Sunday 29 November 2015

Grilled Veal Saltimbocca

These are delicious! They work really well as an appetizer but can also work for a main course.  Saltimbocca is Italian for “jumps in your mouth” which is perfect for this tasty dish.  rom Canadian Living/The Barbecue Collection.

8 thin slices prosciutto
8 pieces veal scaloppine, about 450g
225 g soft goat cheese
1 tsp pepper
24 to 32 fresh basil leaves


  • Arrange prosciutto slices on work surface; top each with 1 of the veal pieces, matching edges as closely as possible.  Spread goat cheese evenly over veal; sprinkle with pepper.  Arrange 3 or 4 basil leaves in a single layer on top; starting at 1 short end, roll up.  Thread each roll diagonally onto 2 soaked wooden toothpicks.
  • Grill, covered on greased grill over medium high heat, turning once, until just a hint of ink remains inside veal and edges of prosciutto are crisp, about 1 minutes.
  • To serve, cut rolls in half between toothpicks.

Tuesday 24 November 2015

Hamburger Casserole

From Company’s Coming..a simple family dinner.

2 cups cooked small egg noodles
500 g ground beef
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 x 213 ml tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese


  • Prepare noodles as directed on package.  Drain.  Measure.  Spread in bottom of 1.5 L casserole.
  • Scramble fry beef in cooking oil until brown.  Drain and discard fat.
  • Add onion, garlic, tomato sauce, salt and pepper to meat.  Simmer gently for 15 minutes.  Pour over noodles in casserole.
  • Spread sour cream over meat, meaning a smooth level surface.
  • Spoon cottage cheese over top.
  • Layer cheese over top to cover completely.  Bake uncovered in 350F oven for 30 minutes until bubbly.  Serves 6 to 8.

Tuesday 17 November 2015

Adobo Style Pork with Sweet Potato

From Food and Drink Holiday 2014….I like the combination of pork and sweet potato here.  I am also a big fan of one pot meals :)

1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
Generous grinding black pepper
500 g pork tenderloin cut into bite size pieces
1 tbsp vegetable oil
10 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
3 slices ginger
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 bay leaves
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
3 green pinions, very thinly sliced diagonally


  • Place cornstarch, salt and pepper in a  medium bowl.  Add pork and toss to coat.  Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.  Add pork to oil.  Cook a couple of minutes just until browned all over; it will not be cooked through.  Remove and return to bowl.
  • Reduce heat to medium, adding a little more oil to pan, then add garlic and ginger.  Stir, cooking 1 minute.   Add water, vinegar, soy and hoisin sauces, bay leaves and a generous grinding of pepper to pan.  Stir and scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan.  Add sweet potato, cover and simmer until potato is nearly tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Return pork to pan.  Simmer gently uncovered, stirring occasionally until pork is cooked and potato is tender, about 2 more minutes (don’t overcook pork or it will toughen).  Discard bay leaves and ginger slices.  Stir in green onions.  Serve over rice.
Serves 4

Saturday 14 November 2015

Smoked Salmon-Dill Scrambled Eggs

A great way to start your day!

8 eggs
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter
4 green onions, thinly sliced
6 oz sliced smoked salmon, cut into strips


  1. In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, dill, and salt.  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add egg mixture; cook e to 4 minutes stirring occasionally until almost set.  Add green onions.  
  2. Mix in salmon, cook 1 minute more or until eggs reach desired doneness.

Tuesday 10 November 2015

Meatballs

A simple and kid friendly dinner that can handle any sauce.

1 kg ground pork
1 grated onion
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp flour
4 tbsp flour

Combine all ingredients; beat vigorously until mixture is smooth and well blended.  Keep in fridge 1 hour.  Heat in a heavy skillet 2 tbsp oil.  Drop meat mixture by spoonful into skillet; brown.  Steam in oven (350f) about 1/2 hour or until ready to serve.

Thursday 5 November 2015

European Spice Cookies

An old fashioned gingerbread cookie, thin, dark and spicy.  These don’t need to be iced but a small amount of royal icing can make them look festive.  From Food and Drink Holiday 2014.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fancy molasses
1/2 tsp vanilla

ROYAL ICING
2 cups icing sugar
1 tbsp meringue powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 to 2 tbsp water
Gel food colour if desired


  1. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pepper and salt in a bowl.
  2. Beat together butter, sugar, molasses and vanilla until smooth.  Add flour mixture and beat until well combined (dough will be soft and slightly sticky.) Divide dough into 2 pieces, wrap well in plastic and chill for 1 hour or until dough has firmed up.  Working with 1 piece at a time, roll dough out on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper with a floured rolling pin to about 1/16 inch thick.  Transfer sheets of rolled dough to fridge or freezer for 1 hour to firm up again.
  3. Preheat oven to 375F.
  4. Working with 1 sheet of dough at a time, use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.  Gather, chill and re roll scraps as desired.
  5. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes or until cookies are dry to the touch and slightly darker at the edges (don’t over bake or they will get hard). Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
  6. Combine icing sugar and meringue powder in a bowl.  Whisk in lemon juice and enough water to make a thick icing.  Stir in food colour if desired.  Transfer to a piping bag with a fine round tip.  Decorate cookies as desired.
Makes about 36 cookies, depending on size.

Monday 2 November 2015

Cherry, Almond and Lemon Florentines

These are outstanding for the upcoming Holiday season.  They are similar to the classic Italian Lace Cookie.  From Food and Drink Holiday 2014.

1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
6 oz dark chocolate, chopped


  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Combine cream, butter, sugar and honey in a small pot over medium low heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Bring to a boil, remove from heat and stir in lemon rind, salt and flour until smooth.  Stir in sliced almonds and dried cherries.
  3. Lightly butter the wells of a nonstick muffin tin.  Spoon 1 tsp of batter into each well, and use the back of a spoon to spread into an even layer.  Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until golden brown and set.  Let cool for 5 minutes to harden then use the point of a butter knife to pop the cookies out of their wells, and let cool completely on a baking rack.  Repeat with remaining batter.
  4. Melt chocolate in a small heavy pan over low heat.  Remove from heat.  Dip cookies into chocolate to cover halfway, or drizzle chocolate overtop cookies.  Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and let stand until chocolate has set.
Makes about 36 cookies.