PEACH PIE POPSICLES

I had never been on Pinterest until yesterday, and this was one of the first pictures I came across and I am now obsessed with making these!

Peach pie is one of my favourite pies! It brings back so many summer memories as it is my mom and Aunt's favourite summertime pie! I grew up during the summer eating them constantly, and they sort of became the replacement for a birthday cake for those with summer birthdays.

Homemade popsicles I find always taste so much better, and this is one that is definitely packed full of flavour but healthy none the less! I know my friend & personal trainer Christie Preston (check out her life&fitness blog http://beautyandthebod.com/ ) would approve!

Peach Pie Popsicles

Ingredients:
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 frozen banana, peeled and chopped
- 2 large peaches, seeded and diced
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp agave
- 1 pinch of cinnamon

Directions:
- Blend all the ingredients together and pour into popsicle holds
- Freeze for at least 4 hours


photo credit: pinterest

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE & PARSNIP RISOTTO

Risotto is one of my all time favourite winter comfort food dishes.

This winter I made one with two of my favourite vegetables, parsnips and Jerusalem artichokes. Now Jerusalem artichokes also go by the name of sunroot and sunchoke. Despite the name the vegetable is not actually an artichoke, so get that notion of a green bulb out of your minds! The grow from a large plant that actually really resembles a sunflower and a yellow daisy.

Jerusalem Artichokes

Here is the recipe for a very simple and delicious risotto! I love the toasted breadcrumbs on top, it gives this silky risotto a little crunch!

Recipe serves 3-4
Time: 20 minutes to cook the risotto and about 35 to roast the vegetables

- 2 cups arborio rice
- 1.5 L chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 1 small diced white onion
- 1/4 cup white wine
- drizzle of olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 6 piece parsnip
- Roughly same amount for Jerusalem artichoke, but depending on the size it could be 12 little pieces or 8 larger pieces
- 1/4 cup toasted breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Roast the veg. Peel the parsnip & artichokes. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 35 minutes in a 375 oven until golden brown
2. Once the vegetables are roasted, you can begin on the risotto. (Put your stock in another pot on the stove and warm it up, making sure it is warm during the whole cooking process)
3. In a pot sauté the onion in a little bit of olive oil until it becomes translucent, do not brown.
4. Add in the rice and coat with the olive oil & onion mixture, let the rice "toast" a little
5. Add in the wine, it will begin to bubble stir continously until the alcohol has burned off
6. One ladle at a time slowly begin to incorporate the stock into the rice. It will take about 18 minutes to incorporate all of the stock and ensure that the rice is cooked through. I always taste test throughout just to make sure it is coming along the way I want
7. When the risotto is basically cooked add in your vegetables (I always give them just a rough chop before putting them in) to re warm and allow the roasting flavour to mingle with the risotto
8. Add in half of the parmesan cheese and season again with salt and pepper
9. To finish, plate your risotto and sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese

GRILLED PEACH SALAD

I can't BELIEVE I forgot to blog about this incredible salad! I made this dish as an appetizer for two of my friends Kate and Kelly earlier this summer and they loved it! I just adore peaches, especially in the summer as they are at their sweetest and juiciest point! I have had this recipe on the backburner for a while waiting for the perfect night to bring it out!

This salad is but of course a Jamie Oliver recipe and truly a crowd pleaser! Very Italian as during his time there Jamie found that fruit in Italy is often grilled, hence the inspiration behind this dish!

The peaches are served with bresaola, which is a very thinly sliced, cured, dried beef that you can find at Italian delis or more specialty high end supermarkets. It's very salt and savoury and holds up quite nicely with peaches, arugula and cheese! The recipe says to serve the salad with goat cheese but I decided to stick more with the Italian theme and opted to use ricotta instead. Ricotta is a very creamy Italian cheese made from sheep's milk. And for me the silky texture was perfect for a juicy peach!

Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
Serves 4
- 4 just-ripe peaches
- a few fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
- olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper optional
- some woody herb stalks or branches (such as rosemary or thyme)
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon natural yoghurt or crème fraîche
- 16 slices of bresaola or Parma ham ***(I actually only bought 8, I think 2slices per person is plenty, size depending)!!
- a few sprigs of fresh tarragon, leaves picked
- 2 handfuls of rocket, washed and spun dry
- 100g goat’s cheese, crumbled

Directions:
- Preheat a barbecue or griddle pan until hot. Cut the peaches in half, then twist them to remove the stones – don’t worry if they break up when you do this. Toss them in a bowl with the chopped rosemary, a splash of olive oil and a little salt and pepper. If you’re cooking on a barbecue, throw some herb branches on to the coals if you like – this will give the peaches a herby, smoky flavour. Grill the peaches for a couple of minutes on each side until nicely charred, but not burnt!
- Pour the vinegar into a bowl or a Flavour Shaker and add three times as much extra virgin olive oil. Add the yoghurt or crème fraîche and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk or shake until mixed together well.
- Drape the bresaola over four plates, pinching it up here and there so it’s not lying flat. Place the peaches over the bresaola. Toss the tarragon leaves and rocket in the creamy dressing and pile the salad on top of the peaches. Drizzle with a little more extra virgin olive oil, scatter with the crumbled goat’s cheese and tuck in!

ROASTED TOMATO SOUP WITH BLT CROUTON

Last week was our final exam for our Culinary Skills 2 class. We had to make an appetizer and a main course, and the appetizer was a delicious Roasted Tomato soup with a BLT crouton. We have quite a bit of artistic liscense in our class, as we are always encouraged to find our own way to garnish the dish! I decided to make a mini bite sized BLT!

The tomato soup is really delicious, a great soup for the summer, and especially heading into the fall if you are still dying for that taste of summer. The soup is light, but rich at the same time. Finishing it off with a touch of cream and basil just makes it that more luxurious.

Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 plum tomatoes
50g tomato paste
1 onion
1 celery stalk
1 carrot 
4 slices of bacon
60g of butter
60ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs of basil
For the mini BLT ( 20g of iceberg lettuce, 2 slices white bread + some bacon and slice of tomato)
1 L chicken stock
1/4 cream (optional)
Salt and pepper

Method:
1.    Roast tomatoes in a 400 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes
2.    In a pan, add butter and oil and sauté bacon, mirepoix (celery, onion, carrot) and garlic puree until lightly browned
3.    Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and cover with chicken stock and let simmer for 45-1 hour
4.    Blend the soup, and strain
5.    Return to stove and keep warm
6.    Chiffonade basil
7.    Add basil and cream into soup
8.    Adjust seasoning and serve warm
9.    Shape crouton and fry in butter until golden brown
10.   Assemble mini BLT on skewer

FENNEL & ORANGE SALAD

A couple of weeks go marked the first "Cookbook Club" dinner with about six of my friends from chef school. Once a month we decided get together and cook. The host chooses a cookbook and each person is responsible for preparing one of the parts of the meal! 

The first cookbook chose was French Taste by Laura Calder. I made the appetizers, which I will later share, but one of the dishes that really stuck with me was my friend Kyle's orange & fennel salad. Two fabulously fresh and interesting ingredients. The purple flowers that garnish the photo below (of Kyle's dish) are chive flowers, and I think an absolutely gorgeous touch to a summer fresh dish.

Fennel & Orange Salad

Ingredients:
- 1 fennel bulb, fronds reserved (this is just the fennel hairs on the top of the bulb)
- olive oil for frying
- sea salt, and ground pepper
- 1 orange
- 1/2 small red onion
- handful small black olives
- handful toasted pinenuts
- zest and juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

- Trim the fennel, reserving a handful of green fronds. Cut into slices about 1/4-inch thick. Heat a little olive oil in a saute pan, and, working in batches and seasoning with salt and pepper as you go, fry the fennel on both sides until golden and tender. As the fennel is done, arrange it on a serving platter.
- Zest the orange and set the zest aside. Remove the skin with a sharp knife, taking care to remove all the white pith from the fruit. Discard the peel. Cut out the orange sections, arranging over the fennel, and squeeze the orange juice over the whole salad.

- Slice the onion into paper thin rings and arrange over the salad. Scatter over the olives and pine nuts. Squeeze over lemon juice, to taste.

- Drizzle over a little more olive oil. Finally, scatter over the reserved fennel fronds. Serve.

 

photo credit: moi!

CHICKEN KEBABS

Summer is finally here, and one of my loves of summer is the BBQ! Last week I decided to make some delicious BBQ chicken kebabs, courtesy of Jamie Oliver! I love the barbecue for so many reasons, I think the flavour you get out of a bbq is second to none. A bbq, summer weather and eating outdoors... it's pretty hard to beat.

The chicken ones are the top left!

These kebabs were so easy to make but just jammed packed with flavour. I find that I don't always have time to let things marinate, but this is one of those times that I was so thankful I did! The flavours of the herbs really penetrated the chicken and after the bbq they were extremely moist and tender.

Jamie O's Chicken kebabs
Makes 6-8 kebabs

Ingredients:
- 4 or 5 free-range boneless chicken breasts
- 3 or 4 zucchini, sliced very thinly lengthways
-  6–8 skewers or sticks of fresh rosemary, lower leaves removed, tips kept on

for the marinade
- 1 handful of fresh coriander
- 1 handful of fresh mint
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 6 spring onions
- 1 red chilli
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil

Directions:
- Cut the chicken into 2.5cm/1 inch cubes and place in a bowl.
- Blanch the courgette strips in salted boiling water for 30 seconds then drain and allow to cool.
- Blitz all the marinade ingredients (except the olive oil) in a food processor, then loosen to a paste with a little olive oil.
- Add the marinade to the chicken pieces and mix well. Allow to sit for up to an hour.
- Then weave the courgette strips in between the chicken pieces on the rosemary sticks or skewers.
- Grill for around 5 minutes, turning regularly, until cooked.
- Feel free to cut a piece open to check if they're done.

photo credits: jamie o & me!

ROASTED BEET SALAD

So the other night with my banoffee pie for dessert, one of my side dishes was a roasted beet salad! This past weekend we went out for dinner to Scaramouche and one of the starter's was a roasted beet salad with goat cheese, so from this delicious appetizer, I was inspired! This salad is so simple and a great alternative to a classic green salad. Beets have a really sweet natural flavour to them, making it a tasty treat for those kids who don't like leafy greens! The basis of the dressing, red wine vinegar, dijon and tarragon are a natural combination, and a perfect light dressing for the beets.

Roasted Beet Salad with Tarragon

Ingredients:
- Large red beets (depends on how many people you are having, at least 1 medium size beet per person)
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- 3 sprigs of tarragon

Directions:
- Wash beets. Set oven to 400degrees F
- Place on a layer on aluminum foil and mix olive oil salt and pepper around with the beets to cover them. Then take foil and mold it into a tent shape (in order to both steam and bake the beets at the same time)
- Place beets in oven for 45minutes to an hour, or until for tender.
- Remove from oven and peel (you may want to wear gloves when doing this as beets do stain a bit!)
- Slice into rounds.
- Whisk dijon, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper together until emuslified. Mix in the tarragon leaves (you may chop them if you wish but I like the look at the leaf in tact)
- Toss beets in the vinaigrette and let rest until serving.
- This salad may be served warm or cold. ENJOY!

photo credit: my sister, nora b.

BANOFFEE PIE

I have been dying to try out Chuck Hughes' Banoffee Pie and tonight I finally made it. The bottom layer of the pie is ground up Oreo's and melted butter, followed by caramel, bananas and whipping cream. Could it sound more heavenly?! I however stray a bit from Chuck's recipe, as instead of using boiled evaporated milk as the caramel, I made my own caramel. (Which for those of you who don't know, is SUPER easy and takes legitimately 10 minuets max!) This dessert was so great, fun to make, and a total hit with my family tonight! Give it a try!
 

Banoffee Pie
Serves 4

Ingredients: 
- 20 Oreo cookies
- 1/4 cup butter, melted (60 ml)
- 1 can of condensed milk (300 ml) ** ( Instead of this I made my own caramel. To do that: dissolve one cup of sugar into 1/3 cup of water. Bring to a boil on med-high heat stirring occasionally (5-7 minutes max). Once you reach a medium brown colour add in 1/3 cup of cream and thicken on low heat for about 2 minutes. Finish with a splash of vanilla and cool.)
- 2 ripe bananas, sliced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cups 35 % cream (500 ml) (I used whipping cream instead)
- 1/4 cup icing sugar (60 ml)
- 2 tablespoons strong coffee (30 ml) 

 

Directions:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
- In a food processor, add the cookies and process until it becomes a crumb like mixture. Add butter and process again. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, take the condensed milk can and place it in an oven-proof stockpot filled with water. DO NOT OPEN THE CAN. Make sure the can is constantly covered in water. Bake in the oven for 3 ½ hours. Remove, let cool, open and set aside.
- In a bowl, mix the bananas with lemon juice. Set aside.
- Whip the cream with icing sugar and coffee in another bowl until soft peaks form. 

To serve: Using a round 4 inch mold directly on the serving plate, put a layer of the cookie mixture, then the slices of bananas, cover with the condensed milk (now toffee) and repeat the layers. Remove the mold and garnish with a dollop of cream. (I just used a regular circle cake mold as my cake was for a family of 8!) 

 

photo credit: my sissy

TOMATO BASIL BOCCONCINI SKEWERS

My mom was having a dinner party this weekend so I offered up my help, and one of the dishes I though to make were tomato/basil/bocconcini skewers. These hors d'oeurves are beyond cute and extremely tasty! So easy to make, with basically no prep time involved, these are perfect for the stressed dinner party host!

Tomato Basil Bocconcini Skewers
To serve 8 people
Ingredients:
- 16-20 bocconcini balls
- 16-20 baby tomatoes
- 1 basil leave per skewer
- salt and pepper
- olive oil to drizzle over top
- 16-20 mini wooden skewers

Directions:
- Season bocconcini balls with salt and pepper
- To assemble place half of the basil leave then tomato on the skewer, then the rest of the basil leave and finish with the bocconcini ball (refer to image)
- Drizzle the skewers with olive oil and let rest before serving in order for the flavours to marry.

TOP 5 SPRING INGREDIENTS

Back in the winter I talked about my top five winter ingredients and ways in which to use them. So here are my favourites for Spring, and what I am looking forward to stocking up on! Knowing 5 ingredients like this is great as sometimes just being able to focus in on a few key items helps can really help in meal planning and recipe searching!

1) Peas
I love peas! They are just to me the epitome of springtime, with their fresh taste, vibrant green colour and sweet flavour. They are a great ingredient for many different dishes; soups, pastas, side dishes. Quite versatile and extremely inexpensive, peas are a great go-to for the spring.
- Sweet pea risotto
- Crostini with mushed sweet peas and lemon ricotta
- Pea soup

2) Asparagus
I don't think there is one vegetable I truly couldn't live without other than asparagus. Such a great flavour, and to me a good looking vegetable. It always looks good on a plate and can really make a dish look pretty and rustic. Great on their own, with natural flavours of olive oil, salt and pepper or one of my favourite ways, with eggs in a frittata. They also could accompany any meat dish you serve!
- Roasted asparagus
- Asparagus frittata

3) Lemon
I am obsessed with lemons these days. Their tart flavour, versatility and bright colour just draw me in! A great springtime flavour, you will be sure to love this ingredient. It can be in salad dressings, in desserts, freshly squeezed
- Meyer Lemon tart
- Lemon ricotta for a crostini (basically this is a light and fluffy spread that can go on a crostini, delicious on its own or with crushed peas on top, this is a great springtime dish. To assemble just mix 1/2 ricotta with 2 tbsp lemon juice, some lemon zest, salt and pepper. For a deeper lemon flavour continue adding lemon juice to the mix)


4) Mint
I keep repeating how "fresh" flavour all of these ingredients are, and I guess the word fresh is just what I think of as necessary for Springtime. Mint is another one of those ingredients. After using it in my lab at school this week I rediscovered my love for mint! Beautiful as a garnish!
- Mint sauce for lamb chops
- Mojito (Cuban drink with fresh mint crushed into it)
- Two ingredient combo: pea soup with mint (also mint as a garnish for this)

5) Honeydew melon 
Honeydew for me just brings back the memories. In high school, everyday after school my mom would have a fruit platter waiting for us, and springtime meant copious amounts of honeydew, that is definitely part of the reason I adore honeydew. A great fruit, with a smooth texture and extremely sweet flavour, kids will gobble this one off their plates!
- Cold melon soup
- Melon wrapped with prosciutto
- Cut up on a fruit tray


Happy Spring!!


photo credit: google images

ENGLISH ONION SOUP BY JAMIE

You must think that all I do is post about Jamie Oliver, and I apologize for that, but it's his kind of cooking that really generally does inspire me; rustic, family, simple, beautiful! So I have another one to add to the books this week. When I was watching Jamie at Home during our silly spring snowstorm yesterday he was making French Onion Soup. I have never been more inspired to get off the couch, to the grocery store and then to start cooking. It's all I wanted, perfect comfort food for a blizzardy day.

A word to the wise about this soup, it is necessary to caramelize your onions, which means it will take over an HOUR at a low temperature! So for you speedy cookers, this is not the recipe for you. Luckily I wasn't going anywhere and I had plenty of time to spare. Since I made such a big batch, mine actually took about two hours! The wonders of food...

Jamie's description of the dish is quite cute and funny so I thought I would add it in too!

Jamie's English Onion Soup
Total time: about 2:30 (or less depending on your onions!)
Servings: 8 generous portions

"There's something so incredibly humble about onion soup. It's absolutely one of my favorites but unfortunately I only ever get to make it in the restaurant or for myself as the missus thinks she's allergic to onions. (She's not, because I whiz them up into loads of dishes without her knowing!)
If you have the opportunity, get hold of as many different types of onion for this soup as you can - you need about 2 pounds in total. Sweat them gently and you'll be amazed at all the flavors going on"

Ingredients:
- Good knob of butter
- Olive oil
- Handful fresh sage leaves, 8 leaves reserved for garnish ( I also added about 4 sprigs of thyme in as well, because I love the flavour and its perfect with this soup!)
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 3 large red onions (or 5 small red onions), peeled and sliced
- 3 large white onions, peeled and sliced
- 3  shallots, peeled and sliced
- 11 ounces leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced (I just did one bunch)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 cups good-quality hot beef, chicken or vegetable stock
- 8 slices good-quality stale bread, 3/4-inch thick (I just used a white French baguette and toasted it for the stale effect)
- 7 ounces freshly grated Cheddar
- Worcestershire sauce

Directions
- Put the butter, 2 glugs of olive oil, the sage and garlic into a heavy bottomed, nonstick pan. Stir everything round and add the onions, shallots and leeks. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place a lid on the pan, leaving it slightly ajar, and cook slowly for 50 minutes, without coloring the vegetables too much. Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes, the onions will become soft and golden. Stir occasionally so that nothing catches on the bottom. Having the patience to cook the onions slowly, slowly, gives you an incredible sweetness and an awesome flavor, so don't be tempted to speed this up.
- When your onions and leeks are lovely and silky, add the stock. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. You can skim any fat off the surface if you like, but I prefer to leave it because it adds good flavor.

- Preheat the oven or broiler to maximum. Toast your bread on both sides. Correct the seasoning of the soup. When it's perfect, ladle it into individual heatproof serving bowls and place them on a baking sheet. Tear toasted bread over each bowl to t like a lid. Feel free to push and dunk the bread into the soup a bit. Sprinkle with some grated Cheddar and drizzle over a little Worcestershire sauce.
Dress your reserved sage leaves with some olive oil and place 1 on top of each slice of bread. Put the baking sheet into the preheated oven or under the broiler to melt the cheese until bubbling and golden. Keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't burn! When the cheese is bubbling, very carefully lift out the baking sheet and carry it to the table. Enjoy.

photo credit: my own

GARLIC SPINACH SPAGHETTI

Last week in lab our chef made garlic spinach and since then I have been craving more of it! Last night, I didn't know what to do for dinner, but I wanted to try and use spinach and a combination of ingredients in my fridge. I found pine nuts, mascarpone (which was about to go bad so I had to use it up!), spinach, garlic and spaghetti. A perfect combo for a delicious pasta! The nutmeg works really well with the spinach and garlic giving it an earthly flavour. If you happen to have ricotta on hand not mascarpone you could easily substitute one for the other.

This pasta was so simple, but with so many different flavours and textures in the dish, it made for a really exciting meal! Quick to prepare, and without having to buy really any of the ingredients as most are staples in my fridge, I think this pasta is going to become a regular! The other plus about this dish, its a one pan dinner.

Garlic Spinach Spaghetti
Serves One
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
- 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped, or use a microplane to turn it into more of a paste)
- 1 heaping spoonful mascarpone cheese
- 60mL of milk (or cream, but I was trying to be somewhat healthy)
- 2 handfuls of baby spinach
- toasted pine nuts (as many as you would like)
- salt and pepper
- nutmeg
- spaghetti (enough for one serving)
- 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
- Boil the pasta water, salt and cook pasta for about 12 minutes or until al dente.
- In a large saute pan toast the pine nuts of medium heat until they are golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Place olive oil and turn to medium high heat. Add the spinach and wilt. Once wilted add in one clove of garlic and toss. Remove from pan and set aside.
- To the pan add the milk, mascarpone, another clove of garlic, salt, pepper and a touch of nutmeg. Let the sauce mix together and warm throughout.
- Once pasta is cooked move immediately to the sauce pan. Add in the spinach and pine nuts and mix thoroughly.
- Season with a bit more salt and pepper if necessary, plate and grate some fresh parmesan on top before serving.

BON APPETIT!

SWEET POTATO HASH

Well watching the Food Network yesterday, I was inspired by Michael Smith's Chef at Home "Breakfast for Dinner" episode. I adore breakfast for dinner, and one of the side dishes he made for his breakfast was a sweet potato hash. I decided to give it a whirl as it would be a great side dish for many different meals as sweet potatoes are very versatile. With the flavour and taste of bacon and some crisp chives, you can't beat this side dish. In the episode he served it alongside some crispy pork belly and a three-egg omelet with chives, thyme and sharp cheddar cheese. For a great meal idea try all three together! Otherwise just serve on the side of something like chicken!

Sweet Potato Hash
Serves 4
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
- 2 sweet potatoes (diced)
- 6 pieces of bacon
- a handful of chopped chives
- salt and pepper
- sour cream (optional)

Directions:
- In a pan on medium-high heat cook the bacon until crispy. One done, remove from pan and leave bacon fat in the pan.
- Dice sweet potatoes (I left the skin on, way more flavour and nutrients) and add them to the pan with the bacon fat. Mix around so that the grease covers the potatoes and cook until tender on medium heat. About 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the dice.

- Once fork tender, remove from place and place in serving dish.
- Top with crisp bacon (just break the bacon apart with your hands) and the chopped chives.
- Serve immediatley. (sour cream on the side is optional, but a great little dip)

ENJOY!

photo credit: my own images

TUNA TARTARE

I love tartare, beef or tuna, both work for me. When I see it on a menu I just know I will end up ordering it! But luckily for me I didn't need to be in any restaurant this weekend in order to indulge in some delicious tuna tartare. My friend Kate came over Saturday night with a little treat from her dad's birthday party - tuna tartare! I was so excited to try it, and let me tell you - it was a hit! When committing to making such a delicious dish, it is important that you do get really good quality tuna steak because that is the star of the dish and really needs to be top notch. The flavouring of the dish was quite asian but with diced avocado in there as well you couldn't go wrong. Creamy in a sense yet the diced tuna still holds its own. This tartare was an appetizer to their main dinner and was hoovered! I'm lucky I got some before it was all gone. So if you are looking for a great entertaining recipe that is sure to WOW your guests, this my friends is it!

Recipe by Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) and one of my personal favs!
** Note do not save leftovers for more than 24 hours

Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 3/4 pounds very fresh tuna steak
- 1 1/4 cups olive oil
 - 5 limes, zest grated
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 1/2 teaspoons wasabi powder
- 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
nocoupon- 2 tablespoons hot red pepper sauce
- 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 cups minced scallions, white and green parts (12 scallions)
- 3 1/4 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
- 5 ripe Hass avocados
- 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, optional

Directions:
-Cut the tuna into 1/4-inch dice and place it in a very large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine the olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, wasabi, soy sauce, hot red pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Pour over the tuna, add the scallions and jalapeno, and mix well.
- Cut the avocados in half, remove the seed, and peel. Cut the avocados into 1/4-inch dice. Carefully mix the avocado into the tuna mixture.
- Add the toasted sesame seeds, if using, and season to taste.
- Allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour for the flavors to blend. Serve on crackers

photo credit: food network

MUSHROOM PASTA BAKE

Toronto this week has been non-stop rain, and with such bone chilling coldness I wanted to make something last night that would warm me right up, some real good homestyle comfort food. Of course for this I turned to Jamie's Italian cookbook (by Jamie Oliver). My friend Kate was coming for dinner and we wanted something, easy, warming and delicious, and Jamie O is our fav!

The dish I ended up creating was more so inspired by this recipe than Jamie than followed word for word. The dish is called spaghetti tetrazzini (a chicken and mushroom pasta bake). I'm not really a fan of chicken in pasta, so I took that right out and instead of using basil like Jamie does I substituted in rosemary as I think it is a perfect marriage with woody mushrooms. I also for the first time bought porcini mushrooms and they were so great! Porcini's come dry so you need to rehydrate them, but the flavour that the water takes on after the re-hydration is so strong and perfect for making a sauce!

Here is my recipe of the dish, based off of Jamie's original recipe! In this recipe you will see that I infuse my cream with garlic and rosemary. Since starting chef school I find we are always infusing our liquids and it really makes such a difference in the end result. More flavour developments, but not necessarily as harsh!

Mushroom & Rosemary Pasta Bake
Serves 4
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
- 1 handful of dried porcini mushrooms
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cloves of garlic (2 cloves should be pureed)
- 2 handfuls of mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 of a small white onion finely diced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 box dried spaghetti
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
- Boil water for pasta on high heat and cook pasta in salted water once water is boiled.
- In a kettle boil about a cup of water for the porcini mushrooms. Once water is boiled place mushrooms in a bowl, pour water over, cover and let sit for about 20 minutes. Do not throw out the water! Reserve for later!!
- In a sauce pot put in cream with a peeled garlic clove cut in half and a sprig of rosemary. Keep on low temperature until ready to use.

- Slice mushrooms, and dice onion.
- In a large enough pan to fit all the liquid and vegetables soften onion in a little bit of butter and olive oil.
- Once translucent add in the mushrooms and porcini mushrooms.
- Add in the pureed garlic (for this I usually just use a microplane, works really well to get that pureed consistency)
- Cook the mushrooms, onions and garlic until softened. Then add in about one sprig of chopped rosemary and let cook for a few more minutes. 
- Add in the white wine and cook for about 5 minutes until the alcohol has burned off. Then add about half of the reserved porcini water and cook for 3 more minutes. Finally add all of the cream to the saucepan and let the flavours blend together.

- When the pasta is cooked add the pasta to the sauce with half of the grated parmesan and mix. Dont' forget to season with salt and pepper!

- Transfer the spaghetti into an ovenproof baking dish (I buttered mine so that it wouldn't stick). Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan on top of the pasta and bake until crispy and golden brown. About 30-40 minutes, but keep an eye on it!

 

Before baking

 

After baking

BON APPETIT!!


photo credit: my own

PULLED PORK

Thank you Bonnie Stern for the best superbowl party food yet! Thanks to twitter - my new favourite source of all food related knowledge, I discovered Bonnie Stern's weekend article in The National Post - "Presenting the perfect pretext to pull pork." I am a HUGE fan of pulled pork, and after reading through the article I could literally not wait to make it! Especially since last week we butchered pork & lamb shoulder's in butchery class I thought it would be so great to work with meats now that I understand their cuts.

 

The end result - pulling the pork

So for a great, fun meal, pulled pork is for you! I can't wait to make it again! The great part about this recipe is Bonnie actually gives a few extra ingredient recipes, chipotle mayo, a doctored-up BBQ sauce and a creamy coleslaw to top the pulled pork. Make sure to get really soft, good quality buns. I found mine at The Healthy Butcher, (any sort of egg made buns, like Challa is fab).

 

Pork Rub before going in the oven

 

Pork once it had cooked for 3.5 hours

 
The Pork itself
Ingredients:
Rub
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp each paprika, pepper and cumin
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 lb boneless pork shoulder (pork butt roast)
Cooking liquid
- 2 cups apple juice
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 6 whole cloves garlic
- 2 onions, thickly sliced
Maple barbecue sauce
- 2 cups favourite barbecue sauce
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp each Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Directions:
1. Combine brown sugar, salt, paprika, pepper, cumin, mustard and garlic. Rub into roast. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Combine apple juice, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Place garlic and onions in the bottom of a Dutch oven and set roast on top. Add liquid. Cover roast with a piece of parchment paper and then cover pan tightly. Cook in a preheated 325F/160C oven for 3 to 4 hours or longer, until pork is so tender it falls apart when pierced with a fork.
3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan whisk barbecue sauce with maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and mustard. Bring to a boil. Cook gently 5 minutes. Reserve.
4. When roast is ready, remove from pan. Slice thickly and chop. Combine with half the barbecue sauce, adding some of the strained cooking juices if meat is too dry. Reheat meat just before serving in a 325F oven for about 30 minutes.
5. Make sandwiches on the soft buns with meat, extra barbecue sauce, coleslaw, chipotle mayo
Makes 12 sandwiches

Chipotle Mayo

Ingredients:
- 1 cup mayonnaise (I like Hellman’s)
- 1 tbsp chipotle chili purée or to taste
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
1. Place mayonnaise in a bowl and stir in chipotle purée,

Creamy-Style Coleslaw
Ingredients:
- 4 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 carrot, grated
- OR - just the pre made coleslaw packages by Our Compliments
Dressing
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper or to taste

Directions:
1. Make coleslaw by combining shredded cabbage with salt. Place in a colander set over a bowl, with a plate on top, pressing down on the cabbage to extract excess moisture. After about one hour, rinse cabbage and pat dry, pressing again firmly. Combine with carrots.
2. For dressing, combine mayonnaise with garlic, sugar, vinegar and pepper.
3. Combine dressing with cabbage mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Makes 12 servings

Total time (prep+cooking): 3-4 hours

photo-credit: my own & national post

BLUEBERRY SCONES

I found this article by Bonnie Stern in the National Post called "Better Cooking Through Chemistry." She pushes the fact that every kitchen needs a copy of Harold McGee's Keys to Good Cooking: a Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes. I had never heard of the book so naturally I was quite curious! McGee is a leading writer on the science of food and cooking and is a columnist for The New York Times. 


Bonnie writes that during her lunch with the San Francisco-based writer, his hope behind the book was "cooks would use this book while they’re standing in the kitchen cooking, and close the book once they get the answers." The book is full of information on techniques, food safety and purchasing/storing food. It's great because he explains the science behind a cooking process - helping you avoid the "what went wrong disaster" during a recipe.

The three recipes she highlighted in her article looked great, but the one that really stood out was the scone recipe! The best part about this recipe - that it truly was so simple, and helped me cook with ease!

I have been craving some lovely baked goods, real rustic ones that you find in a quaint cafe. So scones seemed to fit the bill. The recipe was for scones with dried cranberries, but I much prefer fresh fruit - so I substituted them for fresh blueberries. I can't explain how simple it was! My friend Kate was over so we made the scones together and the batter was literally done before my oven had pre-heated to 450 degrees. So wild - I think the whole cooking time including prep time and oven times was 25 minutes, 30 max! So easy - can't wait to make these one morning for a special brekky.

DRIED CRANBERRY SCONES (or blueberry like me!)
For tender scones, McGee says be sure to use fresh baking powder and/or baking soda; if the recipe calls for baking soda, be sure it also calls for an acid, such as buttermilk. Blend dry ingredients thoroughly — at least a minute of whisking (sifting lightens and removes lumps, but does not mix). Then, combine wet and dry ingredients quickly and bake immediately.

Ingredients:
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1⁄3 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar

Directions:
- In a large bowl combine flour with baking powder, sugar and salt. Stir mixture with a whisk for about 1 minute to combine thoroughly. Cut in butter until it’s in tiny bits. Stir in cranberries.
- Mix egg with milk and add to flour mixture. Gather mixture together and gently knead just until mixture forms a ball.
- On a floured work surface, pat dough into a round that’s approximately 10-inches (26 cm) in diameter. Cut into 8 wedges.
- Transfer scones to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake in a preheated 450F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Makes 8 scones

Read more: http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/01/22/bonnie-stern-better-cooking-through-chemistry/#ixzz1ClI7YIxb

photo credit: my own

PORK LAB

Pork is one those delicious meats that so many people forget about, but it is truly a great alternative to the classic beef or chicken.

Today is our Fundamentals of Butchery lab we butchered a pork rack and shoulder!

 Pork leg - skin on and all!

 Pork cutlets for a scallopini

 A pork roast - trussed (to tie up, in this case secure the meat for when it is cooking)

Pork is really one of the meats that I grew up on - I think we had pork tenderloin (PT as we called it) in our house every week. For a really great way to eat pork tenderloin - try using this marinade! Marinate the meat for as long as possible - but an hour or two will do!

My mom's famous PT marinade!

Ingredients:
1/3 to 1/2 cup of soya sauce - low sodium if possible

1/4 cup of vegetable/canola/corn oil

1/4 cup sherry

8 cloves of garlic peeled and sliced

a whole bunch of ginger - peeled and sliced

salt and pepper

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

 

Directions:

Put it all in a jar and shake it like crazy!!

 

For a complete meal, serve with some crisp green beans tossed in butter, rice or we liked a little sweet potato on the side and a nice loaf of baguette warmed. For a healthier option, try making a warm salad of pork tenderloin (slices on top of the salad).  

 

Cooking tips for pork tenderloin:

In the oven - 25-35 minutes at 350 degrees F

On the BBQ - On medium with a hot hot grill - 8/9 minutes per side. Then a loose foil tent to cover for 2-4 minutes to let the juices retract

Photo credits: my own

PARSNIPS

A winter vegetable I just can't get enough of right now is the PARSNIP! A root vegetable similar to a carrot yet paler and sweeter. Prior to the staple potato the parsnip was actually the main source of starch in diets as they had a long storage life, a sweet flavour and nutritional value. Parsnips grew in Europe and in Roman times parsnips were believed to be an aphrodisiac and a luxury item for the aristocracy. The Europeans brought parsnips to the United States in the 16th century, but to this day they are still not as popular as the carrot - although they are truly superb.

Interestingly, parsnips are NOT grown in warm clients, as frost is actually what helps develop their flavour - the cold converts the starch to sugar, sweetening the parsnip and mellowing the flavour.

My favourite ways to enjoy parsnips are either roasted or in a soup! Parsnip soup is one of my ultimate favourites!

Try Jamie Oliver's Spicy Parsnip Soup!

Ingredients: Serves 4
- olive oil
- knob of butter
- 1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 6 parsnips, peeled and chopped into chunks
- 500ml milk
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 fresh red chili, deseeded and finely sliced
- optional: a handful of fresh coriander leaves
- crusty bread, to serve

Directions
- Heat a splash of olive oil and the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and garam masala. Gently fry for around 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and sweet.
- Drop in the chopped parsnip and stir together so that everything gets coated in the oil and flavours. Pour in the milk and stock, season well and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes with a lid on.
- After half an hour, check that the parsnips are cooked by sticking a knife in. If you’re happy, remove them from the heat and carefully whiz up using a hand blender or liquidizer. Taste the soup to see if it needs a little more salt or pepper.
- Serve with a sprinkling of sliced red chili, a few coriander leaves if you like, and a good chunk of crusty bread.
- Tip: Use coconut milk instead of regular milk for a twist.

To roast parsnips cover peeled and sliced parsnips with oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, or until they turn golden brown with the roasted look!

photo credit: jamie oliver & google images

EGGNOGGED

The ugly Christmas sweater parties we have all been to would not be complete without the spiked eggnog! A traditional holiday drink turned commercial has taken over the #1 place for holiday drinks! Variations of the drink are seen everywhere now, eggnog lattes from Starbucks, eggnog pudding, custard etc from chefs around town, its everywhere!

When I was younger around Christmas the family would always have out the eggnog and I just remember thinking how horrid it looked and that there was noooo chance I would be trying that stuff! It wasn’t until last year that I finally tried, and then loved the eggnog! But I mean how could you not, cream + eggs + cinnamon + nutmeg, hellooo!

Eggnog is actually said to have originated in Medieval England. There are two theories behind the drinks name. The first, “nog” is said to stem from the term “noggin” – a Middle English term used to describe a small, carved wooden mug used to serve alcohol. The second is that eggnog derived from the term “egg and grog”, a common Colonial term used for the drink made with rum. It was eventually shortened to “egg’n’grog” and then “eggnog.” Eggnog is said to have made its way across the pond in the 18th century.

Here is a recipe for a quick and easy eggnog you can make at home, from Alton Brown of the Food Network.

Eggnog
Ingredients: Yields 6-7 cups

- 4 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 pint whole milk

- 1 cup heavy cream

- 3 ounces bourbon (but here I would use rum instead!)
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 egg whites*

Directions:

- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg and stir to combine.

- Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

- Whisk the egg whites into the mixture. Chill and serve.

Cook's Note: For cooked eggnog, follow procedure below:

- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Set aside.

- In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine the milk, heavy cream and nutmeg and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and gradually temper the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Then return everything to the pot and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat, stir in the bourbon, pour into a medium mixing bowl, and set in the refrigerator to chill.

- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg whites into the chilled mixture

*RAW EGG WARNING

Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs due to the slight risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

photo credit: google images