This would be a refreshing Appetizer to surprise your guests when they come for dinner. Try it and you will enjoy it as well.
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1/2″ lemongrass piece, smashed
- 3/4 cup leeks, cleaned well and thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeno chili, diced, seeds removed
- 1 tbsp. grated garlic
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 lbs. fresh mussels
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
- 1 Crusty loaf of bread
The first thing to make is your sauce. Heat a 5 quart casserole over medium heat and peel off the first 2 layers of the lemongrass and smash a little to release the juices. Add to the pot with all the leeks. Next add the chili and cook until the leeks are tender. This should take about 5-6 minutes.
Add the grated garlic and cook for just a minute. Now add the wine and cook until the liquid has reduced by one half.
Add the corn and cream to the pan, season with the salt and pepper and simmer only for about 5 minutes or until the corn is tender and the sauce will coat the back of a spoon. Set aside.
In a blender, remove close to one half of the sauce and process until just at the chunky stage and return it the pot. Add the mussels and cook for about 6-8 minutes, making sure to shake the pot occasionally.
Remove any mussels that have not opened up and discard. Portion the mussels equally into bowls and spoon the extra sauce over the mussels. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with crusty bread.
Yup, you did it again!
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.
Christmas Celebration With Friends
Tonight we are hosting a gathering of friends and neighbours to celebrate Christmas. It has been in the planning stage for about a month now. A list of what we want to serve….finding the recipes….buying what we need. If you do this over time, it is not so expensive .
The table has been set for days now….I still just stand back, look at it and then add something. That is how you get what we call ‘tablescapes’. We have a table in the livngroom just for wines and glasses. This really works well. We will offer the first glass of wine and then our guests can help themselves. We also have a special juice drink for a few who do not imbibe alcohol.
This is what will be on the table to help make the evening fun.
- My homemade mini quiche with homemade bacon jam on top
- Pistachio and blue cheese cookies (great to have with wine)
- Don’s antipasto (yummmmmm)
- Warm red pepper dip (easy to make)
- Crackers
- Cherry tomato ‘ornaments’ with brie and basil leaf, topped with tapenade
- Cheese shortbread (again, super great with wine)
- Mushroom palmiers
- Potato Rostis with Lemon cream
- Cheesy mini burgers (sliders with a difference)
- Beef, asparagus and red pepper rolls
- Cucumber rounds
- Assorted truffles (homemade), chocolates, nuts
I promise, we will post pictures of the evening…the table beforehand. the wine/glasses table. We have 11 Christmas trees …should do the trick!
Fall Colours In Trout Soup
We just bought some beautiful looking trout and this recipe came to mind.
- 1/2 baguette
- 2 tbsp. good olive oil
- 1/3 cup Romano cheese, grated
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- pinch of sea alt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 medium onion, cut into a small dice
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups vegetable stock
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in a medium dice
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 8 oz. fresh trout, skinned and boned
- 1 tbsp. mixed fresh herbs, chopped fine
- 1/4 cup sliced black olives
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Tear the baguette into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl, combine the first amount of olive oil, romano cheese and cayenne. Add the bread and toss to coat. In a saucepan, toast the bread over medium heat turning often, until a golden brown. Remove from heat and place on a baking sheet in a single layer to cool.
In a straight sided pan, cook the onion in the second portion of olive oil until golden or about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Add the vegetble stock, potatoes and carrots. Simmer over medium-low heat until the potatoes are cooked through but still holding shape (about 12 minutes).
Add the trout to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until the fish is opaque and will flake easily. Stir in the olives and herbs, breaking the fish into bite size pieces as you do so.
Serve immediately with the croutons and cheese.
This only needs that ‘missing’ glass of chilled white wine like a Mistura Branca from Quinto Ferreira Wineries. Yummmmmm…..
Green Beans With Shitake Mushrooms
The secret to this humble bean is to blanche it ahead of time and chill. When ready to serve, saute it quickly.
- 1 lb. green beans, trimmed
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, sliced
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. avocado oil
- 4 oz. shitake mushrooms, stems removed, and caps sliced
- freshly ground pepper
- 1/4-1/3 cup white wine
Melt the butter and avocado oil together, add the hazelnuts, mushrooms, and wine and heat through. Add the beans and cook for another minute, to heat through. The beans should still be tender-crisp and keeping its vibrant colour.
The wine to accompany this would be a perfectly chilled Pinot Gris.
Who said vegetables had to be boring? Not me!
Complacent – A Wine Lesson All Should Know
Over the Easter weekend, we were out to dinner with family we haven’t seen for awhile. We ordered the wine and when the server came to pour the wine in the glass for tasting, I asked him to please bring me a clean glass.
This is a top notch restaurant and definitely should know better. The glass was all water spots. The comment at the table was “just leave it, it won’t affect the wine”. This is not the right answer and when the price is up there to coincide with the quality of the restaurant, clean, sparkling glasses should be on the tables. We did note that following getting a clean glass, a young server went from table to table, polishing the glasses.
Yesterday we were at a winery restaurant to celebrate my husband’s birthday. I was seated so I could watch the server pour my glass of Pinot Gris. She removed the stopper and poured all the contents into the glass and brought it me.
Now, here is a lesson all wineries and servers should be aware of ..NEVER pour the entire 4 or 6 oz. of wine into the glass all at once. How can one taste it, smell it, and swirl it correctly if you do not bring the bottle to the table and pour a little into the glass. When the wine is priced up to $14.00 per glass, we should be allowed to do this.
Secondly, NEVER offer to a guest wine that was opened yesterday. Anything left in the bottle at days end should be given to the kitchen for cooking. Also, never empty one wine bottle into a glass and open another to top it off. Major sin!
When I asked the server when this wine was opened, she told me honestly that it was yesterday. She said it was the policy of the winery to do this. Shame on them!
Another thing-when in a top level winery restaurant or dining establishment..they should be using top quality glasses. You cannot serve a special red in a Walmart special.
There…I just vented but please watch what you are served, ask when it was poured and the kind of glass it is served in. If it is a bad wine anyway nothing, of course, will help. Just sayin’.
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!
Roasted Corn and Butter Bean Succotash
A few weeks back, I mentioned the dinner-cooking classes we attended at Hester Creek Estate Winery https://hestercreek.com/. The Chef, Roger, is an outstanding Chef and gave me permission to pass this recipe along to you.
This will serve 8-10 people, I think. He served 11 and it was enough. Mind you, if offered, I think 22 hands would have risen to get more on their plate. THIS is outstanding.
- 2 t sp. olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cans good quality cherry tomatoes or 3 cups fresh heirloom tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cup fresh roasted corn from the cob or frozen, if out of season
- 2 cans Greek butter beans
- 2 cups fresh heirloom tomatoes
- fresh basil
- salt and pepper to taste
Lightly saute onions and garlic in olive oil for 3 – 4 minutes or until slightly translucent and add a cup of wine. Reduce by half and add cans of tomatoes and fresh tomatoes, simmering for half an hour.
Add the corn and simmer for another half hour.
Add the butter beans and basil and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season to taste.
This takes a little while to finished product, but, let me assure you…..you will be wowed. We were….
Beet and Cabbage Borscht Soup
I love this soup and and this is an awsome recipe to use. The sour cream makes it and, of course, nice warm rolls, glass of wine, good company….what else is there?
Serves 4-6
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 3/4 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 1/2 cups chopped cabbage (1/4 of
a small one) - 1 small onion, chopped
- 8-10 cups vegetable broth
- 6-7 small beets, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup drained and chopped Roma tomatoes (canned)
- 1/2 cup chardonnay wine
- Pinch celery salt
- Fine herbs to taste
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- Sour Cream for garnish
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, and add potatoes, cabbage, onion and saute until the cabbage softens (maybe five minutes). Now add eight cups of broth, , wine, the beets and tomat
oes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all the vegetables are tender (thirty to forty-five minutes). Add lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Put in a blender and blend until smooth. Be sure you do this in small batches or it will explode all over your kitchen. Trust me. If you want a thinner soup, add more stock. Ladle into pretty soup bowls, add a dollop of sour cream. This is a very good course to serve company. Remember, it is all in how it is presented. Voila! You mastered another easy course for your dinner.
Coq Au Vin
Serves 6
A classy way to say chicken stew
It is best to read this through first so you can see the steps
To make it is so worth it!
MARINADE
- 1 750 ml bottle of Pinot Noir Red Wine
- 1 onion (here you must) sliced
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 1 large red sweet pepper, sliced
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and sliced
- 1 tsp of black pepper and salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1-6 lb roasting chicken (backbone removed) and
- Cut into 8 pieces-2 drumsticks, 2 wings, 2 breasts
Combine first six ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes. Cool completely and mix in the oil. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour the wine mixture over the chicken, cover and refrigerate at least twenty-four hours.
COOKING THE CHICKEN
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 6 slices of thick bacon, cut into strips
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp. dried parsley sprigs
- 2 small bay leaves
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 1 pound of fresh crimini and button mushrooms
- About 20 pearl onions, peeled
Use tongs to remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade keeping liquid and vegetables separate.
Heat oil in a very large pot (so that all eight pieces of the chicken can lay flat ) over a medium heat. Add the bacon and fry until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small bowl, add the chicken, skin side down in the bacon drippings and saute until brown (about eight-nine minutes) per side. Transfer chicken to a large bowl.
Add vegetables from the marinade to the pot, saute for about ten minutes until brown. Mix in the flour and stir for two minutes. Slowly whisk in the liquid marinade. Bring to a boil, whisking often. Cook until the sauce thickens (about two minutes). Mix in the shallots, garlic, herbs, bay leaves and broth. Return chicken to the pot, skin side up and simmer for another thirty minutes. Use tongs to turn the chicken over and cover, cooking another fifteen minutes.
Now, melt three tbsp butter in large fry pan over medium heat. Add mushroom and saute until tender. Remove to a plate. Add one tbsp butter and saute the onions until brown (about eight minutes) transfer onions to the mushrooms, saving the fry pan.
Use tongs and transfer chicken to a plate. Strain sauce from pot into saved fry pan, pressing all the liquid from the vegetables. Discard vegetables. Bring sauce to boil, scraping all the good brown bits. Return sauce to the pot add onions and simmer over medium heat until onions are tender and sauce has reduced (about twelve minutes). Tilt pot and spoon off excess fat. Return chicken to the pot. This should be made a day ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep in fridge. Re-warm over low heat.
This is one dish that you should be place on a platter and arrange steamed garden vegetables around the chicken. Spoon sauce over the chicken and present at the table.
Although this one takes a while to make, I promise you the flavours of this dish will make your mouth water when remembering the wonderful dinner you prepared and you will want to do it again soon.
Note: If you can’t cut up the chicken yourself, ask your butcher to do it for you. You will make this more than once I am sure. It is sooooo tasty. You will hope there are leftovers for tomorrow. (yes, you will).
Lost day….sort of
Yesterday our friend and decorator, Daryl, and his sister, Wanda, were coming for a brief visit as they were heading back to Vancouver. So now, even though the house was clean, I did it over again. I even washed the floors. Can’t show off if there is dust….)
We were hoping that the weather would cooperate, so….three times I set the table and dismantled the settings, brought them in the house only to repeat this before their arrival. . Finally I put the cushions away and we ate inside. DARN!
We poured a glass of wine and gave Wanda the tour of our place and then downstairs to show Daryl the final results of all the planning of the Gathering Room. Like the rest of the home, it was WOW!
Daryl gave us the most awsome gift of 9 different coloured medium-sized balls that rest of water pattern glass trays. Not sure if he was glad our project was finally finished or not….just kidding! Then he proceeded to set it all up. Cool.
While at the table, we discussed the arrangement of the furniture (kitchen and sitting area, along with the beautiful kitchen that Don has) on the deck. We solved that and then it was time, sigh, for them to say good-bye and head home.
Friends, a glass of wine and a little lunch is not a lost day…not by anyone’s imagination. Love these visits.
Now one more day and the two boys come here for a golf weekend with their dear ol’ Dad. Love it!
Three Day Respite
Sometimes we are blessed with friends. Sometimes a short while, others a lifetime. I have two of those friends and when you include one of the husbands, it would make three. Let me explain about friendship.
Our parents met in Grade one and kept that friendship flowing and growing for over 80 years. That alone is some feat. Now comes three girls…we have been friends, basically, from the womb. Wendy and Judith. Judith’s husband, Len, has been around for more than 52 years, so I guess that must absolutely count. So now our friendship is rallying at 69 years, and counting.
The last (baby) to join the group is Bill. He is the baby in the group both in time in the “family” and age. Pfft!
The laughs are so many our cheeks hurt; we all share in the cooking both breakfasts, dinners and it seems that lunch is an after-thought. We hadn’t shared that kind of a time together since last year when we moved away and it had been 15 years since we spent 4 days together at the same location.
If you are so lucky to have good friends, those who laugh and cry with you and know all your warts and still love you….hang on as tight as you can. It doesn’t come to everyone and is a treasure that money cannot buy. Bill, by the way has been in the group for close to 18-20 years and my husband is just ahead at 24 years.
Everyone get along, and we always have so many memories to talk about, what we all like, what programs we watch on TV and why. Jokes a bound….so much our cheeks hurt from laughing.
Good friends, good times and great memories still in the making. What a wonderful life!