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!
Maple Dijon Trout Fillets For Four
Now, how is that for a play with words? Okay, so I tried. This is a meal that takes 12-13 minutes. What more could you ask for. Add a crisp salad, perhaps some lovely mashed potatoes and you are the winner.
- 1 lb. Trout fillet, bones removed and cut into 4 equal pieces
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 4 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. Teriyaki sauce
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the trout on a 8 inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine the mustard and teriyaki sauce. Melt the butter for 15 seconds in the microwave and combine with the mustard mixture. Pour this over the trout. Bake for 12 minutes until it flakes with a fork.
*Note: If you wish more sauce, simply double the ingredients and there you have it.
Serve with extra sauce, salad and mashed potatoes. In a word….YUM!
Corn Fritters With Arugula Salad
Fritters of any kind are great but these are exceptional. With corn being in the forefront at this time of year, at all the markets, run out a get some and make these delectable wonders.
- 2-3 ears of corn (enough to make 2/3 cup)
- 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal (finely ground)
- 3 tbsp. flour
- pinch of salt
- 1/8 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of sugar
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup Crisco oil
Cook the corn in a small pot of boiling water just until tender (3-4 minutes). Drain in a sieve then rinse in cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel.
Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking soda and sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and egg and then add to the flour mixture. Mix this only to combine. Do not overmix. Carefully stir in the corn.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat (hot not smoking hot) and in batches of 4 fritters only, drop 1 heaping tbsp. of batter into the skillet, turning once and cooking until golden in colour. This should not take more than 4 minutes in all. Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Arugula Salad
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. grainy mustard
pinch of salt and pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. fig balsamic vinegar
8 cups arugula, stems removed
1/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans
3 cups cherry tomatoes
1/2 English cucumber, peeled and seeds removed
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
Whisk together the dressing ingredients well. In a large bowl, toss together the ingredients and add the dressing, using just enough to coat.
On 8 plates, set out 2 the fritters each, adding the arugula salad on the side. This makes a wonderful appetizer. All you need is a glass of a perfectly chilled Pinot Grigio and the world doesn’t get any better.
Your company will be thankful!
Friday Night Dinner With Our Neighbour
Our neighbor, who has become a good friend, gets to come over when we need to experiment or feel she might want some company or just for no reason at all. Last night was the latter…no reason at all.
We tried to keep it light, healthy and simple…..sort of! We need to and she is getting ready for a mexican vacation (you know…bathing suits, sexy dresses)
Dinner:
We started with a glass of perfectly chilled white wine (no eats here…) and enjoyed some conversation while poor Don did his thing in the kitchen with the lemon risotto.
Our menu was: 
Salad: Greens with pears and goat cheese (we added blood orange segments as well), with freshly made parmesan crackers. (I changed the cheese to Asiago and Romano – fabulous)
Entree: Poached salmon in white wine and seafood broth
lemon risotto
poached fennel and red onion (same broth as the salmon)
Dessert: Chocolate Whipped Cream Cake with a drizzle of a luscious vanilla sauce.
We need kudos here, we managed to take pictures of the table setting, salad and main course. Sorry, but the dessert was gobbled up before we could take pictures. Damn, we did it again!
The table setting was simple, colourful and in the dining room. How perfectly delightful it was.
Impromptu Dinner With Our Neighbour
Yesterday morning my husband brought up a bag of frozen Heritage tomatoes we put away last summer and asked me what I thought he should make. I immediately said “Bolognese sauce” and we went from there.
I looked across the street at my neighbour’s house and said we should invite her tonight. Now, this is on-the-spot- dinner planning (at it’s best, I may add).
Menu should be simple but tasty, right?
Okay, here we go….cheese and crackers with a glass of wine and conversation. Now we leave the comfy and warm livingroom and enter the breakfast room.
Then a terrific crisp salad with Don’s special dressing to start the dinner off. On the table we have a small plate with oil and fig/balsamic vinegar. In this you dip fresh baguette slices….yummmmmm. Now it begins…
Once the salad is finished, the pasta and sauce is next. Now let me tell you….you can’t get enough of that sauce. Good grief, it is sooooo good.
More wine, conversation and now dessert. Don told me I had to make something that would go wtih the pumpkin ice cream we had in the freezer. Okay, thinker on….skimming through all the desserts I have on my site I found one. Sticky Toffee Pudding with caramel sauce. Add a scoop of the pumpkin ice cream and it was fabulous! Watch the presentation, of course.
Table was set…take a peek. This was done with our “kitchen” dishes. As I have always said….treat any and all who enter your home like royalty and you will always do your best, make your best, and feel your best.
It was a fun night. We looked through my cook book “The B & B Cookbook” and chatted even more. A couple cups of coffee later, the evening came to a close. No fuss really, just simple but welcoming and friendly.
Love nights like this!
Steak Au Poivre
A great steak…summer is on its way.
Serves 4
- 3 black whole peppercorns
- 2 tbsp white whole peppercorns
- 2 tbsp green dried peppercorns
- 4 Strip Loin (New York Cut ) steaks, 8-12 oz. each
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 cup cognac
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 tbsp green peppercorns in brine, drained and chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
Place the peppercorns in a heavy sealable plastic bag and with a meat tenderizer, coarsely crush the peppercorns. Pat steak dry and coat both sides of the steaks with the peppercorn mixture.
Heat four tbsp. butter and vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add steaks to the pan and sear on both sides (four-five minutes for medium rare). Transfer to a platter and cover with tin foil.
Drain fat from the skillet and reserve, melt remaining butter, add shallots and cook until soft, but not brown (about two minutes). Add cognac and bring to the boil, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom, add the stock,
peppercorns and liquid from around the steaks; boil about two minutes so
that it is reduced slightly. Stir in the cream and boil until sauce thickens.
Pour over steaks and serve immediately.
This is sooooooo tasty! Add garlic toast, nice cold, crisp salad and a bottle
of…oh my! wine.