These are tasty, but should be part of a meal, not the meal itself.
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 1 lb. medium size shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 tsp. chili sauce
- 2 tbsp. ketchup
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 3 tbsp. canola oil
- 2 tbsp. dry sherry
- 2 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 green onion, cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- parsley sprigs, for garnish
In a large bowl, combine the tbsp. of salt with 3 cups of cold water, stirring until salt has dissolved. Add the shrimp and let soak for 1 hour. Drain and place the shrimp on paper towels and dry well.
Mix together the soy sauce, chili sauce, ketchup and sugar.
Heat a flat bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes in a second or two. Swirl in the canola oil, add the shrimp, cooking until the shrimp starts to turn pink then immediately remove to a plate .
Add the sherry, ginger and garlic; stir fry for 30 seconds. add the onion and peppers, stir frying for another minute. Now add the green onion and jalapeno, cooking for another 30 seconds, Add the soy sauce and shrimp and cook for 60 seconds or until the shrimp are just cooked.
Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Chicken Noodle Spring Vegetable Soup
Everybody loves chicken noodle soup. Right? Then, of course, everyone loves fresh, spring vegetables? Yes, you do! Put them together and you come up with this fabulous, tasty and, may I say, healthy soup you will want make many times.
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. curry powder
- 4 cups orange/carrot juice blend – This is for real
- 1 – 14 oz. can chicken broth (reduced salt)
- 1 cup, carrots, cut on the diagonal
- 1 cup sliced celery, peeled
- 2 cups dried broad noodles
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (leftovers maybe?)
- 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed
- 2 tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
In a large pot heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cooking for 2 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook for one minute longer.
Carefully, add the orange-carrot juice, chicken broth, 1 cup water and pinch of salt. Add the carrots and celery and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
Add the noodles and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the parsley and red pepper flakes. Serve hot with toasted baquette slices.
Serves 4
Nine Ways to Upgrade Crostinis
Entertaining can be a puzzle sometimes. Always wanting to not serve the ‘same old – same old’ munchies. Try these. Just make sure you slice the bread on the thin side, and diagonally, toast lightly and enjoy.
You certainly don ‘t want to make all of these at the same time, unless you are entertaining about 50 people – as if!
Sauted kale with a garlic soft-cooked egg. Simply boil water, add some eggs – cook for 5 minutes. Drain. Done! This one must be eaten at the table. The soft boiled egg will drip. Don’t despair and not try this. It is very yummy.
Homemade is best here. I say this because if you live in B.C., raspberries are a real bounty. Spread raspberry jam on the crostini and top with an aged goat cheese.
Brush the crostini with coconut oil (lightly). Slice a banana on the diagonal to attain long strips. Sprinkle with coconut flakes. Here also, you could also replace the coconut oil with a chocolate spread OR peanut butter (smooth). Endless ideas.
Spread the crostini with a honey mustard (my preference), add thin slices of cooked ham (either honey ham or Black Forest). Top with dried apricots, sliced to make it easier to bite into.
Cherry tomatoes, smashed and placed on the crostini. Top with cooked bacon and snipped basil.
Spread the crostini with maple syrup and top with chopped, toasted, pecans. YUM!
Spread the crostini with chevre cheese and top with grapes, sliced lengthwise, and chopped almonds.
Spread the crostini with cream cheese, top with smoked salmon, sliced thin, and a few capers.
Lastly, (for me anyways) spread a grainy mustard on the crostini, top with thin slices of salami and very thin slices of cucumber with peel on.
Maple Pecan Squares
I must be in a ‘square’ mood these days. This should be Canada’s icon for sure.
Shortbread base
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line a 9 inch square pan with parchment paper so it hangs over the sides.
Pulse flour, sugar, pecans, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in a food processor to combine. Add the butter and pulse until mixture is crumbly.
Press into the baking pan and bake for 20 minutes – just until it becomes brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool down.
- Maple Pecan Layer
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (no substitutes)
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- pinch fine salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans
Whisk together the butter, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped pecans and pour over the cooled shortbread base.
Bake for 22-25 minutes until bubbly around the edges, Allow to cool completely before attempting to cut.
Yum!
Caramel Latte Cheesecake Squares
If you like lattes, you will love these.
Oat Base
- 1 1/4 cups rolled oats, not instant
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- pinch of fine salt
- 1/2 cup Skor toffee bits
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line a 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, making sure it hangs over the sides.
Toss the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt to combine. Stir in the melted butter and press into the baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. While still warm, sprinkle the base with the toffee bits evenly and then let it cool down.
Cheesecake
- 12 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tbsp. instant coffee granules
- 1 tbsp. vanilla
- 1/4 cup toffee bits
Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Beat the cream cheese to soften then add both sugars and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides. Beat in the egg and egg yolk, scraping down the bowl sides often.
Stir the coffee granules in the vanilla and heat just to dissolve. Stir the coffee into the cheesecake mixture and pour all over the base. Sprinkle with the remaining toffee bits and bake for about 22-24 minutes until the centre is set.
Cool to room temperature then into the refrigerator to chill for about 6 hours before slicing.
Citrus And Tea-Glazed Roast Chicken
Tired of turkey and ham for the holidays? Try this, if you are looking for something delicious and different. Serve with mashed potatoes, vegetable or two of your choosing and, of course, a nice crisp side salad. Don’t forget to pour a glass of wine to make a toast with (as if you would – forget that is)….
To make this, start the day ahead with the brine and while you are at it, make the tea glaze as well and you are ahead of the game. You can, if you want to spend as much time with your company, do up the potatoes, cover and refrigerate. Day of, heat in the oven until hot and serve.
Brine
- 4 cups brewed black tea
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- 1 tangerine, cut in half
- 1 tsp. fennel seed
- 8 pink peppercorns
- 1 x 3-4 lb. whole chicken
Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to the boil over high heat. Stir occasionally to make sure the sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to completely cool down to room temperature. Add the chicken to the cooled brine, cover and refrigerate overnight. Step 1 – Done.
Tea Glaze
- 1 cup honey
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tbsp. lime juice
In a small sauce pan, bring to a simmer, stirring to ensure sugar has completely dissolved. Cool down, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Step 2 – Done.
Chicken
- 1 large lemon, halved
- 1 orange, halved
- 1 large lime (or two small ones) halved
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Place chicken on a rack in a roast pan, tucking the wine under. Stuff the cavity with orange, lemon and lime halves.
Secure the legs with twine or skewers and season the skin lightly with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan and roast for 35 minutes. Brush the chicken now with the tea glaze. Continue roasting, brushing the tea glaze on every 10 minutes until a meat thermometer reaches 170F. Probably 35-40 minutes more. transfer to a platter and let rest. Bring the pan juices to a hard boil scraping up the bits, if any, and stir until reduced. Drizzle over the chicken.
Slice, serve with mashed potatoes and your vegetables. Does this make you hungry? Enjoy.
Leek And Mushroom Soup With Crisp Cheese Croutons
You really have to try this…caramelizing the leeks and making your own croutons will tantalize everyone’s taste buds.
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed and finely diced
- 1 tsp. brown sugar, packed
- 4 cups button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tbsp. chopped thyme
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp. sherry
- 6 cups vegetable low-sodium stock
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and sugar, stirring for 2 minutes. Reduce to low and cook, stirring often for about 30 minutes, and starting to caramelize.
Increase the heat to medium and add the mushrooms, thyme and a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook a further 10 minutes, stirring to avoid burning and ensuring all the liquid from the mushrooms has been absorbed.
Add the sherry and cook until absorbed. Add the stock and bring to a boil, stirring up all the brown bits. Simmer for 20 minutes and allow the flavours to blend.
Croutons
- 1/2 baguette, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (2 cups)
- 2 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup Asiago or 5 year old aged Gouda cheese, finely grated
Heat the oven to 450 degrees, In a bowl, drizzle the butter over the bread cubes and toss to mix and coat. Sprinkle in the finely grated cheese and toss to coat. Spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes. Really watch so they don’t burn. Remove immediately and put into a bowl.
To serve the soup, ladle into warmed soup bowls and sprinkle the top with the croutons while they are still hot.
OMG, is this tasty and heart-warming.
Toasted Pecan And Blue Cheese “Truffles”
Okay , the word truffles is a bit of a push, but a fresh grape tucked inside a rich cheese wrap and crusted with toasted pecans make them little treasures. These are best made ahead and refrigerated to allow the flavours to meld. Simply bring to room temperature and serve. Trust me! Your guests won’t know what hit them when they see and taste these beauties.
- 4 oz. Blue Cheese at room temperature
- 8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 tsp. fresh basil, finely chopped
- pinch of black pepper
- 30 seedless red grapes
- 1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
- For garnish, fresh basil leaves and more grapes
Mash together the cheeses, basil and pepper until really well blended.
Scoop 2 tsp. of the mixture and insert 1 grape. Mold the cheese around the grape to completely cover. Roll in the nut mixture and lightly press to ensure it adheres to the cheese. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the grapes have been used. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
To serve: bring to room temperature and set out on a platter. Garnish with basil leaves (stems removed) and grapes. Have a pretty container on the table with fancy picks and cocktail napkins at the ready.
Tomato Bisque With Roasted Lobster
There are bisques and then there is this one….if you don ‘t have/want lobster, try it with scallops. Just as yummy!
- 2- 8 oz. lobster tails
- 2 tsp. butter
- Bisque
- 8 sun dried tomatoes
- 4 cups of chicken broth (turkey broth if you have it)
- 12 medium very ripe plum tomatoes
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 2 shallots
- 1 garlic clove, unpeeled,
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne
- 3 tbsp. dry sherry
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
- Warm Baguette
Lobster
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a pair of scissors, cut the lobster tails along the back almost to the tail; turn over and cut along each side to prevent the tail from curling.
Place back side up (single cut) on a parchment lined baking sheet. Force the sides together so the meat protrudes from the shells. Dot with butter and roast for about 15 minutes or until the shell is red and the center of the lobster is hot and not grayish in colour. Cool, then remove the shells. Coarsely chop and set aside.
Bisque
Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with Pam spray and cut the sun dried tomatoes into strips and soak in the stock while the vegetables are roasting. Core the unpeeled tomatoes, seed and cut in half. Cut the peppers in half, core and seed. Peel and cut the shallots in half. Place them cut-side down on the baking sheet. Place the garlic in the middle of the pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast, uncovered for about 30 minutes until the tomatoes are lightly browned and very soft. Remove the peels from the vegetables and discard.
Puree the vegetables and sun dried tomatoes with stock in a blender. Whirl in the salt, cayenne and sherry. Add more stock if needed to acquire the correct texture. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Pour soup in a large saucepan, stir in the cream. Heat over low heat until very hot, but NOT boiling. Divide the lobster into warmed soup bowls, ladle in the hot soup and garnish with the parsley. Serve with warm buttered baguette slices.
What did I tell you? THE best there is…..serve with a chilled White wine (not heavy like a Chardonnay) and you will hear the angels singing for sure.
Ricotta Cake
This, will make you think you hear the angels sing when you eat this. It is so yummy. I have made this twice and, believe me, there weren’t even crumbs left. It is also called a Sicilian Cassata.
- 2 lbs. fresh ricotta, whole milk *
- 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate wafers, chopped
- 1 cup candied gumdrops (ones for baking)
- 1 10 inch sponge cake (homemade is best-store bought barely okay)
Place the ricotta in a fine mesh sieve and set over a bowl. Place in the refrigerator overnight to allow excess moisture to drain out.
In your mixer with a paddle attachment, place the ricotta and beat until smooth. Mix the now drained and beaten ricotta with 1 cup of the powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate and gumdrops. Set aside.
Lightly oil a 10 inch springform pan. Slice the sponge cake very thinly so that the pan may be lined with an even layer. Line the sides and bottom of the pan with the sponge cake. Pour the ricotta filling into the pan. Place the final layer of cake over the filling. This now creates the bottom of the cassata. For now, refrigerate overnight to firm up the filling.
Invert onto a wide platter. Remove the springform sides and bottom. Now cover with the remaining icing sugar (it should be like a heavy snow). Slice thinly and serve.
* the dry ricotta style would not be the right one to use.
Pan Roasted Trout With Shrimp Risotto
Thanks for understanding my playing hookey yesterday. Today this recipe is really special and would make a great celebration dinner for whatever the occasion.
This would make a lovely dinner “just because’. Don and I do this once in awhile and it is a wonderful way to enjoy an unexpected date night. I set the table complete with fresh, white napkins and rings, lit candles, flowers (sometimes just silk flowers) and special place mats. In any of my recipes, you can use Salmon if you prefer. Just sayin’.
- 5 cups fish stock (chicken stock if you don’t have any)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 tsp. chopped garlic
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme
- 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and cleaned
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 bunch baby spinach, washed, stems removed and excess water removed
- 4 -6 oz. trout fillets
- fig balsamic vinegar for drizzle
Here you can pour yourself a coffee or glass of wine…..and start by bringing the stock to a simmer on the stove and keep simmering until finished.
Heat the oil in a wide pot and add the onion, garlic and thyme and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and saute until just pink (2 minutes). Remove the shrimp and set aside.
Add 1 tbsp. of the butter to the pot and when it sizzles add the rice. Stir until the rice has coated with the butter then add the wine and let it evaporate for 1 minute.
Pour in 1 cup stock and cook, stirring constantly until almost absorbed, then add another cup. Continue this method until all used and creamy in texture. Exactly 22 minutes.
Add the shrimp and stir just until the shrimp are hot. Remove from heat and add the remaining butter and all of the parsley. Taste to confirm the seasoning is right.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the spinach and 1/4 cup of stock to the skillet. Place the trout over the spinach and reduce the temperature to low. Steam for about 8-9 minutes until the ‘milk’ start to come to the surface.
Spoon risotto on each plate, place the spinach and trout on top. Drizzle with fig balsamic vinegar.
Pour the wine, light the candles and let the fun begin! Wow, this is sooooo yummy.
Spring Greens With Fresh Berries
Aaah! Spring is around the corner and, after preparing the yard, deck and house with spring cleaning, the mind wanders to meals on the deck and this is a WONDERFUL way to do it. This will serve 6-8 people.
- 12 cups mixed spring greens, washed and spun dry
- 2 cups baby romaine lettuce,
- 1 head radicchio, shaved
- 1 cup fresh pea shoots
- 1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup red seedless grapes, halved
- 1/3 cup each fresh raspberries and blackberries
- 1/3 cup raspberry vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. sugar
- crumbled goat cheese
Combine the greens, radicchio and pea shoots on a large serving platter. Sprinkle with the pecans, grapes and berries evenly..
Whisk together the raspberry vinegar, olive oil, sugar and drizzle over the platter. Top with the crumbled cheese.
Now serve with warm rolls. friends, sun shining and, oh yes, a glass of wine – chilled perfectly. Spring? Bring it on!