ROASTED VEGETABLE FARRO SALAD with FETA and KALAMATA OLIVES

This grain salad is delicious served as a side dish or on its own for lunch or a light dinner.  It tastes even better the next day.  If there are any leftovers of course. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium size eggplant, partially peeled (see TIPS section below) and diced 1/2 inch
1 red pepper diced 1 inch
1 yellow or orange pepper diced 1 inch
1 medium sized purple onion, diced 1/2 inch
2 garlic cloves minced
1/3 cup grape seed oil
2 cups of warm cooked farro 
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup green onions sliced
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
200 grams of feta, diced 1 inch
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 cup of fresh basil, cut into chiffonade

For the dressing:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


METHOD:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  
Toss eggplant, peppers, onion, garlic with grape seed oil and salt and pepper. Spread on two parchment covered large baking sheets. Do not over crowd.  Roast for 10 minutes, and then turn over vegetables and rotate pans to ensure even browning. Continue to roast for an additional 15 minutes.

Meanwhile transfer warm farro to a  large serving bowl.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together.

Add the roasted vegetables and any scrapings to the farro.  Pour the dressing over the warm farro and vegetables and toss.  Let cool to room temperature.  If serving the next day, just make it up to this point and refrigerate.  Next day bring it to room temperature and then proceed with the next step.

Just before serving add in the sliced green onions, toasted pine nuts, diced feta, olives and basil. 



TIPS:

1. Partially peel the eggplant to cut back on any bitterness.
2. I like to add the dressing to the warm farro to ensure maximum flavour absorption.



 
  

  

ROASTED RED PEPPERS

This is a great way to take advantage of Ontario Red Pepper season. Buy a bushel and freeze to have on hand throughout the winter.  I love to use them to make Basque Style Cod, Roasted Red Pepper soup, on homemade pizza, sandwich topping, or seasoned with fresh garlic, olive oil and fresh minced parsley as a side dish.  The list is endless.  These recipes will be posted soon.

Let's get started:

All you need is peppers, containers with lids, big stainless steel bowls and plastic wrap.

Begin by firing up the barbecue.  Rinse all your peppers and grill on high until they are roasted and blistered all over, turning them as they roast.  Place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. This allows them to steam as they cool so that the skins peel off easily.

Once they are cool enough for you to handle, begin to slip off the skins with your hands and remove seeds. Divide into containers, let cool to room temperature then cover with lids and pop in the freezer.

SUPER EASY CARROT CAKE with CREAM CHEESE ICING

This is my favourite carrot cake recipe.  It belongs to my dear friend Janet, who has given me permission to blog it.  I decided to decorate it with toasted shredded coconut. Yum!

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cake:

1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups of loosely packed finely grated carrots
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup of toasted shredded unsweetened coconut to decorate (optional)

Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups powdered icing sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
2 teaspoons vanilla


METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease an angel food baking pan.
Sift dry ingredients in a bowl and keep aside until ready to use.

Combine and beat sugar and oil.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add in dry ingredients and beat until it is just blended.  Fold in carrots.  Pour into the prepared angel food pan.  Bake for 45 to 55 minutes.
Let cake cool completely before icing.

Frosting:

Use an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachments to whip frosting ingredients until frosting is light and fluffy.









It is easier to frost cake with an offset spatula rather than a flat spatula.

 














To decorate simply sprinkle toasted coconut over the top of cake.

TIPS:

1. When baking, it is important to measure ingredients properly and accurately. Always use correct measuring cups and spoons. Use dry measuring utensils for powders and semi-solids (flour, sugar, grated carrots). Use liquid measuring cups for wet (oil).
2. When measuring flour, spoon flour into measuring cup rather than pouring. Level off with a knife or flat edge. Do not shake or tap cup before leveling off.  Do not use measuring cup to scoop the flour directly out of flour container. Even just a bit extra flour will make the cake dense.
3.  If you notice the cake starting to over-brown before it is cooked through, cover loosely with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
4.  Cooking times are dependent on the size of the pan that you use. The bigger the pan, the less cooking time. This is because the depth of the batter will be more shallow. 

 
  


  

PORTUGUESE CUMIN-SCENTED PULLED PORK

This pulled pork is so tender and flavourful.  And it is even better the next day.

INGREDIENTS:

1 kilogram of boneless rib end roast pork 
1large thinly sliced onion
3 whole  peeled garlic cloves or 2 tablespoons of ground garlic powder
2 cups of white wine 
1/2 cup of water
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon of Portuguese hot or sweet pimenta paste(see tip section below)
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste


METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add onions to bottom of a heavy Dutch oven such as Le Creuset. 
Salt and pepper the roast pork to taste and place on top of the bed of onions and whole garlic cloves if using. Otherwise add the garlic powder to the following paste.
In a bowl make a paste by mixing the pimenta paste, olive oil, paprika, tomato paste, cumin, garlic powder and a bit of salt and black pepper.  

Spread over the top of the pork and sides, letting it drip down.  Add 2 bay leaves to bottom of pot.  Pour the wine and water around the pork roast. (Not over the top of the roast).

Cover with a tight fitting lid and roast at 400 degrees F. for 30 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.  and continue to roast for 2.5hours.  Check halfway to see if you need to add a bit more water.  I have never had to, but it will depend on how tight fitting your lid is.
 

Once it is cooked, using two large forks shred "pull part" the roast pork.  Serve with the extra sauce topped with the yummy onions.

TIPS:

1.  Portuguese pimenta paste is available in most grocery stores.  It is a traditional hot or sweet pepper paste.  It is delicious added to many dishes or even just as a side dipping sauce. 

2.  How to save leftover tomato paste:

Place a small freezer bag in a glass.  Fold open the top of the bag over the rim of the glass. Fill up the bag with the leftover tomato paste.  Close it and flatten the contents. Place in the freezer and break off pieces as you need for future recipes.

 


  

 

EASY RED LENTIL DAHL with BUTTERNUT SQUASH

This is a delicious appetizer served with warmed naan or as a meatless main dish served over Basmati rice.

 INGREDIENTS:

1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sized onion, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons of grated fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons of your favourite curry powder
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon of Garam masala
3 cups of diced butternut squash
1/2 to 1 cup of green peas
1 1/2 cups of coconut milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro


Serve with Naan or Roti or Basmati rice 

Makes approximately 4 servings as a main meal.


METHOD:

In a large deep frying pan (with a lid), melt butter and oil over medium heat.  Saute onion until it is soft.  Add garlic, ginger, curry, Garam masala, salt and pepper. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
Add drained and rinsed lentils, squash, peas, water or broth and coconut milk. 

Bring to a simmer and stir often to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cover with a lid and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often.  If you prefer the dahl to be thick, leave the lid slightly ajar, do not completely seal.

Once it is ready, sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro and serve.


TIPS:

I like serving this family style, right from the pan!


 






 




 

RIB EYE STEAKS with MADEIRA SAUCE

This was a non traditional Christmas dinner for us. My oven broke and  Zach, owner of THE MEAT DEPARTMENT, came to the rescue. He gave me this amazing recipe (that I slightly modified) for  barbecued Rib-eye steaks with a luscious velvety smooth Madeira sauce.  Soo yummy, it may just have become the new favourite in our house!

INGREDIENTS:

8 Rib-eye steaks

Barberian's Steak House Seasoning (definitely my new favourite!)

SAUCE:
1 1/2 cups Madeira wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste


METHOD:

Take out steaks and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Just before you put them on the grill season lightly with the Barberian's steak seasoning.  Do not season too early or the juices will run out of the meat.

SAUCE DIRECTIONS:

Prepare sauce before you put steaks on the grill and keep warm until it is served.

Whisk the Madeira, lemon juice, shallots, peppercorns, garlic, tomato paste, and bay leaf in a large skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat and then lower heat to medium-low and cook until only 1/4 cup of liquid is left in the pan.  Approximately 10 -12 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. And then whisk in the cold butter a tablespoon at a time. Lastly taste for seasoning and add salt. Turn off the heat and cover to keep warm until steaks are ready. You may need to give the sauce a quick whisk before you serve.

Serve along the side of each steak as a dipping sauce or drizzle over.


TIPS:

1. Always let steaks sit at room temperature for at least an hour before you grill. This will help keep them tender and juicy.
2. Cook steaks to your liking but remember to sear first and only turn once. 
3. Do not substitute the Madeira wine with regular wine or Port. 
4. This sauce can be served with any type of beef roast or any other cut of steak.
 
  




 


 

QUICK WEEKNIGHT NO BUTTER BUTTER CHICKEN with perfect Basmati Rice

This Butter chicken Recipe is so quick to make and very low fat.   It is even better the next day after the flavours have had time to marry overnight.  We all crave this every so often, especially on a cold fall or winter day!

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced small
2 garlic gloves, minced, (approximately 1 heaping tablespoon)
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of Garam Masala
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of ground Tumeric
1 teaspoon of red chili flakes (optional-omit if you don't want the heat...we like it spicy!)
1 teaspoon of salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1/4 cup of low fat Greek plain yogurt
1/2 cup of water
additional salt to season the raw chicken
1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
4 servings of cooked Basmati rice.  See below in the TIPS section for directions on how to cook perfect Basmati Rice.

 

This recipe serves 4.

METHOD:

Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes until onion is soft and translucent.  Then add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes stirring regularly.  Add the tomato paste, Garam Masala, cumin, tumeric,salt and crushed dried chilis (if using).Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. This step toasts the spices.

Salt the cubed chicken and mix into the onion-spice mixture.  Cook uncovered for 5 minutes.

Then stir in the brown sugar, water and yogurt. Cook uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes.  Stirring occasionally. Chicken is cooked when it breaks apart easily with a fork. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro (optional) and serve.

 TIPS:

1.  HOW TO COOK PERFECT BASMATI RICE:

Using a bowl, rinse the rice with COLD water, 3 times.
Bring water to a boil in a pot. Ratio is 1 cup of rice to 1 1/2 cups of liquid (water).
Stir in the rice and salt. Bring back to a simmer. Cover the pot, turn off the heat but leave it on the same burner. Put a timer on for 15 minutes.  Uncover and fluff with a fork. It is that simple! And perfect every time.

2.  This  chicken recipe freezes well, so make a double batch and freeze in desired portion sizes.

3.  If you don't feel like making rice, this recipe is delicious with warmed Naan bread.









  





 




 

 

SUPER EASY LOW FAT PUMPKIN PIE

This pie is not 'zero' fat, but it is much lower in fat than most pumpkin pie recipes. And it is delicious. The pie is assembled in less than 5 minutes!  Thank you again to Enza, my baking guru!

 INGREDIENTS:

1 unbaked thawed all vegetable shortening  9- inch pie shell (Tenderflake -Blue box)
1 cup pureed pure canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt


METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a medium size mixing bowl, add all the ingredients. Blend well with a whisk.  Pour into unbaked pie shell and pop into the oven for 55 to 60 minutes.

Pie is done when a table knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Filling will be soft but will set as it cools.  

TIPS:

1. I usually bake 2 pies. If you decide to do this, you will need to adjust the baking time by adding an extra 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Be sure to use a dry measuring cup to measure the canned pumpkin.
3. If your ingredients are cold, baking time may be a little longer.  I usually try to have the ingredients at room temperature to ensure quicker and uniform results.
 

 

 
 

WARM GRILLED FENNEL SALAD with LEMON-HONEY DRESSING

Fennel is delicious raw or cooked.  Eaten raw, it has a licorice flavour.  When it is grilled or roasted, it looses the licorice flavour, becomes sweet, with a unique flavour of its own.  It is absolutely delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

2 large fennel bulbs
1 tablespoon of grape seed oil
2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon of honey
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish)
1/4 cup of your own freshly grated Parmesan (do not use store grated Parmesan)


METHOD:

To prepare fennel, wash and remove outer layer.  Slice off a bit of the bottom of the bulb, and a bit off the top stems.  Stand bulb upright, and slice from top to bottom into 1/4 inch slices.

Pat dry and drizzle 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil.  Salt generously just before the fennel goes on the grill.

Preheat barbeque to medium heat.  Lay slices on the grill and close lid.  Cook for 7-8 minutes.  Flip and with closed lid cook for another 10-12 minutes.  I like the fennel to be fork tender. Continue cooking/checking until it is fork tender. Be careful not to burn the fennel.

Meanwhile prepare dressing. Whisk together lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, honey, black pepper, and freshly chopped parsley (1/4 cup less 1 tablespoon).  

When the fennel is ready and while it is still hot/warm, (quickly give the dressing another whisk to emulsify the dressing) drizzle the dressing over it. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese.  Lastly garnish  with the remaining tablespoon of chopped parsley.

TIPS:

1. I prefer the fennel cooked until soft and tender.  If you prefer it with a crunch, cook for less than the time specified on the recipe.
2. As a rule I prefer to start any grilling with grape seed oil. It has a higher burning point and the food turns out less charred. I then use olive oil in the dressing, or in the basting marinade.
3.   Do not salt the vegetables too early before grilling. The salt draws out the liquid and the vegetables will tend to burn and be dry. 
4. If you find that the fennel is still not soft enough after the suggested cooking time, place the fennel in a packet of aluminum foil and continue to cook on the grill over medium-high hea until it is fork tender. Cooking times are approximate and vary depending on the thickness of the slices. 

 

QUICK OVEN ROASTED SEABASS with WHOLEWHEAT PANKO CRUST

A quick weeknight dinner that is impressive and delicious enough for entertaining.  Another family meal in regular rotation.  I am always trying to add more fish recipes into our diet.

 INGREDIENTS:

4-6 ounce fresh sea bass fillets
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup of unsalted butter plus an extra 2 tablespoons to grease oven dish
1 cup of minced fresh parsley
1 cup of wholewheat Panko bread crumbs 
 salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

METHOD:
 
Preheat oven to 375F.
Butter a baking dish with 2 tablespoons of butter. Place fish (skin side down) in dish. Season the fish fillets with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brush the the top of the fish fillets with Dijon mustard.

In a frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter and stir in the Panko crumbs. Toast for a few minutes until the Panko crumbs have absorbed all the butter. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, salt and pepper.  Mix well and let cool.  Press cooled Panko mixture onto the top of the seasoned fish fillets .

Bake at 375F for approximately 20-25 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and fish is cooked through. Fish should flake easily when done.
Remove from oven. Let stand at room temperature covered loosely with foil for 5 minutes before serving.


TIPS:

1. The general rule of thumb for cooking fish is 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
2. To test if a fish fillet is fresh, press the flesh with your finger. Your finger indentation should disappear. If the imprint remains, the fish is not fresh.
3. You can use regular Panko instead of wholewheat.
4. One 6-ounce fish fillet is plenty per person.