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By angie, on February 15th, 2011
True food classics never die, they may be put on a shelf and neglected for a few years while all of the super fabulous foodies of the world explore things like cremini mushroom foam and butternut caviar or some other new wave food trend but thankfully the tried & true mainstays eventually find their way back onto our dining room tables and restaurant menus.
I always forget how much I love creamed spinach until I have it and you really don’t need to be in an uppity steak house paying $14 for it to truly enjoy it, frankly I am not sure why we don’t all enjoy it much more often, it’s so easy to make. Sure, its spinach and its “good for you” but let me tell you this, when you add enough butter, garlic and cream to anything, you immediately forget about all of that healthy nonsense and find yourself with indisputably delicious side dish, that like just about anything else that tasty should only be enjoyed in moderation. It will convert even the die-hard spinach haters in your house into spinach lovers and trust me when I tell you if you aren’t up for the full steakhouse experience at home, creamed spinach makes a very comfortable bed for a soft poached egg with toast at brunch.
Start with aprox. 2 pounds of fresh trimmed & washed spinach. Dump the spinach into a very generous pot of boiling water and stir – cook it for just 2 minutes. Drain the spinach through a fine mesh sieve and let it cool. When you can pick it up, in small batches squeeze it with your hands to remove the excess water and set it aside. Meanwhile, in a medium sized frying pan sauté 2 finely chopped shallots or ½ of a sweet onion with 3 cloves of garlic in about 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter just until they are soft & fragrant. Add the squeezed spinach to the pan and cook over medium heat until any additional liquid has cooked off the spinach and it is coated in buttery, garlicky, oniony goodness. Pour over ½ cup of heavy cream and add a generous grating of fresh nutmeg along with pinches of salt & freshly cracked black pepper and stir to combine. Cook the spinach mixture until the cream has reduced by about half and all of the flavours are well blended, add ½ a cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning & adjust with more s & p as required. Serve immediately. Or, if you are feeling particularly dangerous guild the lily with a little (or a lot) more parmesan and bake it in the oven, when you bring it to the table it will be all bubbly and delicious with little bits of crispy cheese…..oh, you had me at spinach!
By angie, on January 25th, 2011
Does it really matter? Is a soup by any other name just as tasty?
I was at a dinner party recently where the debate raged over a soup vs. stew vs. chowder. The hostess served an incredibly delicious Manhattan (tomato broth) style clam chowder and one of the guests insisted that it wasn’t REALLY a chowder that it was actually a soup. After a few glasses of wine and perhaps a shortage of olives in the martinis this became a very heated dinner conversation, it was fun to watch!
Traditionally a chowder is made with a base of smoky, salty bacon rendered so the fat can be thickened with crumbled crackers. From there small pieces of veggies like carrots, onions and celery are added and simmered until soft in chicken or vegetable stock. Finally the protein like clams or other seafood is added and then the chowder is finished with heavy cream. Chowder doesn’t always have to include seafood; they can also be made from vegetables or meat and are a great way to use up odds & ends of ingredients.
Stew on the other hand, start by browning seasoned, floured cubed meat, usually beef in very hot fat. Once the beef is browned, the pan is deglazed with a little wine; larger chunks or even whole veggies are added and covered with beef stock. The chunks of meat are added back and then allowed to slow cook for hours. The flour that was used to brown the beef in the first step ultimately becomes the thickener for the stock and if potatoes are added part way through the cooking time they will also serve to thicken the broth.
Ultimately the big difference between a stew and a chowder is the cooking time. Chowders are made relatively quickly, stews simmer for hours to ensure the meat is tender. Soup however can be chunky or smooth, thick or thin and made from veggies, seafood or meat. So, soup I suppose is the perfect storm because it can really be anything you want. Cooked or uncooked, hot or cold, eaten out of a bowl or from a mug and even served as a dessert, soup truly is the universal food. And when your loved ones are sick it’s a bowl of soup that makes them feel better…stew and chowders have never cured the common cold have they?
By angie, on January 11th, 2011
One of my favorite things about the winter is the incredible accessibility to citrus fruit. The peak of the citrus growing season in California & Florida is now & if you cruise the aisles of your local green grocer and pay a little extra attention to what is on the shelves, you will find a few new & interesting varieties.
Fortunately, you have the ability to buy fruit one piece at a time, affording you an excellent opportunity to try it all and find out what your new favorite will be. For me right now, I can’t seem to get enough of the Cara Cara Orange.
The Cara Cara is readily available but you will likely not be able to tell it from any other regular orange unless there is a sign identifying it. It has incredibly bright orange skin and a pinkish toned flesh making it almost look like a cross between regular orange and blood orange. It’s actually a type of Navel orange that originated at the Hacienda de Cara Cara in Valencia, Venezuela, hence the name.
The orange itself is very sweet and low in acidity making it perfect for eating raw or cooking. The orange is perfect in a salad with shaved fennel and fresh peppery arugula. Simply just toss a handful of arugula leaves with a few very thin slices of fresh fennel bulb and some orange segments. Dress it with a basic vinaigrette of extra virgin olive oil, champagne vinegar, a little Dijon mustard & don’t forget a pinch of salt and pepper. Give these babies a try; I think you will love it as much as I do.
And…while you are there pick yourself up a handful or three of fresh kumquats.
Kumquats are small oval citrus fruit; they look like a miniature orange but are the size of a cherry. They have a very thin rind that is completely edible and incredibly sweet. The flesh of the fruit is also edible and intensely sour. You are supposed to eat the whole thing, skin and all although you may want to pass on the seeds. My favorite way to use them is to cut them in half, remove the seeds and boil them in a simple syrup until they’re soft and give up all their juice and pulp then use that to flavour sauces, dressings, cocktails or add it to some hot mustard and use it as a glaze for grilled pork or fish.
I promise, either of these will brighten your day and add a little sunshine to your table in the middle of January, give ‘em a try.
By angie, on November 17th, 2010
Part of being a good home cook is really having the courage to improvise, to think out of the box and to be confident enough in your ability to throw a few flavors together and have an intrinsic understanding that they will “probably” work. I believe anyone can develop those skills and become a confident home cook, it just takes time, lots of practice…and the occasional call for take-out.
Let’s face it – they aren’t all going to be winners and we aren’t all naturals but I think too many people are afraid of creating a dish that might be a failure so they don’t even try. Sticking to the tried and true because it’s easy, can be so incredibly boring every day. I roasted a whole chicken last week and was sure I had veggies in the fridge that I would be able to whip out & whip out at the last minute as the sides but I was shocked to open the fridge and realize the veggies I thought were there had already passed their prime and wouldn’t be ideal anywhere but in the compost bin. All I had in the fridge were grapes and the rosemary left from yesterday’s potatoes. So, what the heck you have to work with what you’ve got sometimes. So I washed them up, dried them off and cut them all in half – thankfully they were seedless and were perfectly sweet & firm. I heated up a generous amount of good olive oil in a heavy frying pan and added a clove of finely minced garlic. When the oil was hot and the garlic was translucent I tossed in the grapes and let them get comfy…they started to enjoy it in there with the garlic and gave up some of their sweet juices to the pan – I let those juices reduce and the grapes started to cook, I tossed in a handful of freshly chopped rosemary, some salt and a pinch of black pepper & allowed that to cook until the rosemary was soft & fragrant, the garlic was starting to brown and the grape juices had all reduced to a nice shiny syrup. I took them off the heat, transferred them to a shallow bowl and crumbled over a handful of fresh feta cheese.
Well…hello sautéed grapes my new friend, where have you been all my life? They were perfect with my roasted chicken, sweet , salty and savory all at the same time – the rosemary brought the best out of the grapes and the grapes were the perfect complement to the creamy richness of the feta. This whole thinking out of the box thing can really work out well if you’re fearless enough to step outside. Come on, step out ….its lots of fun out here! If you don’t have any grapes in the fridge add them to your shopping list…..be fearless, no one will get hurt – I promise.
By angie, on November 17th, 2010
I had a great time with the Global Crew yesterday at my house talking about grilling & encouraging folks to use their bbq’s all winter long. Hopefully these recipes will inspire you to get your winter grill on !
Moroccan Spiced Spatchcock Chicken
To “Spatchcock” – an old Irish term that basically means removing the backbone of a chicken and flattening it. A great way to evenly & quickly cook a chicken or turkey on your BBQ.
For the Moroccan spice rub:
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground star anise
1 teaspoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon clove
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
½ cup brown sugar
For the Chicken:
1 orange & 1 lemon sliced
1 whole chicken
Moroccan spice rub (above)
Cut your whole chicken down either side of the back bone & remove it completely. Discard it or save it for future use in a stock. From the top side of the chicken gently apply a little pressure – pushing down hard enough to break the breast bone, allowing the chicken to lay flat. Use your fingers under the chicken skin on the breast side to gently separate the skin from the meat – giving you enough room to put in a few lemon or orange slices.
Season both sides of the chicken with your Moroccan rub and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes while your grill heats up. Heat your grill to 300 degrees – turning the flame off under where the chicken will rest. Using an indirect cooking method will prevent flare-ups and allow the chicken to cook a little slower – keeping some of the moisture in.
Cook your chicken with indirect heat for about 1 hour or until the internal temperature tested with a meat thermometer into the breast is 165 degrees. Remove the chicken from the grill & allow it to rest for atleast 5 minutes before you cut it. Cut the chicken into parts and serve it immediately.
Charred Veggie Couscous
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing on the grilled veggies
1 large sweet onion, sliced – grilled & roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh asparagus, grilled & roughly chopped
1 sweet red pepper, grilled & roughly chopped
¼ cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
¼ cup whole almonds toasted, coarsely chopped
1 cup couscous
1 ½ cups chicken stock, warm
½ teaspoon lemon zest
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup dried currants
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
½ bunch fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped plus leaves for garnish
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the vinaigrette:
½ cup citrus vinegar
¼ cup best quality extra virgin olive oil
½ clove of garlic finely minced
Salt & pepper to taste
Juice of the zested lemon
In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil – add the couscous. Turn off the heat, cover & let cook. After 15 minutes, fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the grilled veggies, the nuts, fruit & herbs, toss gently to combine – dress while still warm with the vinaigrette. Season again with salt & pepper to taste and serve family-style on a large platter and garnish with crumbled feta cheese.
Serve the dish warm, at room temperature or cold as a salad.
By angie, on October 26th, 2010
That seems to be the burning question of the season. You pack the goblins into the minivan and spend an afternoon at the local pumpkin patch picking out the perfect specimen for your Halloween decor. But before you know it, the party’s over and you’re left with a 7 pound gourd that 15 minutes after the lights went out was completely out of fashion. Now what? Well, when you carved that beauty you could have saved the seeds and had the kids, with their tiny little fingers separate the seeds from the goo. Pop the seeds in the oven to roast with some salt & pepper so you can snack on them with your glass of wine shortly after they have gone to bed. You and I both know they won’t eat them or appreciate the effort especially with a giant bag of candy in close proximity.
Maybe you waited until the last minute to carve your pumpkin so when you are done with it, it’s still reasonably fresh. And maybe you didn’t burn a vanilla scented candle in it and maybe it didn’t have a wick made from lead…all of these factors will make it easy to decide whether you can cook the pumpkin or not. So, in a perfect world you are left with a fresh pumpkin that can be peeled, cut into chunks and steamed over boiling water until they are fork tender – about 30 minutes, depending on the size of the chunks. Transfer the tender hot pumpkin chunks to a bowl and mash with the zest and fresh squeezed juice of one orange, a generous knob of butter, a tablespoon of chilli powder and some salt & cracked pepper. Add that mash to some hot homemade chicken stock, whisk and cook to combine. Right before dinner, stir in a little heavy cream, a handful of fresh chopped cilantro and more salt & pepper to taste. If you have any of those pumpkin seeds left, sprinkle them on top to fancy it up a bit. Pour another glass of wine and enjoy.
Maybe this holds no appeal what so ever. Maybe you want to be done with the season and finally get ready for Christmas in which case, cut the pumpkin in half, toss it in the compost bin and get on with your life. Whatever you do, don’t leave the damn thing languishing on your doorstep so the kids can watch it decompose naturally, you will have every rodent in the neighbourhood hanging around and if you think it’s hard to get rid of them when you are passing out free candy, you should try getting rid of them when there’s rotting pumpkin to snack on.
Happy Haunting.
By angie, on October 26th, 2010
Roasted root vegetables with fresh pears are a total revelation. You must try this.
I roast a lot of veggies and I’ve been doing it for years, I think it is one of my favourite was to eat them and I think if you give it a go, you will be a convert! I cut up cubes of squash, peppers, peeled garlic cloves, zucchini, carrots, beets, parsnips, pears and onions – toss them with good quality extra virgin olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Transfer them to a cookie sheet and put them in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes – tossing them around once or twice during the cooking process. The cooking time might be a little more or a little less depending on the size of your cubes, keep an eye on them – you want them to be fork tender. Let the veggie & pear cubes cool on a sheet pan and transfer them to a bowl to store in the fridge. Now that you have roasted your veggies you have an incredible base for a ton of great recipes. A little bit of work once a week will make your meals a cinch and will change the way you think about packing lunches! Adding the pears into the mixture has to be one of my favourite discoveries in a long time. The pears add an inherent sweetness to the rest of the veggies and make them even better than the traditional.
Now that you have a good quantity of roasted veggies, while they are still warm you can toss them with a splash of balsamic vinegar and an extra glug or two of extra virgin olive oil – add some fresh chopped herbs, sprinkle with crumbled feta and instantly you have a killer side dish or vegetarian main course. Puree your roasted veggies and add to homemade soup stock for a hearty vegetable soup – finish with a generous shaving of parmesan cheese, a drizzle of infused oil, a few croutons and you will have a hearty lunch or dinner in no time. Add chunks of roasted vegetables to your favourite salad blend – dress with your favourite vinaigrette and enjoy them as a first course. Or – toss the roasted veggies into a simple tin of San Marzano tomatoes with some crumbled Italian sausage and season with fresh oregano, layer between fresh lasagna sheets with ricotta cheese, spinach and mozzarella – your lasagna has never tasted this good.
What are you waiting for…roast some fall root veggies, toss in a pear and get your dinner groove on these are going to be a staple in your house too.
By angie, on October 18th, 2010
Black Barley is a wicked good side dish. A grain that’s interesting enough to start a conversation at a dinner party and tasty enough to satisfy even the picky eaters in your household, give it a try!
Start this recipe well in advance…ideally, the day before so you can soak the barley for 24 hours, but if you don’t have time for that, 3 or 4 hours of soaking will be just fine.
Black Barley Pilaf
½ lb black barley
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Grated zest of 1 orange (reserve the juice)
1 small parsnip diced
2 small carrots diced
3 ribs of celery diced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tbsp. dried currants
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Put the barley in a deep bowl. Pour enough cold water over it to cover by about 1″. Set aside to soak for 24 hours.
2. Drain the barley. Transfer it to a large pot. Add 4 cups of water along with the thyme, orange zest and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer 30 minutes, or until the barley is tender.
3. If necessary, drain any excess liquid from the pot. Add the parsnip, carrot, celery root, currants and butter. Stir to mix. Continue cooking over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the butter melts. Garnish with the freshly chopped parsley, feta cheese & reserved orange juice – season with salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
By angie, on September 2nd, 2010
Beer Cured Bacon Tasting Menu ?
We LOVE the creative kitchen team at Central City Brewing Co. in Surrey headed up by Executive Chef Carl Sawatzky. For the whole month of September Chef Carl will be dishing up his Beer Cured Bacon Tasting Menu and we are pretty excited to get our butts over there to give it a whirl.
Central City Brewing Company has been brewing handcrafted ales & lagers in Surrey for more than 10 years! Located just steps from the Surrey Central Sky Train station, all of the beer at Central City are made with only the finest ingredients available worldwide; two-row malted barley from Belgium and the freshest hops from Europe and the Pacific Northwest. The lagers and ales are made fresh, with no artificial preservatives or flavour deteriorating pasteurization, which insures that customers enjoy them at their peak.
Brewmaster, Gary Lohin has a very obvious passion and knowledge for the art of craft beer. Central City Brewing Co was recognized as the makers of the “Best Beer in BC” by CamraBC at the Best of the Best, Vancouver Beer Awards in 2009.
In the spacious open kitchen you will find Chef Carl Swatsky lovingly curing his own bacon and incorporating the tasty beer Gary makes into many of the dishes on his menu. Chef pairs the beer with a devotion for using local, fresh, seasonal ingredients. In the heart of Surrey’s Central City, this is The Place to have a beer, watch the game and enjoy some dinner with friends in an inviting atmosphere!
Central City Brewing Co.
13450 – 102nd Avenue
Surrey, B.C. V3T 5X3 (tons of parking on site)
www.centralcitybrewing.com
Pubs and Restaurant – 604.582.6620
Chef Carl’s Tasting menu is exceptional value 3 courses paired with 3 beer for just $35.00
1st course
Bacon & Corn Cakes with Red Racer Lager
2nd course
Country Bacon Terrine, served with fresh house baked Bread, small batch fresh Pickled Vegetables & Condiments served with Red Racer ESB
3rd course
Maple Chocolate Bacon Cheese Cake with red Racer Stout
Get your bacon down there !! Noon – 8pm every day until September 31st, 2010
By angie, on August 23rd, 2010
Tomatillos have to be one of my favorite farmer’s market find of the season…each Wednesday the green-thumbed crew from Glenwood Organic Farms turn up at the Langley Community Farmers Market with fresh green tomatillos. I stand back and watch the market shoppers who stop to check them out, some know what they are and have decided they don’t like them or want them and move on. Some customers engage their shopping mates in a debate over what they might be and others could really care less. It’s fascinating to see people interact with what they find to be a strange or new ingredient.
I don’t think they are the least bit strange and look forward to my weekly fix. Tomatillos are closely related to tomatoes. The fruit itself is bright green, they are a bit larger than a cherry tomato and the flesh is slightly meatier. They grow inside a light brown paper like husk that peels away easily from the tomatillo and should not be eaten. When you are picking out your tomatillos you want to look for smallish ones…they are a little bit sweeter than the larger ones, with blemish free skins much the way you would choose a nice tomato.
Before you use them, you will want to remove the husk and give them a wash. Tomatillos don’t need to be peeled or seeded, if you are eating them raw you might find them a little tart, almost citrusy so that tartness will need to be balanced in your recipe with a little honey or sugar. To sweeten them up a little, I love roasting them on the BBQ or under my broiler at about 500 degrees. I cut them in half or quarters depending on the size and cook them just until the skin is charred, let them cool and add them to salsas or salads for a smoky kick.
If you get to the market but can’t eat your fresh tomatillos right away and you need to store them, remove the husks, wash them and keep them in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator. If you have a bit of spare time and want to stock up on these tasty treasures, you can remove the husk and freeze them sliced or whole – raw or roasted. You’ll be rewarded for your effort in February when your homemade salsa has the crunchy, tart addition of a Langley grown tomatillo. Give ‘em a go…I think you are going to love them !
Fresh Tomatillo Salsa – Salsa Verde Makes 3 cups.
1 ½ lbs of fresh tomatillos
½ cup finely chopped sweet onion
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup fresh parsley leaves
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 fresh Jalapeño peppers stemmed, seeded and chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
Start by removing the papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut them in half and place cut side down baking sheet. Place under a 500 degree broiler for 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken or char the skin. Keep a close eye, they are small and it will happen quickly.
Place the charred tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, jalapeno peppers and honey in a food processor and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt & pepper.
Serve with chips as a salsa or as an accompaniment to Mexican dishes.
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