Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Spanish Style Potato Omlette

Eggs done with a little creativity make a filling and cheap meal. The base for this recipe is the traditional Spanish Tortilla de patatas but with a few additions to make ramp up the flavour volume.

Spanish Style Potato Omlette

8 eggs
2 large potatoes, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt & pepper, to taste
extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chicken broth

Heat oil in non-stick pan. Add onions and cook until they start to brown. Remove half of onions and reserve for later. add a bit more oil and the potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes and add the chili powder, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Allow broth to evaporate and cook until potatoes are tender. Remove potatoes and place in large bowl with parsley and remaining onions.

Beat eggs, add a dash of salt and pepper and a tablespoon of water. Pour over potato mixture, stirring to coat.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in the non-stick pan, add the egg and potato mixture. Move the frying pan so that the tortilla does not stick and shape the edges with a slotted spoon to round them off. Lower the heat and let the tortilla cook slowly. When it is still slightly runny inside, tip it over onto a plate and slide it back into the frying pan so that the other side cooks for a few seconds and goes brown.

Serves 4

Friday, November 21, 2008

Pipe Rigate with Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs



A simple tomato sauce flavored with fresh herbs, red wine and yellow-squash. Muir Glenn Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes add a nice flavor to the dish while the shape of the Pipe Rigate, which looks like a more tubular shell pasta, grips the savory sauce. Tip on the Wine: make sure it's a wine you don't mind drinking -- just because you're cooking with it, doesn't mean you shouldn't go for quality.

Pipe Rigate with Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs

1 lb pipe rigate
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes (28-oz. or 2 14.5 oz)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup red wine
1 yellow squash, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
fresh grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet. Add the garlic and onions and heat for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, herbs, wine and squash and cook for another 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper and 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta and add to skillet. Stir well to coat pasta and cook for a few minutes (2-4) to let sauce thicken. Serve with parmigiano reggiano.

Serves 8

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Traditional Cranberry Relish



It's holiday cooking season which means there are a few staple dishes we all need recipes for. Cranberry relish for that turkey is one of them. This recipe includes orange juice and a dash of ginger for a little spice. It's a great compliment for that turkey meat.


TRADITIONAL CRANBERRY RELISH

16 ounces fresh cranberries, picked over removing squished and overripe berries
1 ½ cup granulated sugar, or to taste
¼ cup water or cranberry juice
½ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons orange zest
½ teaspoon ginger (optional)


First, combine sugar and liquid in a saucepan, stirring over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries, zest and (optional) ginger and continue to cook over medium heat until the berries pop open (about 10 minutes). Be careful not to overcook. Skim the foam off the surface with a metal spoon and discard. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered. The relish tastes best when served the next day. Serves approximately 10.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Spiced Sugar Cookies a la Jackson Pollack

These are a little more interesting than your traditional sugar cookies -- not only aesthetically but flavour-wise. The dash of cinnamon in the dough and the lemon extract in the glaze make these cookies stand apart at parties. Add some food coloring to the icing to make them holiday appropriate or to pay greater homage to America's favourite Abstract Expressionist.


Spiced Sugar Cookies a la Jackson Pollack
For Glaze:
1/4 tsp Lemon Extract
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1-2 tbsp milk

For Cookies:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon (depending on taste)

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

2.In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3.Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

4. Mix glaze ingredient together, adding more or less sugar/milk until you have a thick liquid, runny enough to drizzle over cookies. Once cookies have cooled, go Jackson Pollack on the cookies and add your artistic spin. Allow icing to set before serving.

Saffron-Vegetable Soup

Every time I go home, my parents ask me to make "that soup with the tortellini and all the vegetables." Yellow squash is one of my favourite soup vegetables and I love the flavour of saffron. I like to saute the spinach rather than add it raw to the soup in order to prevent the spinach's water from diluting the broth. This recipe makes enough to serve about 6-8 people and tastes even better the next day.

Saffron-Vegetable Soup

1 yellow squash, cut into small pieces
1 bunch carrots, diced
3 stalks celery diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 bunch spinach, chopped and quickly sauteed
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cup water
handful fresh cilantro, chopped
saffron, crushed (about a 1/4 tsp)
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
fresh, small multi-cheese tortellini (approx. 5 per person)

In a 2 quart sauce pan, saute garlic, onion, carrot, and celery in 1 tbsp olive oil until onions are translucent. Add yellow squash and cilantro, cook until cilantro is wilted.

Add broth and water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, add saffron, dash of salt and pepper. Allow to cook until all vegetables are tender. Adjust seasonings (more saffron, salt and pepper) to suit tastes as it cooks.

Bring water to boil in separate pot for tortellini. Cook until just about done. Remove from boiling water and add to soup to finish cooking. Add sauteed spinach.

The soup is ready to serve when the tortellini is done cooking.

Riding the Gravy Train... How to Make the Perfect Gravy

(I ran this short How-To/Recipe in Columbia University's Spectator a few years back. I still trust it wholeheartedly.)

Nothing saves a Thanksgiving turkey disaster like a robust gravy. A bland bird is instantly made succulent, and over-mashed potatoes are quickly revived. But visions of Aunt Barbara's gravy, dotted with flour dumplings from a roux gone wrong, make Campbell's look mighty tempting. Put the can back on the shelf. Gravy preparation doesn't have to cause nightmares or small kitchen fires. The following "how-to" eliminates potential calamity and produces a flavorful gravy with relative ease.

It's all about the "Bits"

An outstanding gravy depends on a well-prepared and closely-monitored turkey. The rich flavor comes from the drippings and the brown bits that gather in the bottom of the roasting pan. Keep the turkey low in the pan and line the bottom with chopped carrots and celery. While cooking, if you notice that the pan is dry and the drippings few, pour white wine and chicken broth over the turkey.

Making the Gravy
Remove the cooked turkey, vegetables, and roasting rack from the pan. Pour the drippings into a separate container, allowing the fat to separate and leaving the crusty brown bits in the pan. Add either chicken broth or turkey stock to the roasting pan, and stir to loosen the bits from the bottom. Strain the deglazed stock into a pot. After you've discarded the fat, add the drippings and cook over medium heat.

Adding the Finishing Touches
In a separate cup, mix a few tablespoons of flour with enough water to make a runny paste. While whisking the drippings and stock, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the flour-water mixture. If you don't whisk, expect Aunt Barbara's dumplings. Allow to simmer to eliminate the raw flour taste. The gravy will thicken, but feel free to add more of the flour-water mixture if the gravy is too thin. If you overdo the flour, a little broth or white wine should work. Gravy making is all about making adjustments on the run. Don't be afraid to play with seasonings. If you survived stuffing and roasting a turkey, making gravy should be a cakewalk.

Super Peanutty Peanut Butter Cookies



My Father is not a fan of peanut butter, but even he can't stop eating these chock-full-of-peanut-butter cookies. It's best to use an all-natural peanut butter that hasn't been refrigerated yet. If the dough is too crumbly (which can happen depending on the oil content of your peanut butter)you can add an extra egg white to moisten.

Super Peanuty Peanut Butter Cookies
1 Cup All Natural Peanut Butter, chunky
1/4 cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt (depending on salt content of your peanut butter, you may not need this)
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour

Place PB and butter in mixed bowl, with flat beater beat until mixture is smooth. Add sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Mix. Gradually add remaining ingredients. Mix until blended.

Roll dough into 1-in balls. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press flat with fork in a criss-cross pattern to ¼-in thickness.

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
Yields 3 dozen cookies.

83cals, 4g fat per cookie

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Canadian Date Squares, Eh!


Another Canadian recipe inspired by my mum. The Date Square is the Canadian equivalent of the blondie -- a popular treat, not as mainstream as the brownie but equally prevalent and equally delicious. Even Canadian Starbucks carry them as a baked good. Date squares are one of my all-time favorite food items. They're relatively easy to prepare (if you can make an apple crisp or a fruit cobbler, you can make them) and they keep for several days.

AlleyKat’s Canadian Date Squares, Eh
40 min | 15 min prep
SERVES 16

2 c. chopped dates
1.5 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 c. water
1 c. flour split whole wheat and all-purpose
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 c. + 1tbs butter or margarine
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 c. oats (not instant)

1. Combine dates, 1 TBSP brown sugar, and water in small saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook, stirring often, until dates are soft enough to be mashed with a fork.
3. Set aside.
4. In mixer bowl, blend flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs.
6. Stir in brown sugar and oats.
7. Do not over mix.Mixture should stay crumbly.
8. Press half of crumb mixture over bottom of lightly buttered 8x8-inch pan to form bottom crust.
9. Gently spread date filling over bottom crust.
10. Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over date filling.
11. Lightly pat with palm of hand to even out.
12. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
13.Cool completely and cut into squares.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Autumny Mezzi Rigatoni with Butternut Squash




I came up with this recipe after a leisurely lunch at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The rigatoni is tossed with a light but buttery wine sauce and roasted butternut squash. A hearty pasta dish for the fall that is best served with some shaved parmesano reggiano and a glass of chardonnay. Followed by a serving of AlleyKat's Apple Crisp and you have a perfect meal at home on a cool autumn night.




Autumny Mezzi Rigatoni with Butternut Squash
serves about 4
1 butternut squash
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch arugula (or 2 boxes baby arugula) stems removed
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups white wine -- Sauvignon Blanc is a nice choice
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup + 4 tbsp olive oil
pepper to taste
thyme
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 lb mezzi rigatoni

Cut butternut squash into pieces 2 inch thick. Toss with 4 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, dried thyme, and balsamic vinegar. Spread on cookie sheet coated with aluminum foil and roast in oven at 350degrees for 30-40 minutes or until tender. You want the squash to remain firm. Allow to cool slightly and cut into smaller, bit-size pieces.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add mezzi rigatoni. Cook until desired "doneness" -- 13-15 minutes.

In a large skillet, sautee onions and garlic in 1 tbsp butter + 1 tbs olive oil. Once the onions are translucent, add the remaining oil and butter, the chopped parsley, chicken broth and white wine. Allow to simmer for several minutes.

Drain Rigatoni. Add arugula to sauce. Just as it starts to wilt, add the rigatoni to pan and toss to coat with sauce. Serve immediately with some of the sauce and a healthy sprinkle of shaved parmesano reggiano.