Everybody has a favourite recipe or food they state is “The Best”. Well, recipe readers, this is one you absolutely MUST make and try. It IS, by far, THE best you will ever eat. Don made these for our appetizer for Easter. OMGoodness!
- 12 large, white mushrooms, stems and gills removed
- 24 medium size frozen shrimp, tails removed and cleaned
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- pinch of garlic powder
- 1 dash hot sauce
- 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, grated
Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, set aside.
Fill a saucepan with water and simmer the mushroom caps over a medium heat for about 2 minutes until they begin to soften. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon, drain and cool down, hollow side down, on paper towels for approximately 15-17 minutes.
While the mushrooms are cooling on the paper towel and the mushroom water is still simmering, gently cook the shrimp until just pink. Mix the cream cheese, garlic powder, hot sauce together and add the shrimp, blending well.
Spoon about 2-3 teaspoons of the mixture into each cap and place 2 shrimp per cap. Now place, stuffing side up in the baking dish, sprinkle with the Pepper Jack cheese over each cap. Cover and refrigerate overnight to blend the flavours and firm up the stuffing.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Uncover the dish and bake the mushrooms in the oven for about 15 minutes until the cheese has browned and is bubbling.
Now the secret….this would feed 3 (4 each) or 4 (3 each). NAH! We took the 4 each and revelled each and every bite. Oh me, Oh my….never have I tasted anything this good in an appetizer.
Braised Short Ribs – Asian Style
It is so much fun to dine at the Paquette restaurant with Don at the helm. This is one delicious dish to serve. It made two meals for the three of us and, yes, licking the plate was a good show of appreciation. Uh, sorry Mom!
- 5 lbs. boneless beef short ribs, cut into 4 oz. portions
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1 tbsp. peeled and minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- enough water to cover the ribs
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3/4 tsp. crush red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- long grain rice, for serving
- 2 tsp. finely grated orange rind, for serving
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a wide Dutch oven, combine the ribs, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, water, onion, crushed red pepper and 2 tbsp. of the orange juice. The pan you are using must be deep enough to ensure the ribs are submersed in the water. Bake, covered in the oven, for 3 hours or until the meat separates easily.
Remove the ribs from the liquid and cover to keep warm. Drain the fat off the liquid and discard. Place the remaining liquid in a medium saucepan with 1/4 cup of the oyster sauce and bring to a boil over a medium heat until there is approximately 1 1/4 cups left. Strain this through a fine mesh strainer, making sure to discard any solids. Stir in the remaining orange juice and lemon juice.
Return the ribs and reduced sauce to the Dutch oven, coating the ribs with the sauce. Bake for about 10 minutes until all are heated through and are slightly glazed. Serve hot over the rice and season each portion with the orange zest.
Bring on a fresh, crisp salad and glass of lovely Sangiovese red wine. What could be better?
New Spring Hasselback Beets
The meaning of Hasselback is ‘comb cut’ and that is what we will do with the medium size spring beets. These are a delight to serve and anyone lucky enough to sit at your table will want to make these as well. Here we go.
- 12 small/medium red and yellow beets, scrubbed
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. honey, light colour
- 2 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel the beets and cut off the root and stem ends to create a flat surface to allow them to stay upright while roasting. Slice each beet crosswise to 1/8″ spacing and cut to within 1/4″ from the bottom.
Place flat side down in a glass baking dish and drizzle the oil, salt and pepper over each beet. Cover the dish tightly with foil and roast until easily pierced with a paring knife. This could take between 45-60 minutes depending on size of the beets and your oven. Remove the foil and continue in the oven for approximately 10 minutes to allow the liquid to evaporate.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, dill and olive oil, until completely blended. Drizzle over the beets before serving. Season with a touch of salt and pepper. Serve warm with your favourite meat or fowl and potatoes, rice or buttered noodles. This makes it your choice-your recipe.
Note:
Farmer’s Markets are great venues to visit and buy really fresh garden produce. Just say’n.
Chicken With Mushroom Soup and Rice Casserole
Don’t let the name fool you. It is a super, duper meal to prepare and consume. Don made this last night and OMG! It blew us away. Give it a go. It is easy to make and much easier to consume. Add a crisp green salad and you are a genius.
- 3 king size chicken breasts, skin removed, cut in 3, lengthwise each one
- 2 cups long grain rice (long grain is the only rice that works with this)
- two cans condensed mushroom soup
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp. dry onion soup mix
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Now mix together the rice, soup, water, broth and soup mix until there are no lumps.
Pour this into a buttered 9 x 13 baking dish.
Place the chicken pieces on top making sure to cover them so they don’t burn with the rice mixture. Cover with foil and cook for 65 minutes until rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese on top. Simply let the casserole contents melt the cheese before serving.
OMG! Salad? Yes, please. Oh, would you like a glass of white wine? Of course, thank you.
Sauce For Ribs Baked in Slow Oven
Don makes this almost as ‘the one and only sauce’ when baking ribs.
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup Lillies Smoky BBQ Sauce, #22
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp. molasses
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. Joe’s Stuff Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp. ground mustard
- pinch salt
- pinch of pepper
- 2 tsp. dark cane jelly
Combine the above ingredients and blend really, really well.
Place 8 bone-in country style pork ribs weighing about 8 oz. each in your slow cooker and pour the sauce over all the meat to cover.
The ideal baking time on this is a preheated oven of 275 degrees for 3 hours. Depending on your slow cooker, you could bake 3 1/2 hours.
You will hear only means and groans of appreciation for this delight.
Serve either with garlic mashed potatoes or simply a green salad with warm dinner rolls and a glass of good quality wine like a Pinot Noir, Merlot or Malbec. In a word and, of course, finger licking aside….ENJOY! You did it.
Porchetta Sandwich With Special Cranberry Pear Relish
At a family reunion a couple of years ago, I had Porchetta for the first time. OMG! Take the time and go for it. Here again, you can proclaim “damn I did this”.
- 1 tbsp. chopped Rosemary leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- pinch of pepper
- 1 tsp. crushed fennel seeds
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
- 3 lb. boneless pork belly
- 1 tbsp. grapeseed oil
- 1 cup dry white wine
In a small bowl, mix together the first 6 items and set aside.
On a cutting board, place pork skin-side down and score a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife, inserting only to about 1/2 inch deep. Rub the meat all over with the spice mixture. Roll this up, skin side out and tie with twine in a pattern to keep in shape. Place on a plate and wrap with plastic wrap putting in the refrigerator over night.
Remove the meat from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature for a minimum of one hour. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Place the meat on a rack set into a roasting pan and rub all over with the oil. Season lightly with kosher salt and roast for about 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 and bake a further 2 hours.
At the end of the 2 hour bake, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake a further 30 minutes to crisp up the skin. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 30 minutes.
Cranberry Pear Relish
Make this up while the meat is cooking.
- 6 oz. fresh cranberries
- 1 large pear, diced to get 3/4 cup
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
Add everything up to the pecans in a saucepan and cook for about 18-20 minutes until the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened.
Pour into a sealed container and set in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Just before serving, add the pecans.
Making the Sandwich
- 8 Ciabatta rolls, cut in half lengthwise
- Mayonnaise
- chopped iceberg lettuce
To assemble, butter the buns and spread some mayonnaise on one side and on the other, spread some relish. Top with the pork belly and crispy skin, add some lettuce and put together. Now for the hard part: ENJOY!!!
Chicken Tikka Masala
This sounds daunting but it is simply chicken that is marinated in yogurt and has a tomato cream sauce.
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, plain
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
- 3 tsp. salt, or to taste
- 3 boneless chicken breasts, skinless and cut in bite size pieces
- long wooden skewers (soaked in water)
Tomato Cream Sauce
- 1 tsp. butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsp. paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 can pure tomato sauce (8 oz.)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- chopped cilantro for garnish
In a large bowl combine the yogurt, lemon juice, and all spices. Stir in the chicken and set in refrigerator, covered, for 1 hour.
Preheat grill to a high heat and lightly oil the grill grate.
Thread the chicken on the skewers and discard the marinade. Grill only until the juices run clear. This should take about 5 minutes each side.
Now to the sauce.
Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over a medium heat. Saute the garlic for about a minute and add the seasonings. Stir in the tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on a low heat until it thickens (20 minutes approximately).
Add the grilled chicken pieces and continue simmering for another 10 minutes.
Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the cilantro (if using). Add a crisp green salad, dinner rolls and, of course, a glass of chilled wine wine.
Oh my! YUM!
Basic Red Sauce
This is delicious and really easy to make. Give it a try.
- 1 tbsp. good olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp. dried basil
- 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp. fennel
- pinch of pepper
- 8 whole large Roma tomatoes
- 1 – 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
In a heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, salt, spices and cook until soft. This should take approximately 5 minutes.
Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and squeeze to break into small pieces. Add the tomato sauce, water and sugar in the pot and stir well. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat.
Reduce the temperature to low and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Chicken Stuffed With Vegetables
This is a great dish to eat. If you wish to be really special, make the Mediterranean Salad at the same time.
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp. chopped Rosemary leaves
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- 1 zucchini, halved, thinly sliced
- 1/2 Japanese eggplant, sliced in thin rounds
- 1 medium Roma Tomato, halved and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
Place the chicken on a cutting board and make 5 crosswise slits in each breast. Be careful not to cut straight through. Transfer these to a baking sheet that has parchment paper on the bottom.
Drizzle the Rosemary mixture over the chicken, making sure it gets into the slits. Stuff each slit with a slice of zucchini, eggplant and tomato, Sprinkle Feta on top and bake in the 400 temperature oven for about 25 minutes (make sure chicken is cooked through.
Serve warm on top of the salad, also have warm brioche buns and a glass of chilled white wine.
Now what could be better?
Trout Burgers With A Herbed Spread
It is that time again (and in some parts of Canada all year long) to brush off the bbq and get ready. This will really awaken your taste buds and you will wonder why you haven’t eaten this one more often. Well now you can.
- 3 tbsp. dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 lbs. trout, skin removed, cut into large chunks
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. panko bread crumbs
- 1 1/2 tbsp. canola oil (if needed for frypan)
- 6 Brioche buns, toasted
- 2 ripe avocados, thinly sliced for garnish
- 1 1/2 cups mixed greens
To make the trout burgers, start by mixing the herbs together with the brown sugar, salt and pepper and set aside.
In a mixer with a steel blade attached, pulse the trout only until finely chopped.
Transfer to a bowl and mix in the panko crumbs and oil. Divide into 6 equal sized portions and shape into burgers. Season both sides with the seasoning mix and set aside.
As these burgers are on the fragile side, be REALLY careful on the grill or maybe place in a cast iron frypan that has the oil in it. Cook about 4 minutes each side, flipping only one time.
To assemble, make the herb spread first.
- 8 oz. room temperature cream cheese
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsley leaves
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
Mix this all together until smooth. Now continue on by spreading the bottom of each toasted bun with this and add the burgers on top. Now, with the top bun set the avocado slices and some greens. Put them together, serve with either French fries or a fresh, chilled salad and, of course, a glass of chilled white wine.
It doesn’t get any better than this, Enjoy!
Company’s Coming Celebration Wheel
This is a great starter with your Company arriving. They will be so appreciative that you took the time to pamper them. It has been awhile we know.
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp. grated Asiago cheese
- 2 tbsp. grated Romano cheese
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 1/4 tsp. hot sauce (your favourite)
- pinch each of salt and white pepper
- 1/2 cup of roughly chopped artichoke hearts (canned variety)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped spinach
- 1 pkg. puff pastry, thawed
- 4 tbsp. Painter’s guacamole (my site)
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 tbsp. water, plus extra for wash
- 1 egg
In a large bowl mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheeses, salt and pepper, garlic, and basil until really well combined. Now add the artichoke and spinach, mixing to incorporate.
Roll out 1 sheet of pastry to about a 13 inch circle. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the guacamole in the centre of the circle leaving a 1 inch border around the edge.
Spread carefully the spinach mixture out on top of the guacamole and spread the shredded cheese evenly over the surface.
With a pastry brush dipped in water, run it around the edge.
Roll out the other pastry into the same size circle and set over the spinach layer so the edges match. Press the pastry all over to from the center out, and press together to seal. Using a fork, poke holes all over to allow the steam to escape. Now invert a 12 1/2 inch plate on top and trim off any pastry that hangs from the edges. You can use the excess pastry to make any type of decoration. Refrigerate the pastry and decorations for about half an hour.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Now comes the fun part. Lightly press a small bowl to cover the center of the circle. and with a pastry/pizza wheel, cut into quarters from the bowl edge to the pastry edge. Now cut each quarter, into 6 equal strips, twisting each one 2-3 times. Remove little bowl.
Whisk together water and egg to make a wash and with a pastry brush, brush the entire surface and bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes until a lovely golden brown. Add the baked decorations, scattering over the surface.
Cool down for about 5-6 minutes and serve your guests with a beverage of their choice (or being offered), a small plate and napkin. Enjoy the day!
Turkey With Roasted Garlic Gravy
Well, it won’t be long before Easter and this might be a new way for the bird to taste, especially with you making the turkey broth first. Give this a read.
- 6-7 kg turkey, thawed (or fresh)
- 1/2 cup garlic butter, softened
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 garlic heads, cut horizontally
- 2 tsp. canola oil
- 3 cups No Salt turkey broth **
- 1/4 cup flour
Making the Broth
- 1 turkey neck
- 1 onion, cut in quarters
- 2 bay leaves
- ends/stems of celery, onion,
Cover the neck, onion, bay leaves and vegetable scraps in a saucepan. Bring to a boil with 4 cups of water in a large saucepan. then simmer for 30 minutes. Strain well, discard the scraps, reserve the broth.
Now Back to Tom, the Turkey
Place oven rack to lowest level and preheat to 400 degrees. In a large roasting pan, place a rack as well. This makes for easier removal.
With paper towels, pat the turkey all over to absorb any moisture inside and out. In a bowl combine the butter, salt and paper and then rub the turkey all over. Tuck in the legs and tie the wings to keep close.
Rub the garlic halves with oil and wrap with tin foil and place in the oven. Make sure it is well sealed. Bake garlic and turkey for one hour.
Reduce heat to 300 degrees. Remove the garlic from the oven and pour the reserved broth into the roasting pan. Continue baking for another hour and 40 minutes. Check to make sure the thermometer registers 170 degrees.
Transfer to a cutting board, loosely tent with tin foil and let stand for 30 minutes. While it is resting, skim the fat from the pan, and reserve, then pour the liquid into a measuring cup.
Squeeze the garlic pulp from the head and mash with a fork. Place the roasting pan on two burners and 2 tbsp. of the reserved fat and whisk the flour and garlic until smooth. When the flour starts to turn a light golden colour, gradually pour in the pan juice. This must be whisked continually until it thickens, 10-15 minutes. Serve with the sliced turkey and all the trimmings to the oohs and ahhs of your guests.