Sunday Roast

At the restaurant where I work, Sundays are always special. We have a live Irish music session, as well as a big, special Sunday roast dish which is unique each week. Last Sunday was my first time doing the roast, and I was super excited. This is what I came up with:

• Irish style prime rib roast (flavored with rosemary, thyme, garlic, and black pepper)
• Brown butter champ mashed potatoes (green onion, garlic, brown butter, cream, black pepper, salt)
• Yorkshire pudding
• Red Wine Jus
• Braised baby onion and shitake mushrooms
• Roasted colored cherry tomatoes
• Creamed spinach

On The Fly Pork Dinner

Seared pork tenderloin, Creamy potato gratin, Roasted broccoli and zucchini, Crispy onions, Cilantro walnut pesto, Mushroom maple sauce.

All prepared within an hour using a small, limited kitchen and some random ingredients bought at the store plus a small pantry supply. It isn't complicated or time consuming to make some really tasty, balanced, meals at home. I will be sharing the individual components of this dish in the coming week.

Chritmas Dinner In August

Not too long ago at work we had an entire Christmas dinner in August. We had a feast with all the fixings and afterwards felt happy and stuffed. Our Christmas dinner consisted of Challah bread and butter, different pickles, chutneys, and preserves, honey thyme carrots, peas, creamy mashed potatoes, stuffing, a brined turkey breast with gravy, pumpkin pie, and homemade vanilla ice cream.

fresh Challah bread

mustard pickles, cranberry sauce, red pepper jelly, and pickled peppers

brined turkey breast

gravy

honey and thyme glazed carrots

creamy mashed potatoes

the entire feast

stuffing

Dinner At A Winery

One night at the convention, we traveled outside the city to a beautiful winery and had dinner there. We had samples of many wines paired with out meal, and got to look around the grounds. The winery is a family-run, small business and a great place for weddings!

One of the buildings

The vines

The dining area

Dining room

First Course: crab, brie, and truffle
cream soup with bread stick

Second Course: Fresh garden salad with
watermelon,goat cheese, and raspberry dressing

Third Course: Beef tenderloin, herb crust lamb chop,
asparagus mashed potatoes, arugula, crispy fried noodles, jus.

Fourth Course: Key lime pie tart with whipped cream and cranberry sauce.

Turkey And Dumplings

Turkey And Dumplings
VEGETABLES
oil
1 large onion, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
1 package (8 ounces/250 grams) button mushrooms, chopped
1 can peas (save liquid)
2 cups diced cooked turkey (or use chicken)
SAUCE
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1 can (370mL) evaporated milk
liquid from can of peas
garlic powder, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
DUMPLINGS
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons granulated (white) sugar
1 teaspon salt
2 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine
1 cup milk

 VEGETABLES: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and mushrooms, cover, and allow the vegetables to sweat, without browning, until just beginning to soften. Stir in the peas and the chicken.
SAUCE: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Quickly whisk in the flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk, then the pea liquid. Bring to a light boil and cook until thickened, then season to taste.
DUMPLINGS: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Stir in the milk to form a soft dough.

ASSEMBLY: Stir the sauce into the vegetable mixture in the pot. Spread evenly. Drop the dumplings by spoonfuls onto the vegetable sauce mixture. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or cover and bake at 375◦F for about 30 minutes, without uncovering, until the dumplings are cooked. If you would like to give the dumplings a bit of a crisp top, turn the broiler on for a few minutes at the end of cooking - keeping an eye on the dumplings until they are golden.

An Irish Feast

Here is the Saint Patrick's Day meal I made, featuring some traditional Irish dishes, some green dishes, and some minty dishes. To decide what to make, I began by listing all Irish dishes I could think of, the ones that were well known. I then listed all the naturally green foods I could think of, then thought about dishes (desserts) that would taste good with mint flavoring. From that list, I chose my final meal, with some input from my diners as well. The recipes and further explanations will follow in the days to come.

Appetizers:
Irish Porter Cheese
Green Avocado
Cream of Asparagus Soup

Mains:
Irish Lamb Stew in a Bread Bowl

Sides:
Champ Potatoes
Irish Soda Bread

Desserts:
Pistachio-Crusted Mint Chocolate Cream Pie
Mint Nanaimo Bars
Emerald Truffles

Drinks:
Frothy Malt Grasshopper
Ginger Ale

Pictured here from left to right: bread bowls, cream of asparagus soup, Irish lamb stew, champ potatoes, Irish cheese and avocado. Dessert pictures are coming soon!!!

Winter Dinner

While I was home visiting on a recent long weekend I decided to make a special dinner with several components. I didn’t make any particular theme for this meal or anything, it isn’t winter comfort food based or Valentine’s themed, or anything of that nature. I just employed several new culinary techniques I have learned and thought of several dishes that would go together to make a tasty, not too labor-intensive, meal. Actually, I was planning for two meals – preparing enough food to have leftovers for the next night. But I guess we were hungry the first night because I needed to cook a few more things to extend the meal for the second day. Here is the menu of all the items I made:

Appetizers:

Heart-Shaped Biscuits with butter

Five Onion Marmalade

Mains:

Salmon en papillote with julienne of vegetables and Roasted Carrot Coconut Sauce

Chicken Breast with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Lasagna (prepared much earlier and taken from the freezer. It always pays off to have extra food on hand)

Sides:

Steamed Asparagus

Sautéed Porcini Mushrooms

Boiled Carrots

Sautéed Julienne of Vegetables

Breaded Rice Balls and Rice Casserole

Desserts:

Double Dose Cinnamon Cake

Dark Chocolate Mocha Brownies

I will be featuring this recipes in the days to come. The biscuits were featured in yesterday's post. 

Lobster Dinner

It is finally lobster season again! Our family typically enjoys one good feed of lobster, bought fresh from the ocean from our neighbor, who is a lobster fisherman. We don't really do a fancy lobster dinner or anything - my father cooks them all in a big batch (we borrow the cooker from our neighbor), and then spends a good amount of time cracking open the lobster, shelling it, and dividing up and separating the meat to put into bowls to enjoy for the next few days. Since lobster is such a treat on its own, we pair it with something simple - some cooked vegetables, and perhaps some potato salad or coleslaw. Lobster is a star on its own, so really doesn't require a lot of fuss with sides. Lobster can be quite filling and is actually quite a good source of protein. 

Baby Scallops With White Wine Reduction

The other day we had scallops for dinner. We usually bread scallops in bread crumbs and then bake them in the oven. This time though, we bought some regular scallops as well as some baby scallops to try. My father pan-fried the baby scallops. He began with some butter and oil, and browned it in the pan. then he gently seared the baby scallops. He added some white wine to make a reduction. I had never had baby scallops before, so it was a bit difficult to tell whether the white wine paired nicely with the scallops without having tasted them alone. I think this white wine was a little bit on the sweet side though it wasn't too bad. I would love to try seared baby scallops with another reduction sometime, perhaps a maple, balsamic, or lemon reduction. I bet it would be really good with caramelized onions as well. This is a really simple dish that cooks really quickly, but you could easily make it fancy by its presentation  Place a few scallops on a plate, or on a bed of greens, rice, etc. Add a drizzle of extra reduction on the side, or oil, or balsamic vinegar. Add a lemon wedge, parsley or other garnish, and voila!

Egg Rolls

This will be the last dish I feature from the graduation party. I don't want to say I saved the best for last, as choosing between all of them would be impossible, but this one is really good. I haven't had a lot of Chinese food, but I do know the Chinese food served in many restaurants around here, especially fast food joints, is not authentic Chinese food. Don't get me wrong, there are certainly a number of authentic Chinese restaurants out there as well, but a lot of Chinese food prepared, bought, and eaten around here is not like the authentic Chinese food you would find in China, or other Asian nations. Even if prepared at home, unless you are using an authentic Chinese recipe and ingredients bought from a Chinese specialty shop, it is likely to be quite different. Take chicken balls for example, are they really a Chinese food? I am quite certain egg rolls are. And when it comes to egg rolls, if it isn't the ones pictured below, you are missing out. Although the picture does not do them justice. Not that I have tasted a lot of different egg rolls, but I know these are very good. Arguably the best. Many people agree. Also they are quite authentic, as they are made by a close friend who grew up in China. They are good. I know they are also quite tedious and labor intensive to make, but they are always cooked to perfection. Crispy, with a delicious hot filling. I prefer them plain, but many enjoy them with a dab of plum sauce. They were a welcome addition to the buffet. We served them along with the main courses, but they could easily serve as an appetizer as well.
One thing I found particularly nice, was that a large platter of them was brought hot to the party. In addition, our friends brought us a smaller cold plate of them, for us to put in the fridge for ourselves, so it was guaranteed we would be able to enjoy some, at least the next day.

Chicken With Pineapple Sauce

This was the second, perfected trial for Mom's pineapple chicken recipe, which may become a new family favorite. The first attempt at this recipe was featured on March 20th. A few tweaks were made, and we now have a yummy new chicken recipe. My mother doubled the amount of chicken (because she wanted to make more), but kept the sauce ingredients the same, as we found it was too sweet last time. She did however increase the amount of soya sauce in order to further counter the overwhelming sweetness, which was evident by the change in sauce color. She also used fresh chicken breasts, and cooked them and diced them the day before, but was sure not to overcook them and to cool them properly. One problem we still seem to have is the viscosity of the sauce. She tried to make it thicker this time by stirring in some cornstarch and boiling it, but it didn't seem to work. Maybe there was not enough cornstarch or maybe the mixture was not boiled long enough. Then she transferred the sauce to a slow cooker and added the chicken, then heated the chicken in the sauce, and kept it warm until it was time to eat. This did not help thicken the sauce either. So this dish was best served with a slotted spoon, but the chicken still absorbs enough of the sauce to be moist, flavorful, and sweet. The only problem now is a lot of leftover liquid. It is tasty over rice, I suppose!

Crustless Mixed Vegetable Quiche

Crustless Mixed Vegetable Quiche
4 large eggs
3 cups milk
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bag (3 cups) frozen mixed vegetables, lightly steamed according to package directions
2 cups shredded cheese 

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line one 9x13 inch rectangular baking pan or two 9-inch round deep-dish pie plates. 
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the milk, cornstarch, baking powder, parsley, and spices. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared pan(s) and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

The vegetables, cheese, and seasonings can be varied to match your tastes. Leftover, fresh, or canned vegetables can all be used, as long as they are lightly cooked beforehand.  Choose vegetables that are fairly small - I used a mixture of carrots, beans, peas, and corn. Not typical in a quiche, but it worked really well! This is a really easy recipe that requires no crust to fuss with. It is also vegetarian and gluten-free! It cooks very well, and can even be kept warm for a while without sacrificing quality. This dish really isn't anything special, but was the first to disappear and got raving reviews, so I guess it went over well.

Cheesy Mushroom Rotini Bake

Mushroom Cheese Rotini Bake
hot, cooked rotini pasta, enough for 6 or so servings
1 cup diced fresh mushrooms
1 cup diced onion
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (10 ounces/294mL) cream of mushroom soup 
3/4 cup mayonnaise or mayonnaise-style dressing

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Return the pasta to cooking pot, and stir in remaining ingredients. Transfer into greased casserole dish(es) and bake, covered, for at least 30 minutes. This keeps warm in the oven well for a while longer, as long as it is covered so it doesn't dry out. 

There isn't a whole lot to say about this dish except that it is very quick and easy to make, and forgiving as well. It can be made ahead, parts of it prepared in advance, kept hot for a while, and reheated. It makes a quick, meatless weeknight meal, with maybe a salad and some bread on the side. It can be varied to no end- different types of cheese, vegetables, pasta shapes, add meat, spices, sauces, bread crumbs, etc, etc. This was very, very good though, and one example of a recipe my mother made for company without testing it beforehand (*gasp*), but is simple, and easy so ended up being a hit!

Red Head Pasta

This easy pasta recipe is the meal I enjoyed on Valentine's Day. It is not specifically catered to Valentine's Day, it could be enjoyed any time of the year. This sauce recipe is very easy to do and quick, and just needs to be tossed with some cooked pasta to make a nice meal, complete with a salad or vegetables and some bread or biscuits. The entire process only takes about twenty minutes to a half hour, but the sauce can simmer for longer if need be. It is also not a high-labor recipe, and does not require undivided attention. This recipe makes two heaping servings, or three to four as a side dish, but the recipe can easily be doubled. The sauce keeps well in the fridge and can be used on other things as well. It is a slightly chunkier sauce, but would be good on pizza. The herbs, spices, seasonings, and vegetables can be adjusted as you like.

Red Head Pasta

boiling water

salt

125 grams (2 1/2 cups) short dry pasta, I used rotini

1 Tablespoon butter or margarine

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

7 ounces (200mL) canned tomatoes

3 ounces (128 mL) tomato paste

3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

½ cup chopped plum tomatoes

fresh basil, chopped

ground black pepper

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring water to a boil. Once boiling, add salt and pasta. Cook, stirring often until pasta is tender. Drain. Return to pot. Add butter and stir.

Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute for about five minutes, until soft. Add remaining ingredients, simmer slowly for at least fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add sauce to pasta, and stir to coat. Serve with extra cheese, pepper, or herbs.

Squash Fries

We had a few different winter squashes on our hands, and decided yesterday was a good day to cook one of them. I have roasted and microwaved squash before, both of which work. However squash must be roasted for a long time in order to become tender, and then the texture usually turns out too hard or too mushy. Microwaving also takes a bit of time and patience, and isn't exactly the cleanest method. Boiling works, it just isn't very interesting. So yesterday night to go with our supper, my father decided to try making squash fries. He peeled and seeded the squash, and cut it into french-fry like strips. Then he baked them. I thought they turned out pretty tasty. I think it was an acorn squash, but I don't know for sure. It definitely was not butternut, buttercup, or spaghetti. A few were too hard, and a few were too soft, but the ones that were just right reminded me of regular french fries. They could have used a bit of salt and a little oil, as my father just left them plain, but other than that they were good. Next time we make them, we will know how to make them better. I think a slower oven temperature at first and a higher one or  broiling at the end would have made the fries nice and crispy as well! This is probably my new favorite was to eat squash.

Company Dinners

The other day, our family was invited to a friend's house for dinner. I like to have dinner at other peoples' houses from time to time, because there is always something different and new to try, there is never a lack of food, and it is always interesting and usually informative as well. It is especially good when the host is an excellent cook who has even published cookbooks. The other day our family enjoyed some new foods, the majority of which were German. As an appetizer, we had a sort of buckwheat pancake with some delicious smoked salmon, a slice of hard boiled egg for garnish, and some potent horseradish cream for taste. For the main course, I tried venison for the first time, which I wasn't even exactly sure what it was until the other day. I was a little bit skeptical, as I am not a big meat fan to begin with. This roast was bacon wrapped, and I am happy to report that I actually liked it more than I like roast beef! Accompanying the venison was gravy, delicious homemade cranberry sauce, red cabbage, and a homemade German egg noodle dish called "Spaetzle", which was quite good. Of course because I have such a sweet tooth, I always look forward to dessert the most. We had a German cheesecake, which was not as rich and creamy as the typical American cheesecakes I am used to, but still very good (this way you can eat a bigger piece). German cheesecakes are traditionally made with quark cheese, so that may be why. This cheesecake had a fruit in the batter, and a light dusting of icing sugar. It is pictured below. There was also two types of homemade beer, which I heard were also good, but I did not taste them myself. Overall, it was a very enjoyable meal with excellent company. I am looking forward to another company dinner. I enjoy being a host of company dinners as well, as then I am able to showcase my own culinary skills and go all out!

Risotto Dinner

I think I have featured risotto here once before only briefly, but it is worth another mention. Risotto is one of my signature dishes, one I can now make without the recipe, and using my own senses to judge cooking times and ingredient amounts. It is also always a hit with my family. We like to enjoy it as a main course sometimes, but it also goes well with a variety of dishes including salmon, chicken, and stir-fry. I usually just make plain risotto, but it can be varied in an endless number of ways from this simple recipe. I know I have added fresh peas, caramelized onion, lobster, and Parmesan cheese to my risotto before, but there are many more common recipes out there that I would like to try, such as butternut squash risotto. Risotto has a reputation of a time-consuming, difficult dish, but it really isn't, especially once you have made it as many times as I have. It does require a lot of stirring and constant attention, but this allows you to get other things in the kitchen done as well. This time, I made risotto to go with our salmon. Our salmon was smoked on the barbecue, just the way we like it, despite the fact it is nearly December! (Remember my September 18th post entitled "Last Barbecue Of The Season?", it definitely wasn't true). We also had a nice stir-fry with our meal as well. This is one of my favorite meal combinations; salmon, stir-fry, and either risotto or homemade hashbrowns. 

Back To School Meal Times

Well school has been back in for a few weeks now, and routines have started to become well established by this time. Meals can be a bit difficult to plan at this time of year. Schedules  can make it difficult to enjoy many family meals together, between school, jobs, sports, extra-curricular activities, homework, and sleep, it isn't easy to find a time where the entire family can sit down and eat together. And that is just supper, which tends to be the primary meal families enjoy together, where one dish is cooked for everyone to sit down and savor. Too often breakfast ends up being a hurried event, because family members need to be out the door at different times to make it to school and work, depending on what time they are expected to be there and how far the journey is. Oversleeping, long showers, and mini morning crisis sometimes leave minimal time for a good, nutritious, sit-down breakfast. Often a grab-and-go breakfast style is preferred. It is also entirely possible that there are no family members at home at lunchtime. Lunch is usually eaten at school or at work either alone or with a group of friends, and usually consists of something quick and easy to pack, or a quick take-out.

What is the best way to manage these busy schedules and still manage to find some time for a family meal? Try to arrange schedules so there is a time everyone has, even if it is just half an hour, for a family meal. Even if you can only manage this for a few nights a week, it is much better than none. This meal should have a homemade cooked dish everyone enjoys, even if it consists of leftovers or food from the freezer. There isn't much you can do about lunches, but try to make the breakfast table a common meeting place for at least five minutes or so, just so everyone is on the same page. And nothing brings the family together like a batch of homemade cookies fresh from the oven, whether it is after school, before bed, or 9:00 am on a Saturday morning. Family and nutritious food should always be high priorities.

Popovers

Tonight we had popovers with our omelettes for supper. Popovers have been on my list of things I want to make for quite a while now, and apparently my mother also wanted to try them. She decided tonight would be a good night to try them. We compared a few different popover recipes to find the best technique, ingredient amount, and cooking method. The recipe we used follows. Popovers are difficult to describe. They are a simple mixture of eggs, milk, flour, and salt. They are baked at a high temperature, and rise very high without a leavening agent. They are crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. They are a nice side dish served with breakfast or brunch, or even with soup. They are good plain, or with butter, jam, or honey. 

Popovers
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450◦F. Generously spray eight muffin cups (or a popover pan if you have it) with cooking spray, or grease with butter or shortening.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs for about a minute, just until they are a uniform color and not yet fluffy. Whisk in the milk. Dump in the flour and salt all at once, and stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Batter will be lumpy.
Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling them almost to the top. Fill the extra cups with water. Bake for exactly 30 minutes. Do not open the oven during baking!
Place pan on a wire rack, and gently pierce the top of each popover with a sharp knife to let steam escape. Cool for a minute or two, and gently turn the popovers on to a serving dish. Serve immediately, while they are warm and before they deflate.
A few notes: 450◦F for exactly 30 minutes is the perfect oven temperature to achieve a crisp exterior and fluffy interior texture. Ensure the pans are greased well so your popovers will pop right out. This recipe made eight.

Lobster

It is now officially lobster season, with fresh lobster being brought in everyday from the nearby ocean! We enjoyed some fresh lobster for supper tonight. I am nowhere near a lobster expert, in fact, I only recently began liking lobster (I used to not like any fish at all, now I absolutely love most kinds of fish!) I guess there aren't too many different ways to enjoy fresh, cooked lobster - plain and simple is best. Lobster meat is so tasty (and expensive) it really only needs a little adornment for flavor. Of course, lobster meat can also be used in a variety of dishes. It makes a delicious addition to hors d'oeuvres sandwiches, and chowders if you can afford it, but it is also nice to enjoy lobster just as is. We usually eat our lobster cold, as my father will cook them in a large pot of boiling water, cool them, painstakingly shell them, then put the meat in the fridge for later. Shelling lobster is by far the most difficult, time-consuming, and annoying part of all, and I am glad I never have to end up doing it. Lobster is definitely worth all the trouble though. I find that this one small crustacean has several different flavors. The big claw meat is my favorite part, I find the tails taste good but are a bit too chewy for my liking. The little claws are also fairly good, but a bit of a hassle to open for the amount of meat you get from them. I am not really a fan of the tomalley, which many people consider the best part. Lobster is a flavorful and filling fish, and is best enjoyed with just a few light side dishes. Coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, garden salad, mashed potatoes, and rolls are all good choices. Lobster meat doesn't really need any seasoning at all, but a touch of salt, ground black pepper, lemon juice, or tarter sauce can all add a little flavor.