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!

Mini Me

Now that I am back to work the dinner time preparation has become a shared task among all family members.
My girls love to help mixing the ingredients together and filling the muffin cups in this dish.
(They love cooking as much as I do!)
This variation takes the traditional meatloaf that normally takes an hour to cook and halves the cooking time to 30 minutes.
You can vary the additions to the meat to create your own creation.

In 30 minutes you can have mashed potatoes and green beans done to accompany this great all time favorite family meal.

Mini Greek Meat Loaves

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 1 cup diced roasted red pepper
• 1 tbsp of oregano
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F In a bowl combine all ingredients .

Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.
Fill each muffin pan until full.
Bake for 30 min or until internal temperature is 160F.

Wine Suggestion: Cabernet Sauvignon

Cheers!

T.G.I.F

This past Easter weekend many traditions were observed.
One of them that I have always done is serving fish on Good Friday.

Instead of lining up at a local fish and chips place for beer battered fish I decided to make my own this year.
I was surprised at how easy it is, and I don't even own a deep fryer.
I used cod here but any firm fleshed fish such as halibut, tilapia or pollock work well too.
Be sure to use a deep pot as the oil may splatter when the fish is submerged.

Serve with crisp french fries, malt vinegar and tarter sauce.
We thought this fish tasted better than any restaurant version we have had!
T.G.I.F. everyone! (Thank God its Fish! and Thank God its Friday!)

Beer Battered Cod Fish

• Roughly 4 cups of vegetable,canola or safflower oil ( enough to fill the dutch oven about 4 inches deep and to cover the fish )
  
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
• 1 bottle of cold dark beer
• cornstarch for coating
  
• 1 1/2 pounds of firm fleshed fish fillets

In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Whisk in the beer until smooth and free of lumps. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Place the cornstarch in a shallow plate. In small batches coat the fish in cornstarch and then dip into the batter.
Heat the oil in a deep dutch oven until it reaches 375 F.
Lower in to the oil with a slotted spoon. When the batter is set gently turn over and cook for a few minutes until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Wine Suggestion: Riesling or Lager

Cheers!

Hola!

In case your wondering I recently returned from a week long vacation on the Mayan Riviera, Hola means Hello in Spanish.
We had a great time, although while it was enjoyable eating from an all you can eat buffet every day I did miss cooking in my kitchen after awhile.

I came across this recipe and changed a few things. It brings back memories of my vacation with the spicy Mexican flavors. If you find jalapeno peppers too hot you can use chipotle or pepperoncini peppers which are more subtle.
You don't need to use an expensive cut of beef for this dish. A blade, rump, round or sirloin tip which I have used here all work well.
Serve with corn and mashed potatoes with chipotle puree mixed in to complete this Mexican inspired meal.

The sun is shining, the air is warm..."Hola" spring!

Mexican Style Beef Roast

• vegetable oil
• beef roast of choice about 4 to 6 pounds
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic minced
• 1 yellow and red pepper diced
• 2 hot peppers such as jalapeno diced
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp each of oregano and cumin
  
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 1 dark beer
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire
  
• 1/4 cup of tomato paste
• 1/4 cup of lime juice
• cornstarch water mix in a jar
  

Preheat oven to 300F

In a large dutch oven heat the oil and brown the roast on all sides.
Remove to a plate.
Add the onions garlic and peppers and cook for a few minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients except the lime juice.
Bring to a low boil mixing well.
Return beef to the pan cover and place in the oven for 3 to 4 hours or until beef is fork tender.

Turn the beef a few times throughout the cooking process.
When the beef is done remove and tent with foil on a platter.
Place the dutch oven on stove top and bring the mixture to a low boil.
Add the lime juice. In a small jar mix the cornstarch with cold water and mix well.
Add to the sauce stirring well until desired thickness is reached.
Serve along side the carved beef.

Wine Suggestion: Chilean Shiraz Blend



Cheers!

So Worth It

As the old saying goes, "good things come to those who wait"
Well this is one of those things. The effort you need to put into this dish is well worth it in the end.

Risotto is a classic northern Italian dish made with high starch rice. The unique cooking method of using hot broth draws out the starch which thickens the broth making the dish very creamy.
You can vary the spices and add your own ingredients at the end such as peas, mushrooms or sun dried tomatoes. Risotto can be served as a main or side dish.

This is the definition of satisfying, slow food.

Parmesan & Herb Risotto

• 10 cups of chicken broth
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion minced
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 2 cups of Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• salt and pepper
  
• 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp each of oregano and parsley

Heat the chicken broth over medium heat in a pot.
In a wide sauce pan heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion and garlic.
Cook until soft.
Pour in the rice and stir well for a few minutes to coat every grain and until they are lightly toasted.
Pour in the wine and stir quickly as the rice absorbs the wine.
Now begin to add the warm stock 1 cup at a time. Stirring well to make sure all the broth is absorbed by the rice before adding the next cup.
Repeat this process until the rice is tender and creamy. This process takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Taste often to determine the tenderness of the rice.
Add the cheese and herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately.

Wine Suggestion: Pinot Grigio

Cheers!

Puffed

This is one of those dishes that looks intimidating and labor intensive but really isn't.
I adapted this recipe that is in one of my Jamie Oliver cookbooks.
I thought I had everything to make it exactly as written but I was missing a couple of key ingredients ( like Guinness, mushrooms and raw cubed beef), so I just decided to use some leftover steak I had on hand and create my own version as I had already thawed the pastry.

I still plan on making the original however everyone thought my version turned out really good.

Deep Dish Beef Pie

• olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tablespoons of butter
• 2 carrots chopped
• 1 celery stalk chopped
• 1 pound of cooked cubed beef steak or roast
  
• 1 tbsp of rosemary
• salt and pepper
  
• 1 bottle of dark beer
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup of shredded old cheddar cheese
• 1 pkg of puff pastry thawed
• 1 beaten egg

Heat oven to 375F

In a deep dutch oven heat the olive oil and add the onion, carrot, garlic and celery.
Cook until slightly softened.
Add the beef, butter and seasonings and mix well .
Add the beer , stir in the flour and bring to a simmer.
Cover and place in the oven for 1 hour or until sauce is dark and thickened.
Remove and stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile divide the puff pastry into two pieces, one third and two thirds. roll out the pastry on a floured surface to make a bottom and top for the buttered casserole dish you are using for the pie.

Line the dish with the larger of the pastry so that the sides hang over the edge.
Pour in the stew and top with remaining cheese.
Place the other piece of pastry on top and fold over the hanging pastry on top twisting slightly.
Cut a crisscross design with a sharp knife and brush the top with the beaten egg.
Bake for 45 minutes until top is golden and puffy.

Wine Suggestion: Shiraz or dark beer


Cheers!

Hibernation Time

Amazing..
in a matter of a few days we have gone from having no snow to nearly two feet.
Well this is Canada, known for its harsh long winters.
Time to hunker down inside and soothe our souls with good comfort food.

I recently had this dish at a local restaurant over the holidays and loved it so much that I decided to recreate it at home . I felt the restaurant's version needed a bit of a boost of seasoning and more bacon.
Cooked chicken breast slices can be purchased in the deli section of most grocery stores or at Costco where I get mine.
This dish is very quick to put together making it either a great weeknight dish or for weekend entertaining.

Enjoy digging in to this comforting dish after you dig yourself out of the snow!

Smokey Bacon & Chicken Peppercorn Rigatoni

• 1/2 a package of Rigatoni
• 6 slices of bacon diced
• 1 pound of warm sliced grilled boneless chicken breast
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tsp whole peppercorns
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of flour
• Roughly 1 cup each of  milk and cream
• salt to taste

Cook the pasta according package directions.
Meanwhile in a heavy wide saucepan fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon to plate. Drain off the bacon fat and heat the oil.
Add the flour whisking until smooth .
Add the milk or cream whisking until the cream sauce is to your desired consistency.
Add the oregano, peppercorns, garlic and salt mixing well.
Drain the cooked pasta and toss in a large bowl with the bacon and cream sauce.
Serve onto pasta bowls and top with the chicken and grated Parmesan cheese.


Wine Suggestion: Merlot

Cheers!

Warm Up

Warm Up

Now that the cold weather has finally descended upon us our thoughts once again turn to warm comfort foods.

I have been making this classic ethnic dish for years and have wanted to post it many times but could never get a very good picture. This one is as good as it gets.

Hungarian Goulash has been around since the early 19th century. It was very popular among herdsmen who worked in the fields. They cooked this cross between a soup and stew over an open fire in a cast iron pot.

This hearty dish can be served on its own with crusty bread, over rice or potatoes as I have done here.

I guarantee this dish will warm you from the inside out.

Hungarian Goulash

    * ~olive oil

    * 2 pounds of diced stewing beef

    * 3 onions chopped

    * 1 tbsp minced garlic

    * 4 tbsp paprika

    * 2 tsp caraway seeds

    * 2 tsp oregano

    * 4 cups of beef stock

    * 1 can of tomato paste

    * 400mo of strained tomatoes

    * 1/2 tsp cayenne

    * salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven heat the oil and saute the onions until light brown.

Add the beef and cook until browned.

Add garlic and seasonings and continue to cook until a few more minutes. Add the remaining ingredients bring to a boil reduce heat and cook until meat is tender and stock is reduced.

About 2 hours.

Serve over potatoes, noodles or rice.

Wine Suggestion: Cabernet Sauvignon

Cheers!