Pork and Zucchini Meatballs in Lettuce Cups

1 medium Zucchini
500 g Lean Ground Pork
1 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
1/2 tsp salt
Vegetable oil
Iceberg Lettuce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp hot chili garlic sauce
2 carrots, grated
2 tbsp rice vinegar
Cilantro for garnish

1. Grate zucchini and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.  Pat dry with paper towel.  Combine with ground pork, Chinese Five Spice Powder and salt in a large bowl.  Scoop out 2 tbsp balls.
2. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium high.  Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil, then meatballs in a single layer.  Brown on all sides, by shaking pan a few times about 7 min.  Cover and reduce heat to medium low.  Continue cooking until juices run clear, 6 more min.  Arrange iceberg lettuce cups on plates.
3. Combine mayonnaise with chili garlic sauce in small bowl.  Stir carrots with rice vinegar in another small bowl.  Place 1 or 2 meatballs in each lettuce cup and top with chili garlic mayo and carrots.  Garnish with cilantro.

Serves 4

Red Pepper Falafel Cakes

I am becoming a big fan of the falafel!  These are yummy and not too hard to make. From Chatelaine October 2013

1. Whirl a 540 ml of chickpeas (drained and rinsed) with 1/3 cup fine bulgur, 4 garlic cloves, 1 small onion, 1 egg, 1 1/2 tsp each ground cumin and coriander and 1/4 tsp salt in a food processor until they are finely chopped.  Stir in 2/3 cup all purpose flour and 1/3 cup finely chopped roasted red pepper.  Scoop batter into 1 tbsp balls.
2. Heat a large non stick frying pan over medium.  Add 2 tsp canola oil, then half of batter balls.  Lightly press each with the bottom of a spoon to flatten into a cake.  Cook until golden and warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Repeat with 2 tsp canola oil and remaining batter balls.  Serve in pita halves with greek yogurt, tomato and cucumber.

Delicious Pizza

This is a recipe from Food and Drink 2014, except that it is supposed to be grilled and in 4 pizzas and I baked it on a stone in my oven as one large pizza.  The Sauce is what I really enjoyed about this pizza, and it was so easy to make.

3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely shopped
 Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1 can (798 ml) San Marzano Tomatoes (or the best quality you can find)
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
375 g Hot Italian sausages
1 pkg (680g) Pizza Dough
1 cup pitted black olives
125 g drained fior di latte, torn into small pieces (or the best quality mozzarella you can find, grated)
1/4 cup finely shredded fresh basil leaves

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium heat.  Add onion and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, stirring often, until onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and red chili flakes and cook, stirring until fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds.
2. Add tomatoes and sugar.  Bring to a boil, breaking up tomatoes with the back of a spoon.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and reduced, abut 50 minutes.  Stir more frequently and reduce heat, if necessary, toward end of cooking time so sauce doesn't scorch.  Taste and add more slat and pepper if necessary.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, heat a small nonstick skillet over medium.  Remove casings from sausages and crumble meat into skillet.  Cook, stirring often, until sausage meat is completely cooked and no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. 30 minutes before cooking remove dough from fridge.
5. Heat oven to 400F.  
6. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to size of pizza stone and place on stone.
7. Spread tomato sauce over crusts.  Sprinkle with cooked sausage, black olives and cheese.
8. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until crust is cooked through.

Pastrami Salmon

A nice summery dish for the grill!  From Food and Drink 2014.

750 g Salmon
1 tbsp olive oil

PASTRAMI SPICE MIXTURE
1 tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely ground
1 tbsp coriander seeds, coarsely ground
1 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt

1. Brush salmon with olive oil on both sides and place on parchment paper.  Combine spice mixture ingredients in a small bowl.   Pat mixture evenly over the salmon.  Let sit for 15 minutes before grilling.
2. Preheat grill to high.
3. Slide salmon from paper onto grill.  Close lid and grill for 12 to 15 minutes or until white juices begin to appear.  Remove from grill and let sit for 5 minutes.  Cut into 4 serving pieces and serve with grainy mustard and a slaw.

Stromboli with Smoked Ham and Spinach

Even my picky child liked this one!  From Food and Drink Magazine 2014.  Stromboli is an Ital-American creation of rolled pizza dough around your choice of fillings.  So versatile!  Try chicken and broccoli or steak and bbq sauce.

2 tbsp flour
500g store bought ball of uncooked pizza dough
3/4 cup pasta sauce, plus extra for dipping if desired (thicker style is better)
4 to 5 slices smoked ham, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup hot banana pepper rings
1 cup Asiago cheese, grated
Olive oil for brushing

1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. Sprinkle work surface with flour to prevent sticking, use extra if needed.  Roll pizza dough out to an 11 x 14 inch rectangle with longest edge facing you.
3. Spread entire dough with tomato sauce leaving a 1 inch border around the edge.
4. Cover sauce with ham, then spinach and sprinkle with remaining ingredients
5. Roll dough into a log, then pinch edges of dough to seal.  Place roll on a greased baking sheet with seam down.  Brush entire roll with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes in middle of the oven, or until golden and cooked through.
6. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing, to allow cheese to firm up.  To speed up the process you can cut the stromboli in half to release the steam.
7. Slice and serve with extra warmed sauce for dipping.

Rose Summer Sangria

A great summer drink for the patio.

1 cup strawberries
1 wedge of watermelon
1/2 pink grapefruit
1 bottle rose wine, 750 ml
1/2 cup St Germain liqueur or Cassis liqueur
2 cups carbonated or sparkling water
Strawberries and pink grapefruit for garnishing

1. Trim and chop strawberries.  Cut watermelon into small pieces and measure out 1/2 cup.  Segment grapefruit half, then cut into small pieces.  Pour wine into a large pitcher or punch bowl.  Add fruit.  Refrigerate and allow flavours to infuse overnight.
2. Just before serving, stir in liqueur and carbonated water.  Ladle sangria, including fruit, into ice filled rocks glasses.  Garnish with fresh strawberries and a wedge of grapefruit, if you like.

Raspberry Lime Creme Brulee

This was a great combination of flavours!  I am a big fan of Creme Brulee.

1 cup frozen raspberries
2 tbsp each water and granulated sugar
1 tbsp corn starch

CUSTARD
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 cup 10% Half and Half Cream
4 egg yolks
1 egg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
Additional granulated sugar for brulee

1. Preheat oven to 325F.  Stir raspberries with water sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan set over medium heat.  Cook, stirring until thickened.  Divide berry mixture among six 6-oz ramekins; arrange in a deep baking dish or roasting pan.  Let stand until set.
2. Custard:  Meanwhile, heat whipping and half and half cream together in a heavy saucepan set over medium-low heat until steaming.  Whisk egg yolks and whole egg with sugar.  Gradually whisk in creams until well combined.  Strain into a measure or pitcher; gently stir in lime zest and vanilla.
3. Divide custard among prepared ramekins.  Carefully pour enough boiling water into baking pan to reach halfway up sides of ramekins.  Bake for 40 minutes or until custard is slightly jiggly in centre.  Cool to room temperature in pan; chill completely before serving (or up to 2 days).
4. Sprinkle 2 tsp sugar evenly over each custard.  Use a brulee torch, moving back and forth over the sugar until evenly melted and amber coloured.  Or, broil on the top rack for 3 to 4 minutes or until the sugar is golden.  Let stand at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings

English Muffin Bread

This is wonderful toasted with some butter and Strawberry Jam.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup dried cranberries, chopped
2 pkgs Quick Rise Yeast
4 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
Cornmeal for sprinkling

1. Combine 1 cup all purpose flour with whole wheat flour, cranberries, yeast, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.  Heat milk and water until very warm and add to flour mixture and beat with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.  Gradually stir in enough all purpose flour to make a stiff batter.  
2. Grease two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pans and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal.  Divide batter between prepared pans.  Cover with a tea towel; let rise in warm, draft free place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.  
3. Preheat oven to 400 F.  Bake loaves for 25 minutes or until tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Remove from pans immediately; cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

Double Chocolate Pudding Cake

This was so good and so easy!

Sauce:
1 3/4 cups boiling water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup corn syrup

Cake:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup 10% cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly grease a 10 inch baking dish.
2. Sauce:  Whisk boiling water with brown sugar, cocoa and corn syrup until smooth; set aside.
3. Cake: Stir flour with sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk cream with oil, eggs and vanilla.  Stir into flour mixture just until combined.  Fold in chocolate.  
4. Spread batter evenly in prepared dish.  Carefully pour sauce mixture evenly over batter.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until top springs bake when lightly touched.  Serve warm with ice cream.

8 servings