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.
   

A Soup With Soul

This soup has come a long way since I was inspired years ago by a delicious spiced cabbage soup I enjoyed at a soup and sandwich stand.

I've been tinkering with ingredients, amounts and I'm finally content with the flavour, aroma and colour of this soup. I was never satisfied with the outcome of this soup until this past weekend.

This cabbage soup can certainly be made into a vegetarian one but I doubt one will achieve the same great flavour as this version.

The deal-breaker for this soup, the star, the highlight...Chorizo sausage. All it took was one Chorizo to turn this soup from ho-hum to yum-yum!

I used a mild Chorizo but I did make this spicy with the use of just 1 teeny red chili. Cabbage is the main vegetable here and much like a Minestrone, you can use what other vegetables you have at hand.

However, I would recommend this combo...it works real well and you'll have to take my word for it.

Another aspect of this soup I'd like to underline is the use of V8 vegetable cocktail. This veggie juice is a great way to pack flavour into a soup and it's also a time saver. This soup was ready in 45 minutes.

If you take a look at the progression of photos...I went back into the pot for a generous refill!

Spiced Cabbage Soup

1/3 cup olive oil
1 Chorizo sausage, casing removed and diced
2 medium onions, diced
1 large carrot, halved lengthwise then sliced
1 large stalk of celery, diced
1 potato, peeled and diced
2 cups of shredded cabbage
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 whole red chili
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
1 1/2 cups of V8 vegetable cocktail
7 cups of chicken/vegetable stock
2 zucchinis, halved lengthwise then sliced

1. In a large pot, add your olive oil over medium-high heat. Add your onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves and Chorizo and saute for 7-10 minutes to soften.
2. Add your smoked paprika, cabbage, thyme, garlic, black pepper, red peppers and potatoes and stir to coat all the ingredients with the paprika for a couple of minutes.
3. Add your V8 cocktail, stock, chili and bring to a boil. Cover ajar and reduce to a simmer on medium heat for 30-40 minutes.
4. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add your green beans and zucchini and simmer for 5 minutes to cook. Serve hot.
   

Savory Halva Cake With Warm Mushroom Salad

I'm quite excited to have twisted an ingredient that's usually seen as a Greek dessert and I've made it into something tasty, savory and new.

Semolina flour is used to make Halva and you may also find Halva being used in Turkish desserts and even further east in India.

Let's examine what Semolina is. Semolina is the inner, uncracked part of durum wheat. Durum wheat is used to make pasta, couscous and bulgar. Here in North America, ever hear of Cream of Wheat? That's semolina flour!

The closest dish I've seen to this savory cake is rava dosa and upma, in southern India.

As I wrote yesterday, semolina behaves much like polenta: it can be used for savory and sweet dishes, incorporated into baking goods, can be eaten soft & creamy, or hardened and grilled.

Once again, using semolina as a departure from polenta might win over those who do not like corn. I like both.

What I've done here is to use basic ingredients to give the Halva cake some flavour and I've accentuated those same flavours in the warm mushroom salad.

If you enjoy grilling polenta or have some favourite grilled polenta dishes, try substituting semolina flour for those same recipes. You'll be pleasantly surprised as I was.

Savory Halva With Warm Mushroom Salad
(for 4)

1 cup coarse semolina
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups chicken/vegetable stock
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a pot on high heat for a few minutes. Add the oil, scallions and mushrooms and saute for a few minutes to soften. Reduce heat to medium and add your semolina and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes until it begins to colour.
   
2. Add your stock and wine and some and pepper and bring to a boil while stirring. Continue to stir until your semolina resembles a runny porridge.
3. Add the butter, cheese and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and take off the heat.
4. Pour onto a large plate, greased cookie sheet or ramekins and let cool until set (about 20 minutes).
5. Place covered in a fridge until needed for up to a week.
6. Cut into desired shapes and brush your grill with oil and sear on each side for 1-2 minutes and repeat on the flip side.
7. Serve warm as part of a main course, as an appetizer or first course.

Warm Mushroom Salad
(for 4)

1/2 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
1/4 fortified wine (I used a tawny Port)
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. of chopped fresh parsley
1 scallion, finely chopped

1. In a skillet, add your oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add your onions, mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, sage and and saute for 5-7 minutes or until the water from the mushrooms has evaporated and they've taken some colour.
2. Add the garlic and port and simmer until the there's almost no liquid. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper mix in your scallions and parsley.
3. Serve warm over your grilled Halva cake.
   

Red Snapper With a Tomato Herb Crust

Despite Greece having a mild winter, the general population does stay in quite a bit. Greeks will opt for for cozy nights at home with friends or out at a taverna or club.

Either way, you don't see many Greeks doing outdoor grilling (in the winter). Greeks rate seafood integral to their diet and in the winter, fish and seafood get the skillet or oven treatment.

One of the most common fish dishes is Psari Plaki. It usually denotes a fish baked in the oven with tomatoes and onions and such.

There are many "takes" on this dish but I found this version to appeal to my sense of sight more than the traditional Psari Plaki.

I used red snapper fillets, baked them with a saute of celery, red onions and some fresh parsley. The upper topping consists of oven-roasted plum tomatoes which are all held together with homemade toasted bread crumbs.

If you want a taste of Greece in winter, try Psari Plaki. It's light, flavourful and it has classic Greek flavours. This dish was adapted from the The Australian Woman's Weekly Greek Cooking Class. It was a gift to me this past Christmas by my friend Kathy...thank you!

The second component of this dish is the "grilled hockey puck" you might of noticed acting as a bed for the fish.

Are you one of those people who "passes on polenta"? This alternative might do the trick. Remember my recent dessert called Semolina Halva? Well, I've turned the tables here and I used Semolina flour and made it into something savory.

Semolina cooks like polenta, sets like polenta and as you can see...grills like polenta! I'm not dogging polenta but this is a fabulous alternative and the taste was a wonderful surprise. I flavoured the Semolina cake with scallions, mushrooms, wine and grated Romano cheese.

This was an experiment and I kept the flavours simple. You'll see more savory Halva from me in the future! Once again, you're going to have to wait a bit for this recipe (I'm in a teasing mood).

Red Snapper With a Tomato Herb Crust

1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 trimmed stalk of celery, diced
3 ripe plum tomatoes, oven roasted 3/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
4 red snapper fillets
1 tsp dried Greek oregano
1/3 cup dry white wine
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 toasted bread crumbs extra-virgin olive oil
lemon slices for garnish

Pre-heated 350F oven

1. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and add your olive oil, onions celery and garlic and then reduce to medium and saute the vegetables for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, discard garlic and mix in your chopped parsley. Reserve.
2. Place your fillets in a baking dish that's been treated with a little olive oil, season the fish with salt and pepper and dried oregano.
3. Top with the vegetable mixture, then the oven-roasted tomatoes and finally the bread crumbs.
4. Drizzle some olive oil, the lemon juice and wine over the fish and place in the upper-middle rack of the oven for 20-30 minutes and the topping has browned.
5. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve with lemon slices immediately.