So, I’ve come to think that there are, indeed, some benefits to eating (at least some) raw and/or vegan foods. Firstly, after seven days, I’m feeling really good – don’t really miss meat or, more importantly, cheese (granted, I did a bunch of research and preparation, but still thought I’d be freaking out by now). Secondly – and unexpectedly! – I’ve lost 4.5 lbs without turning homicidal!! Seriously, though, if you’re a Foodie, don’t even think for a minute of doing a “cleanse” without a lot of prep and determination!!

Ultimately, though, I think it’s pretty groovy to realise that many of our favourite foods – especially in the summer – correspond to a “green”, “raw” and even vegan approach to living. So here’s one of my favourite snackin’ recipes – put it together with our Mango Strawberry Salsa and you’ve got a perfect match that’ll make you feel good, both inside and out!

Oh, and don’t forget our recipe for The Perfect Margarita – less “cleansing”, but more fun!! Find the recipe for a rockin’ sockin’ guac after the break…!

Guacamole

2 medium to large ripe avocados, split, pitted and hulled
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small lime, juiced (apx 1.5 oz/3 Tbsp/450 ml juice)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cilantro leaves, for garnish

In a medium, non-metallic bowl, mash the avocado with a masher or a fork until relatively smooth. Immediately add the garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper and continue to mash or whisk to form a smooth paste. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately or follow the note below to refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Notes:

I like really garlicky guac; this stuff might even fighten a vampire – but I’ve never had any complaints, just lots of requests for the recipe!! For a tamer version, use only 2 cloves of garlic, instead!

Avocado is prone to browning – hence the need for the lime. To keep for any period of time, press a piece of plastic wrap onto the entire surface of the guacamole – there should be no air between the guac and the plastic. Secure the plastic to the bowl and refrigerate.

My pal, who is not a Foodie, says, “I hate recipes that say ‘add some fresh herbs’ or ‘add salt and pepper to taste’. Which herbs? How much salt and pepper?” As a guideline for this particular recipe, I added roughly ½ teaspoon/2.5 ml salt and a teaspoon/5 ml freshly ground pepper – maybe a bit more. Whatever you do, start slowly… taste… then add more, if you like. You can always add, but you can’t take away!!

To keep this a raw, green and vegan snack, serve with thin slices of cucumber or zucchini, or whatever other veggies you like. To keep it vegetarian, organic and gluten-free, try Mary’s Crackers (they’re awesome). Or, use organic (or even regular) tortilla chips – still vegetarian!

How else to use guac?? Put it on a sammy or wrap!! It goes with all manner of veg, poultry or leftover beef!! How about as a side for a steak and blue cheese salad??

Enjoy!

~ One of Seven

I know, Valentines Day weekend is upon us and you were hoping for something a little more sexy than chicken stock. Not to worry, we’ll have some fun stuff for you over the weekend. For now though, it is time to get down to the basics. Basics that any serious foodie should always have on hand.

I’ll never forget the first time I noticed a chef making stock. I say the first time I noticed, as I’m sure I had walked past a stock pot hundreds of times in the several kitchens I worked in but never noticed. I was the floor manager of a marina restaurant here on Lake Ontario. The resident chef was a crusty, mean old Dutchman who had very little patience for anything outside of his kitchen and even less for anyone who ventured into it. One day I noticed him loading a chicken carcass and a bunch of veggies into a giant pot. I asked what he was making and he told me he was making chicken stock before shooing me out of his domain.

A big pot of water, chicken scraps and a bunch of veggies. Simmer all day. Strain.

So simple and yet I didn’t start making my own stock until recently.

A decade or so ago, I was growing tired of using store bought chicken stock powder for my turkey gravy so I started to make a turkey stock while I was stuffing the bird. A pot of water, giblets, turkey neck and a few handfuls of whatever veggies we were having with dinner. Simmer all day long, deglaze roasting pan with white wine and add the day’s stock. A bit more wine, some S & P, maybe a bit of sage and you have the best reduction gravy ever. For years I’ve wanted to toss the turkey carcass into our biggest pot, but by the end of Christmas dinner there is no energy left for more work. Only more wine.

Over the past year or so, tetra pak chicken stock has replaced powdered stock mix in our pantry. It is just so darned easy to have ready made stock at hand while cooking. Soups, sauces, gravies are just the beginning. We use stock to cook veggies, in mashed potatoes and even in risotto. Why are we buying stock instead of just making it from our scraps like every experienced chef has done for years?

This Christmas I took the entire carcass and tossed it in the big black pot, along with a couple of onions, a celery end, some carrots and a bunch of other stuff I don’t remember. It simmered for most of Boxing Day. The end result was about 2 gallons of turkey stock that lasted us for most of the month of January. All from scraps. We used it to make the best chicken pot pies, a couple of different soups and lord knows what else.

The golden jar you see above was created a couple of days ago with the carcass of a wonderful roast chicken that we actually bought from a local grocer. You know, the ones you see at the doorway looking all golden brown and smelling awesome? Convenient, affordable and easily as good as any bird you might roast at home. Once we were done, I tossed the remnants in the pot with: You guessed it, a bunch of veggies and topped up with water. Simmer forever. Cool, strain. Jar. With a tight lid, it will keep for a few weeks in the fridge. Just as convenient as a tetra pak but without the expense.

There is no recipe. Add whatever veggies you have on hand to the pot. The more variety the better as everything you add builds flavour. In the end, you will be rewarded with a flavourful, golden stock that forms the basis to many great dishes.

It has been a while since I’ve made a big pot of chili, so I thought that would be a great project for the return of winter. I looked at a few recipes, but none caught my eye so I just went to the store and grabbed a few things to add to the 2 packages of stewing beef that had taken up long term residence in the freezer.

As TV chef Michael Smith says, a recipe is just a beginning. Close the book, use some creativity and get cooking.

I used our Saint Patties Day Chili as a sort of basis and then had some fun. You can refer to it if you want some actual instructions. I used a couple of pounds of stewing beef, a pound of lean ground beef and a half pound of bacon. Yes, bacon! I figure if Voodoo Donut in Portland can put bacon on donuts, I can use it in chili! Oh, and yes I have had their maple and bacon donuts and they aren’t as gross as you might think!

I used 2 1/2 large onions, finely chopped and I omitted the peppers, because I forgot to buy them!
1 beer – Steelback Draft
Half a mason jar of home made turkey stock.
1 can small Mexican beans. Never seen them before thought they might be good.
1 can seasoned smashed tomatoes, with another in reserve just in case.
1 can tomato paste
Spices are pretty much the same as before.
I wanted to use some chipotles in adobo sauce, as I love the smoky taste, but they didn’t have any.

Otherwise I pretty much followed my own recipe. Ok, I cooked stuff in the same order! So far, it tastes awesome with just the right amount of heat for the family.

It really is that easy to throw something interesting together. While the ability to pair flavours comes with practice, the only way you get that practice is to actually try. So find a recipe you like and try making some substitutions, you might just find that you love your creation!

Our family usually loves anything with a nice clean citrus flavour, so when I made some Greek style potatoes a year or so ago, everyone loved them. I decided it was time to have a go at another Greek style dinner so went looking around for some recipes.

I came across Robert’s Place who had a simple pork chop recipe which I worked with to actually make pork tenderloin medallions. For the taters, I found Toronto based food blogger Peter Minakis at Kalofagas who has a recipe that isn’t really a recipe. Just the way I like it!

No details recipes after the break.

Simple Greek style pork tenderloin medallions

1 pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2″ medallions
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs dried oregano, more or less as you like
Fresh ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon – I used 1 1/2 and I think it was a little bit much
Olive oil

Mix all the ingredients into a large ziploc bag or in a low, flat prep bowl so that all pieces of meat are in the marinade.
Allow meat to marinate for at least 1 hour.

I didn’t feel like going out into the rain, so I pan fried the medallions for about 3 minutes per side. This also allowed the garlic to brown nicely as it was pressed into the meat. These medallions would be even better when cooked on the grill.

Greek Roasted Potatoes

Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
Olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
Water or stock, I used fresh home made turkey stock
Dried oregano
Salt & pepper, I used sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 deg F

Combine your liquids and then toss or stir in potatoes. Peter says to toss them, but I think I used more liquid than he does. Tossing would have been messy, even using the deep sided baking dish I chose to use.

Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Put the spuds in the oven and set the timer for 45 minutes.

Now go away and surf the net while enjoying a glass of wine!

When done, your taters will be nicely browned on the edge and soft on the inside.

The nice thing about no recipe recipes like this are the flexibility of them. Got more people? No problem, just use more potatoes and pork and bump the quantity of olive oil and lemon juice. Want to try some different spices? Go to it. Some cilantro might work just as nicely with the lemon and you might even want to put some tequila in your pork marinade.

We enjoyed our pork n taters last night with some nice green beans that were perfectly steamed to al dente, leaving them with a nice crunch that went well with the softness of the pork & spuds.

I just wish I had remembered to take the after photos!

I was napping on the couch the other day, half watching Chuck’s Day Off, as food tat guy was making some fish Po Boy sandwiches. I suddenly had a craving for Fish n Chips, so off we went to the Superstore in search of halibut. I nearly crapped myself when I saw the price of halibut, but as Mamma G reminded me, it would cost 50 bucks to buy fish and chips for 5 of us anyway.

Working with a home size deep fryer can be a bit of a challenge when trying to feed a small army, as one needs to plan things well. We cook the fries first and then keep them warm in the oven while the rest of the fries and the fish cook.

To begin with, set up your fryer to bring it up to temperature.

Fries

You can use any type of tater, depending on what you prefer. I grabbed what was left of the bag of white potatoes in the cupboard. I prefer to leave the skins on. Not only are they better for you, but the skin goes nice and crispy. If you have a mandolin, it makes quick work of making fries. Otherwise, use a large knife and start cutting.
I soaked the freshly cut fries in water for a while to remove some of the starch. You want to drain them well so the water doesn’t cause an overflow in the fryer.
With the oil at 375 degrees, our fries took about 5 minutes for each batch. This may vary depending on how thick your fries are.

Once done, put the fries on a baking sheet and stick them in a warm oven. Not too hot, as you don’t want them to cook further, just stay warm.

While all of this is going on, you can prep your beer batter.

Beer batter

Beer batter really is one of the most simple things to make. In a mixing bowl, combine about 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Add a bottle of beer to this and whisk together until smooth.

Fully coat each piece of fish in batter, working right beside the fryer. Quickly, but carefully lower your fish into the hot oil. Following the instructions in the fryer book, we found that just under 6 minutes was the right time for perfect fish.

Our fish was light and flaky on the inside, with a satisfying crispy shell on the outside. While it may have cost more than buying from a fish n chip shop, the batter was so much better!

I really love my mother’s potato salad.  But, you know, it’s kind of the Kraft Kitchen potato salad of my youth (and hey, that’s no slam whatsoever against the Kitchens at Kraft – heck, it’s the food I was brought up on, after all!).

Anyhoo, one summer day a few years ago, I was planning a barbeque party and wanted to make potato salad, but really wanted to produce something interesting and original for my guests, and this is what I came up with.  I think it rocks and my guests (and husband – no, he’s not just being kind) have always loved it!  Try it for one of your long weekend barbeques this summer…!

• 2 lb bag baby red or white potatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size, skin on, blemishes removed
• Couple of pinches of salt
• shallots, finely chopped, about ¼ cup
• 1 large fennel (anise) bulb, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup sun-dried black olives, pitted, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
• ¼ – ½ cup mayonnaise (i.e., not Miracle Whip – sorry, Kraft!), depending on your taste
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp fennel fronds, finely chopped, for garnish

Put the potatoes into a pot of water as you work with them, to prevent browning.  The water should only just cover the potatoes, when you’ve finished prepping.

Throw in the salt, cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes, or until fork-tender.

Drain the potatoes immediately and shock with cold water, just until cool.  Drain again thoroughly.

Combine potatoes with the next six ingredients.  Garnish with the fennel fronds and get ready to dig in!

Notes

By all means, use regular red or white potatoes instead, cut into uniform chunks.

Don’t let the potatoes sit in the cold water once they’re cool; they’ll continue to absorb water and become mushy.

If you’d prefer to prepare this salad in advance (i.e., the night before), keep the shallots and olives separate from the rest; the shallots will permeate everything and the olives can eventually turn the salad grey.  Instead, prep them and mix them in at the last minute (before the fennel fronds) for better results.

Pair this with FAB’s Killer Burgers.  It’s also fantastic with a nice grilled steak finished with balsamic and rosemary, or pork tenderloin that’s got a little Greek flare!

Enjoy!

~ One of Seven

To me, fish curries are always a delightful surprise – they’re not often found on restaurant menus….  But this is just one example of a number of incredible Indian fish curries I’ve tried (and a great way to get your Omega 3s)!!  The method for this recipe is a pretty radical departure from the one that inspired it, entitled “Bengali Fried Fish”, from The Food of India:  A Journey for Food Lovers ( Priya Wickramasinghe & Carol Selva Rajah, Whitecap, ISBN 1-55285-678-X), but the ingredients are the same.  This book is one of the most amazing cookbooks ever for those of us who were Indian in another life….  Serves 4.

• 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) rainbow trout or salmon filet
• 23 ml (1 ½ tablespoons) lemon juice
• 3 ml (½ teaspoon) ground turmeric
• 3 ml (½ teaspoon) salt
• 3 green chillies, chopped
• 3 large, ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 5 cm (2 inch) piece of ginger, chopped
• 60 ml (4 tablespoons) mustard oil or oil
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons) panch phoron
• 3 ml (½ teaspoon) garam masala

Sprinkle the fish with the lemon juice and leave for 10 minutes.  Rinse with cold water and pat dry.  Skin the filet and cut into 1-inch cubes.

In a medium-sized bowl, toss the fish with the combined turmeric and salt.

Put the chillies, tomato and ginger in a food processor and chop until smooth, or finely chop together with a knife (in this case, wear gloves for the chillies).

Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan or sautoir over medium-high heat and add the panch phoron.  Fry for 1 minute, until aromatic.  Add the tomato mixture and fry for another 5 minutes, until some of the excess moisture has evaporated.  Add the cubes of fish and slowly return to the boil.  Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle with the garam masala and season with salt, to taste.

Serve with basmati rice and wilted spinach or chard.

Notes:

When tomatoes are not in season, by all means use a 398 ml (14 oz) can of chopped tomatoes, instead.

Ideally, use Serrano chillies (but in a pinch, jalapenos will do).

Mustard oil, panch phoron (a whole 5-spice mixture) and garam masala (a ground spice mixture) are available at Asian markets.

This curry is relatively mild.  Feel free to double the spice quantities if you prefer a more piquant curry.

Enjoy!!

~ One of Seven

This dish delivers mild, yet unexpected flavours.  The sauce is inspired by the one for the Steak Gorgonzola Pizza (which is awesome!) from the LCBO’s Food and Drink Magazine (Winter 2008, recipe by Marilyn Bentz-Crowley).  Although it looks like a lot of ingredients and preparation, the process is pretty quick – it’s mostly assembly!!  Serves 6.

• 8 large red bell peppers
• Cooking spray
• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) unsalted butter
• 1 lb (454 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced
• Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) grapeseed oil
• 1 lb (454 g) ground turkey
• More salt & pepper to taste
• 6 Tbsp (90 ml) unsalted butter
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 Tbsp (90 ml) all purpose flour
• 3 cups (750ml) cold milk
• ½ cup (125 ml) crumbled Danish blue cheese, about 3 oz (90 g)
• Yes, more salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 lb (450 g) Ricotta cheese
• 4/5 lb (375 g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out
• Salt and white pepper to taste
• Cooking spray or oil
• 8 fresh lasagne sheets
• 3 cups (750 ml) mozzarella cheese (about 10 ½ oz or 300g)
• 1 cup (250 ml) parmesan cheese (about 3 ½ oz or 100g)

There are three ways to prepare the red peppers:

1.       Barbeque:  Preheat to medium-high.  Place the peppers directly on the grill and char them, turning every 5-10 minutes, until uniformly black and blistered (about 30 minutes).  Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes.  Peel the black skin from the peppers and remove seeds and any membranes from inside.

2.       Oven:  Preheat to 450F.  Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and membranes in advance.  Spray with cooking spray.  Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until soft inside and blackened on the outside.  Follow the rest of the instructions as for barbequing.

3.       Easiest way ever:  omit the peppers and cooking spray from the ingredient list and instead, troll your favourite grocery store (pickle or canned vegetable aisle) or Costco!  You’ll find them in jars.  They’ll be brined, so you’ll want to rinse them.  Dry with kitchen paper.

Heat the butter in a large skillet or sautoir over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and seasonings and sauté; Keep those crazy little fungi (they really are fun, aren’t they?) moving until they begin to emit their moisture, or they’ll stick.  Cook until the mushrooms are golden brown.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

Heat the oil in the same pan over medium-high heat.  Add the turkey and season with salt and pepper.  Stir frequently to avoid sticking, until cooked through.  Remove from the pan and allow to cool (refrigerate if not using promptly).

Using the same pan again, melt the second portion of butter over medium heat.  Sweat the garlic for about a minute, then add the flour and stir in to make a paste.  Whisk in the milk, about a cup at a time.  Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 8 minutes or until mixture bubbles and thickens. Remove from the heat. Stir in the blue cheese, salt and pepper. If your sauce seems very thick, stir in splashes of additional milk until consistency is that of a pasta sauce. (Sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)  Set aside about 1/2 cup of sauce and add the cooked turkey and sautéed mushrooms to the remainder (again, be sure to refrigerate if not using promptly).

In a medium bowl, mix together the Ricotta, spinach, salt and white pepper.  Set aside or refrigerate.

Coarsely grate the mozzarella and parmesan and mix together in a medium bowl.

When you’re ready to put it all together and get cooking, preheat the oven to 350F.

Spray or oil an 8 1/2 x 11 1/2 pan.  Use half of the reserved plain blue cheese sauce to coat the bottom of the pan (which prevents the lasagne noodles from sticking).  You’ll need two sheets of pasta to cover the bottom (it’s okay if they overlap a little).  Use half of the turkey and mushroom sauce to cover the noodle layer and then add a layer of red pepper.  Use two more pasta sheets, then add the entire ricotta and spinach mixture and spread evenly.  Layer two more pasta sheets on top.  Repeat a layer of red pepper, then turkey and mushroom sauce and two more pasta sheets.  Top with the rest of the straight blue cheese sauce and spread evenly over the noodles.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes

Remove the lasagne from the oven and uncover.  Add the mozzarella and parmesan in an even layer on top and return to the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and beginning to turn golden.  Let the lasagne rest and set for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Notes:

Pasta sheets are readily available at your grocery store, where you find other fresh pasta.  If you’re looking for a “healthier choice”, Olivieri makes a good whole wheat product called “Nutriwise” (PC Blue Menu makes a similar product, but the results were disappointing).  By all means, use your favourite dry noodles, if you prefer, following package directions.

If you’re a serial cook, by all means use the same pan for the first three steps.  If you’re a simultaneous cook, go ahead and use three pans (if you’ve got them).  I just hate doing dishes… and wasting the flavour that’s left behind in the pan.

I have a new lasagne pan that I need to rave about:  the stick-resistant stainless steel roasting pan by Paderno (PEI isn’t just about potatoes, anymore!).  It has no chemical coating, but features a textured bottom that really and truly does resist sticking!!  The pans come in a variety of sizes.  A store like Hendrix Restaurant Equipment and Supplies (Ontario, Alberta and BC) is a good bet, and likely less expensive than other retailers.  You can also shop online with Paderno!!

Equally good, I think, might be “Beef and Blue Cheese Lasagne” or “Lamb and Blue Cheese Lasagne”….  Let your imagination take you where it will!

Enjoy!!

~ One of Seven

Christmas is less than two weeks away?!?  Well, go ahead and get a jump on things if you like, since this recipe is ideal for freezing!  It was originally a combination of two recipes that I found one Christmas, but then the orange magically entered the picture and now I use it year-round, even on sandwiches!  You could also just eat it with a spoon… would that be so wrong?  Makes roughly 2 cups.

• 12-oz (340 g) bag cranberries, picked over
• ¼ (60 ml) cup honey
• ¼ (60 ml) cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken
• 6 whole cloves
• Zest and juice of 1 large orange (about ½ cup / 125 ml)
• ¼ cup (60 ml) bourbon
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a saucepan, combine the cranberries, honey, brown sugar, spice bag and orange juice.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer.

Cook for 5-10 minutes, covered, but stir occasionally until the berries have burst and the mixture has thickened.

Add the orange zest and bourbon, salt and pepper (just for a little tang) and transfer to a bowl to cool.

Serve at room temperature.

Notes

Ideally, tie the cinnamon and cloves in cheesecloth.  Otherwise, you will have to pick them out afterward, which is tedious and time-consuming.

Who’s kidding who?  Use ½ a cup of bourbon.  It makes everything better.

If you’re not going to freeze it, you can make the cran two days ahead and keep it covered and refrigerated.

Mmmm, you know what would also be good, instead of the cinnamon and cloves?  Rosemary!  I think I’ll give it a shot this time around!!

Enjoy!

~ One of Seven

Modified only slightly from a recipe I found years ago in The Flavours of Canada:  A Celebration of the Finest Regional Foods by Anita Stewart (one of my all-time favourites!  ISBN 1-55192-182-0), this recipe is an amazing accompaniment to the rich braises of deep winter.  It’s also a nice alternative to mashed potatoes on any occasion!  Yields 4 x 125 ml (1/2 cup) servings.

• 250 ml barley
• 1 L water
• 500 ml chicken stock
• 30 ml butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 20 ml fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 20 ml fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 30 ml parmesan, freshly grated
• 30 ml 10 year-old cheddar, freshly grated
• kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Simmer barley in well salted water until al dente (about 20 minutes).  Drain, rinse with cool water and set aside.

Bring chicken stock to a simmer.

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Sweat garlic and shallot until soft and fragrant (approx. 2 minutes).

Add barley and coat thoroughly with fat.

Turn heat to medium-high and add ½ of the stock.  Allow barley to absorb the stock, then add the remainder.  When almost completely absorbed, remove from heat and stir in cheese and herbs.  Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Note:

For a nice presentation, oil a ½ cup dry measure or ramekin, fill with the risotto and turn out onto a plate or into a bowl.  Alternatively, oil a cutter and place on plate, then fill with risotto and lift off cutter (the cheese will help to keep the barley in shape).  Repeat the oiling process for each plate; you may also wish to rinse the mould or cutter between plates.

Enjoy!

~ One of Seven