This is a recipe that has all the ‘comfort foods’ like bacon, fresh corn,tortellini…yum!
- 1 1/2 lbs. tortellini
- 5 slices bacon
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1/4 cup plus parsley (need some for garnish), chopped
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup fresh corn off the cob
- pinch salt
- 2/3 cup grated Asiago cheese, divided
Cook the pasta according to instructions, drain well and set aside. Be sure to reserve 1/2-1/3 cup of the cooking liquid.
Cook the bacon until crispy, drain on paper towelling and set aside. Discard all but 2 tbsp. of the bacon fat. Add the garlic and parsley now and cook for 1 minute.
Add the cream, corn, cooking liquid and salt and bring almost to the boil. Reduce and simmer until all has thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the pasta and 1/3 cup of the grated cheese and toss until hot. This should take a couple of minutes. Just make sure all got tossed. Remove from the heat and crumble the bacon and add the remaining cup of cheese and top with some chopped parsley.
Serve in a pretty pasta bowl and have garlic toast at the ready. Perhaps a tossed green salad. There you go, dinner on the fly and oh so good.
Chili Crab Dip
Here is another dip using crabmeat and cheese, but it is a real good one. Especially with the Stanley Cup games on now and baseball in the thick of it.
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 2 shallot, diced
- 1/3 cup chili sauce,
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 250g cream cheese (half the pkg.) cubed and softened
- 1 1/2 cups aged white cheddar, grated
- 1 tub crab claw meat (227g), drained well and patted dry
- 1 tbsp. mustard
- pinch each salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
In a saucepan, melt the butter and then add the shallot, chili sauce and garlic, stirring until the shallot is softened. This should take about 2 1/2-3 minutes. Whisk in the flour and stir for another 2 minutes.
Slowly add the milk and cream, stirring until thickened and smooth (about 4 minutes). Whisk in the cream cheese and when completely melted and smooth, add about 2/3 of the grated cheddar. Again, stirring until smooth.
When this is all really smooth (no lumps) add the crab meat, mustard, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and broil for about 3-5 minutes, until it is bubbling and golden. Let this stand about 5 minutes before trying to serve. Add crackers, napkins and a favourite beverage. Game on..
Roasted Trout with Ginger
I love Trout, so this is a win-win for me. Try it or change it out for salmon, if you prefer it.
- 6 trout fillets, 4-5 ounces each
- 6 ounces fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 1 tbsp. teriyaki sauce
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. (not an error)
Peel and cut ginger as thinly as you can then julienne and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet and cook the trout until golden brown and turn over to brown the other side. Transfer this to the oven and cook each side for 2 minutes each.
Combine the coconut and sesame oils and heat until really hot. Remove the fillets from the skillet and lay out the ginger on top. Ladle a tbsp. of the hot oil over to cook the ginger and serve with rice and a nice cold salad. This is really a yummy dinner.
Mini Cheese Balls
The entertaining season is fast approaching and this is a wonderful bite to have. Set these out on a fancy plate with other tasty tidbits you have prepared and it won’t be long before they are all gone.
- 2 pkgs Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 tin Maple Leaf Flakes of Ham (184 grams)
- 1 can of crab meat (184 grams)
- 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
- 3 oz. Asiago cheese, grated
- 2 oz. Stilton cheese, crumbled
- salt, pepper
- pinch of cayenne
Mix together, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.
Roll into small balls and roll in: ground pecans or finally chopped red bell peppers or finally ground green Bell peppers or toasted sesame seeds
Place cocktail toothpicks on the side and enjoy your evening.
Spicy Spaghetti alla Carbonara
This is one of my most favourite pasta treats. You can just change out the hot pancetta for bacon if spicy is not your thing.
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 3 oz. diced spicy pancetta or 3 slices of bacon cut into thin strips
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 12 oz. spaghetti
- 1 cup coffee cream (18%)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup finely grated Asiago cheese
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Asiago cheese, grated for garnish
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Heat butter in a wide saucepan over a medium heat. Add the meat, cooking for about 7 minutes (until crisp). Drain all but 1 tbsp. of fat from the pan.
Add the wine and stir until the wine has nearly evaporated. Turn heat to low.
Cook the pasta according to pkg. instructions. In a bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, cheese, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Drain the pasta and add to the pancetta. Increase heat to medium and add the cream mixture, stirring for about 3 minutes until thickened and all the pasta is coated. Stir in the parsley and sprinkle the Asiago cheese over the top.
Add a crisp, chilled salad and a glass of white wine. YUM! YUM!
Endive With Dungeness Crab And Citrus Salad
This is another wonderful Hors d’Oeuvre to serve when having a dinner party or just a simple wine and cheese evening with family and friends.
- 6 large Belgian endive, make sure they have firm fat heads with yellow tips that are at least 6 inches long.
- 1/2 fennel bulb, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1/2 lb. fresh Dungeness crabmeat
- 1 finely minced shallot
- 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp. sour cream
- 1 tsp. finely grated lime zest
- 1 tsp. orange zest
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- 2 tbsp. orange juice
- pinch of sea salt
- pinch of lemon pepper
- 1/2 cup orange segmented, skinned and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Trim the ends off the endive and separate into spears. Keep 24-30 of the largest ones and place in a ice water bath. Chill no less than 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels. Refrigerate.
In a bowl mix together the fennel, crabmeat, shallot, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime and orange juice and zest. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Spoon a generous amount of the crabmeat salad onto the wide bottom of each spear. Garnish with a few segments of the orange. Serve immediately.
Jump back so you don’t get trampled by the stampede of everyone wanting to try these. Yup! You did it again.
Hot And Spicy Snacks That Are Good For You
in case you didn’t notice, I spent Family Day with my handsome and ‘bread maker” yesterday. May I say the smells in this house were off the chart. It was also a day to connect with two of our five children (they’ll love that). All in all, a great day.
Now to get on to today’s work. I am sure we all have a bad/good habit at night while watching the television and that is to snack on all the wrong things. Try these…
Chili Lime Nuts
- (yup, they are spicy)
- 1 cup each of blanched raw peanuts, raw cashews and pecan halves
- 1/2 cup pistachios, shelled
- finely grated zest of two limes
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. crushed red chilies
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- generous pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine all the nuts in a bowl. In a small saucepan combine the remaining ingredients and stir over medium heat until the sugar has melted. Drizzle this over the nuts and spread them out in a single layer. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Remove.
Leave on the pan..stop! don’t sample just yet. Let them cool completely before putting into jars with a lid. Refrigerate and then at night (or lunch/breakfast)…okay- any time, put some in a small bowl and munch away!.
See how good I am to you?
Breakfast Hash, American Style
This seems to be popular for breakfast. Give it a go and you will make it again….and again!
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 3 tbsp. flour
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup half and half
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, cut in 1/4 inch coins.
- 1 large red pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded (optional) and chopped
- 8-10 mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup wine vinegar
- 3 large russet potatoes, grated on large holes of box grater
- 1 1/4 cups aged cheddar, shredded
- 2 shallots, chopped fine
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with the rack in the upper third of the oven.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the flour, whisking to make a roux for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and half and half. Bring to a boil. Make sure there are no lumps so whisk constantly. Remove from the heat, and season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the sausage coins until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a 9 x 13 baking dish (sprayed first with non-stick Pam), Spread out evenly.
Reduce heat to a minimum and add the peppers and mushrooms, cook until lightly browned and softened (6 minutes). Add the vinegar and cook another 35 seconds to scrape up any brown bits. Spoon these evenly over the sausages.
Now for the good stuff. Combine the potatoes, cheese, shallots and sauce. Spoon over the top evenly and cover with tin foil (parchment paper first) and bake for 35-40 minutes. Uncover and broil until the top is well browned. (7-8 minutes). Serve warm with scrambled eggs and muffins….and don’t forget the juice and coffee. Whew!
Baked Bosc Pears With Warm Caramel
This is a truly show-stopping dessert and everyone should try it at least once…betcha can’t stay at one time only.
- 1/4 cup pecans
- 4 large Bosc Pears
- 1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
- 2 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 tbsp. grated lime zest
- 1 tsp. flour
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup pear juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and chop. Set aside.
Peel the skin back from the top one third of each pear. Use a melon baller and core the pears, leaving one half inch of the bottoms in tact to hold the filling.
In a small bowl, combine the raisins, sugar, lime zest, flour and cinnamon. Toss to coat. Using a small spoon, stuff the filling into the pears, pressing with fingers to compact. Set pears upright in a pie plate. Spoon the juice over each pear, cover with foil and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until they can be easily pierced with the point of a knife.
Remove the pears from the pie plate and drain the juices into a small pot. Keep the fruit warm while making the sauce. Place the pot over a medium high heat and simmer for 4 minutes until the juices are recued to 1/4 cup. Reserve.
Caramel
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. lime juice
- 1/4 cup reserved juices
Heat sugar and lime juice into a small saucepan, over medium heat until the sugar is moistened. Allow it to come to the boil then simmer for about 5 minutes until the sugar has turned golden. CAREFULLY pour the juices into the sugar. It will bubble and spit, stir constantly to incorporate into the caramel.
Pour the sauce over and around the pears.
Serves 4.
Trout With Ginger Sauce And Vegetables
I have become a real trout lover this year. I love the lighter taste (not fishy). Sounds silly, I know. Eating fish and not wanting the fishy taste but I know I am not alone.
- 4 x 6 oz. fillets of Trout, skin on
- salt,
- Olive oil.
- finishing lemon salt
Just before cooking the dry them off with a paper towel. Use a large pan big enough to cook all 4 fillets at once.
Put a small amount of olive oil in the pan and place the fish, skin side down in the pan slowly. Cook for about 4 minutes. Turn them over and cook for for 2 more minutes, removing them from the pan immediately. Lightly sprinkle finishing salt on while still warm.
Ginger Sauce
- 2 tbsp. minced, fresh ginger, peel removed
- 4 tbsp. chopped cilantro
- 2 tbsp. chopped scallions
- 2 tbsp. canola oil
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
- 2 tsp. soy sauce
- 3 tsp. rice wine vinegar
- pinch of salt
Mix everything except the salt in a bowl . Make sure you mix each addition well. Taste it and add a little salt as needed.
For vegetables, choose your most favourite, roasted beets and butternut squash, garden peas, carrots. Cook until tender.
To plate, put 3 tbsp. of the sauce on the plate, spoon vegetables equally on 4 plates, place a fillet on top (remove skin) and drizzle more of the sauce over the top.
You will love this. It is great for both family and company alike. All that is needed here now is a great Pinot Grigio
Truffles Like You Have Never Had Before
We are always looking for new things to try on our guests and this is one, I guarantee, you have never had before. Entertaining is always exciting and this will definitely up the ante on your hosting skills.
- 1/2 cup Asiago cheese (my favourite)
- 3 1/2 oz. whole duck foie gras, torchon style*
- 1 tbsp. apricot jam (homemade if you have – it would be perfect)
- 2/3 cup panko crumbs
- pinch of dried mint
- pinch of salt and pepper
Place 2/3 of the cheese in a frying pan and, without stirring, cook over medium heat until the cheese starts to turn golden (60 seconds).
Remove from heat and quickly transfer to a plate to cool down. When cooled, break up with a knife and chop fine then transfer to a small bowl.
In a processor, puree the foie gras and jam until completely smooth. Transfer this to a bowl and fold in the remaining cheese, breadcrumbs and mint. Season to taste.
Scoop up teaspoons of the mixture and form balls with your hands. (keep hands wet so mixture doesn’t stick), repeating until all done.
Roll in the toasted Asiago cheese you chopped earlier and chill now until ready to serve. The only thing needed is a toothpick and a glass of wine. Ha!
“torchon style’ only means the method of cooking fois gras.
Lobster Mango Rolls
There are times, like yesterday, when not knowing what to do, we could actually come up with a real winner. A bit ago we bought two lobster tails (on sale) for a special occasion. We also had a couple of croissants in the freezer. When the plaintive cry comes up “what’s for lunch”, we came up with this one.
- 2 lobster tails (should actually be 3 to make a really good sandwich)
- 2 croissants
- 1 stick celery
- mayo
- 1 mango
- pinch of paprika
- 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
Cook the tails in salted water for 10 minutes and immediately cool down with cold water to prevent further cooking. Crack shells, remove the meat and coarsely chop. Set aside.
In a bowl, slice crosshatch pattern in each half of the mango and remove small cubes to bowl. Peel and thinly slice celery. Add lots of mayo (not salad dressing), a pinch of paprika and the lobster meat. Stir to mix well.
In a frypan, melt a tablespoon (or more) of butter, place the croissants in for about 1 minute, turn over and again, cook for a minute. (This is for the outside of croissants, not open face).
Open up the bun and fill with the lobster mixture. Pour a glass of wine or beer, take a bite and roll your eyes to heaven and say, thank you!.
These, my friends, are delightful.
* we also thought that halved seedless grapes would be just as awesome.