Category: Recipes

How would You Braise a Mixed Grill?

The other night we didn’t have as many people for dinner as expected, so there were leftover lamb chops. Plus we had a piece of beef tenderloin that hadn’t been used. (Such is life when adult children begin to flee the nest…sometimes here, sometimes eating elsewhere).

The idea was that we should make something a bit liked mixed grill. We didn’t have sausage, but the meats were enough. We browned them nicely with some red onions, peppers, and a carrot or two, diced. Then, a little wine tipped in to loosen the nice browned bits. At the end of the browning, we put in some mushrooms, and a good handful of rosemary, chopped, plus a grind of pepper.

We covered this with a can of diced tomatoes with herbs, and popped it in the oven for an hour, with the cover on. Then we removed the lid, and left it bubbling along (at about 350F) while we made some mashed potatoes.

In the end, it was a great way to celebrate what we hope was the last day cold enough for braising until the autumn!

Warning! Slow Food Alert! Barley and Brown Rice Risotto

Once in awhile you just need to s-l-o-w down. The other night we had some fish we wanted to use to make a nice fish risotto. Just as in many places, it’s been raining. And raining. And raining. So when we opened the cupboard to discover that we didn’t have any risotto rice left (arborio, or canaroli, preferably), we were worried. What to do?

We did have some delicious short grain brown rice from Better Bulk. But it doesn’t really give enough starch to give the creaminess we like. We did have some pearl barley. Why not the two? So since we were in a kind of “use up what’s there” mode, we also threw in various veg that were in the fridge.We started by the usual risotto method – cooking the barley and rice in a little olive oil, with some onion, garlic, and carrots from Kelly’s. When it started to get translucent, but not toasted, we de-glazed with a little vermouth (but apple juice would work, if you prefer, or even a little vinegar).

Next, the rest of the veg – a bit of spinach that wouldn’t hold up another day for salad. A half tomato hiding in the fridge. Another half tomato with the nasty side cut off. And a little bell pepper and a few mushrooms.

All the while, keep adding liquid – for us, vegetable stock. Add a cup, stir. Keep simmering! Another cup…for barley and brown rice this might take an hour. Do it with a good friend or significant other. Play nice music. Drink some wine. It will be worth it!

When all was cooked down to creamy deliciousness, we stirred in the diced trout fillet, and a couple of spears of asparagus, broken into lengths. Soon it was done. Comfort food for a very un-spring-like day. A great meal to share.

What to Eat When the World Didn't End Yesterday?

Well, I can’t say I was surprised that the world didn’t end yesterday – too much advance warning. And I’m pretty sure The Book says we won’t get any of that.

So before heading out to Church we ate nature’s perfect food, dressed up a bit. Starting with toasted whole-wheat English muffins, we topped each slice with a slice of fresh hothouse tomato. Can’t wait until the “outdoor” local crops are in the market.

On top of the tomato, some Herbes de Provence Sheep Camembert from Fergus (by way of Leslieville Cheese Market).

Top this with a poached egg, which will melt the cheese. A sprinkle of cayenne, and you’re set!

Salade Huron-coise

So what did we do with the remaining Glazed Lake Huron Char? We made a delicious Salade Nicoise – that is, Salade Huron-coise!

There was a leftover red potato, so we cut that up, along with the remaining fillet.

Some greens, a few steamed haricots verts, a boiled egg, some capers and olives, and we were nearly set. For the dressing, a tablespoon each of lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, and a sprinkle of lemon pepper.

So good!

A Char-ming Discovery

We’re well-served on our walkable route to food and feast-stuffs, except for one thing. There is a limited supply of places to buy good-quality fish. Recently we visited Hooked, on Queen Street. They have an amazing selection, arranged west-to-east in a gorgeous glass fridge. Advice and provenance of the fish are freely provided.

The only problem we had with Hooked was figuring out which fish. Too many to choose from, and all of them looked good. In the end we settled on a huge fillet of Lake Huron Char. Then, what to do?

We baked it, glazed (see our recipe page, here).

Of course it was too big for two, so we put a couple of pieces in the freezer for a day when we want a delicious meal, but fast. So much better than the corner burgermeisters. There was still some left. What to do?

Stay tuned tomorrow!

Barbecued Lamb for a Celebration

I had thought I’d get burgers on the grill or take-out for my Mother’s Day dinner, but Steve surprised me. Walking about in the neighbourhood while I was at French class, he popped into Royal Beef, where they had some awesome lamb roasts.

He cooked this one one the barbecue with a marinade of Dijon mustard, olive oil, 5-spice powder, salt, and pepper. He served it with some new potatoes and spring asparagus.

Consider me spoiled.

Next Day Soup

If you made our Slow-Braised Turkey Legs you probably had some delicious-looking gravy in the bottom. (More than you could eat with the mashed potatoes!)

If so, add about 4 cups of water, and simmer in the same casserole. Then cool overnight and use for Next Day Soup.

Bring the broth to a boil. Add 1 chopped onion, two chopped carrots, 3 or 4 stalks of diced celery, and a diced bell pepper (I used a yellow one). Add 5ml or a teaspoon of cumin and a dash of hot sauce or cayenne. To this, stir in 25oml or 1 cup each of green lentils (dried) and brown rice (uncooked). Let simmer for about half an hour.

Recycled food – better than it sounds!

The Potato BBQ Thing

Baked potatoes are nice. And all sorts of side dishes are great. But there are lots of days when you just want to put something on the grill, slice up some tomatoes (maybe dress them up “Jamie style”) and eat.

When that happens, we fall back on the “BBQ Potato Thing” as a real go-to dish. This recipe originally came from our friend Helena, but it’s been changed and adapted a bit over the years.

Start with two large pieces of foil, laid out on the counter in a cross (probably about 24″ long, each).

Onto these, slice up some red potatoes, skins on, about 1/4″ thick. (Peel them if they’re unsightly old potatoes!). I use one potato per person. Add a sliced onion (or two, as you like) and a diced bell pepper (or two, depending on the number of people. Give it a good grinding of pepper, and a little salt. Toss in chopped herbs if you have some (the other night, when we took this photo, we used tarragon). Drizzle with olive oil – not too much, maybe a couple of tablespoons at the most.

Toss this together, then wrap – fold one piece of foil and roll the ends together, then use the other piece and do the same, the opposite way, to form a strong package.

Put this on the gas grill while you’re preheating, turning once. Leave it on the grill while you prepare some chops or chicken breasts, turning occasionally. By the time the meat is done, the Potato Thing will be, as well – and when you serve it up, it will look like you worked a lot harder than you did.

Big? Small? Veggie Curry for All…

Next on the agenda? Veggie curry.

Life threw a wrench in the works this week – our microwave went on the blink. Now we don’t use the micro for much, mostly for starting baked potatoes for the grill, melting and thawing. Therein lies the problem. In our quest to avoid sodium, we like to make big batches of beans and keep them in the freezer. Same goes for brown rice. But we’re not always good about getting stuff out of the freezer early on. So we’ll start with directions:

If you didn’t get the beans out in time, and you don’t have a microwave: About 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour before you need them in a recipe, sit the container you froze them in, in a larger container of lukewarm water. This will help them thaw faster. Check from time to time. When they can be broken apart, they can be added to the recipe. This method also works for the rice; to reheat the rest of the way, add a tablespoon or so of water, and heat over low heat on the stovetop, in a non-stick pan. Or use a little oil and some diced celery, onion and mushrooms, and make it fried rice.

To make today’s veggie curry we started by baking a butternut squash. You cut the squash in half, and scoop out the seeds. Turn cut-side-down on a piece of parchment, on a cookie sheet. Bake half an hour (depending on the size, you may need ten more minutes) in a 400F oven. When you can pierce with a fork, it’s ready. Let it cool a bit so you can handle it.

Meanwhile, cook an onion, a stalk of celery, a chopped bell pepper, a couple of sliced carrots, and some mushrooms in a medium-sized pan. Add a couple of cups of cooked kidney beans (check out our bean recipe in the recipe pages). De-glaze with a splash of wine. Pour in a bit of broth (not too much, maybe half a cup). Scoop in half of the squash and save the rest for a delicious soup…within a couple of days, or freeze for later.

Two tablespoons of curry paste are great for our hardy lot…but do it to taste. Use curry powder if you prefer. Or some garam masala, turmeric, and chili powder. Throw in a few green beans or asparagus – whatever’s handy and in season.

Let it simmer until it thickens. Serve with the rice. Your tummy will thank you.

Change of Plans

Sometimes in a busy household a change of plans can make the day’s meal plan impractical. Or fresh foods can spoil a little faster than anticipated. In our case, some spinach that ended up not being used on Sunday, became the basis for dinner on Monday.

It was one of our usual go-to meals: some vegetables and beans (or cheese) tossed together with a whole-grain pasta. In this case, some spelt penne was the pasta star. While it cooked we sauteed an onion, and added half a dozen mushrooms. A splash of red wine, a packet of baby tomatoes, and the spinach in question came next, followed by a couple of cups of cooked beans. This simmered over low heat until the pasta was done. Then we tossed everything together and covered it, on low heat, for 4-5 minutes just to let the flavours come together. Finally, a sprinkling of feta for a salty-sharp accent. A casual, comforting end to a long day.