eats with the peeps

Apple Fritters without the Gluten

2014-01-22T17:19:00.003-05:00

Gluten Free Apple Fritters

This recipe is from www.thepioneerwoman.com, and I have adapted it for Gluten free.

2 cups Gluten Free Flour (I used Cup for Cup avail. at Costco)
1/2 cup Sugar
3 Tablespoons Sugar
2-1/4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1-1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
2 whole Large Eggs
3/4 cups Whole Milk
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
2 whole Apples, Peeled And Diced
Gluten free Powdered Sugar (optional, For Dusting)
GLAZE (optional)
1-1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup Milk

Preparation Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a fork, then add milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
Gently fold dry and wet ingredients together until just combined (do not overmix.) Fold in apples. Add enough apples to make a very chunky batter. You want the apples to shine though!
Heat a couple of inches of canola oil over medium to medium-low heat. When it gets hot, drop a little drop of batter into the oil. If it sizzles immediately and rises to the top, the oil is ready; if it burns quickly, turn down the heat.

Drop teaspoons of batter into the hot oil, six or eight at a time. Sometimes they'll flip over by themselves; sometimes you have to flip them. Just watch them and make sure they don't get too brown, but cook them long enough to make sure the batter's cooked through, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes total.

Remove and drain on a paper towel. Dust very generously with powdered sugar, or dip fritters in a light doughnut glaze (mix all glaze ingredients together, then dunk warm fritters).
Serve warm!

**May be heated up the next day in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes.

SOLE MEUNIERE

2013-09-12T19:39:00.000-04:00

Apparently Sole Meuniere was the dish that got Julia Childs into French cooking. I stumbled apon this recipe one day after I had purchased some Sole on sale only to arrive home with no idea how to cook it. So I googled around and found this simple recipe for Sole Meuniere, and I happened to have everything in stock-it has quickly become my son's favorite. I am sure it would turn out even better if I was using wheat flour, but still had success with Rice flour. I might try using Besan (chickpea) flour next and will update this post with the results. Capers are inexpensive pickled Mediterranean flower buds, but if you don't have any, I have used diced green olives in a pinch with just as much success.
The results are a wonderfully simple dish with an amazing buttery, salty, lemony sauce that compliments the fish perfectly.

Here's the skinny on my version of a simple Sole Meuniere

What I used:

4 large filets of Soul
3/4 cup of superfine rice flour (or Wheat, or any blend of GF flour)
1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Pepper
1 lemon zested+juiced
3/4 cup of finely chopped fresh parsely
1/2 cup butter/subsitute
1/4 capers (I have also used green olived dieced fine as a sub and it worked fine)
1/2 dry white wine

What I did:

1. Mix the salt and pepper with the flour and powder the fillets
warm a tablespoon of the butter and fry the fillet. They cook fast as Sole is a delicate fish

2. Place the fillets on a warm plate while you make the sauce

3. Once the fish is removed throw the remaining butter in a pan and let sizzle,

4. Add the parsely and fry for a minute or two

5. Add the Lemon Juice (about half a cup) let it sizzle

6. Add the white wine and capers and let it render down a smidge or two

7. Add 1/2 the lemon zest

8. Bend over and smell this concoction.

9. Pour over the fish and serve.

Enjoy,

comment if you tried it and made any variations.

Apples Upgraded

2012-10-28T01:05:00.000-04:00

Fall dinner with Friends!

2012-10-04T22:13:00.001-04:00

RECIPES

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

4-6 large tomatoes

dried thyme

2-3 garlic cloves

few tablespoons balsamic

few tablespoons olive oil

S&P

1. Cut each tomato in half and place in deep 9 inch pan

2. Drizzle oil and vinegar over all the tomatoes

3. Sprinkle over S&P and thyme

4. Place thin slices of garlic over tops of tomatoes

5. Roast in oven at 250 degrees for approx 3-4 hours

until shrivelled and browned!

6. I served mine on a bed of baby spinach as a side dish!

The Hash

1 can corn

1 package diced pancetta

2-3 leeks

a good amount of shitake mushrooms

olive oil

butter

dill

S&P

a few table spoons of heavy cream

1. Get a deep pan very hot and fry the pancetta. Once its crispy

remove and set aside.

2. Add a spoon of butter to the pancetta fat and saute the leeks for 2-3 minutes

then add in the mushrooms and another spoon of butter and some S&P

Saute for another 2-3 min.

3. Add the can of corn, the fresh dill, and the cream, stir it all around

then remove from the heat and just let it sit until everything else is ready.

Pan-Seared Beef with Watercress

2-3 cuts of beef, I used something like a flank steak

soy sauce

sesame oil

black sesame seeds

hoisin sauce

fresh ginger

olive oil

rice vinegar

1 lime

S& P

bunch of watercress

bunch of arugala

can of water chestnuts

green onions

1. First marinate beef in a few splashes of sesame oil, juice from the lime

and S&P, wrap up and set aside

2. To make the dressing for the watercress and arugula

whisk together to taste, rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, grated ginger

diced green onions, sesame oil, set aside to let the flavours meld together.

3. Heat a pan thats ok to be transfered to the oven, get it nice and hot and

using tong put the marinated beef in the pan, sear for 2-3 min on each side the

transfer pan to the oven for another 10-15 min until the beef is about 150 degrees with a meat thermometer. Once its done pull it out and let it rest for a few minutes

4. Toss the arugula and watercress with the dressing and plate it up, toss a few water chestnuts on top

then slice the steak and lay it over top!

Sweet Potato Latke with Smoked Salmon

2012-08-27T19:03:00.000-04:00

I had this the other night at a local restaurant and it blew my mind, I had to come home and reconstruct it. It is pretty simple too, nothing new here, just some odd pairings that are amazing.

the Latke
the secret to a good latke I discovered is to extract all the moisture from the ingredients before you fry them. They will get much crispier, and sister...the crisp is what makes this all that.

heres what I did.

2 large sweet potatoes grated and drained*
2 medium onions grated and drained*
3 tablespoons flour (I used Rice flour)
2 eggs lightly beaten
Salt and Pepper

* I took all the shavings and placed them in a clean dish towel then slowly twisted it over the sink till all the moisture came out. It is amazing how much liquid there is in those babies.

mix all the ingredients together and heat up some approapriate oil
I used Grapeseed oil, because I like it.

heat it up good and hot and slide in a nicely flattened puck, don't put too many in as they need room to fry. Then remove to paper towel to dry.

the Smoked Salmon
I purchased this from the Superstore and it comes in thin slivers and is easy to slice and roll.

Place a dollop of sour cream and some fresh dill and get ready for the most amazing flavors to get together and have babies.

The Chevre + Tomato
I bought a roll of gaot cheese and sliced it, slightly oiled it then took my creme brulee torch to it, but you could put it under the broiler too. It gets this amazing crust on top, and the cheese becomes this most amazing soft fluffy texture.

I took some small vine tomatoes and quartered them 80% of the way through put some SP on them and drizzle some oil and balsamic vinegar on it and get ready for something amazing.

Tilapia with Rice and Salad

2012-04-04T22:31:00.002-04:00

Dill Rice

INGREDIENTS

-brown rice

-lots of fresh dill

-big handful of raw sunflower seeds

-S&P

-butter or olive oil

1. Cook rice until done, stir in a few teaspoons of butter, or a few gluts of olive oil.

Also stir in lots of finely chopped dill and a large pinch of S&P

Tilapia with Cilantro

INGREDIENTS

-tilapia fillets

-cilantro

-butter

-sesame oil

-S&P

-juice of 1 lime

1. First place fish fillets in a shallow bowl, cover in a few table spoons of sesame oil,

and the lime juice.

2. Finally chop a large handful of cilantro, and mash with some sesame oil, and S&P.

3. Heat non-stick pan and add a bit of a butter and bit of sesame oil. pan fry the fish about 4 min each side

until done through, and flakes of easily.

4. When you plate it up just spoon big scoops of the cilantro on top of each fillet!

Roasted Beet Salad

INGREDIENTS

-2-3 chopped, peeled beets

-spinach and arugula

-red pepper

-broccoli

-green onion

-goat cheese

-cashews

-olive oil

-balsamic

-1 clove garlic

-soy sauce

-1/2 tsp sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and chop beets, then place in a shallow baking dish, toss with a few splashes of balsamic, and olive oil. Roast for 15-25 min until nicely browned and soft.

2. To make the dressing put in 2/3cup olive oil, 1/3 cup balsamic, then add a splash of soy sauce, 1 clove garlic crushed, and the sugar. I usually do this in a mason jar so I can give it a really good shake, and also store the leftover in the fridge easily!

3. Chop all the veggies and put in big salad bowl with spinach and arugula. Toss with a good amount of the dressing, top with beets once they have cooled a bit, then sprinkle goat cheese and cashews over top!

Fish Cakes

2012-03-27T20:41:00.000-04:00

RECIPE TO FOLLOW

(It includes bacon and almonds)

raw zuchinni pasta, and almond cherry tom tartlet

2012-03-13T23:14:00.001-04:00

the pasta

1 zucchini

1 large carrot

1 bunch asparagus

1 bunch fresh basil

big handful pine nuts

5-6 chopped sundried tomotoes

2 green onions

the sauce

1 cup soaked raw cashews

the juice from 1-2 lemons

6-7 fresh basil leaves

1 clove garlic

S&P

1tbsp miso paste

1. Soak the cashews for a couple hours before you start making this recipe. Put all sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth, add a bit of water if its too thick.

2. Using a spriralizer turn the zucchini and the carrot into "pasta", chop up the rest of the veggies, and toss together in a large bowl. Toss with a spoonful of the sauce at a time until coated nicely.Top with pine nuts!

the filling

1 pack cherry toms

1 wheel goat brie

1 bunch fresh basil

a few tablespoons good balsamic

the crust

1 1/2 cup almond meal

1 tbsp water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup flaxseed oil

1 tbsp chopped rosemary

a few grinds black pepper

1. Start with the crust, preheat oven to 350. Mix together all ingredients until moist,

and push into tartlet dishes (i spray with something non-stick so the come out easier)

Get tomatoes into a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil.

Place both tomatoes and tart shells in oven.

Take out tart shells after 15-20 min when golden brown.

Let cool for a few min while tomatoes finish off.

2. Slice up the brie, and the basil.

3. Lay slices of brie across the tart shells, top with roasted tomatoes, place back in oven for 2-3 min to melt cheese, then top with chopped basil and drizzle with balsamic.

Baby Clam Fried Rice

2012-03-13T17:31:00.000-04:00

Recipe to Follow

Phad Thai

2012-03-11T21:30:00.000-04:00

Phad Thai

Ingredients

for cooking

-snap peas

-red pepper

-green onions

-2-3 cloves garlic

-1 thai chili

-2-3 chicken breast/or 1 pack tofu

-1 pack rice wide rice noodles

for garnish

-bean sprouts

-cilantro

-thai basil

-raw peanuts(chopped)

-plain yoghurt

The Sauce

-1/4 cup soy sauce

-3-4 tbs tamarind concentrate

-1 tbsp brown sugar

-1/4 cup rice vinegar

-1/4 cup hoisin sauce

-2 tbsp fish sauce

-2 limes squeezed in

(all of these measurements are approximate

I always do this to taste)

1. I always start by putting all ingredients for sauce on low in a small saucepan,

and let simmer while I get everything else ready. Also get out a big bowl and put the whole pack of rice noodles in with really hot water.

2. Then chop all the veggies and everything for garnish.

I always put each garnish in a small bowl and put in the middle of the table.

3. Then slice of chicken or tofu, and garlic and chillies. Heat up large wok

to medium high, pour in a little sesame oil and a little olive oil, toss in garlic and chlies,

toss for 20 sec, then throw in chicken or tofu.

Cook for 4-5 min, then toss and cook for 2-3 more min till cooked through.

4. While the chicken is cooking poor boiling water over the noodles, leave for a min or 2 then strain.

5. Toss all veggies in with the chicken, pour over the sauce that had been simmering,

then pour in all of the rice noodles.

Use tongs to toss gently, rice noodles are delicate, if you stir to much they will turn a little mushy. Once everything seems coated with the sauce, turn heat off and serve up!

6. Top with all of the garnishes and enjoy!

DEEP FRIED ENOKI MUSHROOMS

2012-03-05T18:57:00.000-05:00

this is what they look like without the crispy pants

Coconut and Cardamon Panna Cotta with Roasted Coconut and Strawberries

2012-02-29T19:27:00.000-05:00

If you have never had Panna Cotta you are in for a whole new category of mouth feel. It is a pudding that made babies with a jello, in an indian restaurant....in the summer. That about explains it perfectly. I had this yesterday and a couple of the poeple I was with didn't like it. the texture was too off for them. I however stood up and yelled "bingo". It is easy, and cheap,...have a go.

I took this recipe from www.thefoodinmybeard.com

1 cup cream
1 can coconut milk
½ cup sugar
About 20 pods of cardamom
3 tablespoons water
2 ½ teaspoons gelatin
Coconut Flakes

Heat the cream, coconut milk, sugar, and cardamom(open the pods and add the seeds inside only) until simmering. Allow to cook about 5 minutes stirring often. meanwhile mix the water and gelatin. Pour the cream mixture through a strainer over the water and gelatin. Stir to combine well. Pour into greased and sugared ramekins and refrigerate 2-3 hours. To unmold, run a knife around the edges and flip onto a plate. Top with toasted coconut flakes and serve.

Chicken Mole with Dirty Rice

2012-01-27T18:37:00.002-05:00

Chicken Mole is a crazy Mexican taste sensation that is so unique. It is like the first time you taste Curry and you say, were have you been all my life...were is t he washroom. With Mole it blows your mind that you can eat chocolate with Chicken and call it Mexican. It is super dark chocolate so it is rich and roasty not sweet. Add some heat to it and it is an unbelievable flavour combination that in so unique. I want to cook this for someone who has never had it and watch the look on their face when they taste it. I will post that too.

This is a recipe in this months FOOD & DRINK from the LCBO, a must have, it is loaded with great recipes, and it is free. Many of the recipes I'm trying form it are adaptations as I am always missing something. This one is no exception, but it turned out incredible. So this is my version.

MOLE SAUCE
2 dried Ancho Chilies (I substituted good chill powder with some Chipotle peppers)
3 tbsp slivered Almonds ( roasted till light brown)
1 medium tomatoe, cored and chopped ( I used 6 Cherry tomatoes)
Oil
1 Small Onion
3 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 tblsp of Cumin and oregano (dried)
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsn Raisins
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup good equality 90% dark chocolate (don't substitute this for anything but dark)
salt and Pepper

THE SEARED CHICKEN
2 breasts for the chicks and 6 thighs for the guys.
oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 of chill powder, salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

if you have the chillies fry in oil then add boiling water and soak for 30 minutes.
if you don't don't worry, I substituted later.

in dry skillet fry tomatoes till skin turn brown, careful not to burn
they should start smelling amazing, then remove
in same after tomatoes removed cook onions till soft
add garlic, cumin and oregano cook till fragrant, 30 seconds.
return tomatoes and add stock raisins, and orange zest. Bring it all to a boil and scrape up the bits from the bottom.

Add the chocolate pieces and stir as it melts, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes till tomato is softened.

put in the blender with ground roasted almonds, and blend till fairly smooth,
This is were you would seed the chillies if you had them and add to blender.
what I did as I didn't have Ancho Chillies, I added 1.5 tblsn of chilli powder and 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle powder, you could add chipotle peppers or something really smoky to make taste amazing. I also added a pinch of smoked pepper just in case it wasn't smoky enough

put in sauce pan and set aside till chicken is done

Lay the chicken out and cover with the oregano, chill, salt and pepper,
add oil to pan, get nice and hot and fry till they look amazing,
should only have to flip once.

when done, re heat the sauce and place it up.

I will add the recipe for the dirty rice in a bit.

amazing recipe, I will try it again with Ancho Chillies and tweak the recipe if I make any other changes.

GUMBO

2012-01-25T09:49:00.000-05:00

CREAMY LEEKS

2011-11-23T22:09:00.000-05:00

I see

I see Leeks in the supermarket and they are beautiful, I just want to do something with them, I saw a similar recipe to this and thought I would try it. Definately a do again.

For the leeks

1 tsp olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
3 leeks, washed and sliced
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
half a cup lactose free sour cream
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Grainy mustard
fresh dill

For the leeks, heat the oil and butter in a pan and sauté the garlic with the leek and thyme leaves for 3-4 minutes, to soften.
Stir in the sour cream and parsley, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for a further 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 tablespoon grainy mustard

For the croutons, I used Udi's Gluten Free bread, and covered it with garlic oil, fried it then chopped it up, It gives the creamed Leeks a wonderful crunch.

Jicama Hash

2011-09-18T21:51:00.003-04:00

This is a great Potato substitute whether you looking for low Carbs, or have a Potato intolerance but are craving the tasty dirt apples in all their breakfast glory.

Jicama is a crazy thing.

you can eat it raw, it is sweeter than a potato and is reminiscent of an apple.

if you fry it it will always have a bit of crunch to it,

so I read online that you can preboil it to get the potato softness.

HOW TO

grate 1/2 a Jicama

Boil it in salted water for 15 minutes.

then drain really well, and squeeze the water out of it.

in a pan fry up some sliced onions (leave them in long thin strips)

with one Jalepeno and some garlic.

thrown in some green pepper or red pepper to give it that hash flavor.

a little S+P

toss around till soft and a little carmelized,

Toss in the Jicama, a dollop of butter,

and flip it around in a heavy bottom pan.

and you will be amazed how great they taste.

Shoot some chipotle hot sauce on there.

and you have something to eat while watching the Emmy Awards.

Deconstructed Sushi Salad with Pan Fried Salmon

2011-08-16T22:32:00.000-04:00

I'm back! I apologize for my 8 week ish break that I took, life has been crazy!

But I'm back in cooking mode!

This is the first time I have ever made this dish, and its for sure one that

I will make again!

Ingredients

-salmon filets

-red pepper

-green pepper

-avacado

-cucumber

-seaweed

-sesame seeds

-spinach

-PC korean BBQ sauce

-soy sauce

-rice vinegar

-sesame oil

-olive oil

-brown rice

-sea salt

1. Marinate Salmon, I used PC Korean BBQ sauce, but you could also use a mix of sesame, soy and brown sugar. Put brown rice on to cook, takes about 30 min, once done pour in a few glugs of rice vinegar and scoop onto a plate to let cool a little.

2. Chop all veggies in thin slices. And place 2-3 sheets of seaweed on cookie sheet and brush

with a little sesame oil and sprinkle with sea salt, cook at 400 in oven for about 8 minutes.

Take out of oven, let cool then slice into strips

3. Make salad dressing, I always make my dressings to taste, so its hard to give an exact recipe.

But generally it takes 2/3 oil 1/3 vinegar and flavour

So using sesame oil, olive oil, soy and rice vinegar and mix to taste.

4. Heat up non-stick pan to medium high, and place salmon in the pan. Sear it on each side about 4 min, check middle for doneness, and then turn heat down and cover with lid if its not done yet.

Also feel free to spoon as much marinade on as you want, because its delicious!

5. Assembling salad, start with a few handfuls of spinach, scoop some rice on, then the veggies and avocado, drizzle dressing over everything. Then top with seaweed, sesame seeds, and the salmon!

Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY LEMON ICEBOX CAKE WITH MERINGUE

2011-08-06T23:16:00.002-04:00

RECIPE COMING SOON

LOBSTER CORN CHOWDER

2011-08-06T23:03:00.000-04:00

This is Adapted from a Martha Stewart Recipe

Ingredients can all be purchased for under $11 that is unless you don't have a few standards at home, even so to purchase everything is still a cheap dairy free bowl of hot lobster corn chowder.

You'll need

1 Market lobster ( You can even buy a precooked frozen one on sale)

4 cobs of peaches and cream corn (cut the kernals off the cob, save cobs for stock)

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

4 Garlic cloves (chopped fine)

1 medium onion (chopped)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Fresh chives

OPTIONAL - chilli oil, or cayenne pepper

cook lobster in 8 cups of water

take lobster out and extract the meat and return broken up shells to stock.
add the broken up cobs after youve taken the kernels off

simmer for 30 minutes then strain out the stock and throw the rest out

in deep pan heat oil and chopped onion+garlic+kernels+salt and simmer for 20 minutes

then add 6 cups of the lobster stock and cook for 15 minutes

strain it all and reserve 1.5 cups of the corn mixture

purree the rest and return to the pan (be careful its hot and steamy)

add reserved corn mixture+lobster+chives+pinch of cayenne+pepper

and salt to taste

garnish with a drop or two of chilli oil and enjoy.

FISH AND CHIPS

2011-07-12T21:09:00.002-04:00

I'm not a big Deep Fry guy,

but every once and a while the smell of fishies swimming with the fries in a pot of hot oil gets to me.

So I set out to find a Gluten free and Potato free substitute and impressed myself. Once again you need the accoutrements to make this dealio worth while. The homemade Tartar sauce and Slaw were killer additions and took this recipe over the top.

now for the Fish, I used Haddock

Make sure the fish is unthawed and dry, (pat it down so the batter sticks)

2 cups Besan Flour (Chickpea Flour-oh prepare yourself for when you add water this stuff smells like the little town from where it was made.....don't worry it tastes much much better than it smells)

1/2 teaspoon Baking soda

1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons of Pakora Masala Spice Blend You can buy this premixed
(or any combo of spices you like, recipe to follow)
mix the dry ingredients together until well blended then add water till it is thick yet liquid.
dip your fish in it and fry in peanut oil till golden brown.
enjoy.

Pakora Masala
teaspoon of each or so
Coriander powder, salt, chilli, dry mango, cumin, pepper, ginger powder
a pinch of cinamon, cloves, and mace, and a couple of cardoman seeds
put the seeds in your mortar and pestle.

Breakfast

2011-05-30T23:24:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

-good bread

-bag of baby spinach

-2 cloves garlic

-S&P

-proscuitto

-nutmeg

-lemon

-eggs

-white vinegar

1. Fill pot half way with water and add a few tbsp of white vinegar and turn burner to max

2. Heat a frying pan to medium high and saute sliced garlic in olive oil until browned

then add bag of spinach, and S&P, and a pinch or 2 of nutmeg.

Saute until spinach is wilted, then add a squeeze of fresh lemon and set aside

but keep it warm.

3. Once your water has hit a full boil, turn it down to low/medium

Crack an egg into a small bowl, and slowly tip into the water.

Repeat with as many eggs as you are cooking.

Let eggs cook for about 2-3 min

Then scoop out with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel to drain water.

4. Toast your bread, and assemble with proscuitto, spinach, and top with the egg!

2011-05-30T10:36:00.000-04:00

This is a nice simple summer meal! All the cooking done on the BBQ,

and the rest of the prep only takes about 15 min!

Ingredients for the Salad Dressing

-3tbsp olive oil

-3tbsp red wine vinegar

-2 garlic cloves

-salt

-pinch cayenne pepper

-1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Ingredients for the Salad

-mixed greens of your choice

-cherry tomatoes

-avocado

-one can of corn

-green onions

-grated carrot

1.Start by throwing how ever many sausages you want on the BBQ,

and let them cook while you prep the salad

2. Mix all the dressing ingredients together and whisk well.

3. Chop all veggies and toss with greens, pour on the dressing

and toss with tongs.

4. Divide into bowls, and then top with sliced cooked sausage!

Mushroom Stroganoff

2011-05-26T21:41:00.000-04:00

Here is the 2nd dinner made by the Ash and Jenny duo while visiting in Barrie. We love to cook together and the results are always delicious.
This is a recipe from Nigella Lawson's "Feast" book. Jenny had made it before and served it with rice, but this time we decided to toss the creamy, delicious mushroom mixture with penne pasta... it worked. The combo of paprika and nutmeg is meant to mimic that "meaty" flavour. It is incredible how much it does, you won't miss the beef in this dish.
A note about using Portobello mushrooms in this recipe: You must, I mean must, peel the top layer of skin off of the mushroom cap before chopping and using in the stroganoff. That inky colour that sometimes bleeds from portobellos when cooking is from the skin, and if you peel them your stroganoff will be a beautiful "buff-coloured" mixture (as Nigella so aptly describes it) instead of a bleak, grey colour. Trust Nigella.

You will need:
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- approx 750g - 1kg of mushrooms. Choose a variety such as button, chantrelle, portobello, chestnut, or whatever you fancy.
- 100g butter
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp sherry (or white wine)
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 1/2 Tbsp grated nutmeg (yes, I know it is a lot... trust us.)
- 250 ml sour cream
- 4-5 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

What to do:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic until soft, but not brown.
2. Clean and chop all of your mushrooms in to nice big bites. (Remember to peel the portobellos)
3. Add the butter to the pan and tumble in the mushrooms. Do your best to turn all of the mushrooms so they are coated in the glorious butter mixture. The pan is supposed to be very full.
4. Put a lid on the pan and cook over med. heat for about 15 minutes. They will be liquid-y and that is okay.
5. Take off the lid and add the salt, sherry, paprika, nutmeg, and sour cream.
6. Stir this mixture on the heat for another 5 minutes or so, as the sauce will thicken a bit.
7. Stir in the parsley and serve on pasta or rice. Garnish with more parsley.

Spicy Sesame Beef

2011-05-25T19:48:00.001-04:00

I made this last week, with the help of Jenny Bloom, in the Blooms kitchen!

I got to have a lovely visit at the Blooms house for a few days, and this is one

of the 2 dinners that we made together, the other will be posted soon!

Ingredients

-good cut of beef(grilling beef, tenderloin)

-sesame seeds

-sesame oil

-S&P

-good mix of asian veg

(bok choy, snap peas, broccoli, red pepper,

carrots, scallions)

-bunch of fresh basil

and fresh cilantro

-brown rice

-soy sauce or tamari

-rice vinegar

-fish sauce

-chili peppers

-garlic

-ginger

1. Start by putting your rice on, so that it will be ready when everything else is done.

2. Put your beef in a bowl and marinate with some sesame oil, seeds, S&P

3. Cut up all veg so that they are all ready at the same time

4.Finely chop or grate 3 cloves garlic and small chunk of ginger.

5. Heat up pan (one that can transfer to oven), to medium high heat,

make sure that its really hot, then using tongs place beef in pan.

Let it sear for about 2 min, then flip, leave for 2 min the put in oven at 300 degrees

6. Heat up large non-stick pan or wok, splash in some sesame oil, and then

saute the garlic, ginger and a pinch of chilis.

Then toss in all veggies except bok choy, and douse with good amounts of

soy sauce, rice vinegar, and fish sauce. Then toss bok choy on top

and cover with lid to let the bok choy steam for a few minutes.

Take lid off and toss around, taste and see if you need to add more of anything.

7. Take beef out of oven when meat thermometer reads 140(rare)

and let it sit for about 5 min before you slice.

8. Pour the juices from the beef pan over the veg, and let cook a few more minutes

while beef is resting.

9. Then scoop rice into a plate or bowl, top with veggies

then top with sliced beef, lots of fresh herbs, and a slice of lime!

COQ AU VIN | CHEATER

2011-05-21T08:05:00.001-04:00

This is a great Recipe, originally from Chatelaine magazine, I found it whilst waiting at the Dentist.

It is amazing, bacon and wine ...does it get any better?

4 bacon slices (I used Pancetta)
12- oz (375- g) pkg whole button or shiitake mushrooms or a mix of mushrooms
12 skinless, boneless chicken thighs or 6 chicken breasts
1 red onion or 4 shallots or 8 pearl onions (see ¿Coq au vin tips,¿ below)
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 mL) white or red wine
10- oz (284- mL) can undiluted chicken broth
1/4 cup (50 mL) cognac or brandy
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
2 tsp (10 mL) dried thyme leaves
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped parsley

Cut up bacon (I used italian pancetta) . Set a large, wide saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until crispy, 5 to 7 min. As pieces are done, remove to a large bowl.

Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. If rinsed, they absorb water and won't brown in pan. Slice large ones in half; leave small ones whole. Add to bacon fat in pan. Stir often until brown around edges, 3 min. Add mushrooms to bowl with bacon.

Lightly coat pan with a little oil. Add half of chicken. Cook until lightly golden, about 3 min per side. Remove to bowl with mushrooms and bacon. Repeat with remaining chicken. Meanwhile, cut onion in half, then slice each half into quarters. If using shallots, slice into quarters; leave pearl onions whole.

Melt butter in pan. Add onion. Sauté 2 min. Add flour and stir constantly for 2 min. Pour in a little wine. Scrape up bits from pan bottom. Stir in remaining wine, broth, cognac, Dijon and thyme. Return bacon, mushrooms and chicken to pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, stirring often, until chicken is cooked through and liquid thickens a little, 20 to 25 min.

Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. Stir in parsley. Serve alongside roasted potatoes and cooked green beans. Serve with crusty bread for soaking up all the flavourful sauce. Will keep well, covered, in the refrigerator at least 2 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.

COQ AU VIN TIPS

* Red wine is traditionally used in this recipe, but we prefer white because it makes for a more attractive sauce - use whichever you like to drink.

* While coq au vin is often made with pearl onions, they're a pain to peel, so we've provided options. If using pearl, boil in water for 3 min. Plunge in cold water for 2 min. Slice off root ends and peel off skins.

* French chefs begin this dish by cutting up a whole chicken. While the skin adds flavour, it also adds a ton of fat and s