Rosemary and Thyme Buttered Roast Beef

Rosemary and Thyme Buttered Roast Beef
1 large hip of beef roast
2 pounds unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup fresh rosemary
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 Tablespoon cracked black pepper

Blend the butter with the rosemary, thyme, garlic, and pepper. 
Rub the roast all over with the compound butter mixture, allowing the butter to coat the entire surface of the roast.
Cover the roast and slow roast, basting occasionally with the pan drippings.
The compound butter mixture melts and enrobes the beef with flavor as it roasts. The result is a moist, tender, flavorful roast and plenty of rich, tasty pan drippings than will make an excellent gravy.

Rosemary, Thyme, Garlic, Black Pepper Prime Rib

• One prime rib roast (this one was 6 bones, and about 3.5kg)
• fresh thyme leaves
• fresh rosemary sprigs
• garlic cloves
• black peppercorns
• 2 white onions
• 3 carrots
• 1 bunch celery

1. Clean up the roast as necessary and pat dry
2. Put the thyme, rosemary, and pepper in a spice grinder and blitz until finely chopped Do not blitz too long as the fresh herbs contain moisture and will form a paste. You want more of a dry rub.
3. Mince the garlic by hand or machine and mix together with the above herb and spice mixture. This will make the rub a little wet, but it should be easy to spread on the meat.
4. Place the roast in a roasting pan or large pot (I used a rondeau). Position it so that is is resting on the bones with the fat cap up. This will serve as a natural roasting rack and the fat will baste the meat during cooking.
5. Apply the herb mixture to the meat, spreading it in an even layer all over and ensuring it sticks.
6. Roughly chop the vegetables and add to the pan around the meat.
7. I then covered this with plastic wrap and allowed it to be seasoned overnight.
8. The next day, I cooked the roast at 425◦F for about 3 hours until the internal temperature was 120◦F.
9. You can lower the oven temperature to 325◦F-350◦F after 15 minutes or so, just to get the initial browning or cook the roast at a lower temperature for longer to avoid shrinkage.
10. Allow the roast to rest, covered with foil, for an hour or so before carving.

Grilled Ratatouille

Grilled Ratatouille
2 large eggplants, halved lengthwise
2 large green zucchinis, halved lengthwise
3 red onions, halved
15 roma tomatoes, halved
2 green bell peppers, halved and seeded
2 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
1 bunch green onions

Drizzle all the vegetables lightly with oil, then place on a preheated grill. Char them until visible grill marks appear and the vegetables are tender, flipping them as necessary. Cool vegetables until they can be handled, then cut into a large dice. Toss all together and season with additional oil, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. 

Grilled Swordfish with Grilled Ratatouille

• Honey coconut marinated swordfish, grilled
• Grilled ratatouille with eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers, red onion, and green onion
• Garlic and herb roasted baby red potatoes
• Basil lime pesto
• Purple basil garnish

Nectarine Salsa

Nectarine Salsa
4 roma tomatoes, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
4 jalapeno peppers, diced
3 nectarines, diced
zest of 3 limes
juice of 6 limes
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup olive oil
30 basil leaves, chiffonade
30 mint leaves, chiffonade
salt and pepper, to taste

Chop ingredients and mix together in order given. Allow to marinate for a few hours and serve at room temperature. Great on swordfish! Feel free to adjust the spice level by adding or leaving out the seeds in the peppers.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

I came up with this sauce when my brother requested a sauce for his pasta, and after giving him way too many options, he settled for roasted red pepper. I made this sauce up as I went along, so amounts may not be precise. Just taste and add what you think it needs! It makes about two cups and is delicious on pasta garnished with fresh parsley or cilantro. 

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
2 large red bell peppers
1/4 large white onion, diced
1 stalk garlic scape, thinly sliced (straight from my garden)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup vodka (or red wine, or whiskey)
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
up to 2 cups water, as needed
1/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon pickling liquid (pickle juice)
1 Tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Roast the red peppers. There are several ways to do this. I like to leave them whole, intact, but you can halve them and/or remove seeds and stems first if you like. You can also leave all the seeds in for the sauce for a spicier flavor.
#1 Burner - Roast red peppers over a hot burner until skin is blistered.
#2 Open Flame - Roast red peppers over a gas burner, barbecue, or with a b low torch to blacken the skin quickly.
#3 Oven - Roast peppers at a high temperature in the oven until skin is colored and peppers are very soft.
I prefer the oven method if I have the time, as that allows the roasted flavor to penetrate through the entire pepper and not just on the surface. 

Cool peppers. They can be done the day before and refrigerated overnight. Peel off the skin, and remove stems and seeds if required. Dice. Catch and reserve any juices.

Sweat the onions in the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until softened. Stir in the spices and saute until aromatic. Add in the garlic scapes. When mixture is beginning to look dry, stir in the peppers. Deglaze with the vodka until au sec. Blend with a handheld immersion blender to desired consistency. Stir in remaining ingredients, including as much water as needed to reach desired consistency. Bring to a boil. The longer this sauce simmers, the better, just keep in mind it will reduce more as well.

Carrot Puree One

Over the past three months, I have made carrot puree at least seven times, and each time I liked it better than the last version. The secret to a really great carrot puree is to take a stack of carrots (they can be the biggest, ugliest carrots if you wish), peel them, trim off the ends and divide them into two piles. Juice one pile, and roughly chop the other pile. Aim to juice almost twice as many carrots as you chop. It doesn't really matter how roughly they are chopped as that's the beauty of a puree. 

Now cook the carrots in their own juice in a pot. Try to choose a size that allows the carrots to be completely submerged in the juice. Top it up with a tiny bit of water if desired. Bring to a boil and cook the carrots until nearly all the juice is gone - you want the pot to go almost dry so the carrots will begin to caramelize and sweeten. If preferred, you can cut the carrots smaller so they cook more quickly and retain more of the juice for pureeing. Puree the carrots, adding just as much water as needed to form a smooth puree (Vitamix or other high power blenders are AWESOME for this).

Carrot Puree is pictured here with Seared Squid Tube, Butter Poached Lobster Tail, Lobster Claw and Chive Salad, Charred Brussels Sprout Petals, Pickled Shallots, and Grapefruit Beurre Blanc.

 If you would like a dark, vibrant, heavier carrot puree that really highlights the flavor of the carrots, simply add water, salt, ground white pepper, and granulated sugar as needed to achieve the desired taste and consistency. You may not want to add any sugar at all, or you may prefer to use sugar syrup or maple syrup, and in this case, use less water. White pepper is the key so you don't see little specks in the puree and it really, really, highlights the flavor so be generous and create a nice peppered carrot puree. The final step is to pass the puree through a chinois to create the optimal, smooth texture.

This puree is great reheated (bring to a gentle boil), cold, or thinned out a bit more, it would make a great base fir a soup. I eat it by the spoonful like caramel sauce.

Meatless Stuffed Peppers

Meatless Stuffed Peppers
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1 1/2 cups water
salt
4 large bell peppers, I used one green, one red, one orange, and one yellow for variety
1 package (250 grams/8 ounces) white button mushrooms, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 can (398mL) beans, I like to use a mixed bean blend
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce of choice, I used herb and garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper - start with one teaspoon each and add more as desired

Place the rice, water, and salt to taste in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer on low heat until liquid is absorbed and rice is just tender. You want separate, individual grains of cooked rice and you want it to be slightly al dente as it will cook more in the oven. Cool. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise, leaving the stems intact. Scoop out the sides and white part. Blanch the peppers just until the skin begins to soften, then shock in cold water to cool quickly, and drain well.

Mix the remaining ingredients together with the rice. Lay the peppers out on a parchment-lined cookie sheet or baking dish. Stuff with the rice mixture, filling the peppers completely. You may still have some filling leftover, but that's fine - it's great heated up and eaten as is. 

Now you may either pop the peppers in the oven at 350◦F until piping hot, or place the dish in the freezer, freeze the peppers until firm, then transfer to a container or bag to have on hand for a quick supper. To serve as an hors d'oeuvre, cut each pepper half in to to three pieces. Buying mini peppers and using them is also a great option, though mini peppers can be more expensive and hard to find, not to mention tedious to stuff.

Mushroom Green Pepper Dip/Filling

The secret to the smooth body and texture of this recipe? Tofu - blended until smooth. This adds lots of protein and calcium to the dish, and is also a great alternative for those who love the idea or texture or nutrition that hummus provides, but cannot tolerate beans.

Mushroom Green Pepper Dip/Filling
cooking oil
1 package (8 ounces/250grams) white button mushrooms, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, finely diced
1 small or 1/2 large white onion, finely diced
1 package firm tofu, well drained and patted dry
1/4 cup tahini paste
1 Tablespoon prepared mustard
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, green pepper, and onion and cook, sweating the vegetables but not coloring them, until just softened but not mush. Remove from heat and cool. You may prefer to cook the vegetables one at a time in the pan, they won't take long.

Place remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary, adding more mustard, vinegar, or oil as needed. Stir in the vegetables. 

Now this can be used as a dip, spread or filling. I used it as a filling for Mushroom Green Pepper Pinwheel Bites, using yesterday's vegan pie dough recipe. I rolled it out as thinly as possible, spread thinly with this mixture (I did have some leftover), and rolled it up and sliced it, just like making cinnamon rolls. Then since the dough was very soft I popped them in the freezer for an hour to firm up, then baked them at 350◦F for half an hour until golden. I cut them in half to serve. This made about 25 whole pinwheels, or 50 halves. Makes a nice hors d'oeuvres that freezes well too.

Roasted Pepper Dip

Roasted Pepper Dip
1 jar roasted red peppers (about 500mL)
1 small green pepper, diced
1/2 block firm tofu, broken into chunks
2 Tablespoons tahini
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste

Drain the red peppers well and pat them dry to remove excess moisture. Then combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined. You may make this completely smooth if you wish, or you can leave it slightly chunky. 

I would describe this dish as a cross between a salsa (with peppers instead of tomatoes) and a hummus. The difference being, the smoothness and body of this dish does not stem from chickpeas or even beans, but from tofu instead. Tofu makes a smooth dip and is a great alternative for those with bean or legume allergies (not extremely common, but still existent) or those who choose to avoid or don't like beans (beans, beans, the magical fruit...). The flavor comes from the peppers. You could easily roast your own red peppers for a more economical, but more time consuming, dish. I would estimate you would require two full peppers. 

I recommend this dip with my Spicy Cornbread Triangles from yesterday's post.

Aji Criollo

Aji Criollo (Ecuador Hot Sauce)
4 hot green peppers (jalapenos or chilies)
6 Tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons minced cilantro or parsley

Remove the seeds from the peppers unless you want the sauce to be extremely hot. Then mince them.
Purée everything in a food processor until smooth.

This simple sauce has a bright green color and hot spicy flavor. It originates in Ecuador and is served with a variety of dishes such as tamales, empanadas, and chimichurri. 

Muhammara

Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper And Walnut Dip)
one pound red bell peppers, roasted until blackened
1/2 cup walnuts
2 Tablespoons bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon red chili paste
salt and pepper

Place the hot peppers in a plastic bag and allow to sweat for ten minutes or so. Then peel off the skin and remove seeds and core (sweating them in the bag helps the skin come off easier. An ice water bath works well for this too). Process with the walnuts, then add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Chill for at least two hours for flavors to blend. Serve with bread or crisps of any kind, or vegetables or meat. It also makes a good sauce base for pastas and pizzas, though that's not the same type of cuisine. 

Baked Fish in Béchamel Sauce

Here is a little something different. I love fish, and most types of fish are fairly versatile in their preparation technique - baked, boiled, grilled, fried, deep-fried, poached, broiled, etc. Each method has it advantages and disadvantages, but when done right, each method will result in moist, tasty fish. I have done some baked fish before, simple baked salmon, salmon en papillote, and breaded baked fish cutlets. This time I was preparing tilipia fillets. Tilipia tend to be fairly mild, so I knew I had to do something to keep it moist while giving it some flavor. I won't give an exact recipe, since amounts will vary greatly depending on how much fish is used. I must have used around 30 small fillets. 

Pat the fillets to ensure they are very dry. Arrange a single layer in a rectangular baking pan. Season with salt and pepper. Slice two onions and two peppers (any color) and scatter over the fish. Prepare a béchamel sauce, but instead of the basic recipe, use white roux, cream, salt, pepper, and garlic and pour over the fish. Cover and bake at your preferred temperature until tender. With the thick, rich sauce this recipe is more forgiving than most fish recipes would be. It can be baked low and slow, or quickly at a higher temperature. It can also be cooked slightly longer than it needs to be, and the fish will not become rubbery. This recipe holds and keeps well too.

Macaroni Beef Casserole

This is a big batch of an easy casserole I made. Of course it can easily be varied by: type of pasta, type of meat, vegetables, sauce, spices and seasonings, add-ins (cheese, sour cream, etc.), but here is what I did:

Cook two bags of macaroni pasta in boiling water until tender.
Meanwhile, cook one package of ground pork in a little oil in a large saucepan until fully cooked. Stir in two large green peppers, diced, one package of sliced button mushrooms, and one can of seasoned diced tomatoes (with juice). Add in three packages of chili seasoning and bring mixture to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes until vegetables are tender.

Pour the drained pasta into a large casserole dish, pour meat mixture over top. Stir in a couple cups of tomato sauce of choice. Mix well. Top with cheese if desired. Bake immediately to heat through, or cover and place in the fridge until ready to bake later.

Quinoa Pepper Pilaf

Quinoa Pepper Pilaf For Two
1 cup water
3/4 cup quinoa (I used a golden and black mix)
1 Tablespoon oil
1 portobello mushroom, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
1/2 each red, orange, and yellow pepper, diced
Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the quinoa, stir, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the vegetables and sauté for about 15 minutes, until softened. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper during cooking. 
Divide the quinoa evenly among two bowls. Put a spoonful of peppers in the bowl and mix. Then pile the mushrooms, onions, and remaining peppers on top. Drizzle with oil, dressing, Parmesan cheese, or extra herbs and spices, as desired.

This is a super quick supper that makes enough for two, and can be on the table in twenty minutes, once all of the prep work is done. Even then, there is not a whole lot of chopping involved, and it can be done in advance. This is also a really healthy vegetarian dish. Quinoa is a high protein whole grain, and the meaty texture of portobello mushrooms is a great meat alternative. For a heartier portion, serve it with a side salad, potatoes, or a dinner roll. 

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh

1 cup Bulgar wheat

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

salt and pepper, to taste

4 scallions, finely chopped

1 green pepper, finely chopped

1 tomato, diced

8 black olives, sliced

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped

Place bulgar wheat in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover. Let stand for about 30 minutes, until much of the water is absorbed and bulgar is doubled in size.

Drain well.

In a small bowl, mix together the oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. In a large serving bowl, mix together the bulgar with this mixture. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for at least one hour, or up to six hours before serving.

Mix in remaining ingredients. 

This is my first time making this Levantive Arab dish. Traditionally it is made with bulgar, but new versions make use of couscous, quinoa, and rice. The traditional dish is flavored with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, parsley, and mint. Any finely chopped vegetables may be added for flavor and color, and the spices may also be varied. This is a nice, cold side dish. If I had to categorize it, I would call it a salad. It is great served as a light lunch with toasted pita chips and hummus. 

Pepper Steak

Pepper Steak is one of my father's favorite dishes that my mother apparently does not make nearly often enough. I am not a huge fan of it, as I am not a fan of steak or even red meat in general, but this is about the only way I will tolerate steak, so it must be pretty good. It is also the only way my mother will tolerate peppers. The recipe comes form one of my mother's old recipe books, and she began making it ages ago. 
The recipe basically begins with sauteeing some green pepper, onion, and mushrooms until soft. To this tomato sauce, soy sauce, water, flavor, and spices are added. This mixture is poured over strips of steak placed in a casserole dish. Then the entire dish is baked for about an hour until very tender. This results in tender chunks of steak cooked in a thick, spicy sauce that is perfect served over a bed of rice, or with pasta or noodles if you prefer. You can also use different color peppers for more color and flavor. here, you can see some of the big chunks of pepper along with the steak in the thick sauce, served over a bed pf rice you can hardly see.

Peperonata

My grandparents were recently here for a visit, and as usual, we did an exchange of home baked goods. Usually I make desserts and she makes more dishes for dinner, but I have made savory dishes and she makes sweets too. When travelling, the items you can bring are a bit restricted, but we manage. This time, I had some cookies for her, and made apple pie bars. She brought her usual tea biscuits (even cinnamon raisin ones this time) and waffles, as well as bean soup, coleslaw, tighe (a bean dish), and peperonata. These are all dishes she makes all the time, but we never tire of them because we love them. Usually she makes the same things, and I like to experiment and try a new recipe each time. Both of these methods work. My grandmother's recipes are tried and true ones she has been using for ages. The recipes I try can turn out to be new favorites, or it may just teach a good lesson.
Here is my grandmother's peperonata. It is similar to a ratatouille. It is a mixture of green pepper, eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes in some sort of tomato sauce. It is cooked until very tender. It is a good vegetable dish for a side, or because it is so saucy, it is good to serve over chicken, steak, pork, or polenta. A piece of bread will soak any extra sauce at the end.

Chicken Pizza

Homemade pizza at our house is a popular choice for supper. We usually make two large pizzas, and often make one white and one whole wheat. We have an awesome recipe for pizza crust, that is easy and seems to never fail. It makes a nice, thick rising crust. Our toppings are often the same, we use tomato sauce, diced onion, sliced mushrooms, pizza meats such as pepperoni, salami, and ham, mozzarella cheese, and whatever other vegetables we have on hand. This time we also had some leftover cooked sliced chicken on hand. I really like chicken on pizza. Roasted chicken pieces, especially chicken breast, has a nice taste and texture that pairs really well with the tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese on the pizza soft crust. It is a great way to use up leftovers, and sliced chicken is a healthier alternative to the usual salty, fatty, processed pizza meats that are often found on pizzas. Other meats can work well too, such as pulled pork, ground beef, and even fish. You can basically use whatever toppings you like on a pizza and make it personally yours. Pictured here are three slices of the whole wheat chicken pizza we had with diced onion, sliced mushrooms, and chopped green pepper as well. The two corner pieces show off the lovely risen crust, but the middle piece gets you extra toppings. Both are great!

Ginger Crinkles

I know, I know, Christmas is still nearly four months away, but I decided to make gingersnaps anyway. Gingersnaps are great any time of the year! And no, I'm not trying to get a head start on my Christmas baking either - although I like to start baking early and freeze cookies, I don't start this early! These gingersnap cookies are very good, and very spicy. They have a secret ingredient. Aside from the usual spices of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, these cookies also contain a small amount of ground black pepper. That's right, pepper. Not enough to make it taste like supper instead of dessert, but this small amount of pepper enhances the spicy ginger flavour of the cookies. The cookies are rolled into balls, lightly coated with granulated sugar, and baked at a low temperature for a long amount of time; giving them their crinkly appearance and texture. Time to get in the Christmas spirit!