Scallops with roasted pepper sauce and couscous June 23, 2008

Stage 1:

Roast a yellow pepper, peel and process it in your food processor of chop really fine. Add:

3/4 tsp butter

1/2 hot red halopeno pepper – finely chopped

1 clove of garlic – minced

Salt

Mix all while pepper is still hot to melt the butter.

Stage 2:

Prepare couscous according to package instructions (I added a bit of Saffron but it wasn’t very noticeable)

Stage 3:

Cut scallops in half length-wise (they cook quicker and more evenly that way); sprinkle with salt and roll in bread crumbs. Saute in a hot pan with butter and Canola oil – butter for the flavor and oil for the temperature.

Summer BBQ June 23, 2008

I am not a fan of commercially produced sauces and marinades and I am even a lesser fan of BBQ sauces which seem to rarely strike the right balance between spices, sugar, tomatoes and heat. On my recent shopping trip I have found an exception! The D.L. Jardines ”Killer” sauce which is spicy (not crazy spicy but still noticeable) and delicious! A good thing to have in your fridge for a quick summer BBQ whether its chicken wings or pork ribs.

P.S. The brand has quite a few other products including Mesquite BBQ Sauce and Fajita Meat marinade as well as some salsas and preserves. But I haven’t tried any of those yet…

A quick summer lunch June 22, 2008

One of the components is sort of cheating as I got the crab-cakes in a store but the rest are quick and easy additions which will make a tasty refreshing lunch.

Roasted Poblano (a mild, large, chili pepper) sauce – for the crab cakes:

Roast one green Poblano pepper either on your gas stove top, your BBQ or in your oven (turn on to Broil, 550F and put the pepper on the top shelf on a baking sheet or on foil). Don’t forget to turn it until the skin is burnt on all sides. Transfer directly into a paper bag (a plastic one will melt!) and close for a few minutes. When cold enough to handle take it out of the bag and peel the skin off, take out the stem and the seeds. Puree in a blender with equal amounts on mayo and sour cream. Add salt to taste. I used one tablespoon of each sour cream and mayo per pepper.

Coleslaw:

Mix all ingredients listed below…

Chopped purple cabbage and twice as much regular cabbage (I used about 1/8 and 1/4 head)

A handfull of chopped cilantro

1 Tbsp sunflower seeds

One (chopped) garlic clove

A 6cm piece of ginger – chopped

1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 Tbsp Canola oil

Ponzu sauce or soy sauce to taste.

* you could add a bit of chopped lemon grass if you have some to spare.

Lemon Veal with TWO mashes June 22, 2008

There are more and less complicated recipes for the classical Lemon Veal but this one beats them all…

Sprinkle the veal scallopini with salt and dredge in flour. Saute in butter on high heat, very quickly. Transfer to your serving plate; place a small slice of butter on each piece of veal and sprinkle with lemon zest (I had some chopped dill left on the board so I used it too, but it is not necessary).

The two mashes are Cauliflower (boiled in salt water) with sourcream and potato and celery mash (boil together potatoes and celery until tender, about four celery ribs per one large potato) with a bit of butter.

Bon Appetite :)

One Avocado, Two Avocado… June 22, 2008

Tired of the usual Mexican style guacamole you are served any place you go? Try these two recipes which are simple and require very few ingredients to actually show off the avocado rather than everything else around it.

Chop avocado into small cubes. Drizzle a little bit of Lemon juice to prevent it from discoloring; you don’t want it swimming in it (just use a slice as big as you would use for your tea). Using a mortar and pestle (or a wide blade knife) crack PINK peppercorns (about 40 per avocado). Add salt to taste. Add a little chopped mint. I used sliced cucumbers to make the presentation but they are not necessary.

Chop avocado into small cubes. Drizzle a little bit of Lemon juice to prevent it from discoloring and give a bit of taste. Using a mortar and pestle (or a wide blade knife) crush GREEN peppercorns (about 40-60 per avocado). Add salt to taste. Chop a tomato into identical size cubes as the avocado. Mix all the above with a bit of sour cream.

 

Brocauliflower or Broccoliflower or whatever they call it June 22, 2008

I have seen a few spellings of this and am not sure whats the right one. This hybrid of broccoli and cauliflower is suitable for any preparation you have for either one of its “parents”. It is tasty and pretty and a compromise in a house like mine where I hate broccoli and my husband likes it.

I bought it for the first time last week and used it as a side dish for baked Arctic Char.

I devided it into florets; boiled in salt water until cooked al dente – not mushy and then sauteed it for a few minutes with olive oil, garlic, a small squeeze of lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest.

Rim Rock Cafe, Whistler June 22, 2008

To be more precise the Rim Rock Cafe is in Creekside, about five minutes drive south of Whistler village.

You have probably seen it from the road but unless you know how good this place is you have probably never stopped. It is called a cafe but it is a restaurant. It is in an unassuming old building right off the highway but it has been there for the past twenty years. The menu is guaranteed to meet all tastes and desires but it never changes except for seasonal salads and daily specials to accommodate the regulars and keep their favorite dishes available at all times.

I have been there numerous times and I think this restaurant is the essence of Whistler; it is warm and cozy in the winter with a burning fireplace and airy and fresh in the summer when the patio is open. The food is excellent and I have never had a bad wine there either. The staff is very very nice, very professional and knowledgeable.

My recommendations:

Start with the antipasto for two which includes ceviche and tuna poke, smoked salmon and fried soft shell crab, shrimp cocktail and a cone roll with crab and mango.

Second course is tough but if you are out there for the classics like lobster or steak and lobster they are done to perfection; if you want game meat there is absolutely nothing that can top the northern caribou with mushroom sauce; there are combination plates of three meats or three types of fish and seafood and they are delicious as well…and don’t forget the duck with foie gras on top with some caramelized peaches!

For dessert – and you better have room for dessert – try the sticky toffee pudding, you haven’t had one like it before. The creme brulee is also delicious.

WWW: http://www.rimrockwhistler.com/

Squid Ink Pasta with Seafood June 17, 2008

Cook pasta in boiling water until al-dente.

Meanwhile melt equal parts of butter and olive oil in a pan – don’t be self conscious now, it is the sauce so don’t put 1/2 a tsp of each!

The quantities are for two people: when butter is melted add about ten garlic cloves (crushed) and stir. Add bay scallops and peeled shrimp (hand-full of each) add salt and cayenne pepper to taste. When the shrimp and scallops are a minute from being ready add the calamari (4-6 tubes cut into rings) and wait until they curl and become solid white rather than translucent white. Transfer the pasta to a plate, pour the sauce on top, sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and grate some parmigiano reggiano.

Pizza My Love June 17, 2008

Its not going to be exactly the same when you make it in your electric oven rather than in a wood-fire one but there are a few things you could do to make it as authentic as possible - roll your dough very thin;use a baking stone or a cast iron pizza pan or just an upside down baking tray to slide your pizza on (you can cheat and put it on a baking sheet first); use good quality sauce either bought or home made and please please please use fresh mozzarella.

So off we go…

 

Dough:

1 cup warm water

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1 teaspoon honey

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cups flour (all purpose)

1 tsp salt

* Mix the yeast and honey into the water and let sit for a few minutes until cloudy and bubbly. Mix in olive oil.

* Mix flour and salt and add to the yeast mixture. If doing by hand, mix first in a bowl and then knead for about 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface. If using a stand mixer start with a paddle attachment and then switch to the hook knead at a low speed for a couple of minutes and then on medium for another 5 minutes or so until the dough clusters around the hook, knead for another couple of minutes by hand.

* Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a slightly damp towel and let rise for about 30 minutes. Divide into 2 (or 4 for smaller pizzas), roll into balls and let rest under a towel or plastic wrap for another 30 minutes.

* Preheat the oven to 500F, do not forget the baking stone/pizza pan/upside down baking tray.

* Roll out your dough as thin as you can, create a rim with your fingers and brush everything except for the rim with olive oil. Now its ready for your toppings and the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the crust is deep golden brown.

BEFORE…

*** In case you absolutely hate thin crust pizza, pre-bake the oil brushed crust until its 3/4 done, take it out of the oven, add your sauce and toppings and put it back in for another 10 minutes.

Sauce:

Use your blender/food processor to create a home made sauce to your liking :) The main ingredients are: bell peppers, tomatoes (fresh or canned or a combination of both), onion, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano and/or basil. Optional ingredients – tomato paste, hot peppers, celery.

AFTER…

I am not going to elaborate in regards to the topping much but I do encourage you to not over do it and let the individual flavors to speak for themselves. Many topings could or should be added after the pizza is out of the oven such as fresh herbs, fresh tomatoes, arugula or prosciutto.

Vegetarian Version

Non Vegetarian Version

Salad for a summer day June 17, 2008

I stole the idea for this salad from Federica,  the lady who owns the place we stayed at in Toscany.

1) Boil pearl barley until done but not mushy. Let cool.

2) Boil chikpeas (about 1/5 of the quantity of barley you used) until done. Let cool.

3) Chop tomatoes, lots of garlic & fresh basil.

4) Mix all the above, add lots of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

5) Eat.