Category Archives: Recipe

Recipe, Veggies

Gorgonzola Asparagus Bake

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Gorgonzola Asparagus Bake

2 pounds young asparagus (the more narrow, the more tender)
3 tbsp chopped chives
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
5 eggs (or 10 ounces egg substitute)
1 cup milk
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 pinch Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Trim asparagus of any tough, woody ends to their stems, and then steam just until tender. Sift flour, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt together, then add chives, minced garlic, Gorgonzola, butter, eggs, milk, Kosher salt and pepper in a bowl and mix to combine.

Place asparagus in a greased 9 x 9 inch cake pan. Pour egg mixture over and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. May be served warm, room temperature or cold.

Serves: 4-6.

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Desserts, Recipe

Crème Brulé

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Crème Brulé

6 large egg yolks
6 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream or 18% coffee cream
1/2 tsp. good-quality vanilla (I used Madagascar vanilla bean paste, in which you can see the teeny seeds from the vanilla pod)
sugar, for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in the cream and vanilla.

Divide among 6 small ramekins, and put them into a roasting pan or 9″x13″ pan; pour water in so that the water comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. This will sort of insulate them so that they cook gently and evenly.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until the custards are set but still just slightly jiggly in the middle (you’ll get a feel for this!). Take them out, let them cool and then refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, until nice and cold.

Sprinkle an even layer of sugar over each dish and caramelize with a torch or transfer to a cookie sheet and place under the broiler in the oven for about 2 minutes, just until the sugar is caramelized and golden. Turn the sheet around, if you need to, to help them caramelize evenly. Refrigerate again, or just let them sit on the countertop while you eat dinner or make coffee, just until the sugar is set and crackly.

Serves 6.

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Recipe, Soup

Chili Con Carne

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Chili Con Carne

1 lb 93% lean ground beef (or ground turkey breast or ground chicken breast)
14 oz dark red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
28 ounces diced tomatoes (or 2 14 oz cans of petite diced Italian tomatoes)
16 oz water
1 small can tomato paste
1 large onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp chili powder
1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on your tolerance for heat)
4 ounces of grated cheese (Reduced fat Cheddar or Mozzarella are popular)

In a large soup pot over medium heat, brown meat of choice along with onion, garlic and chili powder.

Spoon off any excess fat (there should only be a minimal amount of this), and then add the rest of the ingredients except cheese. Cover and bring up to a simmer, leaving the lid slightly askew so that the pot does not boil over. Allow to simmer for 30-60 minutes. (N.B. The chili flavour actually is better if you can make this they day before and refrigerate over night.)

This recipe may be modified with the addition of other vegetables as desired; diced carrots are nice, as are sliced, sautéed mushrooms, diced green peppers, or even jalapeños.

Serve with crackers, over mashed potatoes, in a hollowed out bread bowl, or as a filling to baked potatoes. Top with 1 oz grated cheese.

Serves 4.

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Recipe, Soup

Fiery Sweet Potato Soup

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Fiery Sweet Potato Soup

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp dried oregano leaves, crushed
6 cups vegetable stock
4 cups peeled sweet potatoes (cubed 1/2 inch in size) (about 1 large sweet potato will lend this much)
2 dried ancho chile peppers
1 or 2 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (depending on your tolerance for heat)
2 cups whole corn kernels
1 tsp grated lime zest
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 roasted red peppers, cut into thin strips
Finely chopped cilantro

In a stock pot, heat oil over medium heat and add onions, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, salt and oregano, stir, and cook for an additional minute. Add vegetable stock and stir until well combined.

Soak the dried chile peppers in boiling water for 30 minutes, making sure they remain submerged (you may need to place a weight of some sort on top of them). Discard liquid and stems. Pat dry with a paper towel and chop coarsely. Add to soup pot, along with jalapeño pepper(s).

Add cubed sweet potatoes and stir. Cover and bring to a simmer until sweet potatoes are tender and flavours have married. This will take about 25-30 minutes.

Transfer soup to a blender and puree in several batches (as a hint, cover the top of the blender with a kitchen towel to prevent the hot soup from exploding all over!) Return to pot, add corn, lime juice and lime zest. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until corn is tender.

Garnish in individual bowls with strips of roasted red pepper and cilantro.

Serves 6.

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Desserts, Recipe

Pavlovas

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Pavlovas

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
6 large egg whites
1 tsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup whipping cream
Fresh raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and/or sliced strawberries, peaches, plums, apricots, kiwi or whatever fruit you like
Additional sugar for tossing with fruit (optional)

Preheat oven to 250° F and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment. Set aside about a tablespoon of the sugar, and stir the cornstarch into the rest.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar mixture, beating until the mixture holds stiff, glossy peaks. Beat in vinegar and vanilla.

To make one large Pavlova, spoon the meringue onto the baking sheet and spread out with the bottom of a spoon to form a 9″-10″ circle with a slight indent in the middle and raised edges, like a nest. To make individual Pavlovas, spoon 8-10 mounds of meringue about an inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until crisp but still soft inside. If the meringues aren’t crisp, turn the oven off and leave them inside for another hour.

Transfer Pavlova(s) to a rack and cool completely. Beat the cream with the remaining tablespoon of sugar until soft peaks form. Mound into the middle of the cooled Pavlova(s) and top with fruit.

Serves 8-10

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Recipe, Veggies

Escalloped Potatoes

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Escalloped Potatoes

1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, sliced paper thin
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp fresh ground white pepper
1/4 tsp salt
4 medium Russet potatoes, sliced into thin chips
1 cup reduced fat mozzarella/cheddar blend

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 9″ tart pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and sage, stirring to coat with oil. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until onions are translucent but not coloured. Stir in flour until combined, then gradually stir in milk and water. Bring to a boil and whisk until thickened, which will take 4-5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Starting in a ring, allow potato slices to overlap and cover the bottom of the tart pan. Place half of the onion mixture on top and spread out. Add a second layer of potatoes, followed by the other half of the onion mixture. Finish with a layer of potatoes, then sprinkle the cheese on top.

Cover tart pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes; remove foil and bake until cheese is slightly browned, about another 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 as a side dish, 4 as an entrée.

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