Seared & Braised Breasts of Chicken

This following post is actually about a non-visit during my recent stay in New York. Despite my having a full week to sight-see, explore, eat & drink and meet folks along the way - there just wasn't enough time to patronize all the Greek restaurants of note.

Upon my return from New York, I've even received invites to "check out" some other noted Greek eateries in the NYC scene. Is New York City in my 2009 plans? We'll see.

Some of you might recall that I visited New York's famous The Strand bookstore and I was able to buy some rare and cheap cookbooks there. One such book was The Periyali Cookbook.

Periyali is a Greek restaurant in the Grammercy/Flatiron district of Manhattan and it's been around since 1988...a veteran by any restaurant's standards!

The next best thing to visiting a restaurant is buying the book, no? With over 300 pages and tons of recipes in between, the cookbook offers up an array of Greek dishes that touch upon all the food categories and it makes Greek food approachable for even some you just discovering what a wonderful cuisine we have.

Today's dish is one of those "I want a classy meal, it's a weeknight, I'm tired from work and I want that restaurant-type of dish served to me" kind of meal.

The cookbook's title for this dish is "Seared & Braised Breast of Chicken With Leeks and Lemon Cream Sauce". I had no leeks and even if I did, the leeks would be out of proportion with the chicken breasts.

I opted to sear some scallions but in hindsight, spears of asparagus would also work very well here and I'll be on the lookout for some the next time this dish is on my mind.

Another sub I made was to omit the lemon juice and use some of my flourishing lemon thyme in my indoor herb garden. The recipe has no herbage and although tarragon would have worked well here, thyme is a Greek herb and the lemon thyme gave the dish that fresh citrus flavour and the bottom-end woodsy falvour that only thyme can give.

Finally, I halved the wine, stock & cream amounts and my hunch was right...there was just enough sauce for 4 plates.

Seared & Braised Breasts of Chicken
(serves 4)

4 bunches of scallions, greens trimmed and reserved
1 cup of chicken/vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. of lemon thyme
(may sub. some lemon juice w/ thyme)
1 bay leaf
4 chicken breasts, pounded into paillards
flour for dredging
1/4 cup olive oil for frying
1/ 2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
thyme for garnish

1. Either pound out your chicken breasts into thin paillards or if you have 2 thick chicken breasts, carefully cut the breast into 2 thin chicken breasts (making 4). Rinse and pat-dry your chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper and dredge in all-purpose flour.
   
2. In a large non-stick skillet orver medium heat, add the white part of the scallions and sear on both sides until a nut-brown colour has formed. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve on a plate with absorbant paper.
   
3. Now sear and brown your chicken breasts in the same oil until golden brown (1 1/2 -2 mins.) on both sides and reserve.
4. Discard the oil and place your skillet back on medium heat and add the wine and and simmer for 1-2 minutes while scraping up the brown bits.. Now add your cream, stock, bay leaf and lemon thyme and and gently bring to a boil. Carefully add your chicken breasts back into the skillet and simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes or until your sauce has thickenend enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Add the reserved green parts of the scallions and mix into the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and discard the bay leaf.
5. Spoon some cream sauce onto the bottom of each plate and then lay a row of scallions on top, followed by the crowning chicken breast. Garnish with some lemon thyme and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Serve with some rice pilaf.
   

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2008 Peter Minakis

Miskotini With Feta

I've been enjoying Greek-made pasta of late. The folks at Misko who make an array of pasta were kind enough to send me samples of their Greek pasta varieties.

Most Greeks will acknowledge we didn't invent pasta but most Greeks will assure you (and demonstrate if you like) their love of eating pasta.

I'll be heading off to New York City tomorrow but upon my return, I plan to showcase some more Greek pasta dishes. We have noodles from Asia, everyone loves Italian pasta, the Spanish have been enjoying in for ages and the Greeks round-out the roster with age-old dishes, enjoyed by generations.

One such combo is a simple delight of eating pasta with Feta cheese. I can remember my mom boiling some spaghetti, browning some butter and finishing the dish off with some crumbled feta.

I'd assume most Greek families enjoy this quick, easy and delicious dish and yes, it's been done for awhile...for as long as feta has existed.

For anyone who's bought a large quantity of feta, you'll know that crumbled pieces of Feta are usually to be found at the bottom, when you've reached your last slab of cheese.

With Greeks pursuit to "waste not - want not"...even those lonely last remaining feta pieces get consumed...for pasta with Feta!

You may certainly crumble your own Feta to make this easy dish but this is a frugal dish that stretches the ingredients boundaries...using those last bits of feta at the bottom.

The most common approach to this dish is browning some butter, adding the cooked spaghetti in to the skillet and tossing the crumbled Feta which slightly melts and coats the pasta with Feta goodness.

Here, I've upped the ante by adding some roasted garlic, cream, black pepper, parsley and some Greek oregano into the mix.

As soon as you toss the ingredients into the boiled pasta and smell the aroma from the skillet, you'll know this is a winner!

Miskotini With Feta
(serves 4)

500 gr. packet of Miskotini pasta
4 cloves of roasted garlic
approx. 200gr. crumbled Feta
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. dried Greek oregano
salt and pepper to taste
some reserved pasta water

1. Get a large pot of water to boil. Add a good amount of salt and cook your pasta according to package instructions.
2. In a small saucepan or "briki", add your cream and roasted garlic and mash it into the cream. Add the crumbled Feta and over medium low heat, stir until most of the cheese has melted and melded into the cream. Turn heat off and keep warm.
3. When your pasta is cooked, reserve some pasta water and drain the pasta. Pour the pasta back into the pot, add the Feta/cream mixture and toss to coat. If the sauce is too dry, add some pasta water.
4. Now continue to toss by adding the chopped fresh parsley and dried Greek oregano and adjust seasoning with some ground black pepper (salt rarely needed).
5. Serve immediately.
   

Lia's Spinach Carbonara

With autumn taking a firm grip on the weather, thoughts and memories wander back to my summer vacation in Greece. There's Greek countryside, the sea, the people, friends and family.

Most of my mom's side of the family lives there and this is one of the important reasons why I go back to Greece as often as I do.

My first cousin Lia (see the resemblance) is also blessed with being raised and fed by a wonderful cook, my Theia (aunt) Angeliki (my mom's sister).

Each year I make my pilgrimage back to my parents' home town and I always stay at Lia's house. This year, my Theia Angeliki was at my family's summer home so, Lia was left with the cooking duties.

I arrived into Amynteo by train from Thessaloniki...just in time for lunch. Lia had prepared a surprising and delicious meal of Spinach Carbonara.

This is a such an easy and wonderful departure on the classic carbonara but it injects some hearty, healthy spinach into the mix (good way to sneak some greens in for your kids).

I've made this dish twice already...once using thawed frozen spinach and also with fresh baby spinach, wilted at the very end when tossing the sauce together. Either approach works wonderfully.

I'm delighted to share my cousin's recipe of Spinach Carbonara with you...it's quick, it's easy, it's filling and in a usual Kalofagas way, delicious!

Lia's Spinach Carbonara
(serves 4)

1 package (500gr.) dry linguine
12 strips of bacon
4 handfuls of thawed frozen spinach, squeezed of excess water
OR
6 cups of fresh baby spinach, rinsed & pat dry
4 eggs yolks
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Kefalotyri cheese
lots of cracked black pepper
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 cup of red onions, diced
1/4 cup dry white wine
some pasta water
some extra grated Kefalotyri (or Romano) cheese

1. Place a large pot of water on your stovetop and bring to a boil. Add a good amount of salt and cook your pasta as per package instructions. In a small bowl, whisk your egg yolks, cream, grated cheese and black pepper and set aside.
   
2. Chop your strips of bacon into bite-sized pieces and place in a large skillet. Add about a 1/3 cup of water and bring to a boil. The water will help render the fat in the bacon and eventually leave you with crispy bacon. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Remove excess bacon fat or add some olive oil if the skillet is too dry.
3. Add your onions and smashed garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes over medium-low heat while stirring. Now add the wine and keep on stirring to deglaze and release the brown bits from the bacon. Reduce until there's almost no liquid left, take off the heat and reserve.
4. As soon as your pasta is cooked, reserve some pasta water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta back into the skillet, along with the bacon, egg/cream mixture and your spinach. Begin tossing and folding the sauce into the pasta. If your sauce is too dry, add some of the reserved pasta water and continue to coat. Your sauce should cook and thicken from the residual heat of the pasta. If the sauce is too loose, place your skillet under very low-heat and keep tossing the sauce & the pasta until it thickens.
5. Plate the pasta with some more cracked black pepper and have some grated cheese available at the table.

Lemon Linguine

Most of you who are food enthusiasts (freaks) like myself, you've noticed by now that many items on your grocery bill have gone up.

One glaring spike in prices is with lemons. Limes I can find for 6 for $1, oranges are decently priced but lemons? The best deal I've found so far this year is 2 for $1.

Are lemons going to become a luxury item? Will we have to resort to using bottles of "real remon" juice? I don't think so.

Citrus is a staple in our house and if Canada didn't have a pipeline of oranges, lemons & limes heading up north, we'd be the scurvy capital of the world.

To help ward off any signs of scurvy, I whipped up this light but substantive pasta dish, borrowing from the style of Carbonara , where egg yolks make the sauce.

I originally was inspired (forced) to make such a dish from watching Paula Deen make a similar dish using sour cream, milk and lemon juice.

Do not make this dish. My insticts were telling me this would be too sharp, tart & sour - and I was right. The two bowls of pasta were chucked in the garbage.

On to the second attempt and Lemon Linguine Carbonara and the YES....success. Basically, I'm slowly sauteing some onions and garlic 'til translucent, then I hit the pan with some fresh squeezed lemon juice and take off the heat and reserve.

While your pasta is boiling, whisk some egg yolks with cream, grated Romano and lots of cracked black pepper and sett aside until your pasta is done.

Lemon Linguine Carbonara
(for 2)

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1 whole lemon
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup cream
grated Romano cheese
lots of cracked black pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
approx. 4 oz. of dry linguine
reserved pasta water
salt to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a good amount of salt upon boiling and add your linguine. Cook as per package's directions.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, add your olive oil and onions and garlic and saute on medium to low heat for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add your lemon juice and set aside.
3. In a bowl, whisk your eggs, cream, black pepper and grated cheese and set aside.
4. When your pasta is done, reserve some pasta water then drain and now add the linguine into the skillet along with the egg/cream mixture, lemon zest and some pasta water.
5. Toss the egg/cream mixture until the residual heat of the pasta has turned the mixture into a creamy sauce. Taste and adjust for seasonig and add the chives and parsley before giving one final toss.
6. Plate and serve immediately.
   

Gigantes Bruschetta (Γιγαντες Bruschetta)

Today is the last day of my mini-fast for Great Lent. Tonight, I'm going to go back to eating regular meals which means yay...meat and cheese & such!

I will however still post some more Lent-friendly dishes through the next month or so. Holy Week is still coming up and alot of Greeks will be still looking for new food ideas while fasting.

I'm excited to show you my Gigantes Bruschetta. Gigantes are a Greek baked butter beans dish that's served in practically every Greek home.

Last year I posted my family's version of Gigantes and you can follow the easy steps here. I made Gigantes the other night and I was looking forward to having my Greek snack...a Bruschetta topped with Gigantes.

Before I continue, let me set the record straight on how Bruschetta is pronounced: it's "Brooos-Sketta". Got it? Good! Apparently I have a few Italian food Carabinieri who are watching my every little step!

This appetizer is very simple. Slice a piece of bread on a bias and place it on a grill to warm and crisp up.

Scrape the top of the bread with some garlic, drizzle with olive oil and top with the warm Gigantes.

Serve as an appetizer, meze or snack. Your guests will ask for more!

Say Hello to My Little Friends

As I've written in my brief profile, I also have pet cockatiels. Cockatiels are considered small parrots, the males can vocalize and they are indigenous to Australia.

A friend of mine once worked in Australia and she called the Humane Society on a few occasions to notify them that she spotted some cockatiels that had escaped. She soon (embarassingly) found out that they were in fact wild cockatiels.

Allow me to introduce you to my crazy birds; at the top in her princess stance is the hen, Nikki. She likes to have her head scratched and enjoys the occasional romp with Bobby. Bobby is the cock (male) and he likes saying, "Hello Bobby, how are you" and he sings a few ditties (when in the mood) and he likes mounting Nikki, on occasion.

To your bottom right sits Tonto. He's the eldest male (the siblings have been sold to good homes), he likes watching TV, imitating Bobby's songs and struts around looking for his elusive mate.

For those that have pets, you know that one is truly never alone with the company of such intelligent, giving creatures.

Now it's back to my other passion, food. One of the newer additions to my Google reader is FXCuisine. Francois-Xavier (FX) is a French-Swiss fellow who lives on the shores of Lake Geneva and he shares his creations that are largely continental European.

Francois-Xavier most recently shared a potato dish called Swiss Alpine Potatoes. I had to immediately try this out because it's so easy and I'm always up for trying another recipe with the versatile spud.

All one needs is some potatoes, onions, good smoky bacon or pancetta, some aged Swiss or cheddar and some fresh rosemary.

I stayed true to FX's directions but I did need to use some olive oil and I added some chicken stock to help along with cooking process and avoid any burning on the bottom of the skillet.

If you want a quick starch to go with your dinner, like a sausage or steak, try out FX's Swiss Alpine Potatoes.

Tell'em Peter sent ya!

Tourist in My Own City

One of my favourite things to do on my spare time is to roam different neighborhoods in Toronto. I live in the suburbs but I'm a downtown guy and I'm often in an area called Kensington Market.

Kensington Market was (and still is) an area of the city where immigrants would first reside and set-up shop nearby.

Today, this neighborhood is still ethnically diverse, Bohemian in feel and a great place to shop for vintage clothes, smoking paraphernalia, family-run fruit markets, grab a bite to eat or pick-up some good seafood.

Most of the stores selling seafood are Portuguese merchants but I always try and give business to my own 'peeps.

I like going to New Seaway Market, located at 195 Baldwin Street. It's Greek owned & operated and Theodoros and the boys are knowledgeable in seafood, the product is fresh and they will also carry some Greek fish!

I recently picked up some gorgeous red snapper fillets and I want to share this quick, easy and dramatic plating of this very flavourful fish.

In Greece, the most common dressing for a grilled fish is to simply dress it with a mixture of extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper and the herb of choice (latholemeno).

Greeks don't like to mask the flavour of their seafood. They truly enjoy the taste of fish and a latholemeno duly complements a grilled fish.

I still can't grill anything outdoors. There's a drift of snow over one metre high still blocking my way but I have a good alternative....broiling.

If broiling a fish, use a fillet with the skin intact. The broiler crisps up the skin and this folks is the closest thing to "bacon of the sea".

In my photo, my fillet curled up a bit (which I like). If you prefer a flat fillet, cut a couple of slits into the skin to prevent curling. Now, let's light 'it boy, light 'it!!



Broiled Red Snapper With Latholemeno
(for 4)

4 red snapper fillets
1/2 tsp. Vegeta
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
2 tsp. canola oil

Latholemeno

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/3 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped chives (or scallions)
1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

1. In a bag, mix the canola oil, Vegeta and pepper and gently rub the marinade into the fillets. Marinate the fish for 1/2 hour (room temperature).
2. Preheat your oven's broiler. Arrange the fillets skin side up in a single layer on a line baking tray or gratin dish.
3. Place the fillets under the broiler (no more than 4 inches from the heat) and broil for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make your latholemeno by combining the salt, pepper, lemon juice in a jar. Shake well to emulsify and reserve.
5. Remove the fillets from the broiler (skin should be dark, brown and crusty) and spoon over the latholemeno over the fish.
   
6. Sprinkle with chives and oregano.
   

MEME's, Tags and Food Hags

I want to begin by thanking all those who have tagged me in many instances of blog exercises, MEME'd me to divulge just a little more about myself, for feting me with blog awards and accolades. You have all also given me the opportunity to the hone my cut/paste and link skills. I am forever indebted to you.

For the record, these little exercises do take time; I have to think of what I will and will not divulge of myself, make the blog entry somewhat entertaining and think of five or more victims to tag and prolong this counterproductive circus.

I will respectfully not jump through anymore hoops. I'm not hatin' on these blog games but I do have a backlog of dishes I'd like to still share with you and the MEME/Tag thing is time consuming.

I would much rather share a food experience and spend this time exploring your blogs and commenting constructively, with encouragement and a bit of humour.

I'm now officially done with MEME's and Tags...now on to Food Hags.

This dish comes courtesy of a food personality and I was quite impressed with how well the dish came together after following the directions rather closely.

This is a quick, elegant and an easy weeknight dish that's sure to please all in attendance. The only substitute I made to this dish was to again use evaporated milk.

It's a great, low-fat alternative to heavy cream however one should use is it along with a roux for it to thicken just like cream. Otherwise, you will still find the sauce to be a little thinner.

Now it's time for a little fun, I'll post the recipe but I'm going to have you all try and guess which food personality's dish this is.

Take a guess in the comments section and I''ll give the answer in my next blog entry.

Feb. 27, 2008...this dish is adapted from Rachel Ray.

Chicken Breast With a Mushroom-Dijon Sauce
(for 4)

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt
• pepper
• sweet paprika
  
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 lb. button mushrooms, sliced
  
• 3 shallots, sliced
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard (depending on your tastes)
  
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk

1. Wash and pat-dry your chicken. Seasoning with salt, pepper and sweet paprika.
2. Heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken breasts until brown on each side and cooked through. Reserve in a warm oven.
3. Add the butter to the hot pan and melt. Add the mushrooms to the pan and brown, about 4-5 minutes.
   
4. Add the shallots and thyme, and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. When all the vegetables are tender, sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and shallots, cook about 1 minute.
   
5. Stir in the white wine, chicken stock, Dijon mustard and heavy cream. Cook about 2 minutes, until thickened.
6. Cut the chicken breasts into slices and serve chicken topped with the Dijon gravy and the rice and asparagus alongside.

Comforting Chicken Paprikash

A few years ago while on my way to Greece for my summer vacation, I stopped for a few days in Budapest, Hungary.

Budapest is really two cities: Buda sits on the hilly western bank of the Danube River and Pest to the east. Combined the two cities are known as Budapest.

Hungary is known for it's rich history of striving to be independant, Hungarians are great at business, some of the prettiest women I've seen were in Budapest and, they also boast of a rich cuisine that is washed down with their excellent wines.

Hungarian cuisine is dominated by the use of paprika which is made by drying and grinding red peppers into a fine powder. Paprika can be found sweet, hot or smoked and it's used to season soups, stews and sausages.

Today, I went with a more lean approach to Chicken Paprikash by using boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Although the meat was tender, it still had a dry texture and I'll use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the next time Paprikash is summoned to the table.

Chicken Paprikash is remarkably easy, a one skillet dish (along with some egg noodles) and the flavour scale is quite high considering how easy this is. Make sure you add the sour cream mixture at the end...it'll provide your Paprikash with the right thickness and stick well to the noodles.

Chicken Paprikash

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup all purpose flour
salt and pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 large onion, sliced
1 large green bell pepper, sliced
1 bay leaf
1/4 dry white wine
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 cups of chicken stock
1 pint of roasted cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 scallion, sliced

1. Wash and pat-dry your chicken. Season with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.
   
2. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and brown the chicken breasts under medium heat or 2 1/2 minutes a side. Brown in batches and reserve the chicken.
3. In the same skillet, add some more oil and toss in the onions, green peppers and garlic and bay leaf and saute for about 5 minutes for the vegetables to soften.
4. Add the wine and deglaze the brown bits from the pan. Now add the paprika, your chicken stock and cherry tomatoes and bring to a boil.
   
5. Cut your chicken breasts into fork sized strips. Add your chicken into the skillet, stir in and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes. Cook uncovered for another 10 minutes for the sauce to thicken. Take off the heat and reserve.
   
6. In a cup, mix the sour cream with the corn starch. While stirring, mix in the sour cream mixture into the Paprikash.
7. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve on a bed of egg noodles.
   

Spaghetti With Aspragus and Shrimp

Having eaten rich foods over the holidays, I wanted to eat something lighter (without raiding my birds' seed mixture).

Up here in Canada, we've been getting some decent produce from South America (primarily Chile), due to it's growing season being the opposite of Canada's.

For the past couple of weeks, I've noticed some decent and affordable asparagus in the market and I've enjoyed them in fritattas, as a side veggie dish and today, in pasta.

This dish is light, has no cheese and is refreshing with the aroma of lemon zest and the zing of paprika and chile flakes.

I also find that many of the best pasta dishes are the simple, quick ones where the sauce is ready in the time it takes for the pasta to be cooked. This spaghetti dish is one of those simple delights.

Spaghetti With Asparagus and Shrimp
(for tw0)

1 dozen shrimp, peeled and de-veined
salt
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp. of chile flakes
1 dozen asparagus spears, wood parts trimmed and then cut into 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 small red onion, diced
1/4 cup white wine (Chardonnay)
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 a lemon
some pasta water
2 handfuls of spaghetti

1. Get a large pot of water boiling for your pasta. When the water begins to boil, add a generous amount of salt and cook your pasta according to the package's instructions.
   
2. In a bowl, toss your shrimp with some salt, paprika and chile flakes. Place a skillet on a burner on medium high-heat and pour in your olive oil. Add the shrimp and saute until they've just turned pink (about 2 minutes). Remove your shrimp with a slotted spoon and reserve.
3. In the same skillet add your garlic, onions and asparagus and saute them on medium heat for about 5 minutes (or enough to soften).
4. Add your wine and reduce until there's barely any liquid left. Take the skillet off the heat and reserve (you may remove the garlic, if you wish).
   
5. As soon as your spaghetti is cooked, reserve some pasta water and strain the spaghetti.
6. Place you skillet back on the burner (heat off) and add your pasta, shrimp, zest and lemon juice and toss to coat the pasta with the remaining ingredients. Add some pasta water if the sauce is too dry.
7. Serve with a nice Chardonnay.
   

Thai Clubhouse Sandwich

One of the advantages of surfing others' food blogs is seeing visually enticing foods but the recipes do not always use traditional ingredients one keeps in their pantry.

Katerina of Daily Unadventures in Cooking made a lovely Curried Mango Chicken Salad and I had all the ingredients except for the curry powder (it's almost taboo in my home).

I went to my local Asian market and I found a mild curry powder and my thought process was I could always kick-up the heat with something else.

Not to make a carbon-copy of Katerina's sandwich, I thought of what flavours come from Asia? Asian food is about yin-yang, hot-cold, contrasts, soft and crisp and I came up with the Thai Clubhouse Sandwich!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 Tbsp yogurt
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 green mango, diced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 sweet red bell pepper, diced
a squirt of Sriracha hot sauce
a squeeze of lime juice
salt & pepper to taste

1. Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a spoon. Adjust for seasoning.
2. Take a sesame seed baguette, cut in into the sandwich size you like, spread the Thai chicken salad on the bottom bun and then stack your cooked bacon slices, slices of red pepper and a leaf of lettuce and drizzle some sweet & sour sauce and munch on this heaping sandwich.
   

Seafood Pizza

I'm almost on vacation. Tying up loose ends with clients, tidying up the house, putting things in order....making sure all my ducks are in a row. One of my tasks was to cull the remaining basil in my garden. By the time I'm back from holidays the basil will have bloomed, gone yellow and frankly it will be not that desirable.

I made some pesto and froze some basil, as per Kalyn's valuable method (thank you). Everyone should have a pesto pasta or pesto something at least once during the summer. I had it a few times and this time I was inspired by this rendition of seafood pizza at Canary Girl. I didn't follow Nikki's recipe verbatim but it did launch me into making this pizza.

I used a medium-sized flatbread this time (no time for pizza dough today) and I assembled my seafood pizza as such:

Pour some pomodoro sauce onto your flatbread (or pita). Sprinkle some salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried oregano. Dot your pizza with spoonsfuls of basil pesto and then top with your grated mozarella.

Top with shrimp (or you could try mussels, clams, oyster meat), slices of red onion and some chilli flakes.

Throw your pizza into a preheated oven for 5-10 minutes or until your pizza is golden on top.

Pan-Fried Cajun Rainbow Trout

For those familiar with Toronto, you might remember the Whistling Oyster. Although I'm not a fan of basement establishments, this once used to be innovative, had an open kitchen, one could sit at a table or eat casually at the bar.

I've been told it has since closed but I hold dear memories of eating and drinking...alot there! Their happy hour menus were a great way to try new dishes, most with an Asian and seafood slant.

One of my favourite dishes was the Pan-fried Cajun Rainbow Trout. Canada boasts of having lots of rainbow trout. I love trout for it's flaky texture, it has a pink, almost salmon colour and it's a versatile fish as it's great grilled, broiled or in this case, pan-fried.

Next time you're hankering for seafood, ask for rainbow trout...tell'em Pete sent ya!

Pan-Fried Cajun Rainbow Trout

Cajun seasoning
Onion powder
garlic powder
salt and pepper
white flour
corn flour
2 rainbow trout fillets
olive oil
butter

1. In a bowl, add your cajun seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, flour and corn flour and mix well. Brush your fillets with olive oil and and dredge them with the flour mixture.
2. In a large frying pan, add your olive oil and butter to medium-high heat. Place your fillets in the pan (skin-side first). The fillets are thin and should only take 2-3 minutes per side.
3. Serve with a squeeze of lime juice and a side of rice or try a linguine with a mushroom-cream sauce...just like at the Whistling Oyster!
   

Poppy Seed Pappardelle

Here in Ontario, we have to buy our booze from a provincial monopoly of beer & liquor stores and that sucks! The freedom and the option to buy beer, wine and spirits should be allowed so that I may run to the corner store and pick up that bottle of wine or that case of beer for unexpected guests.

Sadly, the tax revenue gained by our provincial government is too great for them to let go of. You're probably asking, "isn't this a food blog"? Oh yes...on to food!

One of the few positives of the Ontario booze monopoly is that it publishes a seasonal magazine entitled, "Food & Drink" and often there are some interesting food ideas to be had, including this one.

This dish was a surprise to the eye and to the palette. The creamy flavour is juxtaposed with the crunch of the poppy seeds. It's one of those pasta dishes that's ready by the time your pasta's done...a sure-fire weekday meal-fix.

Poppy Seed Papardelle (for 2)

zest of 1/2 lemon & a squeeze of lemon juice
2 Tbsp of toasted poppy seeds
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup of whipping cream
2 cloves of smashed garlic
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Fresh ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil
2. In a large frying pan over medium heat, toast the poppy seeds for 30 seconds, then reserve in a plate. Using the same pan, pour in the olive oil and throw in your garlic and 2 chopped green onions. Saute under medium heat for a couple of minutes and then deglaze the pan with dry white wine until there's barely any liquid.
   
3. Add your cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, poppy seeds and reduce to a medium-low heat and stir for a minute or two to thicken.
4. When your pasta is done, strain and add to your sauce along with your cheese and the remaining chopped green onion and parsley. Grate some more Parmesan on top and serve.
   

Spaghetti With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Basil

One of the things I like doing is having a look at what's in the "reduced" produce section. One can sometimes find some good deals for a perfectly fine product...as long as you use it in a day or two.

Yesterday I found some pints of cherry tomatoes and they were on sale for a buck a pop! I snapped up a couple of pints and while driving home, I was pondering how to use these sweet tomatoes.

I was going to roast them. I cranked my oven, put the tomatoes in an oven-safe pan, drizzle some olive oil, threw in some salt, tossed them and in they went. After just over a 1/2 hour I opened the oven to find these shriveled tomatoes that oozed of their sweet juices and a hue of red-tinged olive oil. This dish was gonna be good!


Spaghetti With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Basil
(for 2)

2 handfuls of spaghetti
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 handful of fresh basil, chiffonade
salt & pepper
grated Parmesan
pasta water

1. Pre-heat your oven to 450F. Place your tomatoes in a oven-safe pan and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and toss. Roast your tomatoes for 30-40 minutes or until they are shriveled and have some brown colour.
2. Get a pot of water boiling. Throw in your salt and pasta and boil for 8 minutes (al dente).
3. Just before your pasta is ready to be strained, ladle out some pasta water into your pan of roasted tomatoes and deglaze the pan and add your garlic under medium heat and reserve.
4. When your pasta is done, strain the water and add the pasta to your tomatoes along with your basil. Add fresh ground pepper, some grated cheese and adjust seasoning.
5. Top with some grated Parmesan cheese and serve.
   

Spiced Chocolate Budino

I love desserts but I can't say I'm a pastry chef. I'll show you all one day how my cookies turned out (EEEK), but that's another story.

Today I played it safe by trying out Giada DeLaurentis' Spiced Chocolate Budino. It's simply jazzing up some instant chocolate pudding and fooling your guests into thinking you slaved over double-boilers!

What's interesting about this recipe is the use of some red pepper flakes. I did not get a heat surge or any major screams for water but a spike of heat here & there...this was a hit and easy to prepare.

Whiz awayyyyyyyyyy!

Spiced Chocolate Budino

3 boxes store bought chocolate pudding mix
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 small orange, zested
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Candied Orange Peel, for garnish

Make the pudding according to the package instructions. Add the cinnamon, orange zest, and red pepper flakes before chilling in individual cups/glasses. Before serving, sprinkle the top with chopped Candied Orange Peel.

Candied Orange Peel

1 large navel orange
3/4 cup sugar

Using a vegetable peeler, cut the orange part of the peel from the stem end of the orange down to the navel end, forming long 3/4 to 1-inch-wide strips. Bring a heavy small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the peels and cook for 1 minute. Drain and then rinse the peels under cold water. Repeat cooking the peels in the saucepan with fresh boiling water and rinsing under cold water 2 more times.

Stir the sugar and 1/2 cup of fresh water in a heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. Add the orange peels and simmer over medium-low heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the peels to a sheet of parchment paper to dry slightly, about 1 hour.

Yield: about 10 candied peels

Tuna Salad With Toasted Pine Nuts

I'm always trying to exhibit/show something a little different when it comes time to write my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging. I made my tuna salad with toasted pine nuts and I I surmised that pine nuts would be a good topic. Before we go on to 101 pine nuts, make sure you click-on over to Chris' site Mele Cotte for her food musings and her round-up of the other WHB entries.

Pine nuts are exactly that, seeds/nuts from a pine (the Pinacaea family). Pine nuts can be found in native Indian, European and Asian cuisines. Pine nuts contain 31 gr. of protein per 100 gr (the highest of any nut or seed so, the next time you wince at the price of pine nuts be at ease that you're getting more bang for your buck! Pine nuts can go bad/rancid but a great way to preserve them is in a jar or ziplock bag in the freezer.

I have my stable of "go-to's" when it comes to sandwiches and tuna salad is right up there. It's not fishy, it's filling, inexpensive and nutritious.

I saw this recipe for tuna salad years ago but I can't cite the source, so if I've stepped on anyone's toes, mea culpa.


What stands out in this tuna salad redux is the tarragon and toasted pine nuts. Try it, you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Tuna Salad With Toasted Pine Nuts

1 tin of water-packed tuna, drained
1 shallot or 1/4 red onion, diced
3 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tsp creamy Dijon mustard
1 rib of celery, diced
2-3 Tbsp of mayonnaise
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
salt & pepper to taste

1. In a pan on medium-high heat, throw in your pine nuts and contstantly swirl the pan to shake your pine nuts while they toast. They should take about 5-10 minutes and you know they are toasted when you can smell them. Take off the heat and reserve.
2. Drain your tin of tuna thoroughly. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with a fork. Adjust seasoning and , mayo for creamyness.

Grilled Shrimp on a Bed of Spaghetti in Brown Butter

It's summer time and one should be outdoors as much as possible. To help me stay outdoors I try & stick to simpler, quicker dishes but that doesn't mean I'm sacrificing taste nor will I be eating a Jetsons food pill as a meal replacement!

Last night I was stuck with thinking what to make and once again I opened the fridge to try & come up with something quickly.

I found some leftover arugula and that was going to solve my starch craving by having it tossed in spaghetti and brown butter sauce.

I then went to the freezer and found some nice shrimp that begged to be thawed and grilled.

My dinner is now planned.

Grilled Orange-Chipotle Shrimp on a bed of Spaghetti & Brown Butter Sauce (for 2)

• 12 medium-sized shrimp, deveined & shelled
  
• 1/2 fresh squeezed orange juice
• 2 tsbp chipotle sauce
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 stick of butter
• salt
• cracked black pepper
• Parmesan cheese
• 1 bunch of arugula, coarse chop & stems removed

1. Bring your pot of water to a boil. Salt generously when boiling and add your pasta.
2. In a saucepan on low heat, add your butter and allow it to slowly bubble, simmer and gently turn a light brown. Then add your garlic, take off the heat and reserve.
3. Mix your orange juice with the chipotle sauce. Divide the mixture in half. Add the shrimp to one 1 half and allow them to marinate for no more than 15 minutes. Reserve the other half of marinate for brushing shrimp at the end.
4. Grill your shrimp on high heat, for 2-3 minutes/side or until pink. Take off the grill and brush them generously with your orange-chipotle sauce.
5. When your pasta is done, strain it and add it to your brown butter sauce. Place the pan back on the residual heat of the turned-off element and toss in the arugula, pepper, salt to taste. Add grated Parmesan and place your shrimp on the bed of spaghetti.
   

Spicy Bowl of Udon Soup

For a couple of years now I've been enjoying a spicy Asian soup at a downtown Toronto cafeteria-style eatery. They have a hot table of noodles, rice, various Asian eats, dim-sum and soups.

I always go right for their Bowl of Udon. Spicy, comforting and rather filling! However there's a problem. I live in the 'burbs, this eatery is downtown. If I have a craving I have to travel 30 minutes (at least) to get into the city to satiate my Udon craving.

Last week, my left-coast buddy Katerina of Daily Unadventures in Cooking had posted her Tom Yum Gung Soup and it finally gave me the confidence to try my hand at my own Spicy Bowl of Udon! I've given you photos of the eatery's version and mine and Hells Bells...I did it!

The ingredient list is long but the prep & assembly is easy and the end result tastes so complex!

Feeds 4

Step 1

1. Set up your "mise en place" or have your soup ingredients prepared so that you can divide & distribute the ingredients among the serving bowls.
2. Prepare the following is separate dishes:

• 1/2 red bell pepper sliced
• 1/2 green bell pepper sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
  
• 4 green onions chopped
• 1 lb of sliced white mushrooms
  
• left over chicken breast or cooked white chicken meat, thin sliced
• 16 medium shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 4 little packettes of seaweed (the kind for rolling sushi), hand torn
• 4 Tbsp of coarsely chopped basil
• 4 Tbsp of fresh chopped coriander
• 4 lime quarters for garnish
• Sriracha sauce for drizzle at end

Step 2 - Your Broth

1. In a large pot on high heat, add 8 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
2. Add 3 lime leaves, 6 Tbsp of Thai fish sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 3 stalks of lemongrass (bruised & chopped), 2 Tbsp Chinese 5-spice, 4 cloves of minced garlic, juice of 1/2 lime, 1 dried red chile, 2 tsp cracked black pepper, 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger, oyster sauce to taste.
   
3. As soon as the broth comes to a boil, cover and lower to simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Throw your Udon noodles in the broth to cook for 2 minutes. Remove the noodles and divide among your serving bowls. Keep broth on simmer to keep hot.
   
5. Divide and place all ingredients listed in Step 1 (#2) and place in bowl on top of the noodles.
6. Use a ladle to spoon the hot broth over the soup ingredients and allow the broth to steep and cook the shrimp for 5 minutes.
7. Garnish with lime quarters and offer Sriracha Sauce for those wanting an extra zing!
   

Mushroom Carbonara

The first time I tried Carbonara was during my '88 vacation to Greece and in particular, Corfu. It's become quite the popular dish as it's easy, filling and cheap on the pocketbook.

Carbonara is a traditional Italian pasta sauce . It's name comes from carbone, which is for Italian coal, and many believe the dish derives its name because it was popular among charcoal makers. Others believe, however, that the dish is called carbonara simply because of the black, freshly milled pepper that is used.

I thought of this variation today and I hope you try it out! This is one of the many sauces I like as they are usually ready by the time your pasta is done. Other than the salted pasta, salt is absent as the cheese and bacon season this dish.

Mushroom Carbonara (for 2)

3/4 cup sliced mushrooms 3 strips of bacon, diced ( or Pancetta)
1 diced shallot 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of white wine
2 tsp fresh thyme
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 eggs, beaten
lots of cracked black pepper
2 scallions, chopped (white and green parts separated)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese Pasta of choice (linguine, spaghetti, fettucine)

1. In a large pot, fill it with water and get the water to a boil with the lid closed. When you get a boil, season with salt (as salty as the sea is) and throw in your pasta of choice. Boil as per instructions on the package.
   
2. While your pasta is boiling, you can make your sauce. In a pan, throw in your diced bacon and some water on high heat. The water will boil the bacon and help you render and give you crispier bacon. When the bacon is crispy. Reserve with a slotted spoon. You may remove the bacon fat & replace with olive oil if you wish.
3. Add your shallots, the white parts of your green onions and mushrooms and simmer for 3-5 minutes (medium heat). Add your wine, garlic and thyme. Allow the wine to reduce for 2 minutes and take your pan off the heat.
4. In a bowl, whisk your eggs, cream, black pepper and cheese until well mixed and reserve.
5. When your pasta is done "al dente", scoop some pasta water out and reserve. Strain your pasta and then add it to your sauce. Add some of the reserved pasta water (this process will temper your sauce )plus your egg-cream mixture and the green parts of your scallions. Use the residual heat of the closed burner you used to boil your pasta to toss your pasta and sauce (high heat will cause you to have scrambled eggs).