French Bistro Salad

A great salad that includes bacon and eggs!

DRESSING:

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp mustard (I like Dijon)

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

SALAD

4 large eggs

12 thick slices bacon

6 cups spring mix salad

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

• For dressing:  combine lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in a blender.  With motor running, slowly add olive oil.   Remove and set aside.
• For salad:  Poach eggs then place in ice water until ready to use.
• Saute bacon until nicely browned and crisp.  Drain and set aside.
• To assemble, toss spring mix with the dressing and divide evenly on 4 plates.  Sprinkle with bacon and cheese.  To quickly reheat eggs, immerse in simmering water for 30 seconds. Place one egg on top of each salad.

Zucchini Alfredo

An old school sauce with zucchini noodles.  You can top with chicken breast or leave it a vegetarian meal.  From Food and Drink Winter 2017.  I don’t have a spiralizer so I just cut long thin slices of zucchini.

1 cup 35% cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
Black pepper to taste
4 large zucchini
1 tbsp olive oil

• In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, pour in 2/3 cup cream; stir in garlic, butter and salt.  Simmer for 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to slightly thicken while making sure it never boils.  Add remaining cream and simmer for 3 minutes more, then stir in cheese and simmer until sauce is noticeably thicker, about 2 to 4 minutes.  Taste to adjust seasoning and add pepper if need be. Set aside.
• Wash zucchini and trim both ends to make them flat.  Place onto the spiralizer glider, making sure the centre of the zucchini is aligned with the circular centre blade.  Push the glider towards the from blades as you turn the handle and watch as your spiralled zucchinis materialize.  Keep a bowl nearby to collect noodles and clean out the pulp and cores as you go.  Toss with olive oil.
• Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat.  Add zucchini and cook in several batches, stirring often until just cooked and tender, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add Alfredo sauce into pan with hot zucchini noodles, toss to coat and serve hot with a few grinds of fresh black pepper.

Serves 4

Asparagus Crunch

I love both the asparagus and the fried chickpeas in this recipe.  A great side or a whole meal depending on your preference.

Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into a skillet (I like cast iron best) and heat over medium high heat.  Add 1 can (398 ml) chickpeas, rinsed and drained.  Cook, in a single layer, stirring occasionally until golden and crispy, about 15 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove chickpeas to a paper towel lined plate.  Pat with paper towels.  Turn warm chickpeas into a bowl.  Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.  Coarsely chop one carrot.  Thinly slice 1 large or two small radishes.  Arrange 1 serving of blanched asparagus over a serving platter.  Squeeze a wedge of lemon overtop.  Scatter with sliced radishes and fried chickpeas.  Sprinkle with carrot.

Tabbouleh

An easy salad to create and a great light option to hold you over between the big heavy meals of the holiday season.  Recipe based on one from Food and Drink Spring 2017.

1/2 cup Bulgur
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup diced tomatoes
Freshly ground pepper
2 cups finely diced celery
2 cups diced English cucumber
1 cup chopped green onion
2 cups roughly chopped Parsley (Italian works well)
1/2 cup roughly chopped mint
1/2 cup roughly chopped celery leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon

• Cover bulgur with boiling water and lemon juice.  Let sit for 5 to 7 minutes.  Drain any excess water.  In large mixing bowl, stir hot bulgur with diced tomatoes.  Season with pepper.  Cool.
• Add celery, cucumber and green onion to bulgur mixture.  Sprinkle over parsley, mint and celery leaves.  Toss with oil, lemon rind, allspice and cinnamon.  Season with salt and pepper.  Taste, adding more lemon juice if needed.

Baked Potato with Corn, Pepper and Bacon

A great side dish to any meal.  The crisp bacon pairs beautifully with the corn and pepper for a decadent topping.  Based on a recipe from Food and Drink Autumn 2017.

4 large baking potatoes (Red if you are able to get them)
2 tbsp canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices bacon, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper
1 tbsp chopped thyme or oregano
2 tbsp butter

• Preheat oven to 350F and arrange rack in centre.
• Place potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with oil; season to taste with salt and pepper (I omit the salt entirely). Place directly on rack and bake for 65 to 70 minutes or until tender.
• Meanwhile cook bacon in a large skillet over medium low heat until lightly crisped, about 8 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and set bacon aside.  Measure out 1/4 cup drippings and return to pan; discard excess.
• Add garlic and corn to skillet, season with salt and pepper.  Cook for 4 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Stir in roasted pepper, thyme and reserved bacon; cook an additional 4 minutes, stirring often, or until corn is tender.  Remove from heat, add butter and stir until melted.
• Split top of potatoes and fluff flesh with a fork; divide corn mixture between potatoes.

Serves 4

Maple Apple Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal seems more like a treat than a breakfast!  This recipe calls for apple but you could substitute it with any fruit.  I have used blueberries and I think strawberries would also work well.

3 cups old fashioned oats

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 large eggs

2 cups fat free milk

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large apple, chopped

1/4 cup sunflower kernels or pepitas

• Preheat oven to 350F.  In large bowl, mix first five ingredients.  In small bowl, whisk eggs, milk, syrup, oil and vanilla until blended; stir into dry ingredients.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Stir in apple.
• Transfer to an 11x7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with sunflower kernels.  Bake, uncovered, 25 to 30 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned. 

8 servings

Roasted Pepper, Bacon and Egg Muffins

A quick recipe for breakfast (or breakfast for dinner).

1/2 medium sweet red pepper
1/2 cup sweet onion, coarsely chopped
1 tsp butter
6 large eggs
1 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp pepper
2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
2 tbsp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 whole wheat English Muffins, split and toasted

• Remove and discard seeds from pepper half.  Place cut side down on baking sheet.  Broil 4 inches from the heat until the skin blisters, about 6 minutes.  Immediately place pepper half in small bowl; cover and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.  Peel off and discard charred skin; chop pepper.
• In small skillet, sauté onion in butter until tender.  In large bowl, whisk eggs, milk and pepper.  Pour into pan.  Add bacon and chopped pepper; cook and stir over medium heat until eggs are completely set.  Remove from heat.  Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand until cheese is melted.  Spoon onto English muffins.  Serve immediately.

Serves 2

Indian Iced Chai

I made 1/2 of this recipe but if you have a group over for the holidays this would be a great iced tea cocktail to enjoy.  Based on a recipe in Food and Drink Spring 2016

3 cups water
1/2 cup honey
8 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves, crushed
3 cardamom pods, crushed
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 cups cold milk
14 Chai tea bags
1 cup white rum

Garnish: Cinnamon Sticks

• In a medium saucepan, bring the water and honey to a boil, stirring to dissolve the honey.  Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods and black pepper.  Cool mixture to room temperature and strain into a glass pitcher and stir to combine.  Refrigerate overnight.
• Next morning remove the tea bags, squeeze them over the pitcher and discard.  When ready to serve, stir in the rum.  Add ice and stir to combine.  Garnish with cinnamon sticks.

Serves 8 to 10.

Blueberry Chai

A wonderful warm drink for a cold night.

1/2 oz Brandy
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/4 oz Amaretto
1/4 oz fresh orange juice
3 1/2 oz Chai Tea
Orange wheel
Blackberries

Pour brandy, Cointreau, amaretto and orange juice into a warm brandy snifter  Fill to taste with hot tea.  Garnish with orange wheel and blackberries.

Makes 1 drink

Matcha Mint Profiteroles

Matcha brings this recipe to a different level.  This is from Food and Drink Spring 2016.

PROFITEROLES
1 cup (250 mL) water
⅓ cup (80 mL) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar
⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
4 eggs

CUSTARD
1¼ cups (310 mL) 35% whipping cream
¼ cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
5 egg yolks
2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (15 mL) matcha green tea
2 tsp (10 mL) finely chopped fresh mint
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

GARNISH
1 tbsp (15 mL) coarse sugar
Pinch of matcha green tea
Mint sprigs

1 Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).

2 Combine water, butter, sugar and salt in a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add flour all at once. With a wooden spoon, stir until incorporated. Cook, stirring vigorously, for about 2 minutes or until a ball of dough forms and comes away from the sides of the pan and a film covers the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat.

3 With wooden spoon, beat in eggs, 1 at a time, stirring vigorously until incorporated and until dough is smooth, paste-like and shiny. (Alternatively, transfer dough to a warmed bowl of a stand mixer and beat with paddle attachment to incorporate eggs.)

4 Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a piping bag fitted with a ½‑inch (1-cm) tip, pipe mounds about 1½ inches (4 cm) in size, onto prepared baking sheets, at least 2 inches (5 cm) apart, to make about 24 profiteroles. With moistened fingers, smooth surface. If you don’t have a piping bag, use moist spoons to drop mounds of dough onto sheets.

5 Bake in top and bottom thirds of the oven for about 20 minutes, switching the position of the baking sheets on oven racks halfway through, until puffed and golden and they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Turn oven off. Remove baking sheets from oven. With the tip of a paring knife, poke a slit in the side of each profiterole. Return to oven; let stand for 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. (Profiteroles can be stored in a cookie tin at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

6 For custard, heat ¾ cup (175 mL) of the cream in a small, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge. Whisk together sugar and egg yolks in a heatproof bowl until well blended. Whisk in flour. Remove cream from heat and whisk in matcha. Gradually pour hot cream mixture into egg mixture while whisking constantly. Return to pan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, for about 3 minutes or just until thick. Pour into a clean shallow bowl and stir in mint and vanilla. Place plastic wrap directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until chilled, or for up to 1 day.

7 Whip remaining ½ cup (125 mL) cream in a chilled bowl until stiff and fold into custard until almost blended, leaving a few white streaks. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until set, or for up to 12 hours.

8 To serve, combine coarse sugar and matcha in a small bowl, stirring until sugar is partially coated with matcha. Cut profiteroles in half crosswise, almost, but not all the way through. Brush tops lightly with water. Spoon the filling into profiteroles and replace lid. Place 3 on each serving plate, sprinkle with matcha sugar and garnish with mint.

Serves 8