Crispy Prawns with Garlic and Parsley Aioli and Green Beans

 

I was inspired by the weather today (17 degrees!), and decided to cook some summertime patio food for dinner. And of course green beans in anticipation of St Patrick's Day. I also updated my Lite Brite for the holiday (the snowman was getting to be a bad omen, and I do want the good weather to continue) so here's my best St Patrick's Day sunny Sunday night dinner. Desserts will follow later in the week. 


Garlic and Parsley Aioli

Garlic infused olive oil

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the shrimp)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbspn Italian flat leaf parsley
• 1 lime - add the zest, and then the juice
• salt and pepper

How mayonaise starts...

1. Infuse the oilve oil with the garlic by heating it over medium-low heat in a saucepan and adding the peeled cloves (just smash them with the flat side of your knife to release some favlour). Simmer until the garlic is soft, then remove from heat and let cool. 
2. Combine the remaining ingredients plus the garlic in a blender or food processor and blend until mixed. Gradually add the olive oil and continue blending until thick and creamy. Season to taste with more lime, salt, pepper, etc. 

Crispy Prawns

• 6-8 large prawns, shells removed
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) 
• 1/4 cup flour, or as required
• Canola oil for trying (about 1/2 cup)

1. Add oil to large pan and heat to medium-high temperature. 
2. Arrange 3 bowls near your stove containing (in order from furthest to closest); flour, egg white, panko. 
3. Dip each prawn in each bowl in the same order, then place in the pan. 
4. After about 30 seconds - 1 minute, you will need to flip the prawns and crisp the other side. It should be golden brownish when you do this. 
5. Place on paper towel to remove excess oil before serving. 

I served the prawns and aioli with the green beans from my Christmas recipe (the prior post to this one), only using lime juice instead of lemon. And in the true spirit of embracing patio season, I paired this with a Vinho Verde, a light bodied, crisp and relatively low alcohol white wine from Portugal that drinks very easily on patios in the summer. I enjoyed the crisp citrus notes on the palate with the spice in the aioli. The bottle I picked up was  Sogrape Gazela Vinho Verde and is available at most LCBOs for $8.95. Cheers!

Happy St Patrick's Day!!!

Farmers Market Christmas Eve Dinner – Duck & Winter Vegetables

We generally don’t eat meat, sometimes a bit of fish, but decided to do something special for Christmas. We ventured to St Lawrence market and returned with duck breast and various winter vegetables. I was also surprised to find cherries (obviously not local)! The menu below serves 2 people (although 2 usually non-meat eating people, so you may wish to adjust the vegetable – duck ratio to suit your taste). I’ve tried to list the dishes in the order you should prepare them – start with the beets, and prepare the other 2 vegetable dishes while they’re roasting. You can keep them all warming in a low heat oven while you make the duck and wine reduction.

Cherries made our Christmas meal special!]

Roast Beets

•       2-3 lbs beets
•       olive oil
•       salt and pepper

1.     Heat oven to 400 F.

2.     Peel and trim beets. Cut to desired size (quarter if small beets, slice if larger).

3.     In an oven safe dish, mix beets with some olive oil. Salt and pepper beets and cover with tin foil.

4.     Roast for approximately 45 minutes. Remove foil and finish roasting, approximately another 10 minutes. Beets are done when they are soft when a fork is inserted into them. They should be sweet to taste.

Mustard Green Beans

•       1 lb green beans
•       1 shallot, finely diced
•       2 tbsp butter
•       2 tsp mustard (preferably Dijon – we got ours from Kozlik’s in the market)
•       1 tbsp white wine vinegar
•       1 lemon wedge (to squeeze juice over beans)

Stop here in the market!

1.     Bring water to a boil in saucepan large enough to hold beans. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until beans are softened. Remove from heat.

2.     Melt butter in skillet over low heat.

3.     Add shallot, cook for several minutes or until translucent.

4.     Remove from heat and stir in mustard and vinegar. Add beans and toss to combine.

5.     Finish with salt and pepper and lemon wedge to your taste.

Pureed Celeriac Root

Celery root looks scary. It isn't. 

•       1 celery root
•       3 tbsp goat cheese
•       ¼ cup heavy cream (lukewarm)
•       1 bay leaf

1.     Peel and remove ends of celery root. Chop into squares.

2.     Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add celery root and bay leaf and reduce heat to medium and cook until soft, resembling cooked potato.

3.     Strain water. Add goat cheese and cream and puree in a food processor or hand blender.

Duck & Cherry Pinot Noir Reduction

•       1 large duck breast
•       1 cup Pinot Noir (250 ml, or roughly 1/3 of a wine bottle)
•       1 cup cherries, pitted and halved
•       olive oil
•       salt and pepper

Score the duck comme ca

1.     To make the sauce, heat a saucepan over medium heat and bring Pinot Noir to a boil. Decrease heat to low and simmer until the wine is reduced by half (15-20 minutes). Set aside.

2.     Score the duck breast skin in a cris-cross pattern. Rub salt and pepper on skin. Place skin side down in a fry pan over medium-high heat, with a bit of olive oil (duck will produce it’s own fat while cooking, so use oil sparingly).

3.     Cook until crisp and browned, several minutes.

4.     Flip sides and cook until medium rare. There should be fat accumulating in the pan now.

5.     Remove duck from pan, but keep the fat. Now cook the cherries in the fat for a few minutes over low heat. Add the cherries and fat to the Pinot Noir reduction and stir over low heat.

6.     Slice the duck into 1½ inch pieces to serve.

To assemble the plates, place the celeriac puree in the centre of the plate and arrange the sliced duck breast on top, then finish with the wine reduction. Serve the beans and beets on the side.

Cherries, cooking in duck fat

The wine pairing for this meal is a no brainer – pinot noir! Apart from the fact that I put pinot in the meal, it’s a natural fit with duck. The earth yet fruity wine is a nice compliment to medium meats (duck, roast salmon, etc), and the acidity is high enough to balance out the fatty duck. It’s important to have high acid wines with fatty foods because they cleanse the palate between bites. Likewise, it’s important to have high fat foods with high acid wines because the wine will overpower something low fat. We had some stinky cheese for dessert (Stilton among others, which apparently is a British Christmas tradition), so the wine was a good fit with dessert as well.

The completed meal

Happy holiday cooking and baking!

Lentil Bourguinion

Lentil Bourguinon, with onion "bowl"

My favourite cuisine by far is French. The cheese, wine, delicate sauces and freshly baked pastries are amazing, but what I enjoy most is the rustic flavours a lot of French cooking retains. Unfortunately for me, most French cooking is decidedly meat oriented. So this is my vegetarian take on a classic French dish - Beef Bourguinion. It's easy enough to eat for Sunday night dinner, like we did, but polished enough to serve to guests (especially with a presentation like the one I suggest below instead of the traditional stew-like serving). Even your carnivorous friends will enjoy it (mine did!).

You probably have this in your cupboards already!

  Ingredients: 
 1 large yellow or vidallia onion
 2 handfuls of mushrooms (use white or mix
 portobellos & porcini - gives it a beefy taste)
 1 can lentils
 2 tbsp soya sauce
 1/3 cup red wine
 1 tbsp olive oil
 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
 1/2 tsp onion salt
 1 tsp sage
 1 tbsp fresh thyme (remove leaves from sprig)
 1 bay leaf


 salt and pepper
 fresh baguette to serve on the side


Instructions: 
1. Cut onion in half. Chop off the end of each onion. Pop out the centre layers of the onion so 3 outside layers remain - this will form the "bowl" for your lentil/mushroom mix.
2. Roast the outside layer onion bowl (with a splash of olive oil and cracked pepper and salt) in the oven at 400 F for approx. 10 minutes or until slightly softened.
3. Chop the centre layers of the onion and set aside.

Make sure the "bowls" are thick enough to maintain shape

4. Finely slice (or quarter) the mushrooms. Fry on medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed pan in a splash of olive oil.
5. Once the mushrooms are sweating (emitting their own liquid) add sliced onions and garlic. Fry until onions are translucent, approx. 2-3 minutes.

These mushrooms are "sweating"

6. Add lentils and spices. Cook for 3 more minutes.
7. Add wine and soya sauce (if you want extra sauce to soak bread in, double the amount for both wine and soya sauce). Simmer for 5 minutes or until you're done slicing bread and setting the table.
8. To serve, place onion bowl in centre of plate and spoon the mushroom/lentil mixture on top so it's spilling over the sides. Serve with french bread and wine.

All ingredients. Double the liquid ingredients for extra sauce. 

We paired this with a Malbec, which we promptly recycled and I can't recall the name of. Regardless, this dish calls for red wine, something a bit earthy, and mild tannin. French Pinot is an obvious choice given the name of the dish, but Merlot or Syrah could be enjoyable as well.

In other exciting news - I  have a friend that is looking to get into food photography and would like to take pictures for The Truth About Grapes! Poor quality iPhone photos will end with the next posting.

Big Green Salad

Big Green Salad (sorry for the poor quality iPhone photo)

Greetings! Firstly, sorry it's been so long. There's no excuse! Secondly, new look to the blog. Let me know how it's working for you. Thirdly, and most importantly, my team at work is doing a weight loss challenge. While my coworkers spend the next 10 weeks swapping theories on carbs, trading cabbage soup recipes and fasting, I plan to post an update a week in the hopes of proving you can actually enjoy food and be healthy! 

I made this salad a few weeks ago and Jo loved it. So we experimented last week and wrote down all the ingredients. And for lack of a better name, it became Big Green Salad. I hope you enjoy as much as I do!

Salad ingredients: 

Quinoa (like rice, but more weird)

- 1 bunch spinach

- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa

- 2 carrots, peeled and grated

- 1 cup dried cranberries

- 1 red pepper, sliced

- 1 zucchini, chopped and quartered

- 1 avocado, sliced (optional)

- handful of fresh mint, shredded

- 1/2 cup reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled

- 1/3 cup pine nuts

- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

Dressing: 

- 2 tbsp miso paste

- 1 tbsp maple syrup

- 2 tbsp lemon juice

- dash of Worcestershire sauce

- dash of hot sauce (optional)

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions (usually 1.5 units water / 1 unit quinoa - bring to a boil in a saucepan and then simmer 10-12 minutes or until light and translucent). Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and set aside. 

2. Wash all vegetables and slice, shred, grate etc. Combine in large salad bowl. 

3. Top with mint, feta, pine nuts and pumpkin seeds. 

4. Combine all ingredients for dressing and mix until smooth. 

5. Pour dressing over salad. Toss and serve. 

Miso paste - you can get this at all health stores

I realize it's not the most ground breaking recipe, but I guarantee the quinoa will help fill you up and the quinoa, nuts, seeds, and feta will provide sufficient protein. The avocado is optional depending on the desired fat content (remember though, avocados contain the healthy fats, and there's no oil in this dressing!). You should have enough for 2 dinners and 2 lunches the next day (we agreed it tastes better as a leftover!). 

I won't blog about the wine pairing, as I'm pretty sure we actually have this with a dirty martini pre-Wine Stage, but I will update on a delicious Zinfandel I must give Jo credit for. Turley, from Napa, is a full bodied Zinfandel with a velvety texture. The aromas of chocolate and raspberries followed through on the palate - it was like drinking dessert! I reduced some of it and served it on top of roast duck breast, beets,  brussels sprouts, and fennel mashed potatoes (I know - diet fail, but you make exceptions for birthdays). 

 Oh, and sorry for the poor quality iPhone photos - I got sand in my camera in Costa Rica. I hope to get a new camera soon (with a special setting for food if I get my way). I would consider monetizing my blog so my followers can donate to the cause, but it would be more direct to just ask my parents to buy me a camera (yes parentals, this is a test to see if you're reading my blog!)

Vegan Mexican Tortilla Soup

I realize it's been a long time since I last posted, and my friend Stacy inquired about it recently. Given that she's made every recipe I posted (several of them within an hour of posting) I'm concerned she might be going hungry without my blog updates! Or getting really sick of the the previous items. In either case, here is my tribute to Stacy - a delicious, nutritious and inexpensive fall soup option for a law student on the go. It takes a good hour to make, but you'll have plenty of soup for the week and you'll definitely want to make this again!

Ingredients
- vegetable oil
- 1 red pepper
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 1 large yellow onion
- garlic (use as much as you like, but I used 1 very large clove from the Amish stand at the farmer's market, probably equivalent to 4 regular cloves)
- cilantro
- canned tomatos (796ml)
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 4 cups stock (chicken or veggie)
- 1 can lentils (540ml)

Instructions
1. Turn oven to 425 degrees. Brush some oil on the red pepper and jalapeno and roast in the oven until the outside is blackened (at least 30 minutes).
2. Remove from oven and set aside to cool before removing skin.
3. In a large pot, saute the chopped onion, garlic, and about half the bunch of cilantro until brown.
4. Puree the onion mixture in a food processor or a blender. Drain and add the canned tomatoes and the roasted peppers (skin, stem and seeds now removed).
5. Heat another tbsp of oil in the pot over medium-low heat. Return the tomato mixture to the pot and spices. The mixture should thicken after 5-10 minutes on the stove.
6. Add stock and simmer. Add more water if the soup is too thick.
7. Add drained lentils and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

This soup is delicious when garnished with cilantro, limes and avocado, and served with tortilla chips, or my favourite - cheddar jalapeno cornmeal biscuits (see previous blog post). Enjoy!

2008 "La Vendima" Rioja, Spain. Rioja is a regional wine with DOC status, using a blend of grapes from the region. It's characterized by a slightly oaky, dry taste with mellow tannins, and mild stewed fruit taste. I chose it for it's acidity, to balance the spice and acidity of the tomato soup. At $18 a bottle, this wine would be a good alternative to a more robust aged red for serving with red meats and stews. Secret hint: it's also delicious if you add some to the soup...

Fish, Fish, Fish!

Sunset view from our island at on Lake Minnitaki

Does food really taste better when you grow it or catch it yourself? Had I been less optimistic with the weather in Calgary this spring, I may have tested this question on my herbs, which suffered in the great May long weekend snowstorm of 2010. However last week I spent some of my vacation at our family cabin near Sioux Lookout, Ontario (northeast of Dryden, if that helps... or just "really north" for my Torontonian friends). We have an island on a lake we share with maybe 2 other cabins and a handful of adventurous Mid-Westerners, who refer to the pickerel as walleye and the jackfish as northern pike.  My point is: it's remote. So remote, that the options for dinner are either making a selection of the dubious canned and dry goods one finds in the cupboard (2 year old pasta and canned ham any one?), blueberry pancakes (fresh blueberries from a neighbouring beach), or fresh pickerel. We opted for the latter, with great success this summer. Since this isn't an adventure travel blog, I'm not going to go into too much detail on the catch, suffice it to say I surprised even myself by accidentally catching a pickerel with bare hands! 

Ingredients:
- pickerel fillets (or another white fish if you prefer)
- 1 egg per 5 fillets approximately
- 1-2 cups panko (or regular breadcrumbs)
- fresh lemon, cut into wedges
- butter, for frying


1. Crack the egg(s) into a bowl and stir well with a spoon. Add a bit of water to make it last longer if you like.
2. Cover a plate generously with the panko.
3. In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat.
4. Dip each fillet in the egg mix, then coat in the panko and add to pan. Cook a few minutes per side, flipping once golden and browned a bit on the edges. Don't overcrowd the pan or it will be difficult to flip.
5. Serve 1-2 fillets per person, with a lemon wedge.

We accompanied the meal with a Greek-style salad and some wild rice. Also, wine options were limited (we did have to transport by small boat to the island), as my father decided the boxed variety was the most efficient (true). He set up a box of red and a box of white on the corner of the table nearest my chair and insisted on calling it the "sommelier station" all weekend. However, if I had a choice beyond boxed wine, I could see either a chardonnay (on account of the butter) or a sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio (on account of the fresh lemon) being a good pairing.

From the Lake of the Woods Hotel and Bar in Kenora, ON.
I assure you that nothing happened on July 16 2010 either. 

Grilled cheese and onion rings from the infamous Knobby's Fly-In Restaurant and Lodge in Sioux Lookout, ON. We were disappointed we missed the blueberry festival by a week. Better planning next year.

Cheese and Herb Souffle with Summer Squash Salad

I realize it's been 2 months since I last updated the blog - this coincides with me starting a new job, and then having to go out of town several times during that period (alright, fine, the last trip was a last minute jaunt to Paris, so I didn't exactly go under protest). Anyway, I returned Saturday afternoon, newly inspired by my favourite culinary city, to host a dinner party several hours later. I was pleased to discovered my guests were impressed by (what I consider) glorified scrambled eggs! Souffle retains a certain chicness, despite it's simplicity (or perhaps because of it?). And again, inspired by a recent meal in Toronto, the salad is another simple yet delicious and elegant contribution to the meal. 


Before the recipe, a few words of advice: 
- invest in ramekins for souffle - you can find them in Chinatowns for a few dollars at most
- the highest quality the eggs, the better the result
- keep it simple and don't use too many ingredients - the French aren't known to combine too many tastes in one dish
- use a bit of the stiff egg whites to mix blend into the mixture (this will lighten it)
- however, reserve most of the stiff egg whites to FOLD into the mixture (this is how the souffle rises)
- use 1 - 1.5 eggs per person


Souffle Ingredients: 
- 6 eggs (separate whites and yolks)
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 cup grated cheese (I used Gruyere and Cheddar)
- 3 tbsp butter (plus extra for greasing the dishes)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tbsp herbs (I used thyme)
- pinch of mustard powder, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper to taste


1. Separate egg yolks and whites, and grate cheese. Set aside. 
2. Heat milk and cream until scalding (microwave for several minutes until hot to touch). 
3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over med-low heat. When it stops bubbling after a few minutes, add the flour, a bit at a time, constantly whisking. Continue to whisk for several more minutes until it is well blended. 
4. Remove from heat, and while still whisking, add the hot milk/cream, a bit at a time, adding the next amount only once what has been added already is fully incorporated. Whisk to ensure mixture is smooth and even and return to heat. Now add grated cheese, egg yolks, herbs, powders and salt and pepper. Stir until blended. This mixture can be set aside for a few hours if required. 
5. In a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat egg whites until they are stiff (they should retain form if you cut into them). 
6. Add a bit (1/4) of the egg whites to the egg yolk/cheese/milk mixture - blend fully. 
7. Use a spatula to fold the remainder of the egg whites into the mixture, careful not to blend. 
8. Fill each ramekin (or similar small ovenproof china dishes with high sides) about 3/4 full. 
9. Bake at 375F for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden on top (the souffles should rise above the dish a few inches). Serve immediately (souffle can fall!). 


Before I continue with the squash recipe - I was inspired at Jamie Kennedy's Gilead Cafe and Bakery in Toronto a few weeks ago by the salad that came with my seasonal vegetable pizza. Butter lettuce, dill, olive oil, and salt were the sole ingredients (as far as I could tell anyway), however the taste was delicious. Too often we dress up salads with too many ingredients (nicoise, or cobb for example); it was so refreshing to have the essence of the salad featured. The summer squash (button variety) was a brilliant last minute donation to the meal. 


Summer Squash Salad Ingredients: 
- 2-3 squash per person
- mixed greens
- fresh dill
- olive oil
- salt & pepper


1. In a deep, shallow pan, heat 1/2 inch of water over medium heat.
2. Add squash and cover for several minutes, until squash is softened. 
3. Arrange lettuce and herbs on plates. Add warm squash and drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Serve with souffle when cooked. 


Suggested wine pairing - we actually enjoyed several strong cheeses after the meal, so we drank the same reds with dinner (Australian Shiraz, Cotes du Rhone, Sangiovese, Ripasso). However I would recommend serving with a more robust white like Chardonnay, Viognier, or a dryer Riesling. 


Next adventure - lobster!