Okay, so it’s the weekend and you want to order in Chinese food. To make it feel more like you made it, put this simple salad together and Voila! Damn you did it again.
- 3 – 4 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 6 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 – 1 1/2 tbsp. freshly grated (peeled) ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1/4 cup vegtable oil
- 1/2 soba noodles, just cooked to tender and rinsed under cold water. Drain excess liquid.
- 2 carrots, cut into small matchsticks
- 1 cup chopped broccoli florets,
- 2 medium zuccini (yellow and/or green) cut into small matchsticks
- 3-4 green onions, thinly sliced crosswise
Whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, ginger and sugar and oil in a large bowl. Add remaining items and toss well to combine.
Serve this at room temperature and then dive into the ‘take-out’. I guarantee you will lick the bowl clean.
Enjoy…it was easy and certainly inexpensive.
Fruit Salad With Fresh Ginger Dressing
It is nice outside and you have company staying for the holidays…..what to serve? With all the fruit you can buy at the grocery store, it is an easy decision. This makes a delightful, light dessert after all the turkey and trimmings or, if it is a nice summer day, a beautiful breakfast item to be served on the deck, light breeze….mmmmmm, sounds heavenly.
Prepare this part after the syrup is done.
- 4 cups of any fresh fruit, melons, berries, nectarines, pears and/or bananas…..
- 3 tbsp. of chopped mint leaves
- Put in a large bowl and GENTLY mix together.
Ginger Dressing
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups thinly sliced fresh ginger, left unpeeled
Bring water, sugar and ginger to a boil and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 20 minutes. Drain through a sieve and chill at least 2 1/2 – 3 hours.
Toss fruit with 1/4 cup of the dressing. I bet you will want to add more of the syrup.
This syrup will keep, covered and chilled up to 2 weeks.
Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches With Mango Slaw
Here is a really tasty sandwich to take with you..school, work or even a picnic.
- 4 Portuguese rolls, halved
- 1 pork tenderloin, cook as directed
Make the marinade as directed (really yummy) and pour over the tenderloin and cook in the oven.
Mango Slaw
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise, not salad dressing
- 1 tsp. rice vinegar
- 2 ripe Ataulfo mangos. peeled, pitted and sliced in strips
- half an orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
- pinch of hot pepper flakes
- 3 cups Italian blend greens
Make the salad dressing by whisking together the vinegar, sugar, oil, pinch of salt, and pepper flakes until the sugar has dissolved. Now add the greens, mango and orange pepper. Toss to coat.
Slice the tenderloin thinly, place on bottom half of buttered bun. Drizzle some of the sweet drippings over the meat. Top with the slaw, place upper bun on top.
Take a big bite and roll your eyes. This, my friend, is a heavenly lunch.
Spinach And Smoked Bacon Salad
This is a beautiful salad. Love bacon? got it. Love baby spinach? got that too. Love Zinfandel wine? Yup! It’s here.
- 6 tbsp. Zinfandel wine
- 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 12 oz. smoked bacon
- pinch of lemon finishing salt
- 4 bunches baby spinach, stems removed, torn into bite size pieces
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
Combine the wine, shallots and mustard in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil. set aside.
Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp. Transfer to paper towels, save drippings in pan. Crumble the bacon.
Wash the spinach in ice water and place in a salad spinner to remove all the water. Put in a bowl, add the crumbled bacon. Now warm the drippings in the skillet and take 2 tbsp. out and whisk into the dressing. Toss the salad and sprinkle toasted pecans over the top.
Oh yeah, pour a glass of the Zinfandel and truly enjoy. This salad is great for a barbecue. It will serve 12.
Penne With Ricotta and Tomatoes
This is a nice light lunch for warmer days in the Spring.
- 30 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 limes, zest only
- pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
- 12 sundried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
- 1 2/3 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 tbsp. grated asiago cheese
In a bowl combine the fresh tomatoes, thyme, garlic, sugar and half the olive oil, lime zest, salt and pepper
In a skillet, heat the remaining oil. Add the cherry tomato mixture and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the confit from the heat and set aside to cool down to room temperature.
In another bowl, combine the sundried tomatoes, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta al dente. Drain.
Add the tomato confit and the cheese mixture and toss to coat. This will serve 4 for a main course or 6-8 as an appetizer.
Serve with a chilled glass of wine, garlic toast, yummy.
Thai Trout Salad
This would be a great way to treat your family/guests. They will be surprised that you could prepare a Thai dish and that it tastes so fabulous. Damn you did this!
- 1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 bird’s eye chili, seeded and minced
- 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1 x 8-10 oz. trout file, skin left on
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil (looks like lard in a jar)
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 cup short rice noodles,cooked and cooled
- 1/2 dragon fruit, peeled and julienned*
- 1 container of regular Bocconcini cheese, sliced
- 3 tbsp. Tai dipping sauce (buy at local grocery store)
- 1 tbsp. tamari
- 3 tbsp. coconut shavings
- lemon finishing salt
In a bowl, toss the cucumber, chili and vinegar and set aside.
Preheat the barbecue and add the coconut oil. When melted, grill the trout for 2 minutes on one side and turn over, cooking for another 4 minutes.
Remove the skin. Return the skin back into the pan and cook until crisp. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Flake the trout using a fork. Sprinkle the skin with a lemon finishing salt and cut into strips.
In a large bowl, gently toss the noodles, marinated cucumber, dragon fruit, cheese and trout. Combine the dipping sauce with the tamari and drizzle over the salad. Garnish with the coconut shavings and skin strips.
Serve immediately and watch the eyes get wider with delight.
* dragon fruit and seeds are edible. Bland in flavour but super nutritional source of antioxidants and fibre.
Our Cooking Class April 10, 2014
It is funny how life gives back sometimes….Don and I were asked to put on a cooking class showing what, how and why we do things the way we do. We were asked to prepare a brunch for Easter (or any celebration brunch) and prepare a tablescape.
We had 5 months to think about it: to plan, practice, change our minds, try again and then, of course, what colour scheme would I go with for the table…it took a while to get this in order for these two people to get it right and I guess we did. I chose purple/white and a touch of pink in the Easter eggs. It even had a little brown bunny on the table.
The menu was served in three different segments. First one was a fruit kabob with yogurt/lime dressing, orange croissant french toast (which Don finished this on site) and a white chocolate pecan muffin. So many oohs and aahs here. We had a few leftovers and put them out on the counter and then there were none.
Second plate: hashbrowns for a buffet, ham with Don ‘s fabulous sauce and grape meatballs. These people, I swear, did not have supper. Not a leftover on any plate. Don cut the ham on site as well – does that make him a “ham”? NOT ! He is so good at what he does.
Third plate: Lime impossible pie and strawberry sliders (miniature shortbread with strawberries and chantilly cream.) Don demonstrated how to make the dough and then baked it off.
The comments were so very positive and heart-warming to say the least. Thank you to Frances, her hard-working team and for believing what we do and how we do it actually means something. What a ride. Thank you so very much.
Shrimp With Cabbage and Ginger
Due to a small incident with the whisk attachment of my Kitchen Aid, this is being posted a few days later than anticipated. Sorry. All is well now and here we go.
This is really a Chinese recipe but if you make the Thai Trout Salad, you could get away with the two together. Who’s to know?
- 2 shallots, sliced thin
- 20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tbsp. dry Sherry
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- pinch of white pepper and salt
- 1 head Napa cabbage, quartered lengthwise, cored and cut into 1 1/2″ pieces to make 10 cups
- 3 tbsp. coconut oil (looks like lard in a jar)
- 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger (peeled)
- 1 orange bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
Stir together the shrimp, 1 tbsp. sherry, cornstarch, pepper and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Rinse the cabbage in a colander, tapping to remove some of the water. Transfer to a large bowl with some of the excess water sticking to the leaves.
Heat a large wok or 12 inch heavy skillet over high heat until beginning to smoke. Add 2 tbsp. coconut oil and stir fry the shrimp until golden and almost cooked through. (3-4 minutes). Transfer to a clean bowl. Add the remaining oil to the wok and stir-fry the ginger and shallots for 2 minutes then add the bell pepper and cook a further 2 minutes.
Stir in the remaining Sherry and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the cabbage with remaining water to the wok, the soy sauce and remaining pinch of salt and now cook until the cabbage has become tender. This should take 5 minutes.
Stir in the shrimp and any juices, simmering until cooked through. (1 minute longer), and the shallots and toss to combine.
What can be said? Yum!
Filet Mignon With Feta Corn
Time for a nice dinner for four and this can’t be beat..steak – fresh corn – cheese. Add a baked potato and salad along with, I might add, a glass of a lovely Merlot or Pinot Noir. Yum!
- 4 x 8 oz. filet mignon steaks
- 2 tbsp. olive oi l
- coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 ears of corn, shucked and kernals removed from the cobs
- 1 tbsp. tarragon
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 tbsp. butter
Preheat grill…. Rub the steaks with 2 tsp. of oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill for 8 – 10 minutes a side for medium rare. Transfer to a platter and tent with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Cook the onion and garlic in the remaining oil until softened for 5 minutes. Add the corn and tarragon and stir well. Add the stock and simmer for 4-5 minutes until the corn is tender. Add the heavy cream, bring to a boil and reduce by 1/3.
Remove from heat and add 1 cup of the cheese and butter and stir until all has melted. Divide the corn mixture equally among the 4 plates and top with a steak. Add a chilled salad, glass of good wine and the evening begins……music anyone?
Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers
Okay, you like a little kick…..how about a kick that is just a little higher? Try this one out and don’t come crying back to me….you are warned.
- 8 jalapeno peppers, split lengthwise
- 16 slices pancetta
- 2 x 200g bags of a spicy shredded cheese (or take a jalapeno/havarti or a pepperjack cheese)
- 2 limes, cut in 4 (each one)
- salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a paring knife or small spoon and scrape the seeds out of the peppers, taking great care not to touch the inside of the peppers with bare fingers.
Place the peppers in a baking dish, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and bake for about 10-12 minutes, until they start to sweat. Remove from the oven and keep at room temperature.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and arrange the pancetta slices on them, baking for 7 minutes or until they are crisp and the fat has all been rendered. Transfer to paper towels carefully.
Pour off the fat and return the pancetta back on the trays. Take a jalapeno, cut side up and set on each pancetta round. Mound 1/4 cup of each into each pepper and bake for 5 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Serve on plates with a lime wedge for each guest. Whew!
Pork Tacos With Swiss Chard and Havarti Cheese
This is a neat snack to make when unexpected friends show up and want to have a visit. While the beer is chilling and conversation has begun in earnest, gather all around the kitchen and begin.
- 3/4 cup salsa verde *
- 1 lb. pork tenderloin
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2/3 lb. swiss chard, cut into 1 inch strips
- 4-5 slices Havarti Cheese with jalapeno pepper, chopped roughly
- 20 small flour tortillas
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat the barbecue (it’s that time of year) and score the pork deeply with a paring knife and rub with the cumin, chopped garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill on high for 4 minutes on each side for medium or until you have the desired doneness. Allow to cool and then slice thinly.
Have another beer……
In a frypan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat and saute the sliced onion until softened. Add the swiss chard and cook for 2 minutes. Stir often until it has wilted. Season LIGHTLY with salt and pepper and transfer immediately to a serving bowl and toss with the havarti cheese until it melts.
In a dry frypan on medium heat, add the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side. Wrap the warm ones in a clean tea towel.
Place the food on the table and let everyone make their own. Enjoy! Yummy!
* can be bought in any store – widely used. Check out the Mexican section of your grocery store.
Orange Croissant French Toast
A funny thing just happened. I have a cookbook that was printed back in 2009. In it are recipes that received the greatest number of kudos from guests and family alike. Don and I are doing a cooking class demonstration on Thursday and, you guessed, while preparing everything and, of course, sampling the fare before we go, Don said I should print off this recipe so everyone can follow through. Yea, I said….then I tried to find it. HA! I never did post it.
Here it is….it is an elegant, exceptionally fine cuisine and a real WOW factor.
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 – 3 tsp. Grand Marnier
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- grated zest of one orange
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- 2 tbsp. icing sugar
- 4 croissants, one day old
- 1/2 cup orange marmalade
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp. Crisco oil
- orange syrup (recipe follows)
- 2 segmented oranges
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Whisk together the eggs, cream, Grand Marnier, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and zest in a medium bowl. Stir together the cream cheese and icing sugar in a small bowl.
Cut the croissant in half lengthwise and spread the outside bottom with cream cheese mixture and the outside top with the marmalade. Place back together (they will be inverted with cut side out) to seal. (they will look inside out)
Place the stuffed croissants in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the egg mixture over them and soak for 5 minutes. Turn over and soak for another 5 minutes or until soaked through.
Heat 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. Crisco oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Fry each side until golden brown. Place on a wire rack and place in the oven while cooking the remaining croissants.
Wipe out the frypan and repeat with the oil, butter and croissants.
Orange Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tbsp. corn starch
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Combine juice and cornstarch in a bowl and then mix into the sugar syrup. Simmer gently until thick. (About 6-8 minutes). Add butter and stir until it melts. Serve warm over the croissants.