Spring Feeling Cocktail

Cabin fever... Spring fever, call it what you will, this fresh spritely cocktail will certainly give you those Spring vibes.

Spring Feeling Cocktail

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makes 1 cocktail

1/2 oz lemon juice

1/2 oz Green Chartreuse

1 oz Dry Gin

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Shake well. Strain into 3 oz cocktail glass.

Warmer temperatures, above 0ºC, are a bonus. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

The Great Pepper Cookbook

With over 30 types of peppers and chile peppers, ranging from the well known and versatile bell peppers to the lesser known intense bhut jolokia and scorpion chile peppers, with delicious recipes, charts and notes await one in this very guided informative cookbook. At the beginning of the book there is the helpful, Scoville Organoleptic Test, a chart, which determines the heat units of each pepper fresh or dried. 

These focused ingredient cookbooks as simplified as they are, they are very handy. Throughout the pages and amongst the glossy photos stand delicious and inspiring recipes with helpful hints and notes. Each recipe has a pepper rating that ranges from 1 pepper to 3 peppers... 1 pepper = mellow, 2 peppers = zippy and 3 peppers = kickin'. Giving you a better understanding of how versatile peppers may be. There are many recipes that will tempt you and cover everything from appetizers, snacks and drinks, breakfast and brunches, soups and salads, sandwiches, main dishes, side dishes and desserts. So whether you like a bit of heat or a lot of heat there is a recipe that will please and suit which ever level of heat you prefer. Recipes like... The Red Hot Lemonade, Guajillo Chile Zucchini Bread, Coleslaw with Chile Lime Dressing, Portobello Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Citrusy Chicken and Peach Salad, Fiery French Toast and the Apple - Cinnamon - Chile Crumb Cake all caught my eye and my stomach, to name a few.  

The recipe that I am sharing from the book sounds delicious and summery. Looking at the recipe, you may be able to use the preserve mixture as a marinade of sorts and cook the chicken on the barbeque.   

Raspberry - Chile Chicken Thighs ( 2 pepper rating)

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Prep Time: 20 minutes / Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes / Serves: 6 (2 thighs)

12 chicken thighs (about 5 pounds)

1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups seedless raspberry preserve

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 fresh Hatch chile peppers, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed, and diced

2 lemons, juiced (about 6 tablespoons juice)

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. Heat oil and butter in a large flameproof roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add 6 pieces chicken; sear, about 5 minutes per side. remove from pan and add remaining 6 pieces chicken; repeat procedure. Return all chicken to roasting pan. 

2. Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine preserves, vinegar, chile, and juice; cook just until boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer until slightly thickened, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly.

3. Place preserves mixture in a blender*; process until slightly smooth. Pour preserves mixture over chicken; sprinkle evenly with paprika and cayenne pepper. Cover with foil; bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake until chicken is completely cooked through and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165ºF, about 15minutes. Serve. 

*The Recipe's Notes: Be cautious when blending hot foods; the contents expand rapidly, causing a risk of scalding. To be safe, before blending, remove centre piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape), secure lid on blender, and place a towel over opening in lid (to avoid splatters)

The Recipe's Kitchen Savvy: If your roasting pan isn't stove-top safe, sear chicken in a large skillet, in batches if necessary, before transferring to the roasting pan. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Things are a bit all over the place for me this week. - JD 

   

Sea Fizz Cocktail

On one of the most snowy days, we tried this light frothy cocktail. A fresh summertime drink that will have you floating along regardless what the temperature may be outside. According to some, this cocktail was founded in 1946 in the Stork Club Bar Book by Lucius Beebe.   

Sea Fizz Cocktail

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makes 1 cocktail

1 1/2 oz Absinthe

1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

1 egg white

chilled club soda

Fill a cocktail shaker half way with ice cubes. Add the absinthe, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white. Shake the cob webs out (which means shake well).

Fill a highball glass halfway full with ice cubes. Strain the sea into the glass.

Fill the glass almost to the top with the chilled club soda, and stir well.

Stay warm and have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Lorraine Pascale's ~ Fast, Fresh and Easy Food

I have wanted a cookbook by Lorraine Pascale for the longest time. While in England I came across this well designed and organized book of hers. 100 fast, fresh and easy recipes that are accessible and tasty. I made the sweetcorn rice from the book and it had an understated clean taste that was easy to digest. A positive side dish for virtually any meal.

This cookbook is divided into 10 segments or should I say chapters. Each chapter is presented with an inspirational quote and introduction. The one for Cakes + Puds is very fitting: "Everything in moderation... including moderation." - Julia Child. There is something for everyone here. Classics with a spin, simple sides, succulent mains, kitchen staples, and scrumptious afters. Most of the ingredients are accessible and recipes are quick and easy. You will want to make them again and again. Lorraine Pascale takes the guess work out of meal planning by making it quicker and providing a side with the main. She has also provided a handy note at the top the ingredient list for each recipe which states time from start to finish, how many it serves and the equipment you will need. Also recipes are designed with a time plan so that everything, main and side, may be served up together. So many recipes... Crispy Crunch Chicken Strips, Gingerbread Pancakes, Peri Peri Chicken, Chicken, Apple & Cider Casserole, Warm Salmon & Lentils, Spicy Bean Burgers, Walnut Cake, and Peanut Butter Squares! 

This cookbook is inspirational and will satisfy most culinary palates and also is a great addition to one's cookbook collection. 

There is foie gras and then there is this recipe for a vegetarian 'faux gras'. It is a bit different and seems decadent. Which I find very appealing and hope you do to.  

Vegetarian mushroom & port 'faux gras' with tarragon & chestnuts
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Time from start to finish: 20 minutes (+ ideally 6 hours in fridge)
Serves: 4
Equipment: Medium frying pan, food processor, 4 x 175ml ramekins

Oil
25g butter
2 shallots
3 garlic cloves
500g chestnut mushrooms
4 tablespoons port (optional)
2 sprigs of fresh tarragon
100g cooked chestnuts (available vac packed or tinned from supermarket)
300g cream cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Your favourite bread, crackers or breadsticks, to serve

+ Put a drizzle of oil and the butter in a medium frying pan over a low heat.

+ Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic and add to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring now and again, until soft and slightly golden.

+ Finely slice the mushrooms. Add them to the pan along with the port, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Turn up the heat to medium and cook for 8 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened and all their liquid has evaporated.

+ Meanwhile, pick the leaves from one sprig of tarragon, divide the other sprig into four smaller pieces and then roughly chop the chestnuts.

+ Tip the cooked mushroom mixture into a food processor with chestnuts, individual leaves of tarragon and the cream cheese. Blitz for a few minutes until really smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Have a taste of it and adjust the seasoning if necessary. 

+ Divide between the ramekins, smooth their tops and place a tarragon sprig on top of each to decorate. Arrange them in a small tray or plate, cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. You can also serve these straight away, but their texture will be much softer and flavour not so intense. Serve with your favourite bread, crackers, or breadsticks. 

Keep it simple. Here is the sweetcorn rice dish I made from the cookbook. Fresh, tasty and so delicious! 



Hope everyone is having a great week so far! - JD 

Tangy Pineapple Salsa

We were beating the heat this weekend and doing some entertaining while serving this delicious salsa. With very few ingredients you can create a refreshing and tangy summertime dip. 

Tangy Pineapple Salsa

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6 roma tomates, diced

1 sweet red onion, diced

1 medium green pepper, sliced and diced

1 medium red pepper, sliced and diced

1 to 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 

1 can of crushed pineapple, drained and set aside the drained juice

1 lime, juiced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

First, wash and prep the veggies.

In a blender, blend together half of the tomatoes, onion and peppers. Then add half the cilantro, if adding any, half the pineapple and the garlic. Pulse for a few seconds. Empty into a large bowl then stir in the remaining ingredients. Add a bit of the reserved pineapple juiced, to your liking. Cover and let mellow in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Serve with multigrain corn chips, tortillas, and tacos. May also be served with fish, chicken, and burgers.

Notes: For a more chunkier salsa do not partially blend the ingredients. You can use fresh pineapple or canned pineapple tidbits too. For some bite add a bit of hot sauce to kick things up! Add black beans.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. It was a lovely one for us. - JD 

Leftovers #25 ~ Herbs

How does one have leftover herbs when, I assume, they are used on a daily basis. In the shops here, herbs are package and sold in bundles or pre washed, pre-cut plastic containers filled with a herb of choice... they are also sold dried in glass or plastic bottles and cellophane pouches. All are readily available and sold all year round.  

If a particular herb is bought for a specific recipe and not all is used then I guess it is alright to classify it as a leftover. Leftover herbs are easy to incorporate into ones cooking or baking. Therefore I do not think you will be surprised as to how I ended up using the remainder of chives; as chives can be added to just about any cooking or baking.  

 First off some were used to make these lovely scones... cheesy chive with a subtle buttery flavour.

And the rest went to make these creamy buttery chive mashed potatoes. 

Hope everyone is having a good week so far. A very delicate chilly snowfall has made a presence this morning. Stay warm! - JD 

Food Revolution Day 2013

As some of you may know Food Revolution was yesterday. I would have posted this late last night however I was a bit tired. I had spent most of the afternoon with my son's class at a gymnastics field trip. Fun as that was... I had to hurry home to get cooking. 

Unfortunately, I wish my event wasn't the only one in Edmonton however it was and that didn't dampen my spirit. But it did get me thinking as to why more Canadians or should I say western Canada seem to lag behind in participating. Could it be that the long weekend over shadowed this event? Or the fact that Food Revolution was on a Friday threw everyone for a loop? Last years event was held on a Saturday. Regardless I enjoyed my participation and tried to inspire others. The above picture shows my meal in it's fullest... trust me everything went fast! 

We made these salad rolls with rice paper wraps, lettuce, carrots, cucumber and water chestnuts. Very yummy and fresh. I made a simple dipping sauce of mixing honey, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil together. 

The second dish was a vegetable medley. I took thinly sliced green cabbage, green peppers, celery and green onions. Sautéed them in a bit of canola oil for about 5 mins then added a tablespoon of soy sauce. Tossed to coat. Then serve. Very simple and very fast. 

Here was the focal point of the meal. I say focal point because oddly enough I have never made lemon chicken before. It was easy and done in about 40 minutes. Very... very tasty! I will definitely me making this again. 

I know Food Revolution just isn't about cooking a meal using fresh local ingredients. It's about awareness, education, community and sharing. Four days prior to Food Revolution Day we planted golden raspberries and radishes in the garden. Today we bought more seeds... lamb lettuce and yellow beans. I picked the lamb lettuce and my daughter picked the yellow beans. I talk to my kidlets about food, where it comes from and why we eat what we eat and the healthier food choices we should make. We even exchange recipe ideas. Our dinner table is a great place to discuss this. Even if I am the only one in Edmonton at least I am showing my kidlets it is important to participate, regardless, when others do not and it is important to stand up for what you believe in. Happy Food Revolution Day! - JW