Mandarin Salad Margherita with Wasabi Dijon Dressing
Salad:
3 cups of salad greens (spinach, red lettuce, or your favourite mixture)
3 scallions (green onions), diced
1 small white onion, diced fine
1 small red onion, diced (or if particularly sweet sliced into bite-sized pieces)
1 six oz can of mandarin orange slices, drained Wasabi Dijon Dressing
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoon wasabi paste
In a salad bowl, combine all salad ingredients and toss to mix thoroughly. Serve with dressing on the side.
For dressing in a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, mustard, and wasabi paste. Drizzle in olive oil while whisking to emulsify into the consisting you prefer. Stores well for up to a week in the refrigerator.
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 lb lean sirloin, cut into small cubes
1 small white onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz reduced sodium chicken broth
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp ground celery seed
1 lb broccoli florets
1 lb Russet potatoes, julienned (a food processor with a 4mm julienne blade makes quick work of this)
Parmesan cheese shavings
In a large soup pan, heat olive oil until the surface shimmers. Add beef, onions and garlic. Stir to break beef cubes apart and sauté until brown, 5-6 minutes
When beef is nicely browned, add chicken broth and using a wooden spoon or heat proof spatula, scrape the bottom of the pan to release the fond (that’s the French term for the yummy flavour that has formed, as a brown substance, on the bottom of the pan).
Next, add spices and potatoes, stirring to incorporate. Bring to a boil, then turn heat back to a simmer. Cover, slightly askew and allow to cook for 20-25 minutes.
Add broccoli, stir to combine. Cover, and cook 5 minutes more.
Serve in bowls topped with shavings of Parmesan cheese. Garlic toast rounds may be served in lieu of croutons.
Seared Beef with Horseradish Dipping Sauce & Pasta Primavera
Seared Beef
1 lb lean sirloin steak, cut into 1/2″ – 1″ cubed
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt Horseradish Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
2 scallion (green and white parts), minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp prepared horseradish (NOT creamy horseradish sauce) Pasta Primavera
8 oz extra wide egg noodles
Variety of zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus, carrots, haricot verts, broccoli, etc. lightly steamed Black Pepper Sauce
1 cp water
1/8 cp cornstarch
3 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
Begin by preparing sauces. To make the Black Pepper Sauce, combine water, soy sauce, pepper, and corn starch in a small pan, making sure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed before placing over low heat until thickened (about 15-2 minutes), stirring occasionally. When it coats a wooden spoon (leaving a definitive band when you run your clean finger through it), remove from heat. Mix thoroughly before heating. Cook over low-medium heat until sauce thickens and will thickly coat a spoon. Remove from heat and reserve.
To make Horseradish Dipping Sauce, combine horseradish, mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic and scallions in a bowl. Transfer to a serving container, or individual serving dishes.
Prepare extra wide egg noodles as per package instructions, until al dente. Drain, and place in a large bowl with steamed vegetables. Drizzle Black Pepper sauce over, and toss to coat.
In a small bowl, combine spices for the seared beef. Sear beef cubes over medium heat in a large skillet; after 3-4 minutes, sprinkle with the mixed spices (this allows them to impart flavour without burning). Cook another 2-3 minutes, or until desired level of doneness.
6 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp light corn syrup
3 tbsp water
1 cup whipping cream, divided
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups whole milk
3 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks, well beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
Lightly sweetened whipped cream for topping
Preheat oven to 350 and position rack on middle track. Spray 6 six ounce ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. Lay a tea towel in the bottom of a deep baking dish that will hold the cups closely, but so close that they touch each other. Arrange the cups, slightly separated in the pan.
In a 2 quart saucepan, stir the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and hot water together with a wooden spoon (yes, wooden — wood is a poor conductor of heat). Bring to boil over medium-high heat and stir constantly until sugar dissolves; then cook without stirring (give the pan an swirl every so often, until the colour turns a rich amber shade (4 to 5 minutes). Remove the pan from heat immediately.
Slowly add half the cream, and stir, using a long handled wooden spoon. Stand back to avoid being covered from the “eruption” that will occur. Stir until bubbles cease and mixture is smooth, then incorporate the remaining cream, brown sugar, and salt, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Whisk in the milk until combined, then whisk in the eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a measuring cup, discarding any solids that may have formed. Pour the custard into the cups until 3/4 full, then go back and top back off each ramekin.
Place the baking dish on the oven rack and add hot water until it comes at least two-thirds of the way up the sides of the cups. (For safety’s sake, do not add hot water prior to placing the dish on the rack!) Bake until the custards appear set (the middle will jiggle when the cups are moved, and a small cake knife inserted halfway between the edge and the center of one of the custard cups will come out clean), about 28-30 minutes. Remove cups from their water bath and allow to cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, to overnight. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
3/4 cup chopped pecans Filling/Topping:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 large eggs
2 tsp real vanilla extract
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
Line 9-inch square metal cake pan with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Form crust by mix flour with brown sugar in a large bowl. With pastry blender (or two forks), cut in butter until mixture is moist and crumbly (it should resemble coarse, wet sand). Press firmly into pan and bake on the center rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with pecans and press lightly; bake for 5 additional minutes.
While the crust is baking, make the topping/filling by beating butter, sugar and corn syrup in a medium until smooth; and eggs and vanilla, beat to combine. Stir in flour and salt and pour over hot base. Bake until darkened and still slightly wiggly when the pan is moved, about 20 minutes. Let cool on rack. Cut into 25 bars.
1 1/2 cp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt
1 cp creamy peanut butter (optionally: use chunky, or add 1/4 cup minced peanuts)
1/2 cp butter (1 stick), softened
1/2 cp firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (use pure vanilla extract if paste is unavailable)
Preheat oven to 400F.
Sift flour, salt, baking soda & baking powder to combine. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and peanut butter until completely smooth. Add egg and vanilla bean paste.
Reduce mixer speed to lowest possible (or you WILL be wearing the dry mixture) and slowly add sifted flour mixture to the mixer. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides if necessary to ensure everything is well combined. Remove dough from mixer bowl and wrap in plastic. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take a piece of dough no larger than a walnut and roll between your palms to form a ball. Place on baking sheet and using a fork, press in alternate directions to flatten and form traditional pattern. (I happened to use an antique potato masher to achieve the effect in the photo.) Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
