Rouxbe's Community Blog

Chile n’ Spice Grilled Chicken

2009-06-30T15:26:05Z

Chicken that is not only juicy and tender but full of flavor and even a little kick!

With ingredients like Mexican chiles, cumin, coriander, fennel, garlic and extra-virgin olive, how can the chicken not be happy happy!

For quick cooking I first butterflied the chicken (which is super easy-peasy), but you can simply buy chicken breasts, if you prefer.

The Chile n’ Spice Oil is great with the chicken (or any other grilled meat for that matter), but the best part is that it makes for a mouth-watering dipping sauce.

Any leftover chicken makes for a tasty quesadilla or panini sandwich…good luck on actually having any leftovers though :-)

Here is a link to the full text recipe for the Chile n’ Spice Grilled Chicken. This dish also pairs well with the Char-Roasted Red Peppers and some fluffy couscous to soak up the flavors. Here is a recipe for Traditional Couscous (a more neutral tasting side dish) and here is one for Moroccan Couscous (a bit more flavor and added ingredients).

Hope you enjoy - dawn

How to get kids to eat Everything

2009-06-29T20:33:08Z

I have heard that some parents struggle to get their kids to eat a variety of things. Many parents simply don’t have a strategy. I used one I learned from my grandfather.

When I was four, I stayed many weeks with my grandparents. My grandmother was an excellent cook, and my grandfather a very good gardener who dearly loved his food. He especially loved eel. In fact, I often shopped with my grandmother at the fishmonger and I was given the responsibility of choosing the live eel from the tank which would eventually end up on my grandfather’s plate. He took educating his grandchildren very seriously, and on this occasion used eel as part of his strategy. He had invited an old army friend for lunch who was quite excited about these eels himself. I had never tried them, and never wanted to, but suddenly all this anticipation of eels made me curious. I was given a bowl of noodle soup, but all I remember wanting that afternoon was some of that eel stuff. When the casserole of the eels came out of the old wood-fueled oven, the guest’s eyes lit up. My goodness, I thought, these things must really be good. My grandma basted them with the tomato based sauce, finished them with a few drizzles of olive oil, and brought them to the table. They were shiny, piping hot, cut into chunks. There was nothing else to accompany them. They looked magnificent. Was there enough for me? I was shy, too afraid to ask my grandfather if I could have some. These were made especially for him and his war buddy. I ate my soup quietly but stared at the eels and mesmerized by the gestures of incredible pleasure made by the old guest. His eyes, his nose, his brows, his chin, his hands, even his feet expressed a pleasure I had never seen before by someone eating food. Can food do this? My soup is good, but it’s not doing the same thing for me. Soup is for babies. I wanted what they were having. I absolutely had to know what those eels tasted like, but not courageous enough to intrude on their eel-tasting bliss.

Luckily the old guest noticed that I coveted his eel. He asked me if I had ever eaten eel before. I simply replied “No”. I could have pressed, but obviously not brave enough. However, the kind old man then asked me if I’d like some. But I ruined the opportunity by turning to my grandfather instead of jumping to the offer.

“He’s not ready for something like eel yet,” my grandfather said. My disappointment was almost unbearable, but I knew not to make any scene. And then came the lesson: “Eel is an acquired taste. First you acquire the taste for chicken. Then you acquire the taste for rabbit. Then you acquire the taste for carp. And only then are you ready for eel.” I knew exactly where he was going with this. I often refused to eat rabbit, which my grandfather likes to eat at least once a week. And I simply disliked the smell of fried fish, especially carp, which he also loved. In order to eat the eel, I had to graduate to it. And it worked. I ate rabbit and carp to my grandfather’s delight – eventually to mine too. I did eventually graduate to the eel. I remember the day I chose the eel for my plate, a day as special as when I bought my first pair of hockey skates. The eel was delicious. Today I describe it as a combination of rabbit and carp.

Tony Minichiello

Culinary Instructor, NWCAV

Stock-Based Clear Soups - Rouxbe Cooking School Lesson

2009-06-26T17:10:12Z

Stock-based clear soups can be quick to put together, especially when you have a quality stock on hand. Stock-based clear soups rely on a variety of ingredients to form the main flavor base. Liquid (usually stock) is added to enhance and bring the main flavors together to form a delicious soup.

In this lesson, we will walk you through the process of making a stock-based clear soup. Just by following a few key steps, you’ll be able to create many tasty soups.

Happy Cooking!

The Rouxbe Cooking School Team.

Healthy and Nutritious Steel-Cut Oats

2009-06-20T18:48:35Z

Steel-cut oats have a dense and chewy texture with an almost nutty flavor. They are sometimes referred to as course-cut oats, pinhead, Irish oats and sometimes even Scottish oats. I guess everyone wants to claim this healthy and delicious oat as their own!

Steel-cut oats are produced by running the whole grain through steel blades that then slice the grain into 2 or 3 pieces. Because the outer shell is still mostly left intact, steel-cut oats are more nutritious than regular oats.

That being said…nowadays when we want something, we want it as quickly as possible…but some times things that are really good, just take a bit longer. Yes, cooking them does take longer than instant oats, but it is well worth it. Not only does it have a much richer and nuttier flavor, it is also super good for ya!

Here is a recipe for Steel-Cut Oats with Fresh Fruit. I believe that the secret to this recipe is the vanilla soy milk. Trust me, I have been making steel-cut oats for years and ever since I tried it with the vanilla soy I have been hooked. Kimberley actually gave me the idea, as she had it recently in a restaurant (they were kind enough to share their secret).

To make the oats, they can be cooked much like rice (brown rice in particular). I have a gas stove and for some reason I can never get the flame low enough, so my oats would always boil over…argh! I then started baking them (again like rice) in the oven. This worked well, but it was a pain to turn on the oven just for breakfast. Then a few weeks ago we received some products from Breville, one of them being a steamer, let’s just say that I now steam my oats and it is stupidly easy and delicious!

Ciao for now

dawn

p.s. while doing a search for steel-cut oats on the internet I kept seeing “danger of steel-cut oats”. I was curious at to what was so dangerous about them, I clicked on the link. Turns out there is a band called “Danger and the Steel Cut Oats” and they are actually pretty good - and they don’t seem dangerous at all :-)

Vietnamese Pho (Noodle Soup) Recipe

2009-06-19T16:09:50Z

There seems to be quite the debate about whether Vietnamese Pho is pronounced “Fa”, “Fuh”, “Faux”, “Pho” or “Phar - like “Far” with an ever-so-soft “r”. I have spoken to many people about this, even those that grew up eating this soup, and the answer is rarely the same.

For me, it really doesn’t matter what it’s called…just as long as it’s tasty. We recently released a Cooking School Lesson on “Broth-Based Clear Soups” and this was one of the practice recipes. I know that most people go out for Pho, but if you are a fan of the soup (or if you have never had it), you will likely be pleasantly surprised at just how delicious and refreshing it is to make your own. Yes, it does take a bit more effort to make, but it is well worth it. I make a big batch of the broth-soup base and then freeze it. After that, you only need to pick up a few ingredients and you’ll be able to whip this delicious soup together in about 15 minutes.

Happy Cooking!

dawn

p.s. for those of you that do care about what it is called, just know that I tried to get those “squiggly” marks around the word “Pho” for about 20 minutes and the code wouldn’t stick. However, you will notice that text recipe for Vietnamese Pho, on Rouxbe, has it. And I am curious…how do YOU pronounce it? I found this interesting site, which is solely based on the “love of Pho“. There you can read and hear what they have to say about its pronunciation (and a whole lot more).

Why Small is Sometimes HUGE - (Moccia Italian Meat Market)

2009-06-18T05:16:45Z

The store front of Moccia (here in Vancouver, BC) is rather small and their selection is not overly extensive; however, their products and service are outstanding. Perhaps it’s because they’re family owned and operated or perhaps it’s just because they believe in and love what they do. You can read more here about their philosophy.

Their salami (especially the one with whole fennel seeds) is so good that I drive across town for it. It has such a nice consistency and flavor and it’s delicious just sliced and served with some cheese and bread.

However, it’s great with pizza. In fact, it’s so good that I can no longer make my pizzas without it. I have now started to buy the whole piece (which is only about $10). It keeps for oodles of time in the refrigerator, so I always have some on hand.

I think the thing I appreciate most about Moccia, is the fact that they are not huge. They are not trying to be or do everything for everyone. They have found a small niche and they stick to it. In the end, we all win, as this ultimately means that they won’t have to compromise on quality or service. And to me, that makes it worth the trip across town. Oh ya, that and the fact that they give out yummy tasters if you want to try different salamis :-)

So I say, thanks to the “small guys” and those that do what they do “on a smaller scale”

Ciao for now

dawn

Pork Medallions with Miso Sauce - New Video Recipe

2009-06-16T21:56:36Z

Pork, in particular pork tenderloin, is one of the leanest and most tender cuts of meat. Did you know that pork tenderloin actually rivals chicken breast as far as being one of the healthiest and leanest meats available? It is also relatively inexpensive, as there are no bones and little fat…therefore there is very little waste. Pork tenderloin is available in most supermarkets. It is often sold in multiples, but it does freeze well. Generally a tenderloin weighs between 3/4 to 1 1/4 pounds each and will feed between 2 to 4 people. The loin itself can either be cooked whole or cut into medallions.

Here is a quick and tasty video recipe for Pork Medallions with Miso Sauce.

However, this oh-so-versatile cut of pork can be broiled, grilled, barbecued, sautéed, pan-fried and it also lends itself well to a variety of different seasonings, rubs, marinades and brines. Here are a few more recipes for pork tenderloin:

Tapas-Style Pork Tenderloin

Southeast-Asian Pork Satays

Pork with Morel-calvados Sauce

Roasted Pork Tenderloin w/ Apple Sage Jus

And one of Joe’s all time favorites, Panang Curry with Pork…honestly I am not exaggerating, he literally requests this dish every week. In fact, today is his birthday (shh…don’t tell him I told you), so guess what’s for dinner!

Happy Cooking!

ciao for now

dawn

Delicious Roasted Red Pepper Recipe

2009-06-12T15:58:31Z

The taste of the Mediterranean is brought to life with these flavorful and easy-to-make red peppers.

Perfect for summer…turn on the BBQ, rub the peppers with a bit of oil and let them do their thing…while you sip on a cold glass of something cool and refreshing.

Once they are slightly charred on all sides, remove them from the heat and let cool slightly.

Then peeled em’ and slice em’. Toss with some garlic and vinegar to really heighten their flavor. I have already made this twice this week. Both times I served these peppers with grilled Sangak bread (delicious flatbread bread that is great grilled with butter and kosher salt) and also with hummus.

When it’s hot outside, I often butterfly a chicken and throw it on the BBQ and then serve the peppers alongside - makes for easy clean up and it doesn’t overheat the house - bonus!

Here is a link to the full text recipe for the Char-Roasted Red Peppers - enjoy.

Happy BBQing and don’t forget your sunscreen!

dawn

Broth-Based Clear Soups - Rouxbe Cooking School Lesson

2009-06-10T20:14:51Z

This week’s lesson is on Broth-Based Clear Soups. Delicious broth soups are not hard to make; however, a highly-flavored, well-balanced broth soup does require some care and attention. No wonder all of the grandma’s out there make such fantastic soups!

In this lesson, we will walk you through the process of making excellent broth-based clear soups. Once you know how to make a delicious base, countless soups are at your fingertips.

Happy Cooking!

The Rouxbe Cooking School Team.

Alba’s Sweet Bread (Rosca de Dulce)

2009-06-05T13:57:28Z

I recently had this bread at my mother-in-law’s and we just had to share it with you. Rosca de Dulce, translated from Spanish to English, means “thread of jam”. Very common in South America, the dough is first filled with peach, apricot or any jam you desire. It is then threaded (braided), shaped into a circle and baked until golden.

Delicate and pillowy-soft with just a hint of sweetness, it’s an ideal snack to serve with your coffee or tea. I challenge you to have just one piece.

Click on Alba’s Sweet Bread (Rosca de Dulce) for the full text recipe.

Happy Baking!