Don Genova's Blog

So Much on My Plate - The Last One!

Yes, it's true, I am putting aside much of my work with the CBC to attend the University of Gastronomic Sciences near Parma, Italy, in pursuit of a Masters of Food Culture.  I'll be back in December of 2007. 

Parma is in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, home of Parmesan cheese, Parma ham, and lasagna!  Go to my wife Ramona's Lasagna Project to find the recipe that Jo-Ann enjoyed on the show today and check out the rest of the entries to read about the other lasagnas she's made so far this year.

In the meantime, this blog will hopefully be updated on a regular basis on my Italian adventures.  Arrivederci!

So Much On My Plate - Tea!

If you're looking for the Pacific Palate 'Most Memorable Meal' contest, please click here.

This week on So Much On My Plate I talked about the latest innovations in the world of tea.  One of the great new things I've tried lately is this Brewt tea and coffee infusers I found at the Coffee and Tea Expo in Vancouver.  The Cornelia Bean folks from Winnipeg are distributing this product in Canada.  What I love about it is that is makes it very easy to brew loose leaf tea.  Put a 'three-fingered pinch' of tea in the Brewt, add hot water, let steep.  Then place the Brewt on top of your teacup.  A special one-way valve opens and dispenses the tea.  The moment you lift up the Brewt, the tea stops pouring!  No muss, no fuss of teaballs or strainers, and then just rinse out the Brewt and you're ready to go again.

  You can learn much more about tea by going to the Tea Council of Canada website.  A common trend I spotted at the Coffee and Tea Expo was the appearance of the pyramid-shaped tea bag, or 'sachet' as they're known in the industry.  These bags allow for more free-flow brewing and leave room for whole-leaf tea to expand.  A company from Aspen, Colorado called Two Leaves and a Bud was promoting its single origin teas, another big trend.

The final exciting trend I spoke about today are flowering teas.  These are hand-sewn tea leaves and sometimes some real flower buds that expand when you brew them for a magnificent display.  The ones pictured here are from the Numi Organic Tea company.

Of course the key to serving these teas at home is to have a nice clear teapot to brew them in!

So Much On My Plate - Salt Spring Island

This week So Much On My Plate explored Salt Spring Island, including a delicious lunch served as part of the 25th Anniversary celebrations at Hastings House.

My guide for my explorations on Salt Spring was Wendy Hartnett of Island Gourmet Safaris.  If you want to cover a lot of ground with all hits and no misses when it comes to great food and wine, give her a shout.

Marcell Kauer is the chef behind many of the delicious creations at Hastings House, and a number of those recipes, along with a history of the property are included in the Hastings House Country Estate Cookbook.  The cookbook is available in Victoria at Houseboat, and Plenty Epicurean Pantry.  On Salt Spring it can be found at Volume Two Books, Salt Spring Books, Houseboat, Garry Oak Winery, Salt Spring Winery, The Fishery, Calvins, Moonstruck
Cheese and of course Hastings House. They are happy to ship the book as well.

Here are the recipes I made from the book for So Much On My Plate:

Oven Roasted Salt Spring Island Rack of Lamb
Blue Cheese Polenta and Grainy Mustard Sauce

When cooking a meal like this, timing can be everything. Marinate the lamb
at least 4 hours ahead.  Then we suggest you first make the grainy mustard
sauce and keep warm on the stove.  Next prepare your vegetables and set them
aside ready to cook, and gather the ingredients for the polenta.  Sear the
lamb and after placing it in the oven, begin your polenta.  When the lamb is
done and resting, cook your vegetable and finish off the polenta.
Perfection!

Roasted Lamb
2 racks of lamb, about 19.4 ounces each  (550g), frenched
¼ cup fresh, chopped thyme
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
8 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped
4 fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish
¼ cup fresh, chopped rosemary

When buying your lamb, ask the butcher to "French" the racks by scraping off
any sinew and meat from the rib bones.
Mix together olive oil, garlic, rosemary and thyme in a large bowl.  Add the
lamb and coat well.  Grind some coarse black pepper and slat over all.  Wrap
well and marinate the racks in the refrigerator for at least four hours or
overnight.
Remove the lamb from the marinade and scrape off as many herbs as possible.
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Heat a large sauté pan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Sear lamb racks on both sides, about 3 minutes each side.  Transfer to a
large baking dish and into the oven for about 10 minutes for medium rare.
Cover the rack with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Grainy Mustard Sauce
11/4 Cup reduced lamb or veal stock
½ cup red wine
4 tablespoons grainy mustard
2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Salt and pepper
¼ cup fresh, chopped rosemary
¼ cup fresh, chopped thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and gently bring to the boil.
Simmer for 20 minutes until sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Keep
warm until ready to serve.

Blue Cheese Polenta
1 cup polenta
1 cup whipping cream
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup good quality blue cheese - Moonstruck Beddis Blue Cheese,
gorgonzola or stilton

In a medium saucepan bring the chicken stock and whipping cream gently to
the boil.  Add the polenta and stir until quite thick and creamy.  Stir in
blue cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve Cut each lamb rack into individual servings, one bone per chop.
Arrange a layer of blue cheese polenta on each plate, top with roasted lamb
and drizzle with grainy mustard sauce.  Garnish with fresh rosemary.  Serve
with seasonal vegetables such as wilted kale.

Serves 4

Savoy Cabbage
4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/8 inch pieces
2 shallots, finely diced
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 cups Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
¼ cup white wine
½ cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper

In a large pan or wok, sauté bacon shallots and garlic for 2 minutes.  Add
the cabbage and sauté for a further 3 minutes.  Add the white wine and
chicken stock and cook until cabbage is tender.  Season with salt and pepper
to taste.

The other chef I spoke with at Salt Spring was Alan Miceli.  I'll have much more about Alan in another program, but for now you can learn more about him, his food and his music by going to his website.

But I do have his recipe for his Chocolate Espresso Tart:

ALAN MICELI'S CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO TART

Ingredients:

CRUST

5 ounces finely chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts)

1 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 cup butter, cubed

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp. vanilla

FILLING:

2 cups cream

1/2 cup butter

20 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1 shot espresso, cooled

GARNISH:

2 ounces whilte chocolate, finely chopped

whipped cream, fresh fruit, mint (optional)

In a food processor, blend the nuts, flour and sugar until fine.  Add the butter, egg, and vanilla, and pulse until the mixture holds together.  Press into an oiled 10-inch tart pan.  Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes.  Cool.

In a saucepan, bring the cream and butter to a boil.  Pour over the semisweet chocolate, and let sit for 1 minute.  Stir gently until smooth.  Stir in the espresso.  Pour mixture into the crust.

In the microwave on low, melt the white chocolate, then drizzle it on top of the filling.  Using a toothpick, swirl the white chocolate to create a decorative effect.  Chill for about 2 hours or until set.

Cut into 20 slices.  Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream, a piece of fresh fruit, and a sprig of mint if desired.

So Much On My Plate - Oktoberfest and a Thanksgiving Alternative

This week So Much On My Plate observes Oktoberfest and a nice alternative to turkey for a Thanksgiving dinner for two.  First, my recipe for those who don't want to roast a whole turkey for Thanksgiving.  I get my duck breasts at Cowichan Bay Farm near Cowichan Bay...and the blackberries?  Well, I pick them myself from my own property or from any number of clumps of blackberry bushes along my street.  You could purchase frozen blackberries, or try using blueberries or raspberries instead.

Duck Breasts with Blackberry-Chocolate Sauce   Serves 4 

Ingredients

4 boneless duck breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
1/8 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. cold butter, cut into cubes
1 ounce orange liqueur such as Cointreau or Triple Sec (optional)
1 tbsp. semi-sweet dark chocolate, roughly chopped

For the sauce:
Put the blackberries, sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and simmer until the berries have completely broken down.  Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.  Strain the berry mixture into a bowl to remove all the seeds, then return the juice to the pot.  Add the balsamic vinegar, the cinnamon and the orange liqueur and simmer over medium heat until reduced by half.  Remove from heat, and whisk in the chocolate a little at a time. Then whisk in the butter a half-tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm while you prepare the duck breasts. 

Pre-heat oven to 450F, and heat until very hot a cast-iron or oven-safe heavy-bottomed frypan large enough to hold the breasts in one layer.  With a sharp knife, score the skin of each duck breast, without cutting through to the flesh, in a diamond-shaped pattern.  Season the breasts all over with salt and pepper and lay them skin side down in the frypan.  When the skin has become crisp and golden and the fat has rendered out of it, remove the duck to a plate and carefully drain most of the fat from the pan.  Put the duck breasts back in, skin side up, and roast in the oven for about 5-7 minutes for medium-rare.  Remove from the pan and tent with foil and let rest for a few minutes.

Place each breast on individual plates and pour a little pool of sauce around it.  This would go well with a simple green salad and some wild rice.  Enjoy!

The other recipe I talked about on the show is much more simple.  Simple take about 4 sausages of your choice, chicken, beef, pork, spicy, mild, hot, whatever, and grill or fry until cooked.  Let cool, then slice on the diagonal into half-inch rounds.  Chop up an onion and some garlic and saute in a large pot with some olive or vegetable oil.  When the onion has coloured, add the cooked sausage, a tablespoon of caraway seed, and a large jar of sauerkraut that you have drained and rinsed in cold water.  Then pour in the better part of a bottle of robust beer, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes to let the flavours mingle, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with some mashed potatoes and grainy mustard.  Instant Oktoberfest!

So Much On My Plate - Albacore Tuna

This week So Much On My Plate explores the delicious world of BC Albacore Tuna.

The albacore tuna fishery off BC's coast is a sustainable catch of young tuna.  When I've purchased them whole they've weighed about 10 to 12 pounds.  There's not a lot of waste, but I find it a lot easier to purchase tuna loins, which are boneless and skinless.  In the grocery store or fish shop, these loins, plain or smoked, should always be frozen.  Don't defrost them until just before you're ready to use them.

For more information about this fishery, including recipes and even some instructional videos, visit the Canadian Albacore Tuna website. You can also check out Victoria-based Finest At Sea for that company's line of albacore tuna products. For the recipes I served on the show today, keep on scrolling!

Don's Tuna Tataki

This is my take on a traditional Japanese dish.  Japanese traditionalists would probably be in an uproar if I served them this tuna, as they think it's sacrilege to put a spicy coating on sashimi grade tuna...but I'm like Emeril, I like to kick it up a notch!

Ingredients

For the tuna

1 skinless, boneless albacore tuna loin, frozen

vegetable oil

1 tbsp. spice rub of your choice

For the sauce

1 3-inch piece of daikon radish, peeled (these are the huge, long white radishes)

1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

1 green onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. hot chili paste

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 tsp. soya sauce

Trim the tuna loin so that it is of uniform length and width.  You basically want it to look like a squared-off tube.  Save the trimmings to make poke. (see recipe below)  Heat a heavy-bottomed frypan on high heat and add enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom.  Coat the tuna loin in the spice rub, and when the oil is smoking, put the tuna in the pan and sear on all sides.  You don't want it to cook all the way through, just a thin outside layer.  Remove from the pan and let cool.

Grate the daikon radish on a medium to fine grater.  Grate the ginger on a fine grater.  Mix together the radish, ginger and the remaining sauce ingredients. 

Slice the tuna into quarter-inch slices and place on a plate so they attractively overlap.  Pile the sauce on the side and serve.

Serves 4 as an appetizer

Tuna Poke

This kind of fish dish is quite common in Hawaii, where they use a variety of fish and a variety of spicings, so feel free to experiment.  You can also add small bits of seaweed to the mix.  Adjust quantities of the spicing according to how much fish you have.  On today's show I probably used a quarter pound of albacore trim.  Cut it into bite-sized chunks and put in a bowl.  Add a splash of sesame oil, a splash of soya sauce, a splash of fish sauce if desired, 1 finely chopped green onion, some cilantro if desired, a dollop of hot chili paste.  Mix all ingredients together and sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds.  Serve with rice crackers or others of your choice.

So Much On My Plate - Well-Rounded Ingredients

This week on So Much On My Plate, well-rounded ingredients, including table grapes, cherry tomatoes and beets! 

I used BC Coronation Grapes to make two versions of Grape Foccacia.  These grapes are practically seedless, a sweet inside with a slightly sour skin that makes for a perfect balance.  Click here to go to the British Columbia Grape Growers Association website recipe homepage, where you can find the recipe for the focaccia.  I also did a savoury version where I used olive oil, coarse salt and chopped rosemary along with the grapes.

BEETS:  Look at your local farmers' markets for white and Chioggia beets.  The Chioggias have beautiful stripes inside them and along with the white beets, make a stunning salad platter.  Wrap them in foil and roast them whole at 400F in your oven or on indirect heat on your barbecue.  When you can pierce them easily with a skewer, remove from heat, let cool, then peel and slice.  Arrange in one layer on a plate and drizzle with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper and toasted cumin seeds for an extra punch.

CHERRY TOMATO SOUP:  I take a couple of pounds of cherry tomatoes and put them in a large roasting pan.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and and pepper, and then nestle in some peeled whole cloves of garlic and a few branches of fresh rosemary and thyme.  Cover with foil and roast at 400F until the tomatoes have burst their skins and have broken down.  Remove the branches of herbs and pour the whole mess into your food processor.  Puree and then pass everything through a sieve to remove the seeds and skins.  Add a little chicken stock if it seems to thick.  Serve hot, at room temperature or even chilled!

So Much On My Plate - Figs

This week on So Much On My Plate I talked about fresh figs and what to do with them.  The figs in this photo are green figs from the tree in my backyard, and I'm having a bumper crop this year, although they seem to be ripening more slowly than usual.  I received some advice that recommended more watering, so I've really been soaking the roots for the past few days, as it has been very dry in the Cowichan Valley all summer long.  I think the variety I have is the Desert King, which are apparently easily propagate from cuttings.

For more about fresh figs, dried figs and what to do with them, check out the California Fig Advisory Board website, as most of the figs commercially available are grown in California. There are also some great fresh fig recipes on Epicurious.com. For today's show, I made two recipes.  They are so simple you don't really need a list of ingredients or a formal recipe:

Figs Wrapped in Spicy Pancetta:  This recipe was inspired by my friend Nathan Fong, who served these as an appetizer at a recent dinner party.  Cut your figs into quarters, lengthwise, and wrap them in spicy pancetta, or prosciutto, or even thin-sliced salami.  Skewer the meat and fig together with a small wooden skewer and bake at 400F on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet for about 8 to 10 minutes.  The meat should release some of its fat and start to crisp, without burning.  Serve immediately.

Figs Topped with Blue Cheese and Balsamic Cream: Cut figs in half lengthwise.  If they are very round, cut a small slice off the rounded bottom so they will sit upright on the baking sheet.  Place a small cube of your favourite blue cheese on top of each fig half.  (you could also top with a walnut half)  Like the pancetta-wrapped figs, place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast at 400F until the cheese has melted onto the fig.  Remove from oven and drizzle with cream of balsamic vinegar. (available at Italian grocers and delis)  Or you could use honey.  Serve immediately.

One other idea you can try if you have a fig tree in your backyard, or a friend with a tree, is to take the largest leaf you can find, stem attached, and brush the upper side of the leaf with olive oil.  In the centre of the leaf, place a small round of soft cheese, Brie or Camembert style, and wrap the leaf around it.  You can then use the stem to poke through the leaf to 'seal' the package.  Put on your BBQ on medium heat until the cheese just starts to melt.  The flavour of the fig leaf will gently infuse the cheese, and it makes for great presentation with some sliced baguette or crackers, as you can just scoop the warm, soft cheese onto the cracker with a knife.  Enjoy!

So Much On My Plate - More from New Orleans

This week So Much On My Plate returned to New Orleans...kind of.  I made a Voodoo shrimp recipe with BC side-stripe prawns and uses my barbecue for a cedar plank variation on the classic Bananas Foster! 

Voodoo Shrimp

I picked up this recipe in New Orleans from chef Duke LoCicero at Café Giovanni.  He and his family are real troopers, recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in record time.  The restaurant was looted, and they had to clean up $30,000 worth of food that had spoiled in the fridge and freezer due to the power outage.

Anyway, this recipe is great as an appetizer for four people, or serves two as a main course entrée, either on pasta, or with lots of crusty bread to mop up the juices.  I’ve given it a BC twist by using BC side-stripe shrimp, which are in season for most of the summer.  You could use any other large shrimp as a substitute.  Don’t overcook them!

Ingredients:
1 pound side-stripe shrimp, shelled and de-veined if necessary
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. Cajun spice rub, or other hot spice mixture
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cup Southern Comfort liqueur, in a small heatproof ramekin
1/2 cup sweet Thai chili sauce (available at most Asian markets)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Pour the olive oil and the Cajun spice over the shrimp and toss to blend well.  Set aside for up to half an hour.

In a heavy skillet on medium-high heat, melt the butter, then add the garlic.  Saute until translucent, then add in the tomatoes and stir.  When the tomatoes soften, add the shrimp mixture and cook the shrimp, stirring, until they just turn opaque.  Pour in the Southern Comfort and, if cooking on a gas stove, tilt the pan slightly into the flame to ignite it and flambé the shrimp.  On an electric stove you can carefully ignite the liqueur with a match.  When the flames burn out, add the Thai chili sauce and the basil leaves.  Stir again to mix well and serve immediately.

Planked Bananas Foster

This recipe is from Ron Shewchuk’s Planking Secrets.  It’s a variation on the classic Bananas Foster recipe invented in New Orleans in the 1950’s.

Ingredients

1 cedar plank, soaked overnight or at least 1 hour
4 ripe but not overripe bananas, peeled, then cut in length halfwise, then cut in half
1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup banana liqueur
1/4 cup dark rum in a small bowl or ramekin
4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Preheat your grill on medium-high for 5 or 10 minutes.  Rinse the plank and put it on the cooking grate.  Cover the grill and heat the plank for 4-5 minutes, or until it starts to throw off a bit of smoke and crackles lightly.  Reduce heat to medium.

Put the bananas on the plank, cut side up, and cover the grill.  Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until they are light golden and soft but not mushy.  Remove from plank and set aside.

Combine the butter, sugar and cinnamon in a heavy skillet and heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.  Stir in the banana liqueur and transfer the bananas to the skillet.  When the mixture is warm, carefully add the rum.  If you’re cooking on a gas stove, tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum.  On electric, use a barbecue lighter or match to do the same.  Serve hot, placing the bananas on a scoop of ice cream and spooning the sauce over the top.

So Much On My Plate - New Orleans

This week on So Much On My Plate, some culinary highlights of my visit last week to New Orleans, including the legendary Muffuletta sandwich.  These sandwiches are made on a round loaf of Italian bread, piled high with cold cuts and a special olive spread.  The Central Grocery Company, established in 1906 in New Orleans, purports to be the home of 'the original' muffuletta.  Whether that's true or not I don't know, but I liked the sandwiches there enough to buy two of them!

Here's how I tried to recreate the sandwich at home, you can certainly play with the ingredients to taste:

Ingredients:

1 cup pitted Greek olives, chopped

1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped

2 cups Italian pickled vegetables, sometimes called giardiniere, larger bits chopped

1 small jar capers, drained

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before using.

For each sandwich, you need the following:

1 Italian bun, cut in half

slices of mozzarella and provolone cheese

sliced ham, Genoa salami and mortadella salami

Put one layer of each meat on the bottom half of the bun.  Top with one layer of each cheese, then put another layer of all the meats on top of the cheese.  Top with a generous helping of the olive spread and top with the upper half of the bun.  These sandwiches are better if you let them sit for a bit, so wrap tightly in waxed paper and refrigerate to help the sandwich hold its shape when you eat it.

(but take it out of the waxed paper!)

The cocktail I made today is called the Sazerac, a classic from New Orleans. You can read about the history here, and get the recipe here. It calls for absinthe, which is now legal to buy in Canada, but you can use something like pernod or sambuca instead.

So Much On My Plate - Summer Harvests

This Friday on So Much On My Plate I shared the fruits of the summer harvest, starting with garlic from Ken Stefanson, the Gabriola Gourmet Garlic guy.  I roasted a whole head of garlic, after trimming the top off and drizzling with olive oil.  Then, it was wrapped in tinfoil and roasted at about 400F for half an hour.  You can use the roasted garlic on toasted bread, or a nice stinky cheese, or in my case, I mixed the roasted garlic with miso, soya sauce and sesame oil, and spread it on a boneless fillet of halibut.  That went on to the barbecue for about 10 minutes.

I served the halibut with a mango salsa, goosed up with a pickled jalapeno pepper chopped fine, some green onion and cilantro and the last of a box of boysenberries purchased from Helma Stewart at Cottage Farm.

Other dishes included roasted beets, done again in foil with fresh stalks of rosemary and thyme, and some baby fennel brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper and grilled.

I also spent an exciting Thursday afternoon at Hilary's Cheese where I helped cheesemaker Denis Huet make some fresh ricotta cheese from goat whey.  We both agreed that cow's milk ricotta could be a little sweeter, but adding a little maple syrup and lemon juice made it into a real treat.

So Much On My Plate - World Feast Stage

This week I previewed the World Feast Stage at the ICA Folkfest in Victoria.  The Stage has really become an important part of Folkfest, and it's a great way to learn about local farmers, food producers, wineries and chefs!

Click here to view the entire World Feast Stage schedule.

Today on the show I previewed the menu of Bill Jones, who appears on stage Saturday, July 1st at 6pm.  He'll present some of the best products in the Cowichan Valley, with his:

Pan-seared and pressed sushi rice with Dungeness crab, avocado and
wasabi greens;

Terrine of Hilary's goat cheese and mushrooms served with Deerholme Farm
greens and a medlar vinaigrette;

Sauteed pasture-raised Lamb and Rocky Creek Blackberry port over a white
bean and vegetable salad.

Bill gave me the recipe for the last dish, and the first time I made it the recipe turned out wonderfully.  The recipe is below, but check out Bill's website, especially the page of events at Deerholme Farm, his painstakingly-restored turn of the century cottage where he now holds cooking classes.  The next one is a barbecue extravaganza with James Barber on July 8th.

Sautéed pasture-raised Lamb and Rocky Creek Blackberry port over a white bean and vegetable salad
Bill Jones Deerholme Farm

Ingredients:
lamb (shoulder chop or leg meat) 1 lb (454 g)
minced garlic 1 Tbsp. (15 mL)
chopped fresh rosemary 1 Tbsp. (15 mL)
cornstarch 2 Tbsp. (30 mL)
olive oil 1Tbsp. (15 mL)
honey 1 Tbsp (15 mL)
blackberry port 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) (optional)

onion, 1 medium, peeled and diced
carrot, peeled and diced
cabbage, chopped 1 cup (250 mL)
red pepper, 1 medium, seeded and chopped
minced garlic 1 Tbsp. (15 mL)
chopped fresh sage 2 Tbsp (30 mL)
cooked white beans 2 cups (500 mL)
crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup  (125 mL)
olive oil 2 Tbsp. (30 mL)
lemon juice (from 1 whole lemon)

Cut the lamb into thin strips and remove any bones, sinew or excess fat. Place in a mixing bowl and add the garlic and rosemary, stirring well to mix. Add the cornstarch and toss well.

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and stirfry lamb until golden and crispy. Add the honey and toss to coat. When honey begins to carmalize, add the port and quickly stir to coat. when liquid has almost evaporated, transfer to a plate and set aside until needed. Wash pan and return to the heat.

Add a little more olive oil and saute the onion, carrot, cabbage and red pepper. When the vegetables begin to soften and brown add the garlic and sage. Toss to warm through, then add the white beans to the mix. Toss well, add the olive oil, lemon and feta to the mix and season well with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving plate and top with the cooked lamb mixture.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

So Much On My Plate - Artichokes

I had hoped to recreate Carciofi Alla Guidea, pictured here, which is a deep-fried artichoke I enjoyed in Rome on my recent trip, enjoyed in restaurants in the Jewish ghettoes of Rome.

Somehow my efforts were not quite so beautiful as what you see here.  The recipes I researched had two quite different methods, so if you want to try them you can look at this one at Epicurious, and this one at ItalianMade.com.

There's a great reference page on artichokes here, complete with a little video of trimming the artichoke which doesn't really get into the removing the choke part. The trimmed artichokes pictured here at a Roman market are so young you don't even have to remove the chokes, because they haven't formed yet.

I also braised some artichokes in chicken stock, which came out alright, but nowhere near the big, yet tender and flavourful artichokes we had in Rome.Are you picking up on a theme?  The best artichokes to eat whole, whether braised or deep-fried, are young and fresh.

It's quite a chore to find them here in Canada, at least this time of year.  They're not just piled up for sale on street corners, like they were in Italy!  However, if you still want some artichoke flavour, without having to trim, de-choke and otherwise fuss, try this recipe I adapted from an appetizer I had several years ago at King Pacific Lodge in northwestern BC.  The chef at the time served it after a chilly day out on the boat fishing, so this warm dip was a perfect way to move from outside to inside with a glass of wine before dinner.  Serve on fresh slices of baguette.  The best part about this recipe is that the artichokes come from a can...and you never get any chewy and prickly parts.

Warm Artichoke Spread   

Ingredients:

1 14 oz./398 ml can artichoke hearts...not marinated!
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped into small chunks
1/3 cup parmesan cheese shavings or 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Put the artichokes, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic into a food processor.  Process until just blended and there are no artichoke chunks left.  Transfer to microwavable bowl, and stir in the green olives, cheese and salt and pepper to taste.  Microwave the spread for a minute or two before serving to warm it up.  (it tastes best warm!)

So Much On My Plate - David Feys

This afternoon on So Much On My Plate, I welcomed David Feys of Victoria's Feys & Hobbs Catering.  He's celebrating his 10th anniversary of the business, and had some long weekend tips on entertaining at the barbecue. His recipe for cedar-planked pork tenderloin is below.

On another note, please join me tomorrow night (Saturday, May 20th) at the Night of Artists event in Victoria.  I'll be your master of ceremonies for the evening, which includes music, food, and of course, art.  Find out more at the Night of Artists website.

Cedar Plank Smoked Turkey Tenderloin with Grilled Potatoes & Rhubarb Chutney        yield: serves 4

Cedar plank cooking on the BBQ is very popular today ~ so for a change, try this low fat, easy to prepare recipe using turkey tenderloin instead of fish! There is no trimming, skin or cutting to prepare the turkey ~ it's ready to go! Adding the grilled potatoes and another grilled vegetable will make it a complete, efficient dinner ~ no running back and forth to the stove to check other menu items!
Try our Rhubarb Chutney with this recipe.


2 Turkey tenderloins
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tbs. Fresh tarragon or other tender herb

fresh ground pepper and sea salt, to taste

1 cedar plank 

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2 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
1 tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tbs.fresh summer savory, parsley or other tender herb
fresh ground pepper and sea salt, to taste 

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1 green or yellow zucchini
2 tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
fresh ground pepper and sea salt, to taste 

Method: 
1.  Soak the cedar plank as directed ~ usually about two hours. When the cedar plank has soaked, prepare the other ingredients. 
2.  Preheat BBQ to medium high heat. 
3.  For the turkey: place tenderloins in a non-reactive dish, add the fresh herb, olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Turn the tenderloins to coat well with the herbs and seasonings. 
4.  Place the prepared tenderloins on the cedar plank and set the plank on preheated BBQ set to medium high heat. Close the cover and allow the turkey to cook for about 12 minutes. Check the turkey occasionally to ensure the plank does not ignite ~ keep a water spray bottle handy just in case. Meanwhile, prepare the potatoes. 
5.  For the potatoes: slice the potatoes about 3/8" thick and toss in medium sized mixing bowl with the garlic, herbs, oil and seasoning. 
6.  Place on other section of the preheated BBQ set to medium heat and cook for about 7 minutes, turn over and finish cooking on the second side. Check for doneness by poking potatoes with a skewer or tip of a pointed knife. They should be tender. 
7.  For the zucchini: slice the zucchini about ½" thick and toss in a medium sized bowl with the olive oil, seasoning, vinegar. Cook for about the last 7 to 10 minutes of total cooking time. 
8.  To check the turkey for doneness ~ it should feel firm and a bit springy at the thickest point. If unsure, cut into it slightly and check that it is white coloured though to the center. The meat will be very juicy. 
9.  Divide vegetables amongst four warmed plates; slice the tenderloin into ½" slices and serve immediately with Rhubarb Chutney on the side! 

So Much On My Plate - Fish Cuscus and Veal Marsala

Today on So Much On My Plate, I shared two recipes I enjoyed in Italy, fish cuscus and veal Marsala.  The veal is very simple to make, and the cuscus can be adapted to your individual tastes by varying the amount of cinnamon or nutmeg, and using whatever kind of seafood you like.  The top picture is a dish of cuscus we had in Catania, on the Eastern Coast of Sicily.  Ironically, I preferred this one to the first one I had, bottom photo, in Trapani, where it is supposed to be 'traditional'. 

In Catania, the couscous was topped with shrimp and fish, and included artichokes, celery, onion, carrots and zucchini.  The fish stock was very powerful.  By contrast, the Trapanese dish was much more simple, with a bowl of cooked couscous presented along with a tureen of lightly spiced tomato broth and shreds of whitefish.  The following recipe is more representative of what we ate in Catania. 

Fish Cuscus  Serves 4

For the stock:
2 pounds fish trim
1/2 pound large shrimp or prawns, shell on
1 large carrot cut into 2 or 3 pieces
1/2 an onion, peeled
4 whole cloves
a few stalks of parsley

Peel the shrimp and reserve them for the final poaching.  Put the shells, along with the fish trim, carrot, onion, cloves and parsley into a large pot and add cold water to cover.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and strain out the solids. 

For the cuscus:
1 cup hot fish stock
1 cup of instant couscous

Put the couscous in a large bowl and pour the hot stock over top.  The couscous will swell and absorb the stock, and be ready to eat in about 5 minutes.  Set aside for the final preparation.

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 carrot, sliced on the diagonal
1 stalk of celery, sliced on the diagonal
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 an onion, sliced
1/2 cup tomato juice or tomato passata (a thick puree of tomato available at Italian grocery stores)
1 cup fish stock
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
salt and pepper
1/2 pound fish fillets, such as red snapper or ling cod, cut into large chunks

In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat.  Add in the carrot, celery, onion and garlic.  Stir and fry until the vegetables have started to soften.  Stir in the tomato juice or passata, the fish stock and the spices.  Then add the chunks of fish and the reserved shrimp or prawns.  Simmer until the seafood is just cooked.

To serve, put a ladleful of couscous in each serving bowl.  Then ladle some fish, prawns and liquid on top.  (You can increase the number of servings by adding more fish, more stock and more tomato juice as you make up the final liquid base.)

Veal Scallopine Marsala

This is a very easy dish to make, excellent to throw together for a last-minute dinner party!  You could also use thinly-sliced chicken or turkey breast to make this dish.

Ingredients:

4 thin-sliced veal cutlets, about one quarter-pound each
about half a cup of flour, seasoned to taste with salt and pepper
olive oil
half a cup Marsala wine

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium high heat.  Dredge the cutlets in the seasoned flour and knock off any excess.  Carefully put the cutlets in the hot oil, and fry, turning once, until both sides are golden.  Pour in the Marsala and continue to cook until almost all the wine has evaporated and you are left with a thick gravy.  Serve immediately with some steamed vegetables such as asparagus.

So Much On My Plate - Chocolate Appreciation 101

Today featured an on-air taste testing of different chocolates from around the world and I told folks how they can make their own chocolate right from the cocoa beans. 

I talked about Poulain chocolate bars, imported from France by the Cadbury corporation, and now distributed in easy to find places such as Shoppers Drug Marts, Save-On Foods and IGA's.  For tasting notes pairing Poulain chocolate with other foods and beverages, click here.

To find out more about making chocolate from cocoa beans to your very own specifications at home, with the cool device pictured here, visit Alchemist John's website, Chocolate Alchemy.

So Much On My Plate - Maple Syrup

This week, So Much On My Plate celebrated maple syrup.  You can use it for so much more than a topping.  I have 4 recipes for you, the first recipe is one I adapted from a dish I learned from a former executive chef at the Fairmont Waterfront, Daryle Nagata.  Last time I heard, he was with the Fairmont in Washington, DC.  This recipe calls for a cedar plank, make sure the cedar you get is untreated cedar.  You don't want to be inhaling creosote or some other preservative as the plank heats up on the barbecue.  Many grocery stores are now selling cedar planks especially made for this purpose.

Maple-Soy Planked Salmon

Ingredients:

One boneless fillet of salmon per person, 4 to 6 ounces each

One cedar plank, 6 inches wide, and long enough to hold the salmon pieces in one layer

Maple syrup

Soya sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

Soak your cedar plank in enough water to cover it for at least half an hour.  I don't give exact amounts for the syrup and soya, since it will vary with the number of fillets you are marinating.  Place the salmon fillets in a zip loc bag large enough to hold the fillets and pour in equal amounts of soya sauce and maple syrup, just enough to coat the surface of the salmon.  You don't have to marinate the salmon long for it to pick up the flavour of the soy and maple.  15-20 minutes is plenty. Turn your barbecue on high, then take your cedar plank out of the water and place in directly on the grill.  Close the lid.  When the plank starts to crackle and smoke, lift the lid and place the salmon fillets skin side down on the plank.  Close the lid.  The salmon is done when it turns opaque and flakes easily.  Don't overcook!  I like my salmon medium rare.  Turn off barbecue, and lift salmon from the cedar with a metal spatula.  Serve immediately.

The following recipes were chosen from a review of recipes available from various maple syrup producer websites, but all of them were tested in the PacificPalate.com test kitchen with good results.

Maple Corn Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups (325 ml) sifted all-purpose flour
4 tsp (20 ml) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
2/3 cup (150 ml) cornmeal
2/3 cup (150 ml) milk
1/3 cup (75 ml) maple syrup
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup (50 ml) butter, melted
1/4 cup (50 ml) maple syrup
1/2 cup (125 ml) walnuts, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 375°F. Grease 9 inch square cake pan. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in cornmeal with fork. Combine milk, 1/3 cup (75 ml) maple syrup, butter, and eggs; add to dry ingredients. Stir in just until blended. Spoon into pan and smooth. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup (50 ml) maple syrup over batter. Sprinkle with walnuts. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Maple Chicken

Ingredients:
2 lb (1 kg) chicken pieces
1/3 cup (75 ml) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 ml) vegetable oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) maple syrup
2 Tbsp (30 ml) cider vinegar
2 Tbsp (30 ml) sherry
2 Tbsp (30 ml) soya sauce
2 tsp (10 ml) ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2 ml) pepper
1/4 tsp (1 ml) paprika

Coat chicken pieces well with flour. In large nonstick fry pan, add vegetable oil. Cook for 5 minutes, browning well, turn often. Arrange in 9" x 12" baking dish. In small bowl, mix together maple syrup, vinegar, sherry, soya sauce, ginger, garlic, pepper and paprika. Pour over chicken evenly. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning once during baking. Cover with foil, if browning too quickly. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

Caramelized Maple Popcorn

Ingredients:
½ cup popping corn
½ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup brown sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp vanilla extract

Pop enough corn to make 10 – 12 cups. Place popped corn in a buttered mixing bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan melt butter then mix in syrup, brown sugar and salt. Boil for five minutes without stirring. Remove from heat then stir in baking soda and vanilla extract. Pour mixture over popcorn and mix well. Turn into large casserole dish or roasting pan and bake in 250F oven for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Cool.

So Much On My Plate - Fish recipes

Hi everyone...I have decided to give up red meat for Lent.  That means eating more fish.  The recipes I talked about today are below, but if you want more information about eating sustainable seafood, check out the Ocean Wise program.

Now the recipes:

Salmon Fillets Steamed with Black Bean Sauce - Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 salmon steaks, or 2 boneless, skinless fillets, about 200g each

1 large clove garlic, chopped
3 green onions, diced small
1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
2 tbsp. salted black beans, rinsed and chopped (available in Asian grocery stores)
½ tsp ground chili pepper paste

1 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup dry sherry or sake or chicken stock
chopped cilantro for garnish

Prepare a wok for steaming.  If you don’t have a bamboo steamer, arrange 4 chopsticks across the bottom of the wok in a pattern that will support a heatproof bowl or casserole dish.  Fill the wok with water just to the bottom of the chopsticks, or to where the bottom of your bamboo steamer will rest.  Bring to a boil while you prepare the sauce.

Put the salmon in the bowl or dish.   Heat the peanut oil over high heat in a fry pan.  When it is almost smoking, add in the green onions, ginger, garlic, black beans and chili paste.  Stir and fry until fragrant and the ginger and garlic have softened a bit.  Add the soy sauce and sherry and simmer for 30 seconds. Pour over the salmon and put the bowl  on the chopsticks or into the bamboo steamer.  Cover the bowl with the wok lid, or the lid from your steamer.  Steam for about 10 minutes or until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.  Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

Halibut Cheeks in an Eggplant, Bell Pepper and Shitaake Mushroom Sauce - Serves 4

Japanese cooking master Tojo impressed me with this dish many years ago and I have tried to recreate it to the best of my ability.  You could also mix in a little bit of miso paste with the sauce mixture and cut back on the oyster sauce to change the flavour a bit.  If you can’t find halibut cheeks, any chunks of halibut or similar firm, white-fleshed fish would do as well.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil
1 inch of fresh ginger, julienned
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 green onions, sliced on a bias
1 long Japanese eggplant, quartered lengthwise, then cut into 1 inch slices
1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded and cut into slices
½ pound Shiitake or button mushrooms, stemmed and cut in half
1/8 cup oyster sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup sherry, sake or dry white wine
½ cup chicken stock
1 pound halibut cheeks, cut into large chunks if necessary
sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro for garnish

Heat the peanut oil over medium high heat in a large frying pan.  Add in the ginger, garlic, and green onions and sauté until fragrant.  Then add the eggplant, bell pepper and mushrooms.  Stir and fry until the mushrooms start to soften.  Mix together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sherry and chicken stock and pour over the vegetables.  Bring to a simmer; then nestle the halibut cheek chunks into the mixture.  Cover and simmer until the fish is just cooked through.  Ladle into bowls and drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and the chopped cilantro.  Enjoy!

The seafood and vegetables I used for testing these recipes is courtesy of Capers, so far the only retail outlet to join the Ocean Wise program.  Good on ya!

Correction!

My bad, as they say...  In a Breakfast Cereal recipe posted from my stories about the resurgence of Slow Cookers, there was an incorrect amount posted for the first ingredient.  It should read 1 and a 1/2 cups of steel cut oats, not 1/2 cups.  My apologies to anyone who tried the recipe and had it end up quite soupy! 

Please try it again as it really is quite delicious.  Thanks to two eagle-eyed blog-spotters for questioning the recipe, which has now been corrected on the site.

So Much On My Plate - Beef Cheeks

When I read an article about beef cheeks in the Toronto Star food section a few weeks ago, I couldn't resist tracking down a source of them on Vancouver Island and checking them out.  I simply called my nearest butcher shop, Cowichan Valley Meats in Duncan and put in an order.  When I found out they would only cost $2 a pound, I said put me down for 10 pounds!  When the order arrived last week, there were almost 13 pounds in the bag.  Of course I said I would take them all, much to the amusement of both the woman at the meat counter and at the till, who both asked me what my intentions were with the cheeks!

I explained that I had never cooked them before, but I intended to braise them for a while, since they need to be tenderized. The only snag in preparation is that you need to trim the silverskin off the cheeks, but if you paid the butcher a little more per pound they would probably do it for you. I adapted two recipes for beef short ribs, one that braises them in a wine and vegetable reduction, resulting in a thick sauce finished with chocolate, rosemary and chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. 

The other recipe is easier, as you simple simmer the cheeks in a soya sauce/water/star anise/garlic mixture, then grill the cheeks after they've been tenderized to give them a nice caramelized finish.

We had four friends over for dinner and put both recipes to the test.  While the grilled cheeks were received favourably, the most praise was reserved for those that had stewed in the rich wine sauce...and I still have about 5 pounds of cheeks left in the freezer for future experimentation!

Here are the recipes, which could be used with beef short ribs as well.  I found that the beef cheeks in general had less fat than short ribs, which is why the grilled versions turned out a little dry.  Let me know how these turn out if you try them!

Braised and Grilled Beef Cheeks

Adapted from a beef short rib recipe by Mark Bittman, columnist for the New York Times

Yield: 4 servings
Total time: At least 2 1/2 hours

Ingredients:
3 pounds beef cheeks, trimmed of fat and silverskin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
5 thin slices of ginger
5 whole star anise
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon rice or white wine vinegar

1. Combine the beef cheeks, soy sauce water, ginger, star anise and garlic in a heavy-bottomed pot. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil; cover and turn the heat so that the mixture simmers gently. Cook, turning the cheeks about every 30 minutes, until the cheeks are tender, about 2 hours.

2. Remove the cheeks from the pot and strain the sauce. If time allows, refrigerate both, separately; skim the fat from the top of the sauce. Preheat a charcoal or gas grill or the broiler; the rack should be 4 to 6 inches from the heat source, and the fire hot.

3. Grill or broil the cheeks until nicely browned all over, sprinkling them with salt and pepper and turning as necessary; total cooking time will be about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce gently; season it with salt and pepper, then add the vinegar.

Braised Beef Cheeks with Chocolate, Rosemary and Chipotle Pepper

This recipe was adapted from a January 2006 Bon Appetit recipe for beef short ribs. 

1/4 cup diced pancetta (Italian bacon) or regular bacon
4 pounds cleaned beef cheeks
olive oil as needed
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrots
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups dry red wine
3 cups low-salt chicken broth or beef broth
2 cups chopped drained canned diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 very large fresh thyme sprig
1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons shaved or grated bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 (or more to taste) chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped (these are available in most Latin American grocery shops.  You could substitute Chipotle Tabasco sauce to taste)

Heat heavy large pot over medium heat. Add pancetta and bacon and sauté until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle  with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown ribs in drippings in pot over medium-high heat until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. (if the pancetta and cheeks don’t release enough fat, add some olive oil to the pot to brown the remaining cheeks) Transfer to a plate. Add onions and next 4 ingredients to pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add wine. Boil uncovered until liquid is reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and pancetta. Return ribs to pot, cover partially, and simmer 1  hour. Uncover and simmer until rib meat is tender, stirring occasionally, about another hour longer.

Transfer cheeks to plate; discard bay leaf. Spoon fat from surface of sauce. At this point you may want to puree the sauce; I used my portable wand to do it. Add chocolate, cocoa powder, rosemary and chipotle pepper or Tabasco; stir until chocolate melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return ribs to pot. Simmer to rewarm, about 5 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

So Much On My Plate - Valentine's Day

Keep it simple, keep it easy:  When you are making dinner for Valentine's Day, don't sweat it!  You want to have time to spend with your loved one, not spend time in the kitchen...

For appetizers: By some high-quality crackers like Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps and serve them with your favourite antipastis.  Perhaps some duck pate, eggplant spread, some Italian salamis and mild cheeses like provolone and gouda, nothing too heavy before dinner.

Main Course:  Fast and simple means a veal or turkey scallopini.  Pound a nice veal cutlet so it's quite thin.  Or if you can't find turkey scallopini, ask your butcher to cut you some from a fresh turkey breast, which are more readily available at most grocery stores.  Season some flour with salt and pepper, and dredge the meat in the flour.  Heat a fry pan over high heat and add a thin sheen of olive oil.  Quickly fry the scallopini...this should take no more than 2 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.  When it comes out of the pan, squeeze some fresh lemon juice and serve.

Serve with what?  Ah, before you get the scallopini in the pan, take some mushrooms, whatever type you can get, and slice.  In a hot frypan, mix equal amounts of butter and olive oil together, then throw in the mushrooms.  Stir and fry until the mushrooms start to release some of their juices.  Season with salt and pepper, stir some more, then lower heat to medium and stir in some whipping cream.  The mushrooms will absorb the cream and create a rich, delicious mixture.

To cut the richness a bit, take a bunch of red chard.  Cut off the tough stems, rinse the leaves and cut into small pieces, about an inch or two square.  In a fry pan, heat some olive oil.  Add some chopped garlic and a couple of ounces of chopped bacon, pancetta or prosciutto.  When the bacon is crisped, stir in the chard so that it gets coated with the fat in the pan.  As it starts to wilt, reduce heat to medium and cover.  When the chard is tender, add salt and pepper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar.  Serve with warm mushrooms and hot scallopini.

Dessert:  Take 250 mls of whipping cream and heat until just about boiling in a small pot.  Remove from heat and whisk in 250 grams of chopped, dark chocolate until it melts.  That's it!  Pour into a nice bowl and serve with chunks of pineapple, banana, strawberry, whatever strikes your fancy. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

So Much On My Plate, Jan. 27/06

This week I featured the vegetable fennel on So Much On My Plate, with 3 easy recipes:

Honey and Lemon Fennel Slaw

Chef at Home Michael Smith told me this recipe, which is a very fast way to make a great side dish to accompany almost any meal.

Ingredients:

1 large bulb fennel

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. olive oil

juice of half a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Chop the top fronds and stalks off the fennel bulb and remove any brown or discoloured splotches on the outside of the bulb.  Grate the fennel on the largest holes of a box grater and put the grated fennel in a bowl.  Add all other ingredients and stir to blend.  Serves 2.

Fennel and Blood Orange Salad

Blood oranges have a very sweet, dark flavour and are almost purply inside.  They are in season right now, so check them out.  You can use regular oranges if you can't find them.

Ingredients:

1 bulb fennel

2 blood oranges

2 stalks of celery, leaves included

1/2 cup small black Italian or French olives

extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Cut the stalks and any bad spots off the fennel bulb and reserve a few of the fronds.  Slice the fennel crosswise into the thinnest slices you can make.  (I use a Japanese mandolin for this)  Layer the fennel onto a wide plate or shallow casserole.  Slice the skin off the blood oranges and then cut crosswise into narrow slices.  Place the blood orange slices over top of the fennel.  Chop the celery stocks and leaves together and sprinkle over the orange.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle all over with olive oil.  Top with the olives and garnish with a few of the fennel fronds.  Serve cold or at room temperature.  Serves 4.

Fennel Baked with Parmesan and Bread Crumbs

You can play around with this recipe a bit and perhaps jazz up the parmesan and breadcrumb mixture with minced garlic, or maybe some fresh herbs.

Ingredients

1 large bulb fennel, stalks removed and sliced into 1/2 inch slices

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350F.  Mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, salt and pepper. Grease a medium-sized casserole with olive oil, then spread half of the fennel slices on the bottom. Top with half of the bread crumb mixture and drizzle with olive oil.  Add the rest of the fennel slices, top with the rest of the bread crumb mixture and drizzle again with olive oil.  Bake in oven for about 30 minutes, or until the fennel is tender.  Serve hot or at room temperate.   

So Much On My Plate, Jan. 13/06

If you're looking for the Emily Richards cookbook contest, click here. 

So Much On My Plate, Friday, January 13th:

Today I talked about the resurgence of Slow Cookers as a method of cooking and featured recipes from a book by Judith Finlayson called The Healthy Slow Cooker.

I haven't used a slow cooker in ages, but over the past week I've made 3 recipes from the book, all with great results.  Here's the one for Apple Oatmeal with Wheat Berries, a great way to wake up in the morning, with breakfast already made!

Ingredients: 

1 and a 1/2 cups steel-cut oats

1/2 cup wheat berries

2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 1/2 cups water

1 cup cranberry or apple juice

This works well in a small, slow cooker, but I used my large one and just cut the cooking time by a couple of hours.  First, grease the slow cooker stoneware with butter, margarine or oil.  In the cooker, combine the steel-cut oats, wheat berries, apples, cinnamon and vanilla.  Add water and juice.  Cover and cook on High for 4 hours or on Low for 8 hours or overnight.  When ready to serve, stir well, spoon into bowls and top with fruit, nuts or sugar of your choice.

My new slow cooker is from Breville. The company is from Australia, and features excellent design along with sturdy construction. I already have an excellent electric grill/griddle combination I use for steaks, breakfasts, whatever!  Anyway, the slow cooker is finished in brushed stainless steel and looks so good you won't be embarassed to have it sit on your countertop, unlike the 'flowery' designs of the past.  That is, unless you're into retro.  This one retails for about 50-60 dollars, with a 5.3 quart capacity.