Snow Day

In our city today we had a rare snow day.

The kids had no school and most adults were sent home from work if they even went into work.
Its nice when you are cosy at home and don't have to drive in it.
After all the shoveling its nice to come inside to a hearty meal.

This dish is a different twist on spaghetti sauce. The use of Moroccan spices impart a sweet and spicy flavour to this sauce.
You can use ground chicken or turkey in place of the beef if you wish.
Top with crumbled feta instead of or along with the usual Parmesan.

Let it Snow!

Moroccan Style Spaghetti

• ~olive oil
• 1 pkg of spaghetti
• 1 pound of ground beef, turkey or chicken
• 1 diced onion
• 1 tbsp each cumin and cinnamon
• 1 tsp of paprika, salt and basil
• 1 tsp of minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 798 ml can of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile in a large deep saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until softened.
Add the meat and cook until no longer pink and crumbly.
Add the spices and tomatoes and mix well.
Reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

Serve over hot spaghetti and top with crumbled feta.

Wine Suggestion: Malbec

Cheers!

Rinse and Repeat

I know I know.
I have said it all before.
Pork is one of the most versatile meats around and super easy to prepare.
When it comes to entertaining nothing is easier than this dish.
You can vary the stuffing ingredients to suit your tastes.
Lingonberry preserves can be found at Ikea. If you don't have any on hand cranberry sauce works well too.

You can assemble this dish in mere minutes and hangout with your guests while it roasts.
Serve with baked squash and brown rice pilaf.

Like I said. Easy. Just sayin'...




Stuffed Pork Loin Roast

• 1 boneless pork loin roast (approx 1.5 to 2 pounds)
• ~olive oil
• 1 onion diced
• 2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 cup of bread crumbs
• half cup of chopped walnuts
• 3 slices of smoked ham or bacon diced
  
• 1 tsp sage
• 2 tsp lingonberry preserves or cranberry sauce
  
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375F
On a cutting board slice the pork loin lengthwise and open like a book.
Cover with plastic wrap and pound with a mallet to make it thinner.

In a frying pan heat some olive oil and add the onion and apples. Saute until softened.
Add remaining ingredients and combine well.
Spread over the pork loin evenly and roll up like a jelly roll.
Tie with butcher twine at each end.
Place on a rack in a roasting pan.
Roast until internal temperature registers 165F . ( about 1 hour or so)

Remove from oven , slice and serve.

Wine Suggestion: Chardonnay

Cheers!

Loving It

This is the time of year when the kitchen becomes the heart of my home again, after hanging out on the patio all summer.
The island is the "hub" where we gather to do homework, cook, crafts or just hangout.
I love the warmth of the kitchen as cosy comfort food cooks in the oven filling the room with the aroma of dinner.

This is an easy dish to put together and smells wonderful while cooking.
You can use any parts of chicken that you wish. I used legs and thighs this time as they were on sale that week.

This dish can be served over pasta or rice.

Baked Italian Chicken

• 8 chicken parts (legs, thighs or breasts)
• olive oil
• flour
  
• 2 tbsp of crushed garlic
• 1 798ml can of tomatoes
• handful of chopped basil, rosemary and oregano
• 1/2 cup of pitted black olives
  
• 1/2 pound of mozzarella and Romano cheese blend shredded.

Preheat oven to 375F

Dredge chicken in flour until coated.
Heat olive oil in skillet.
Brown chicken on all sides. Remove to a platter keeping warm.
Drain off all but 1/4 cup of juices in pan.
Add the garlic tomatoes and herbs to the pan. Cook on medium breaking up tomatoes while stirring.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Spoon some of the sauce into a large deep baking dish. Place chicken onto sauce and top with remaining sauce.
Top with cheese and olives.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Let stand for a few minutes then serve.

Wine Suggestion: Montepulciano

Cheers!

Turkey Time

My favorite holiday is only days away.
Thanksgiving.
The holiday that celebrates family, food and the fall harvest.

This is a bit of a twist on the usual run of the mill roasted turkey.
I brined and smoked this bird to take it up a notch.

Brining is a method of placing the turkey in a salt water bath that is centuries old. It makes the proteins in the meat change their pattern which traps the moisture to create the ultimate juicy turkey.
To finish it off I brushed on a Bourbon Glaze that created a very tasty crispy skin.
A Spicy Apple Gravy to serve along side and simple cranberry salsa completes this dish
There may seem to be a lot of steps to this dish but it is well worth every minute.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Smoked and Brined Turkey with Bourbon Glaze , Spicy Apple Gravy and Cranberry Salsa

Brine and Turkey

• 1 turkey 10 to 25 pounds
• 4 cups of kosher salt (or 2 of table salt)
• 2 gallons of water

In a large vessel such as a cooler or deep roasting pan combine the salt and water. Mix well.
submerge the thawed turkey . If not covered make more salt water until covered.
place in a cool place or in a fridge overnight.

~
Preheat the grill to 400F

Remove turkey from the brine and rinse well. Remove as much water as you can so that it is as dry as possible.
Stuff as desired.
Brush with oil and place on a grill that has a prepared smoker box or smoker packet as described here.

Bourbon Glaze

• 3/4 cup of Bourbon
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of orange juice
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1 tsp chili powder

Combine in bowl and brush on turkey during the last half of roasting time.

~
Roast until turkey is cooked through.

The temperature of the thermometer inserted into stuffing should read 165F and in the turkey thigh 180F when the turkey is fully cooked.
Remove turkey from pan to a platter and remove stuffing to a serving dish and carve turkey as desired.

~

Spicy Apple Gravy

• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 cup of apple cider or apple juice
  
• 2 tsp of oil
• 4 tbsp of flour

In a pot heat the oil and add the flour.
Stir until it thickens. (this is called a roux)
Add the remaining ingredients while stirring.
Simmer and stir until desired thickness.

Cranberry Salsa

• 1 can of cranberry sauce
• 1 tbsp of honey
• tbsp of minced white onion
• 2 tsp of minced jalapeno pepper
• 2 tbsp minced parsley
• 1 tbsp cilantro
• 1 tsp cracked peppercorn
• 2 tbsp tequila
• 1 tsp each of orange and lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve.


Wine Suggestion: Riesling

Cheers!

On the Go

Well here we are.
Summers over and everyone is back to school and work.
In my home that means a more hectic pace as everyone has a busier schedule.
Fast and healthy supper options are what I look for as we settle into our new routines.

One of my go-to dinner favorites is pizza. I use dough from my local deli to save time instead of making it myself.

You can vary the toppings to suit your taste. I try to put on as many healthy vegetables as as I can.
Unfortunately my tomato crop is doing very poor this year so I chose to use sun dried tomatoes instead of fresh.
I have left out exact amounts of toppings as you can adjust to suit your tastes.

While the pizza is in the oven toss a big green salad and there you have a great weeknight meal that can even be served to friends on the weekend.

Mediterranean Style Pizza

• 1 ball of homemade pizza dough (preferably whole wheat)
• olive oil
• sliced green and black olives
• sliced sun dried tomatoes
• sliced mushrooms
• sliced red peppers
• basil leaves chiffonade
• diced bacon
• diced onion
• sliced pepperoni
• sliced anchovies
  
• tomato sauce
• shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400F

Prepare toppings as needed.
Roll out dough to desired size to fit your pizza pan or stone.
Brush with olive oil
Spread tomato sauce evenly or the olive oil.
Sprinkle cheese over the sauce.
Evenly arrange remaining toppings over the cheese.

Place on pan or stone and bake in the oven until the dough in done in the centre and cheese is bubbly.
Remove and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes.
Slice and serve.

Wine Suggestion:Montepulciano

Cheers!

Growing Season

There is one good thing about the hot summer we are having here in Ontario, my tomatoes are growing really well this year.
I noticed this week the first crop of cherry tomatoes are ready to be picked, it won't be long until the bigger Roma and Beefsteak varieties are ready too.
You just can't beat vegetables grown right in your own garden can you?
It doesn't get more organic than that.

Here is a simple Italian style salad that takes minutes to put together.
I have left out amounts as you can adjust to suit your taste.
This dish is great to serve alongside grilled meat or fish.

Tomato Salad

• Sliced ripe tomatoes
• Sliced red onions
• Bocconcini cheese halved
• olive oil
• fresh minced oregano and basil (or dried if no fresh available)
• extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh ground pepper
  

On a platter arrange slices of tomato, add onion and cheese slices on top.
Sprinkle with herbs and pepper.
Drizzle olive oil over the top.


Cheers!

Poached

The heat is on!
It is so hot one cant even barbecue or dine outdoors comfortably.
If that is not enough the thought of turning on the oven inside isn't to appealing either.
It can be difficult to have a light decent meal in this weather.

These are the times when non conventional dinner ideas come to mind, such as eggs.
Eggs make a great supper dish as they are a complete protein and are very versatile.
The accompanying hollandaise sauce is a recipe I discovered in an issue of Chatelaine magazine.
We were very impressed with it as it is way easier than the traditional double boiler method.

Serve over top of toasted English muffins. You can add a few sausages along side or a garden salad if you wish.

So instead of feeling like a poached egg in the kitchen or outside try this easy quick light meal and then kick back take it easy !

Perfect Poached Eggs with Hollandaise Sauce

• 8 eggs
• 4 split toasted English muffins
• 1 tbsp vinegar

• 1 cup of unsalted butter
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp hot water
• 1/2 tsp salt

Melt butter in a small pan skimming off any foam.
Pour butter into a measuring cup leaving solids any behind.
In a food processor or blender add yolks, lemon juice, hot water and salt.
Whirl on high for 1 minute.
Add the hot butter slowly through opening in lid. Whirl until thick. Keep warm till eggs are cooked.

In a shallow wide pan heat about 2 inches of water to boiling. Add 1 tbsp on vinegar.
crack eggs gently into the water, reduce heat and cook for about two minutes or until desired doneness.

Lift out eggs with slotted spoon onto a hot buttered English muffin.
Top with hollandise sauce and serve.

Wine Suggestion: Prosecco

Cheers!

Speedy

Weekday evenings can be hectic. Between getting home from work and school and after supper extracurricular activities it can be hard to make a fast healthy meal on a budget.

Bay scallops are cheap, tasty and quick to cook as they cook in record time.
You can make this dish even faster substituting by the dry variety of pasta you need to boil for quick cooking fresh pasta.

There are no excuses for eating healthy as this dish is speedier then a drive through or frozen dinners and much better for you.

Pesto Scallop Pasta Sauce

• olive oil
  
• 1 pound of bay scallops
• 1/2 an onion diced
• 1 tomato taste
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup of pesto
• 1 large portobello mushroom sliced
• 1/4 cup of white wine

In a large deep frying pan heat the olive oil and add the scallops and cook until almost opaque.
Add the remaining ingredients and cook for about 10 minutes until scallops are opaque.
Pour over pasta of choice.


Wine Suggestion : Pinot Blanc


Cheers!

Rosemary and Wine

I love spring! My herb garden finally in full bloom.
Rosemary is my favorite herb of all.

This dish is a great for a dinner party. It takes no time at all to put together.
Once in the oven it doesn't need any fussing over and cooks unattended so you can visit with your guests.

Sweet potatoes and steamed green beans round out this meal quite nicely.

Pork Roast with White Wine, Garlic and Herbs

• olive oil and butter
  
• 1 3 or 4 pound pork loin roast
• salt and pepper
  
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds
• a head of garlic separated skins left on
  
• leaves from 4 rosemary sprigs
  
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 bottle of white wine

Preheat oven to 300F

In an oven proof roasting pan heat the olive oil and butter.
Season the meat with the fennel and rosemary and brown in the pan.
Add the rest of the herbs and wine.
Cover and cook in the oven until meat temperature reaches 150F.
Tent with foil on a platter.
Place pan on stove top and bring to a low boil scraping bits off the bottom. Simmer until sauce is reduced and slightly thickened.
Serve roast with sauce drizzled over top.

Wine Suggestion: Chardonnay

Cheers!

Fiesta

There are times when one just wants to walk in the door and eat right away with no fussing or waiting.
Alternatively one may want to mingle with guests or family and not tied to the kitchen.
Either way this dish fits the bill perfectly!

Again I praise the slow cooker. The answer to the busy working family or hostess.

This dish can be assembled in less then five minutes and yet tastes like you have been in the kitchen all day.

All you need to do is steam some white rice and your all set.

Fiesta? You bet!

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken

• 1 pound of boneless chicken breasts
• 1 can of black beans drained
• 1 jar of salsa of choice (I used a mix of half each of medium and mango lime types)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp of cumin

Mix all except chicken in bowl.
Place chicken in a slow cooker and pour sauce over top.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Serve over hot rice and garnish with Monterey Jack cheese if desired.

Wine Suggestion: Muscat

Cheers!