This is a great combination and brings a new ‘zip’ to lamb.
- 4 lamb chops
- 4 oz. butter, room temperature
- Gourmet seasoning (1 tsp. each of oregano, garlic, thyme, basil) divided in two
- 1 tbsp. fig preserves
- pinch of fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
Set the barbecue temperature for 450 degrees. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients, using 1/2 of the spice mix (except lamb chops) and, with the back of a ladle, generously rub half of it on one side of the lamb chops.
Place the lamb, butter side up on the grill for 2-3 minutes. This will depend on the thickness of the chops. Flip them over and run the remaining butter on the chops. Grill until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F.
Fig Aioli
- 3 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 2-3 tbsp. fig preserves
- small pinch of cayenne pepper
Combine all the ingredients and mix very well.
A nice Merlot or Pinot Noir would go well with these. Serve with smashed baby potatoes and a fresh salad. YUM!
Sesame Chicken With Spring Asparagus
I refer to spring asparagus because I refer to the thin stalks, not the fatter ones, and they are perfect for this recipe. You could use this along with the fried rice and spring greens or the risotto with mushrooms and asparagus, posted earlier.
- 1 lb. skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/3 cup sesame seeds
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- Crisco oil
- 1 large carrot, thinly sliced and coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup liquid honey
- 3 tbsp. cider vinegar
- fresh asparagus, rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
Cut chicken into 1 1/2 inch pieces. In a shallow bowl combine the flour, sesame seeds, pinch of pepper and salt. In another small bowl, add the beaten eggs.
Dip the chicken into the flour mixture, then the egg mixture and back into the flour mixture. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of oil over high heat. Add the chicken in batches and cook about 4 minutes or until completely cooked through. Use a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel to drain.
In a large skillet, combine the carrot, honey, vinegar and 1 tbsp. of water. Bring to boiling and add the asparagus. Add the chicken and stir to coat.
Pour this over rice or noodles of your choice. The only thing missing here is the fortune cookie.
Yummy Risotto With Spring Asparagus and Mushrooms
Anyone who has followed this site will know that I LOVE risotto. I have several recipes on site and this is, yet, another one.
- 1/2 lb. mushroom mix (crimini, white button, shitake)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 3 tbsp. butter, divided
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup dry, white wine
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 1/2 lb. thin stalk asparagus, trimmed and cut in I inch pieces. Blanch until tender
- 1/2 cup Asiago cheese
- 1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
- Salt and pepper to taste
Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel and remove the stems. Heat a fry pan on medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp. each of olive oil and butter. When hot, add the mushrooms and saute until soft. Set aside including with any liquid that has accumulated.
In a saucepan add stock and wine and heat to a simmer. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the remaining olive oil and butter. Add the shallots, onion and red pepper and gently saute until the onion has become translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the rice and stir fry for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add enough hot stock to just cover the top of the rice. Stir constantly until the liquid is almost completely absorbed and add about 1/2 cup more liquid, again stirring constantly. Repeat these steps until all the liquid has been absorbed. This will take EXACTLY 22 minutes.
Add the asparagus and mushrooms including any of the juices. and heat through. Remove from the heat and add the Asiago cheese. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately in warm serving dishes.
This pairs beautifully with either red or white wine. I guess it just depends on your taste or what you are serving with it.
Fried Rice With Spring Greens
This is easy-peasy and so delicious. This might be the start of a ‘in-home Chinese dinner’.
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger (not powder)
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 3/4 cup shelled frozen edamame, thawed
- 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 2 cups cooked brown rice, chilled
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sliced green onion (optional)
In a small bowl, beat together the egg and the 1 tsp. soy sauce and set aside. In a wok or large skillet, heat the toasted sesame oil over a medium temperature. Add the egg mixture, stirring gently until set. Remove the egg and cool a little so you can handle.
Using your hands, roll the egg mixture into a log and using a sharp knife, cut into strips and set aside.
In the same wok, heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat and add the ginger and garlic, cooking for about 30 seconds. Add cabbage and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the rice and 2 tbsp. soy sauce; cook and stir for about 3 minutes (until heated throughout). Add the egg mixture and, if using, the onion. This will make 4 servings.
In a word – YUM.
Sablefish With Lentils and Red Wine Sauce
Don’t let the name scare you, it is also known as Alaskan Black Cob (fabulous). By using the red wine sauce, just remember all the alcohol is burned off and only flavours the sauce.
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 small onion, finely diced
- 1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
- 1/2 celery stalk, ribs removed, finely diced
- 1 cup Puy lentils, well rinsed
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1/2 – 1 tsp. curry powder (depends on how strong you want it)
- pinch of turmeric
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 4 x 5 oz. sablefish fillets, skim on
- 1 large tomato, seeded and finely diced
Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a saucepan and add the onion, carrot and celery. Saute over a medium heat umtil the onion is soft and clear. Do not brown.
Add lentils, bay leaves, thyme and 2 1/2 cups cold water or enough to generously cover the lentils. Stir in the curry powder, turmeric and pinches of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reducing heat to medium low and simmer uncovered until the lentils are tender (20-25 minutes).
With 5 minutes left before the lentils have finished cooking prepare the fish.
Lightly sprinkle the fillets with the remaining curry and pinches of salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Cook the fish skin-side down for 3 minutes or just until the skin starts to crisp and turn golden. Add 1 tbsp. butter to melt and turn the fish carefully to coat with the butter. Turn off the heat and let this rest, uncovered, to finish the cooking.
When the lentils are tender but not mushy, drain any excess water and remove the bay leaves and thyme sprig. Add the remaining butter and diced tomatoes and fold into the lentils. Divide this between 4 plates and place a fillet on top of the lentils, skin side down.
Red Wine Sauce
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
1/2 stalk of celery, ribs removed and finely diced
pinch of curry
1 pinch each of ground cloves, cinnamon and crushed red chilies,
2 cardamom pods with the seeds scraped out
2 cups red wine (Pinot Noir or a Sangiovese)
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. maple syrup
pinch of salt
1 tbsp. flour
Place 1/2 of the butter in a medium saucepan and add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté until the onion is soft and clear. Add the spices and seeds from the cardamom pods and stir fry for one minute until aromatic. Add the red wine, stock, maple syrup and boil hard for 20 minutes until the sauce has been recued to 2 cups.
Strain through a fine sieve , discarding all the vegetables. Wipe out the pan and add the remaining butter. Whisk in the flour until it become crumbly and slowly whisk in the red wine mixture until it becomes smooth. Cover and set aside.
When ready to serve, spoon the sauce around each plate and garnish with a lime wedge.
Fig Tapenade With Crusty Baguettes
To be sure, we are not talking about the dried figs out there in the market, I am referring to the summer when they are plenty, delicious, sweet and oh, so yummy! We are so fortunate to have our own fig tree in the yard, but for years when we lived closed to the mainland, we would have to drive in (1 hour plus) shop for the figs and drive back to serve these delicious fruits at our breakfast for guests at our B & B. I could not get any grocery store to bring them in. Anyway, here we go –
- 6 firm figs, washed, quartered and coarsely chopped
- 1 finely chopped shallot (or not)
- 1/2 cup nicoise olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
Mix together in a bowl and set aside.
- 1 baguette, sliced thin and lightly toasted
- fresh mozzarella cheese (not processed/slices)
On each slice of toasted bread, place a thin slice of cheese and top with the tapenade. Oh my, this is sooooo good. The sweetness of the fig and the saltiness of the olives really works together.
*our children gave us the fig tree as a house warming gift due to the fact we love them so much.
Five Days and Spoiled
Five Days and Spoiled
My daughter has always joked about being shafted cuz my birthday and Mothers day are so close. This year they are one day apart. She came out here to spend it with me and what a thrill. It feels good to be allowed to feel like a Mom, even at my age. You see, we live so far apart we don’t get to physically visit very often.
This year, however, my husband went over and beyond anything I could imagine. Dinner with neighbors on my birthday. This was two-fold as they met my daughter and we got to share a beautiful dinner and, following dinner, we had a little sing-song as our friend plays the guitar.
Next day a beautiful breakfast and then Kelly treated us to lunch at the Fairview Golf Club. Great food and service. Then another great dinner with my cousin and husband. They are my daughter’s godparents and you could not have asked for better. Whew! Waistline is in trouble now. This was a New Orleans flavour meal.
Sunday, Don treated us to a gorgeous brunch at Liquidity Winery. OMG! was it ever good and stuffed-we waddled to the car. Poor Kelly came home and went for a 3 km walk. Once again, a lovely evening.
Monday, we had a quieter day as Kelly had to leave in the evening to return home and it would be after midnight by the time she got there. Don prepared the best ribs for an early supper with Kelly before sadly saying see you in two months. More on that later.
I guess for me, the reason this Mother’s Day was so darn special was my daughter returning to me a Mom’s Day card she made up when she was 8 years old. I gathered up some old pictures and things I thought she should have and this card was one of them. She told me I was still the keeper of this card. I checked the address and then got her age. I never knew that she held me so high as HER Mom. It was after this that her teacher made me tell my daughter that I was not perfect and she had to listen to them and not me so much. Can you believe that? I hope no other teacher would EVER say that to a beautiful spirit. Trust me then life changed. I keep reading it over and over and can’t stop the tears. This was from her heart (spelling was something else) but so sincere. I didn’t know I was such a good mom to this beautiful grown up daughter. For this I thank you so much Kelly. I wouldn’t have traded one moment (well a few come to mind)..never mind it was, is and will be my greatest gift I could give this world of ours. You!
Now, to my husband..I have said thank you a million times for these fabulous 5 days and all the work you went through. I say thank you each and every day when I wake up and certainly when I say goodnight to you. You are a gift given to me to treasure, love, care for and occasionally dust off. I love you and , yes, you still owe me 40 years. I have been blessed beyond anything. I don’t know why I got so lucky, but am truly thankful.
My Simple Lemon Cake Disaster
When you read this, have a box of Kleenex handy. You will need it because you are laughing SO hard or weeping as I did, ever so briefly. This is what happened…..
Nerves are shot since Sunday when we saw some poor deer get killed on the highway and when we got there the poor little thing was in the final throes of dying. This, my friends, is not a pretty sight. I don ‘t think I cried so hard in a very long time. It really was upsetting.
Okay…let’s go to yesterday…with my daughter coming here, her ‘mommy’ must bake her favourite things. Old fashioned corn muffins – top of the list. Oh wait – double the recipe and she will be able to take some home thinks mom. Good and done.
Now, let’s see company is coming and one lady cannot eat nuts so I will make her a fresh lemon cake I read about on face book. Okay, let’s see slice thin 4 lemons and place in a saucepan with a pinch of salt and 3 cups of water. Simple? Yea? great. After 15 minutes, place in a food processor to grind up the lemons until smooth and add the 3/4 cup of butter to grind up together.
Uh…okay I think I can use the large container for the ninja blender and, if necessary, do in two portions. Okay I get it in and now…get ready…
Stupid here tips the glass container into the machine and turns it on. NOTHING! I try again and, this time, shake the glass container a little and turn it on. NOTHING!. okay now it dawns on me. To remove the container I have to turn the WHOLE machine upside down to remove it and can you guess why? Of course you can. I forgot to put the blades on and I now have lemons and melted 3/4 cup of butter ALL OVER THE COUNTER like a bloomin’ river. Have you ever tried to grab paper towels with slippery hands and trying not to spill any of this on the floor?
Of course you haven’t ‘cuz you are so much smarter than I was . Where was my husband, you say? Well he was out running errands that took forever.
Back to the nightmare. I then figured that since I probably lost a lot of the lemon in the boiled water, I should strain it and then add the pulp to the mix. Fine. River of butter and lemon pulp abated, I carry on and do whatever the recipe said to do.
I don’t have a cake pan with 2 inch sides so…yup! I have to make 2 cakes. Fine, says me most sarcastically. Why not? What else can go wrong, I say.
As I am getting ready to pour this into the cake pans I think that the colour doesn’t look right so I look around the kitchen and….why should this be any different…the 4 eggs and egg yolks are in the bowl smiling back at me. I quickly add them to the bowl and beat it until it is mixed. I can NOW pour the batter into the 2 pans and bake for the set time. The bell rings and out they come. You must let these sit for 20 minutes before removing them from the pans and continue cooling on a rack.
Whilst hubby and I are on the deck having lunch. I say to him maybe we should sample this a bit. After all it is for company. Don says (still laughing) okay, just a sliver.
Here and now, let me apologize for anything you or your ancestors think I ever did them, I am really sorry.
I cut two slivers out and nearly capsize. The texture of this disaster is like a ‘settled creamy jelly’. OMG!
Into the garbage they go. That’s it, I quit for the day. Now to add insult to this (being me), my neighbor came over and I was telling her and Don was at the table as well. They just howled.
Not funny says I.
This is the most humbling experience for me. I just may have to give up baking. Be prepared family and friends.
There goes 50 plus years of baking any and all desserts no matter how difficult. This cake was called ‘Simple”. Right!!!!!
Peanut Butter Tart
This is soooo simple and yet I am unable to make it for my friend and granddaughter. Sorry guys but it IS good.
- 10 graham crackers, broken
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 3 oz. best quality milk chocolate, plus more for chocolate curls
- 1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup cream cheese
- 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
In food processor, place the graham crackers and pulse until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a medium sized bowl and add the melted butter. With a fork fluff these until thoroughly combined.
Place the crumbs in a tart pan with a removable bottom and press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (hence, the tart form). Place this is the refrigerator while you make the filling.
Fill a large bowl with ice water. Finely chop the chocolate and place in a medium sized bowl. Place 1/2 cup cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Pour over the chopped chocolate and set aside for 5 minutes to yield a chocolate ganache.
Whisk together to combine. Set the bowl in the ice bath and whisk until cool. Once cool, remove from the ice bath and whisk the ganache until it is just thick enough to hold its shape (do not over whisk). Spread this in the bottom of the prepared crumb shell, using an off-set spatula. Return to the refrigerator until set.
Combine the peanut butter, cream cheese and condensed milk in a food processor and process until completely smooth. Transfer this to a mixing bowl.
Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the cream to the peanut butter mixture and whisk to combine. Spoon mixture into the prepared crust and return to the refrigerator for 2 hours or, better yet, overnight.
To serve, remove from the refrigerator and transfer to a platter 10 minutes before serving. Top the tart with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate curls you can make with a vegetable pepper.
Red and Yellow Beet Salad With Burrata Cheese
You haven’t lived until you have tasted this cheese. Now combine it with the lovely beets and you have a salad fit for a king.
- 4 red beets, roasted and peeled
- 4 golden beets, roasted and peeled
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. lime juice
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1 tsp. minced fresh basil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 cups mixed baby greens
- 2 pouches of Burrata cheese
- olive oil for garnish
- basil flowers for garnish
Thinly slice the roasted beets using a fine paring knife or a mandolin.
On 4 pretty plates. arrange the sliced beets, alternating the colours in a circular manner. In a narrow bowl, whisk together vigorously the balsamic vinegar and lime juice until emulsified. Add the honey, basil, salt and pepper to taste.
Place the baby greens in a bowl, drizzle with some of the dressing and toss to coat.
Top each arrangement of the beets with a mound of greens. Slice each pouch of cheese in half and place one on each salad. Drizzle with additional dots of balsamic dressing and garnish with a basil flower (optional).
What did I say? That cheese is to die for. Yes, it is more expensive to buy but you should do this for a special occasion or, use as often as you wish.