A Summer Feast.
Turkey steaks, Mexican quesadilla, guacamole, salsa, and cheesecake with a blueberry topping. BBQ’d turkey steaks. 1 large turkey breast steak per person, pounded to ensure even thickness all the way through Zest and juice of 2 limes 1 clove garlic, crushed 1½ tsp good quality chili powder (or use a combination of 6 parts ground cumin and cayenne pepper powder) 3 tablespoons good olive oil 1 tsp salt Combine all the above ingredients together well and pour over the turkey steaks. Marinate the steaks for at least 2 hours but no longer than 4 hours. Drain...
Read MoreLamb kebobs
lemon roast potatoes, Greek salad, Baklava Lamb Kebobs Juice and zest of 2 lemons ½ cup olive oil 4 garlic cloves, minced ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper 1 tsp dried oregano Combine the above in a bowl and whisk together well. 1½ pounds leg of lamb or lamb loin trimmed of most of the fat and any connective tissue cut into 1½” square pieces Add the lamb pieces to the marinade and marinate for up to 12 hours. Note: This can also be done in zippered bags. Just be sure that the marinade coats all of the pieces well. Remove the lamb from the marinade and drain well. Discard the marinade....
Read MoreBBQ Pizzas
I love making my own pizza. I get the toppings and the thinness of the crust I love without the cost. However, in the middle of summer I don’t want to turn my oven on and heat up the whole house. Using the BBQ is a great option during the summer months. Not only do you keep your house cool, cooking pizza on the BBQ gives it a “fire wood oven” taste. So good and so easy. I pair the pizza with a light and crisp salad to round out the dinner. To get this meal to the table all at the same time: Make the pizza dough earlier in the day. Prepare your toppings earlier in the day and keep them...
Read MoreFish en Paupiette
This is a great dinner for both family and friends. It looks impressive and the clean-up is a snap! Serves 4 Preheat the oven to 400°F. 4 firm white fish fillets (snapper, halibut, etc.) 1 inch thick if possible 4 medium waxy potatoes, unpeeled and cut into thin slices 12 thin lemon slices 1 large bulb of fennel, trimmed and sliced thinly 2 carrots, thinly sliced on the bias 1 small red pepper, julienned Salt and pepper to taste 4 rounds of parchment paper Cut the parchment paper into circles large enough to hold the fish and the veggies and place them on a working...
Read MoreBeef Wellington with Au jus
This is the perfect dish for entertaining as almost everything can be done in advance leaving the host/ess relaxed and ready to enjoy their company Beef Wellington with Au jus . To get this meal to the table all at the same time: Prepare the mushroom duxelle up to a day in advance Prep the beef up to a day in advance. Refrigerate until ready to go into the oven. Assemble the beef wellington earlier in the day and then held refrigerated until ready to bake. Pull it out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before placing in the oven. The beans can be cooked and refreshed up to a day in advance....
Read MoreThis is a great way to entertain especially when you are not sure what all of your guests like to eat or how they like things cooked.
This is also perfect to share on a bright sunny day on chairs in your backyard or on your deck. Mini Beef Skewers ½ pound sirloin steak cut into bite size pieces 1 clove garlic crushed 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil Mix all of the ingredients together well and marinate overnight, refrigerated. Remove the beef from the refrigerator and skewer one eight of the meat onto each of 8 skewers. Discard the marinade and allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before grilling. Lamb Kebobs ½ pound lamb chops, meat removed from the bone and cut into bite size...
Read MoreMarinated 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 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 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...
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