The title shouldn’t scare you. It really means if you don’t have a tagine (who does?) make sure you have an oven-proof large fry pan with a tight fitting lid. There…simple.
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp. Hungarian paprika
- 2 tsp. turmeric
- pinch of salt and black pepper
- 1/8 tsp. saffron
- 4 x 4 oz. halibut or cod, skinless (4 servings)
- 1 Vidalia onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper, cored and julienned
- 1/3 cup colossal green olives
- 3 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup fish stock (vegetable will also work)
- 1/2 lb. raw prawns, cleaned, tails on
- 1/2 lb. mussels, scrubbed
- lemon wedges for garnish
- crusty bread (for dipping)
In a food processor whirl 1/4 cup of the olive oil, garlic, cilantro, turmeric, paprika, salt, pepper and saffron until almost smooth. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Add the fish pieces and turn in the mixture to coat well. Set aside.
In a large oven proof fry pan heat 1 tbsp. olive oil. Add the onion and saute until almost soft. Add the orange pepper and olives and saute for a further 2 minutes.
Fold in the tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Snuggle the fish pieces into the vegetable mixture and scrape the remaining marinade over the top. Cover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes of a medium low temperature. Remove the lid and tuck the prawns and mussels into the mix and continue cooking for another 5 – 10 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with lemon wedges and slices of crusty bread for dipping into the liquid gold sauce.
If you want to take this one over the top, serve with a really chilled Chardonnay. Just sayin’.
Mushroom Bisque With Spicy Croutons
I love bisques and chowders more than any other soup and this one is at the top of my list. Can you guess I LOVE mushrooms done any way.
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup dried mushrooms
- 2 lbs. fresh crimini, white, and portabello mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, chopped coarsely
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 leek, white part only, rinsed extremely well, chopped coarsely
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- sea salt and white pepper
- 1 stalk celery, ribs removed, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 cup chicken stalk
- 1/4 cup sweet sherry (Marsala)
- 1 Yukon gold potato, peeled, diced in 1/2 inch cubes
- pinch of fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 cup whipping cream
- Spiced Croutons (recipe below)
Bring the water to a boil. In a bowl, place the dried mushrooms, add the boiling water over and set aside.
Clean and trim the mushrooms, chop coarsely and set aside. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan. Add the leek, shallots, pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly for about 5-6 minutes until the shallots begin to brown. Add the celery and rosemary and continue to cook for two minutes.
Add the fresh mushrooms and season with salt and pepper, stirring often for about 5 minutes, until they cook down to half their volume. Using a slotted spoon, add the porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and add to the pot. Increase the heat to high and cook for 60 seconds.
Slowly pour the reserved liquid into the pot, making sure no sediment gets into the pot. Now add the stock, sherry and potatoes. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 12-13 minutes or until they are tender. Turn the heat off and let the soup sit for about 9 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If using a blender, puree in small batches or use a hand held immersion blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a clean pot and add the thyme and whipping cream, Stir well. If too thick, simply add more whipping cream (of course). Simmer for 5 minutes and ladle into warm soup bowls and top with the spicy croutons.
Spicy Croutons
- 1/4 tsp. of each of the following: dried basil, white pepper, oregano, thyme, dried dill, garlic powder and ground celery seeds
- 1/4 cup butter
- 9-10 slices of baguette, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything together in a small bowl. In a small saucepan melt the butter over low heat. Add the spices and salt to taste.
Pour over the bread cubes to coat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for about 15 minutes until golden.
Stir just once during the baking time. Let cool down and top each bowl of soup with this delectable tidbit.
Crispy Chicken With Smashed Potatoes
This is one way to use two recipes and put them together. The Smashed potatoes recipe is on my site under Vegetables and now add this chicken recipe and Voila! a wonderful dinner.
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs)
- 2 tbsp. butter, unsalted
- 1 bunch of fresh rosemary
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together the salt and cornstarch. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
Rub the skin of the chicken with the butter, then salt mixture and stuff a little of the rosemary into the cavity. On a trimmed baking sheet, lay out the rosemary and lay the chicken, breast side upon top and be sure to tuck the wings in (or tie up). Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and roast for one half hour. Rotate the pan and return to the oven for another 30 minutes. Check the thickest part of the thigh for an internal temperature of 165 degrees and that the juices run clear. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Serve with the smashed potatoes, substituting the steak spice for some rosemary. Add your favourite vegetable (squash/roasted vegetables or a simple salad).
Yummy.
Citrus Chicken Breast
This is a lovely way to serve chicken, but you could change that out for a beautiful trout fillet.
- 5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 1/4 cup lime juice or pink grapefruit juice
- 1 finely chopped shallot
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. fresh thyme
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- pinch of salt and ground pepper each
- lime wedges
In a small bowl, whisk together the citrus juice, shallot, honey, oil, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Put the chicken breasts in a sealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over. Seal and place in the refrigerator for about 3 hours.
Preheat your broiler. Place the chicken , once drained and reserving the marinade, and put the chicken in the broiler pan. Place the meat about 5 inches below the broiler and cook for 6-7 minutes. Turn the chicken over and brush with the remaining marinade. Discard any remaining liquid.
Broil another 6-7 minutes until cooked, but not burnt. Check that the internal temperature is 170 degrees.
Serve with a kale broccoli coleslaw. Enjoy.
Meet The new Neighbors Night
In the last few months we welcomed in two new neighbors into their new homes. Our friend Charlotte invited us over one night to meet the new neighbor next to her and it was lovely with wine and snackies and generally, get to know our new addition to the cul de sac.
Next to us, new neighbors moved in and we got to know them real well. Now, they don’t know the other two couples so…..
We are hosting a wine and cheese “get to know the neighbors” evening here. We are having the usual wine and finger foods. This is what Don and I chose and hope it will suit any and all tastes.
- Grape Meatballs (recipe on site)
- Triple layer (crustless) sandwich sticks of crab and egg
- Ginger and hazelnut crackers with whipped cream cheese and yellow bell pepper jelly (spicy)
- Cucumber rounds with a herb cream cheese/goat cheese/roasted red pepper (3 different rounds)
- Salami sticks on baguettes pieces
- Belem (Portuguese) Tarts
That should make the evening an enjoyable one and make it all a little friendlier. I told one couple last night that the reason we were doing this was so they would not be left out when we move (if we sell the house, that is). The lady booed me.
Onward for tonight.
Log-Jam Cookies
This is a delightful and easy cookie to make but looks like it was more complicated.
- 2 1/4 cups flour, leveled
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup almond paste
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup jam (raspberry, peach or ginger)
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 4 tsp. whole milk
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a food processor, pulse the almond paste and sugar until smooth. Now add the butter and eggs, blending until smooth.
Add all the flour and now pulse until a dough forms. Divide into 4 pieces, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for about 30-35 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and on a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece into 10 inch logs. Place on the baking sheets and gently flatten to measure about 2 inches across. Bake only until just dry. (13-15 minutes).
Remove from the oven and with the handle of a wooden spoon, make a trench in the center of each log. Spread 2 tbsp. of jam in each trench and return to the oven and bake a further 10-12 minutes.
Cool on the baking sheets set on baking racks.
Whisk together the icing sugar and whole milk. Drizzle over the logs and let harden (20 minutes). With a serrated knife, cut the logs on the diagonal in 1 inch strips.
If you think these will last, store in airtight containers for only 1 week.
Yummy
Christmas Trays 2015
We are at it again. This time not as many items (17) and not as many trays going out. We did adjust for allergies, so some trays are missing an item or two.
Whipped Shortbread
Pecan Shortbread
Cheese Shortbread
Pralines (New Orleans Style)
Lemon Cookies
Buttermilk Tarts (New Orleans Style)
Homemade Mincemeat Tarts
Butter Tarts (raisins)
Lemon Cream Tarts (real whipped cream)
Christmas Gumdrop Cake
Chocolate Caramel Snow Treat
Citrus Cocado Cookies (Mexican)
Christmas Brittle
Citrus Lace Cookies
Belem Custard Tarts
Lemon Cream Tarts (fresh Whipping Cream)
Chocolate Dipped Mint Cookies
Tomorrow is delivery day. Whew!
Fruit and Cheese Dressing For Your Turkey
Everyone has a favourite dressing for the fabulous Christmas Turkey that graces the table. This one is just a little different and is fabulous tasting. If you are in doubt, try it on a large chicken…well it is just a suggestion…..okay, I’m kidding!
- 2 leeks, cut in half, rinsed well and sliced
- 1 cup celery, ribs removed and thinly cut
- 1/2 cup butter
- pinch of pepper
- 1/8 tsp. dried cloves
- 8 cups dry bread crumbs
- 2 large firm pears, cored, sliced in wedges
- 1/2 cup crisp bacon, chopped
- 2 small oranges or 1 large, segmented using only the flesh
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
- 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet, cook the leeks and celery in butter until tender (about 5-6 minutes). Stir in the pepper and cloves.
Put this in a large bowl and stir to mix together. Drizzle in the chicken broth and toss to combine. Stir in the cheese.
Grease a 3 quart casserole dish with butter and transfer the ingredients. Bake, covered for 50-55 minutes until cooked through.
**If you are using a 12-14 lb. turkey, you can simply stuff the turkey and bake it.
Enjoy and Merry Christmas.
Honey Broiled Scallop Salad
What a lovely way to enjoy scallops.
- 1/4 cup honey, divided
- 1 tbsp. canola oil
- 2 large limes, both zest and juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 large scallops, cleaned and muscle removed
- 1 1/2 oranges, divided
- 1 tbsp. fresh tarragon
- 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pink grapefruit
- 1 blood orange
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, fronds removed for garnish
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp. chopped pistachios
In a large bowl, whisk together 3 tbsp. honey, oil, lime zest and juice along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add scallops to marinade and stir to coat well. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour.
Cut away the peel and pith from half the orange and cut onto chunks. Place in a blender. Add the remaining honey, tarragon, vinegar, mustard and olive oil before blending smooth. Season to taste and set aside.
Preheat broiler. Cut away the rind and white pith from the grapefruit and remaining orange. Cut into thin rounds. With a sharp knife or mandolin, cut the fennel and radishes into paper thin slices. Arrange the fruit, fennel and radish slices onto 4 serving plates.
In a broiler proof dish, arrange the scallops along with the marinade in a single layer. Broil 4-6 inches away from the heat until opaque throughout and lightly browned (4-6 minutes).
Arrange 3 scallops on each salad. Drizzle with the reserved dressing and garnish with the chopped pistachios.
To finish this off, serve with a nice Pinot Grigio or Riesling, chilled of course.
Grilled Pineapple With A Wonderful Rum Glaze
This is delightful and very simple. All you need is a lovely, ripe sweet pineapple from your favourite grocer.
- 1 large, extra sweet pineapple, peeled, cored
- 1 1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp. white rum
- 1/2 tsp. grated lime zest
- 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- 3 tbsp. dark brown sugar
Preheat grill pan or barbecue to a medium heat. Submerge 8 wooden skewers in water and set aside for about 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, rum, lime zest and lime juice until smooth. Set this aside.
Cut the pineapple lengthwise and thread onto the wooden skewers. Brush with coconut oil and sprinkle with the brown sugar.
Grill, turning only once until they are golden in colour and caramelized. This should take about 2 minutes on each side.
Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with the rum glaze. You could also have a plate with cannelles of vanilla or coconut ice cream that have been frozen, allowing each person to add one to their plate to enjoy with the pineapple.
Note: This is really great with a perfectly chilled Gewurtztraminer glass of wine.
Yippee! New Luncheon Ham and Egg Sandwich
Brown bag lunches are not a bad thing. Sometimes we just run out of ideas to make it less than drudgery. Give this a try. Yum!
- 1/4 cup Greek Yogurt
- 1 tbsp. fresh dill
- 1 tbsp. milk
- 4 x 4 inch baguettes
- 4 oz. Provolone cheese
- 4 oz. shaved ham (not slices)
- Clausen pickle slices, drained
- 4 hard boiled eggs
- salt and pepper
Mix together the yogurt, dill and milk. Spread this on both sides of the baguettes that have been split length-wise.
Place a slice of cheese in each one and then the shaved ham. Drain the pickle slices well and lay 1 or 2 in each sandwich. Now slice the eggs and spread over the ham. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Wrap in saran wrap to keep fresh. This makes 4 sandwiches so adjust if you are only making 2. Add a piece of fresh fruit and you have a wonderful lunch without the calories you could have added with mayonnaise.
Enjoy!
Grilled Meatloaf Burgers
This month is going to be hard on the calorie counters and those trying to be good. With that in mind, this quick meal will help you in that regard.
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup grated onion
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup peach or apricot reserves
- 1 tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 8 oz. ground beef
- 8 oz. ground veal or pork
- 4 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted
- Cheddar cheese
- Barbecue sauce – homemade or bottled
In a large bowl combine the egg, onion, panko, 2 tbsp. of the preserves, Worchestershire sauce, oregano and a pinch of pepper. Add the ground meat and mix really well. Shape into 4 equal patties.
On your grill, place the patties over a medium heat and cook until you have the correct doneness (internal temp. should be 165 degrees). Turn over and brush with the remaining preserves hallway through the cooking time.
Remove and place each pattie on a bun bottom and top with the cheese, any barbecue sauce you wish and other condiments as you would love. For me, it would be fried mushrooms.
Now, that was easy and certainly tasty. Enjoy!