raise it a few notches to add some more flavour and take advantage of some fresh local ingredients.

I added 1 cup of shredded sharp white cheddar which gives a nice smokey flavour. Save a small handful to garnish the top; it makes a nice crusty gooey top on the peppers. If you can't fine sharp white cheddar, any cheddar will work. Instead if 2 cans of tomato sauce, I used 1 can and substituted the other for 1 jar of my Grandma's canned tomatoes. If you don't have canned tomatoes I would use 1 can of crushed tomatoes to give the sauce some texture. I combined organic ground beef and ground bison, instead of plain ground beef, to change the meat up a bit. Finally I added a few splashes of red wine to the meat mixture. It gave a little more depth and helped bring some more flavour to the dish.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked long grain wild rice
1 cup water
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground bison
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp red wine (few good splashes)
6 green bell peppers
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (8 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar (1/4 cup reserved for garnish)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes.

3. In a skillet over medium heat, add meats, red wine and Worcestershire sauce and cook the beef and bison until evenly browned.

4. Rinse bell peppers and remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.

5. In a bowl, mix the browned beef and bison, cooked rice, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can crushes tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, cheese, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.

6. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender. During last 20 minutes of baking, top with remaining cheese.

Enjoy with a side salad and some hot crusty bread!

My First Guest Post & Wild Mushroom & Garlic Crusted Steak

I was lucky enough to be asked by Kristen of Food Renegade to write a guest post for her blog. It was quite an honour, especially since I'm so new to the world of "Real Food". Kristen said she loved my photography and simple recipes and asked me to put together a grain-free, sugar-free recipe "for a tasty, but easy main dish". I was stumped at first. No grain? No sugar? But those are my two favourite things! In the end I stuck with my favourite, never fail, Red Wine Sautéed Mushrooms and a new one, Wild Mushroom and Garlic Crusted Steak. With flu season approaching I was planning on doing a new post about immunity boosters (see last year's), so I used this opportunity to plan a dinner around immunity boosting food. I was so excited about the project I had my post in to Kristen in just over 24 hours! The post is below or check it out on Food Renegade. The post and pictures look way better on her site! Enjoy and happy health!

P.S. This dish would be delicious with a bed of buttery mashed potatoes under the steak... or even better, horseradish spiked mashed potatoes!

Immunity Boosting Dinner
Autumn is just about here, summer holidays are over, kids are back in school, the weather is getting cooler and it’s beginning to rain more often. What does all this mean? Flu season is right around the corner! Along with the changing of seasons comes the onslaught of germs and viruses. I don’t get seasonal flu shots and can’t afford to be off sick from work, so this is the time of year I start super-charging my immune system by changing my diet to focus on “immunity boosting foods”.

It’s well documented which foods help boost immunity and fight off colds and flus. Prevention Magazine has a good list as does Yahoo! Health. My ultimate Immunity Boosting meal consists of a grass-fed sirloin steak for Zinc, Omega-3’s and Vitamins A & D, sautéed mushrooms for white blood cell support, and sautéed spinach and garlic for Vitamins A and C and bacteria fighting Allicin . Today I’m sharing recipes for a Wild Mushroom & Garlic Crusted Steak with Red Wine Sautéed Mushrooms. Pair with a side of simple sautéed spinach and a glass of antioxidant rich red wine, and it’s a complete meal with great health benefits. This dish would also be delicious with a bed of buttery mashed potatoes under the steak!

Prep Tips: Start the mushrooms first. While the mushrooms are browning, put together the Wild Mushroom & Garlic mixture and coat the steaks. After you turn the steaks once (Steak Step 3), add red wine to the mushrooms (Mushroom Step 3) and let simmer on low while steaks finish cooking and resting (15 minutes). Start cooking the spinach 5 minutes after you have placed the steaks on a plate to rest. Everything should be ready when the steak rest period is up.

The Barefood Contessa has a very simple, tasty sautéed spinach recipe. Check it out here.



Mushroom & Garlic Crusted Steak

4 Small Grass-Fed Steaks (Sirloin or Strip Loin work best)
14g Dried Wild Mushrooms, about 0.5 ounces by weight, (I used a mixture of Porcini, Chanterelle, Shitake, Lobster & Oyster mushrooms.)
1 tsp Whole Mixed Peppercorns
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tbsp Dehydrated Minced Garlic (preferably Roasted Garlic, if you can find it)
1 tbsp Dehydrated Minced Onion
1 tbsp Fresh or Dried Chopped Parsley
4 Cloves Fresh Garlic, Minced
2 tbsp Olive Oil, Divided

1. Add mushrooms and peppercorns to a spice grinder or food processor and grind until you have a course powder. Place mixture in a small bowl. Add salt, minced garlic, minced onion and parsley. Mix together. Add fresh garlic and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir mixture together to form a thick paste.

2. Place steaks on a plate and brush with a bit of olive oil. Press mushroom mixture onto each steak to coat. Turn steaks and do the same with the other side.

3. Heat a cast iron fry pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When pan and oil hot, add steaks to pan, two at a time if pan is small. You can also cook the steaks on the grill, if you prefer. Sear for 4-5 minutes per side, then move steaks to a plate and cover with foil to rest while you cook the other two. Let steaks rest 10 minutes before cutting.

Red Wine Sautéed Mushrooms

1 lb White Button or Brown Crimini Mushrooms
1/4 cup Unsalted Butter
Splash of Olive Oil (to keep butter from burning)
1/3 cup Dry Red Wine
Salt & Pepper to Taste

1. Brush or lightly rinse mushrooms to remove any visible dirt. Cut mushrooms in half or into quarters if they are very large.

2. Heat butter and olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until reduced, browned and tender.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low and add red wine. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until wine has reduced, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mushrooms onto plate beside steak and drizzle some extra sauce over the steak.

Lemony Seafood Pasta

Summer is nearly done. Holidays are over, the days are getting shorter, the weather cooler and the rain is falling. Soon we will be cooking butternut squash soup and crock pot roasts. In the meantime, keep the spirit of summer around a little longer with a light, simple and fresh pasta dinner.

I threw this together quickly before heading out to work one night. I put it in a pyrex "to go" container and snapped a picture. It tastes better than it looks!

Serves 2

10 ounces of penne, linguine or fettuccine, cooked according to package directions and drained
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
10 large shrimp, peeled & de-veined
10 large sea scallops
3 tbsp butter
8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
handful of fresh chopped parsley and basil
fresh grated Parmesan

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until starting to turn translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.

2. Stir in chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced.

3. Add shrimp and scallops to sauce pan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, turning seafood half way through, until shrimp and scallops are cooked and opaque.

4. Remove pan from heat and add butter. Stir until melted and sauce is thickened. Toss in tomatoes and cooked pasta. Sprinkle fresh herbs over top and toss gently to incorporate.

5. Divide evenly between two plates and sprinkle with more fresh herbs and fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

This post is part of Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade.

Bison Bean Burritos with Homemade Refried Beans & Guacamole

I'm going away for a few days so my fridge is a little bare. This is where creativity comes into play so I can get a wholesome dinner, made with real food, on the table. I pulled some bison ground out of the freezer, found a can of Eden Organics pinto beans in the cupboard, bought a couple avocados at the market yesterday and plucked three ripe tomatoes from my tomato plant. A mish mash Mexican meal is in the works. Bison and bean burritos, with fresh Pico de Gallo and Guacamole.

Step 1: Dice up some Pico

Make your Pico de Gallo using this recipe. Improvise for ingredients you don't have. As long as you have tomatoes, you can whip up a simple Pico.

Step 2: Make the beans

Homemade Refried Beans

-1 can organic black or pinto beans, drained (but not rinsed)
-1/4 cup fresh Pico de Gallo or other fresh salsa
-1 tbsp pickled jalapeño or banana peppers (optional)
-1 tbsp bacon fat (optional - but adds great flavour!)

1. Add the first three ingredients to a bowl and mix together. Using an immersion blender, quickly blend together the beans and salsa, leaving a chunky texture.

2. Add bacon fat to a heated cast iron frying pan, then pour in beans. Cook on medium-low, stirring occasionally, while you prepare other dishes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, before serving.

Step 3: Prepare the Guac

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados
1/4 cup Pico de Gallo
salt & pepper to taste

1. Cut avocados in half and scoop flesh into a bowl. Add Pico de Gallo and mash together using a fork or small masher. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you have a fresh lemon or lime you may want to add a splash of juice as well.

Step 4: Cook the meat

Bison Burrito Meat

1 lb ground bison meat
2 tbsp Jill's Mexican Seasoning or other homemade Mexican or taco seasoning blend.

1. Add a bit of olive oil to a sauté pan and heat over medium-high. Add bison and cook until starting to brown. Break apart larger pieces with spatula.

2. Add Mexican seasoning and a couple tablespoons of warm water. Stir together. Reduce heat slightly and simmer until meat is cooked through.

Step 5: Assemble



Whole Wheat Tortilla Shells
Prepared ground bison
Prepared refried beans
Prepared guacamole
Prepared Pico de Gallo
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)

1. Lay a tortilla shell on a plate and layer fillings of your choice down the centre of the tortilla. Fold tortilla into a burrito and serve with more sour cream, guacamole and Pico de Gallo on the side. Alternatively, if you don't want to use tortillas or don't have them on hand, layer your ingredients in a bowl for a Mexican Fiesta Bowl. Also very delicious!

Chicken in Apricot Sauce

Apricots are in season locally so how about apricots for dinner tonight?

Adapted from Eating Well Magazine

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (preferably pastured & organic)
salt & pepper
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp coconut oil
3/4 cup white wine or vermouth
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 shallot, minced
1 yellow pepper, cut into small squares
3 fresh apricots, pitted and chopped (for about 1 cup chopped apricots)
2 tbsp homemade apricot preserves
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1. Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until flattened and an even 1/2 inch thickness. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.

2. Add flour to a shallow pie dish. Dredge chicken through flour, coating both sides. Shake of excess flour.

3. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. You will probably need to cook chicken in batches. Add more coconut oil between batches.

4. De-glaze the pan by adding wine and scraping up any brown bits left from cooking the chicken. Add shallots and peppers and cook until wine is slightly reduced. Add white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard and stir together.

5. Add apricots and cook until fruit begins to break down, 2-3 minutes. Stir in preserves and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup warm water to pan and stir.

6. Cut the chicken breasts in half and return them to the pan. Spoon sauce over chicken to coat. Reduce heat to low and simmer chicken in sauce for 5-8 minutes while you prepare your side dishes. Sprinkle fresh thyme over top.

7. Serve chicken with extra sauce spooned over top. Grilled vegetables or sautéd spinach make good side dishes.

If you find the sauce too sweet, add more white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard.


This post is part of Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist.

Farfalle with Roasted Tomatoes & Asparagus in Brown Butter

After my success with Balsamic Brown Butter Sauce, I thought I would try brown butter again. This time, it is pure butter, caramelized, then mixed with garlic, tossed with fresh roasted tomatoes and asparagus and bowtie pasta and garnished with fresh grated Parmesan, parsley and a drizzle of white truffle oil. Fresh n' Easy!

Recipe adapted from Canadian Living

Serves 4

6 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
salt & pepper to taste
5 cups cooked farfalle (bowtie) pasta or other pasta of your choice
4 tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
White Truffle Oil for drizzling (optional)

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tomatoes and aspargus on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Roast in hot oven for 8-10 minutes, until asparagus is tender.

2. While veggies are roasting, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat until foaming and nutty brown colour. Add garlic and fry, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Lower heat.

3. When veggies are finished, remove from oven and add to butter & garlic filled skillet. Toss gently to coat.

4. Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss gently to mix with veggies and coat with butter. Stir for a couple minutes until pasta is heated through.

5. Spoon pasta into bowls. Top each bowl with a tablespoon of Parmesan and half a tablespoon of chopped parsley. Finish with a light drizzle of white truffle oil.

The bread in the photo is super delicious Seed Bread from A Bread Affair. Pick some up at the Coquitlam Farmer's Market this Sunday!

Chicken Hekka

Another tropical recipe from Sam Choy. Mr. Choy says while growing up, his family always made Chicken Hekka for mainland guests. He describes this dish as being "comfort food" and a "cornerstone recipe" in his cookbook.

But what the heck is Chicken Hekka? There isn't much about it online. Hekka is apparently a Hawaiian word but when I played around with Hawaiian/English translators, I found no entries. Other blogs claim Hekka is based on Japanese cooking and is pretty much the same as Japanese sukiyaki - a one pot meal made with thin sliced vegetables and meat.

Regardless of what it is, Chicken Hekka is easy to make and it's pretty good.

Marinade:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into cubes
1/4 cup soy sauce*
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp sucanat

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a shallow dish. Add chicken and toss well to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Sake Sauce:
2 tbsp agave syrup
1/2 cup soy sauce*
1/4 cup chicken broth*
1/4 cup sake or Chinese cooking wine

1. Mix everything together in a small bowl and set aside.

Hawaiian cooking does not involve spice. You may wish to add a dash or two or Sriracha to spice things up, or leave as is for a mild flavour.

Stir Fry:
marinated chicken (as above)
1 tbsp sesame or peanut oil
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and smashed
1 can sliced bamboo shoots
1 carrot, julienned
1 stalk celery, julienned
3 stalks green onion, cut in 1 inch lengths
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 cups watercress leaves
1 bundle (2 oz) thin rice noodles, cooked, drained and cut into 1 inch lengths
prepared Sake Sauce (as above)
1/2 block firm tofu, drained and cut into 1" cubes (optional)

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ginger and chicken. Brown chicken.

2. Add bamboo shoots, carrot and celery. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Add onion and green onion and stir fry for another minute or two.



3. Add 1/2 cup Sake Sauce and rice noodles. Let simmer for 5-8 minutes. Sauce will absorb into noodles.

4. Gently stir in tofu and watercress. Mix everything together well. Remove from heat. Serve with rice, more rice noodles or as is.



*Use Gluten Free, if needed.

Lobster Bisque

A "bisque" is a smooth, creamy, soup with French origins. Bisque is broth left after simmering shellfish with aromatic vegetables, straining, then mixing with cream. According to Wikipedia, the name "Bisque" is thought to either be derived from The Bay of Biscay (on the West side of France and the North side of Spain), or from the term "bis cuits", which is a Spanish/French jumble, meaning "twice cooked".

This soup an involved and long process, especially when you factor in the lobster dinner required in advance of the soup making, but in the end, it is well worth it.

From this:



To This:



Serves 2 entrees or 4 appetizers

left over parts of 2 cooked lobsters (legs & bodies)
4 tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic crushed
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup brandy or sherry
1/4 cup sweet white whine
2 tomatoes, chopped
few sprigs of thyme
6 cups water
salt
pinch cayenne
1 1/2 cups cream (I used Half & Half Coffee Cream!)
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp warm water
1/2 cup cooked lobster meat, in chunks (reserved until end)
A few springs of Italian parsley, chopped (reserved until end)
sour cream (optional)

1. Chop the lobster remains into smaller pieces and place in a bowl.

2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over high heat. Add onion, carrots, garlic and bay leaf to pot. Stir until veggies are translucent.

3. Add tomato paste and stir together for a couple minutes. Add lobster pieces, then add brandy and white wine and mix well. Add tomatoes, thyme, cayenne and salt. Give it a quick stir. Add water and stir again. Let cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour, until volume is reduced by half.

4. Once soup has reduced, place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Strain the soup by ladling it into the strainer. Press the liquid out using the back of a large spoon. Discard the solids. Pour the liquid from the bowl back into the saucepan.

5. Stir in cream and simmer for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with warm water and add to soup. Simmer for two minutes, and stir, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Skim off any fat from the top of the soup, then whisk quickly for a few minutes so the soup is frothy. This will help incorporate any remaining fat into the soup and incorporate air into it, making it lighter and creamier. Let soup stand for a few minutes so the froth subsides slightly.

6. Drop a spoonful of lobster meat into each bowl. Ladle bisque into bowls over top of lobster. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and sour cream. Serve with a warm Cheddar Bay Biscuit.

Shrimp & Scallop Spinach Salad with Mango Dressing

This is my absolute favourite salad, barely beating out my second favourite salad.

Another dish inspired by the Island flavours of Hawaii and renowned Island chef, Mr. Sam Choy. Fresh, crisp, bright, delicious - the perfect summer salad.

Serves 2 Main Dish Salads
To serve as an appetizer salad, reduce the amount of seafood to 2-3 of each piece per person.

Shrimp & Scallop Spinach Salad:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
10 sea scallops
10 large prawns, peeled & de-veined, tail on
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 small red onion, sliced very thin
1/2 fresh mango, peeled and sliced thin
1/2 avocado, peeled and sliced thin
Mango Dressing (see below)

1. Heat olive oil over high heat and sauté garlic for 30 seconds. Add prawns to pan. Sear 1 minute each side. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Pat scallops dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Add to hot pan and sear for one minute on each side, until lightly brown in colour. Remove from pan and set aside with prawns.

3. Place spinach and onion in a large bowl and toss together. Divide spinach/onion mix between two plates.

4. Arrange the seafood, alternating scallops and prawns, around the outer edge of each plate.

5. Fan a few mango and avocado slices on top and across the middle of each plate.

6. Drizzle Mango Dressing over top of everything.

Mango Dressing:

Yields 1/2 cup dressing

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 fresh mango, peeled & pitted, puréed in blender (for 1/2 cup purée)
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp sucanat
1/2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup macadamia nut or avocado oil

1. Combine all ingredients except oil. Whisk until well blended and sucanat is completely dissolved.

2. Gradually add oil while continuing to whisk. Pour into a container with tight fitting lid and refrigerate at least 20 minuets prior to using. Remove from fridge and shake well to mix. Drizzle over salad.

Herb & Garlic Penne with Summer Squash

I picked up some local summer squash at the Farmer's Market last week - one yellow and one green. Perfect for a simple and yummy pasta dish. This is a 20 minute meal and can be made even faster if you pre-cook your pasta and pre-slice your zucchini.

Serves 4 (adjust pasta amount for more or less)

4-6 cups penne pasta, cooked & drained per package directions
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1 large green zucchini, sliced very thin
1 large yellow zucchini, sliced very thin
3/4 cup shredded or fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (I used lemon basil, yum!)

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan or sauté pan over medium heat.

2. Add chili flakes, garlic and zucchini and cook for 5 minutes or until zucchini is tender.

3. Stir in pasta. Add Parmesan and fresh herbs and mix together. Turn off heat and stir until pasta warmed through.

4. Season with salt and pepper. Top with more fresh herbs and Parmesan.

My Sister's Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna

My sister made this dish for my Dad's 60th Birthday Cocktail Party. I absolutely loved these delicious little tuna bites with two dipping sauces and I have been craving more ever since. On the way home from work tonight I stopped by the store, picked up a small piece of fresh Ahi and made my own version.

My two Ahi tuna pieces equaled just over 330 grams (approx 12 ounces). Very small indeed, but plenty to serve two for dinner. The recipe is based on the amount of fish I had. Adjust measurements up or down based on the size of your fish.

Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna:

2 small pieces fresh sushi grade Ahi tuna
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1/4 tsp Fleur de Sel with Wasabi (I used one made by The Cape Herb & Spice Company. It's available at IGA. My sister got her blend from Choices Market. If you can't find Fleur de Sel with Wasabi, try using a 1/2 tsp course sea salt with a small pinch of wasabi powder.)

1. Place sesame seeds and salt in a shallow bowl. Wet tuna lightly with water. Press both sides of tuna into the mixture to coat.

2a. Heat grill to high. Spray lightly with oil. Place coated Ahi pieces on hot grill and grill for 2 minutes per side.

or

2b. Heat small amount of oil in a pan over high heat. Place coated Ahi pieces in hot pan and sear for 2 minutes per side.

3. Place Ahi on a cutting board and let cool slightly. Using a very sharp knife, slice Ahi into thin slices, going with the grain. If serving as a main dish, you could cut the pieces larger.

4. Serve with Wasabi Mayo and Sweet Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce. Can be served warm or cold.



Wasabi Mayo:

2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp wasabi paste
or
1/2 tsp wasabi powder

1. Mix together in a small bowl. Add more wasabi to taste.

My sister adds a dash each of green and yellow food colouring to get a nice "wasabi green" colour. I opted not to take this added step. Wasabi Mayo would taste great with an Ahi Tuna burger too!

Sweet Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce:

1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp finely chopped cilantro (optional)

1. Add everything to a container with a tight fitting lid. Shake well until blended.

This would also make a good marinade or salad dressing!


This recipe was featured on the front page of Tasty Kitchen on July 15, 2010!

Un-breaded Chicken Parmesan

Can you tell I bought a club pack of chicken last week? Every meal is chicken, chicken and more chicken.

Today I am in the mood for Italian. I love Chicken Parmesan but don't need the breaded, fried, fatty part of it in my diet. Thankfully, Giada saved the day!

I had to make some changes because I didn't have all the fresh herbs. I learned you can sub dried herbs for fresh on a 3:1 ratio. In other words, 1 tablespoon of fresh herb would equal 1 teaspoon of dried herb. But since my dried herbs aren't quite fresh, and dried herbs lose their potency with age, I did a 2:1 ratio (1/2 as much dried to fresh).

While this recipe only uses two chicken breasts, it could easily serve four people. Once the chicken is pounded out, the piece is quite large. I ate half a chicken breast and it was plenty... and the recipe ended up feeding me for two lunches and two dinners!

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentis on Everyday Italian.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning (If using fresh, use 1 tbps of whatever fresh Italian herbs you'd like. Giada uses parsley, thyme and rosemary.)
pinch sea salt & fresh cracked pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups A Little More Than Five Minute Tomato Sauce or any simple tomato sauce you have on hand.
2 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese
4 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Place chicken breasts between two pieces of waxed paper or in a large ziplock bag. Pound each chicken breast, using a mallet, to 1/4 inch thickness to create chicken cutlets. (If serving four, you may want to cut the chicken breasts in half before pounding.)

3. Add oil and herbs to a small bowl and stir together. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Heat an oven-proof skillet over high heat. Brush both sides of the flattened chicken with herb oil. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook 2 minutes per side, just to brown. Remove skillet from the heat. If you wanted to prepare this meal for a dinner party, you could do the first four steps earlier in the day, then complete the rest shortly before serving your meal.

5. Spoon tomato sauce over top of and around chicken. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of mozzarella and 2 teaspoons of Parmesan over each piece of chicken.

6. Bake in hot oven until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

7. Serve chicken over cooked pasta of your choice, topped with more warm tomato sauce.

Curried Lemongrass Chicken

The chicken marinade comes from Food & Wine Magazine. Their recipe calls for stir frying the chicken with a calorie rich caramel sauce. I can do without the excess sugar so I just went with the marinade portion of the recipe then stir fried the chicken with aromatics and vegetables. I served it over plain vermicelli noodles and topped it with left over Spicy Almond Dressing. The finished dish was very spicy. If you aren't into spice, omit the chili peppers where you see fit.

Marinade:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small cubes
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Thai chili pepper, cut in half & seeded
1 stalk of fresh or jarred lemongrass, cut in half and smashed (If using fresh, see here on how to prepare it. Follow directions on preparing for soup.)
1 tbsp mild curry powder
2 tbsp sucanat
1 tsp salt

1. Add everything, except chicken, to a shallow bowl and mix together well. Add chicken and toss to coat.

2. Marinate in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.

Stir Fry:

splash of cooking oil
1 piece lemongrass, minced
1 green onion, sliced thin
1 Thai chili, seeded and sliced thin
1/2 red onion, minced
marinated chicken, marinade discarded
1/2 medium zucchini, sliced thin then cut into quarters
1/2 large red pepper, diced



1. Add oil to a wok and heat over medium-high heat.

2. Add lemongrass, green onion, chili and onion and stir fry for a couple minutes.



3. Add chicken and stir fry until all sides of chicken are no longer pink. Place lid over wok and let chicken cook for about 5 minutes.

4. Add zucchini and red peppers. Stir everything together. Place lid back on the wok and cook for another 5-8 minutes until chicken is cooked through. (Internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees.)



5. Pour contents of wok over cooked rice or noodles. Top with fresh cilantro.







This recipe was featured on the front page of Tasty Kitchen on July 16, 2010!

Clams Provencales

While in North Carolina, we had a huge seafood feast one night of blue crab, jumbo shrimp, fresh tuna and clams. I had the task of preparing the clams. Initially I thought we would have mussels as well so I planned to make my Moules Provencales. Unfortunately mussels aren't in season in the area we were visiting so we only had clams. I figured, why not use the Moules Provencales recipe on the clams?!

Clams Provencales turned out very well! The only difference in the recipe is that clams take longer to cook than mussels. They need 8-10 minutes of steaming before they open up. Some took even longer.

If you would like to make Clams or Mussels Provencales, check my post here!