Marinated steaks, sauté of mushrooms, Caesar salad, garlic bread,
ice cream sundaes with summer fruit coulee Marinated steaks 1 kg sirloin steak Remove any moisture from the steak using a paper towel and place the steak in a non reactive bowl just large enough to hold the steak. (You can also marinate the steak in a sealable zip lock bag.) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon Kikkoman reduced salt soy sauce ½ tsp hot sauce or more if you like 1 tablespoon olive oil Combine the above together well and pour over the steak. Let the steak sit in the marinade, refrigerated for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 24 hours....
Read MoreBack to Eden
For years I have been pondering the scenario of what would happen to seed supplies if the whole world suddenly became food insecure and people all around the globe started to grow food. I could not imagine what would cause such an unlikelihood, yet today here we are seeing an unprecedented reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a return to the land and expansion of food gardening not seen since the Victory Gardens of World War 2. This has caused sweeping demands in seed sales and food starts as folk who have never grown food plant food gardens, and others switch their gardens to grow...
Read MoreKALE – NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS
Kale is not just really GOOD for you but is also one of the easiest and longest lasting garden vegetables to grow. It has the highest levels of beta-carotene of all the brassicas. It contains 10 times the Vitamin A of lettuce and 3 times the Vitamin C of oranges. It also has more B vitamins than whole wheat bread, and more calcium than milk! It is so versatile in the kitchen that Sharon Hanna describes 80 + delicious recipes in her Book of Kale, The Easy-to-Grow Superfood, everything from kale chips to smoothies and kale shepherd’s pie with lentils. Check out a 2021 seed catalogue to...
Read MoreCoq Au Vin and Bananas Foster
To get this meal to the table all at the same time: Cut up the chicken and make the stock the day before. Chill the stock over night. Chop the pancetta ealier in the day and set aside. Prep the finishing veggies earlier in the day and cook them during the last cooking time for the chicken. The pecans can be candied several days in advance. Store them in an air tight sealed container until you finish the dessert. Prepare the sauce for the dessert up to just before adding the bananas but finish the dssert just before serving. Coq Au Vin Serves 4 1 chicken Salt and pepper as...
Read MoreThis is a twist on a classic Christmas dinner.
I love it because most of the prep can be done in advance and carving the galantine is a snap. So easy and so festive. You can serve the galantine with cranberry sauce if you like. Galantine of Chicken This recipe sounds complicated and it is certainly not for the faint of heart. However, the final results are sensational and look very impressive. While complicated to make, the final cooking and carving are very simple. 2 large whole chicken breasts, keel bone removed, skin attached, trimmed of any excess fat Salt and pepper Place the 2 breasts on 1 large piece of plastic wrap and then cover...
Read MoreSlow roasted duck legs,
quinoa, glazed carrots, pear and ginger upside cake I love duck. It is so rich and flavourful and this is the perfect dish for fall. Full of great flavours and hearty enough to warm the soul when the weather starts to turn cooler. This is also a great dish to cook on a workday as you can start the cooking first thing in the morning and leave the duck cooking all day. When you get home, you just need to finish the sauce and the side dishes. If you don’t want to leave your oven on all day, you can reduce the cooking time and increase the temperature – say 350°F for 2...
Read MoreThis recipe is for a full blown Greek meal.
We start with a flambéed cheese dish – Saganaki. Followed by a main course of slow cooked leg of lamb served with rice and a Greek salad followed by a classic dessert of Ekmek. Saganaki 2 small packages of Saganaki cheese (can be found in the cheese section of good grocery stores or in specialty shops) – 110 gm each Flour as required Oil as required Dust the cheese lightly with the flour. Heat the oil in a large enough pan to hold both slices of cheese at the same time. As soon as the oil is smoking hot, add the cheese and cook on one side. Carefully flip and cook on the opposite...
Read MoreThis is a quick and easy dinner
that takes advantage of all the fresh locally grown ingredients that are available this time of year. Warm Potato salad 2 lb waxy new potatoes, skin on Water to cover 1 tsp salt Try and select potatoes that are of the same size as much as possible. Place the potatoes and the water in a pan with a tight fitting lid. Place over medium high heat and bring to the boil. Add the salt and reduce the heat to low. Cook just until the potatoes are tender, approximately 15 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, mix the following in a bowl large enough to hold all of the rest of the ingredients. ¼...
Read MoreBBQ fish with a fresh fruit salsa, marinated cucumber salad
with fresh dill, potato kebobs, grilled fruit and pound cake kebobs BBQ fish 1 large fillet of salmon, pin bones removed (you can substitute another fish in place of the salmon. Just be sure it is a firm textured fish) 1 lemon Salt and pepper as required Lightly grease the grills on the BBQ and then preheat to high. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the flesh side of the salmon and then season generously with salt and pepper. Once the BBQ has come up to heat, lay the salmon flesh side down on the grill. Cook for 2 minutes. Carefully slide 2 large lifters under the fish and rotate...
Read MoreStuffed Portobello mushrooms,
stuffed tomatoes, twice baked potatoes, fresh berry shortcakes Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms 4 large portobello mushrooms, tops washed, stems removed and reserved, gills scraped clean Sprinkle of salt pepper for each mushroom cap ½ cup short grain rice such as Arborio 2 cup water ¼ tsp salt 4 strips bacon, cut into thin strips ½ small onion, finely diced 1 clove garlic, finely chopped Reserved mushroom stems, finely chopped 1 tsp fresh chives, finely chopped 1 cup finely shaved parmesan cheese Cook the rice in the salted water for until cooked to desired degree of doneness. Set...
Read MoreProsciutto wrapped asparagus
with a sun dried tomato dressing, spaghetti Carbonara with roast tomatoes, strawberry tarts with a vanilla custard cream Prosciutto wrapped asparagus Serves 4 28 spears of fresh asparagus, trimmed 10 thin slices of prosciutt Carefully wrap approximately ⅓ strips of prosciutto around each spear of asparagus trying to wrap as tightly as possible and trying to get as much of the asparagus wrapped with the prosciutto as possible. Set aside. 6 pieces of oil packed sun dried tomato cut into thin strips 1 tsp sun dried oil 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar ½ tsp sugar ¼ tsp...
Read MoreHerb and garlic chicken sauté,
gnocchi with a fresh tomato basil sauce, Chicken with a herb and garlic sauce 4 large chicken breasts Salt and pepper to taste Place the chicken breasts on a secure cutting board. Use a sharp knife and cutting at an angle, remove a slice of chicken from the breast. Repeat with the remainder of the chicken breast. Each slice should be approximately 2 oz each. Place the slices on a sheet of plastic wrap leaving approximately 3 inches between each breast. Use a mallet and very carefully pound out each breast so that the breasts are an even thickness of approximately ¼...
Read MoreThai chicken curry,
coconut rice, vegetables in a lemon grass broth, sautéed banana with lime over coconut ice cream Coconut Rice 2 cups jasmine rice 3 cups water 1 tsp salt ½ cup dried coconut 1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger Rinse the rice twice in water and then drain. Put the rice in a heavy bottomed pan, add the water, salt ginger and coconut, cover and bring to the boil over high heat. As soon as the rice comes to the boil, lower the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid. After 20 minutes, remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork and serve. Red curry chicken 1 tsp...
Read MoreSlow cooked ribs
oven roast fries, wilted red cabbage and apples, profiteroles with chocolate and toffee sauces Serves 4 people generously 4 racks of pork back ribs cut into 2 rib sections 2 large onions, roughly chopped 1 cup tomato ketchup ½ cup Kikkoman sodium reduced soy sauce ¼ cup yellow mustard ½ cup rice vinegar ½ cup brown sugar Water as required Place the ribs in a large enough roaster so they are no more than 2 layers deep. Add the remaining ingredients and add enough water to completely cover the ribs. Cover the ribs pan with a lid and place in a preheated oven. Bake just...
Read MoreMedallions of beef,
with wine jus, mushroom and bacon risotto, vegetables, apple tarte Tatin with Chantilly cream. Beef 1½ pounds centre cut fillet of beef Salt and pepper as required 1 tsp oil Have your butcher cut the fillet into 12 thin fillets. If you are doing this yourself, place the fillet into the freezer for 1 hour to firm it up before trying to slice. Pound the slices very gently to ensure they are of even thickness. Over high, heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan large enough to accommodate all of the beef at one time. Season one side of medallions with salt and pepper. Once the oil is...
Read MoreHam and pea soup,
fresh baked bread, blue cheese, candied walnut and pear salad, baked stuffed apples – Serves 4 generously Pea soup 1 pound split peas Pick over the peas to be sure there are no pebbles or other foreign items. Cover with water and let sit overnight, refrigerated. The other option is to cover the peas with boiling water and let them sit for 1 hour. Drain the peas well. 1 ham hock, approximately 900 gm 1 small onion roughly chopped 1 small carrot roughly chopped 2 ribs celery, roughly chopped 8 cups water or enough to cover all of the ingredients 2 bay leaves Place all of the...
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