Stuffed Tomatoes

Earl was looking for any easy appetizer to compliment his duck on the weekend. I haven't yet caught any specifics on how the duck is to be prepared but this appy is an easy one as was part of his request. Thought I'd post it in the mean time (pending more duck info) as I came across this pic last evening whilst doing some long overdue editing of my Christmas footage.

Stuff:cherry tomatoes, equal parts stilton and marscapone, mini shrimp (all as needed)

It: Slice the tops off the tomatoes. I used a baby spoon to scoop out the seeds (great tool...even if you don't happen to have a baby!) without disturbing the natural 'wall'. Blend the 2 cheeses together. Pipe* the mixture into one side of the tomato and place a shrimp on the other side. Done.

*I bought a cake piper with an assortment of tips at my local dollar store. Works like a dream...for a buck!

Stuffed Sole

Sole is perfect for stuffing. It's flexibility makes it easy to wrap and it's mild flavour allows for a myriad of stuffing options. My version is light and fresh, but more importantly it's easy.

8 large, boneless and skinless sole fillets
8 toothpicks

stuff it:
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained (juice reserved)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1tsp fresh, grated ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
1/4 cup slant cut, green onions
pinch of salt

• mix ingredients in a bowl
• with a spoon, fill the centre of each fillet
• fold each end to the centre and fix with a toothpick
• bake for 15-20 minutes in a 375F oven, or until the fish is white
  

drizzle it:
1 cup Balkan style yogurt (6%)
reserved pineapple juice
16 tagliatelle nests, cooked in salted chicken stock (or broth) and 3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts, chopped
nutmeg

• once cooked, remove the toothpicks and place each fillet on top of 2 nests in the centre of a plate
  
• drizzle each fillet with the mix of yogurt and juice
• garnish with peanuts and a pinch of nutmeg

You're welcome ;o)

English Style Potato Salad

I don't quite recall what inspired me to create this recipe. Maybe my own heritage. Maybe my love of anything potato. Either way, it is certainly a great spin on an old standard.

First thing:

1 1lb bag frozen, cubed home fries

• spread on a baking sheet and cook according to package directions

Mean time:

In a bowl, combine

• 1/2 cup of mayo
• 1/4 cup of malt vinegar
• 1tsp Worcestershire sauce
  
• 1 can peas, drained
• 1/2 cup diced ham
• 1/2 tsp salt

Finishing touch:

• Salt the cooked potatoes and set them aside to cool.
• Once cooled, gently stir potatoes into the rest of the ingredients.
• correct to taste

Try it instead of chips the next time you have fish.

~You're welcome ;o)

Pear and Potato Soup

3 Green Anjou pears, peeled, cored and diced
2 large yellow potatoes, peeled and diced
3 leeks, washed and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of extra old white cheddar (2yrs or older), crumbled
1/4 cup of butter
3-4 cups of chicken stock
1/8 tsp white pepper
few dashes of allspice

Melt the butter in a stock pot. Then add the garlic, pears and potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Add the leeks and seasonings and cook for another few minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce and let simmer for 10 minutes. Puree in the pot with a hand mixer or in a blender. Taste and correct seasonings. Serve into bowls, garnishing each with a portion of the crumbled cheese. Serves about 6.

You're welcome ;o)

Honey Glazed Butterfly Chops with Nutty Greens and Apple Baked Potatoes

Dinner tonight.
Inspiration: Necessity

I hate to waste food. So, often I create recipes based on what needs to be used first. Tonight I discovered a bag of spinach that was on it's last leg. My first instinct was to turn it to soup, but after searching the freezer for protein, I had another idea. And here it is:



You'll Need

2 butterfly chops
1/2 lb baby spinach
onion
honey
cracked pepper
garlic
walnuts
coarse salt
1 beer*
lemon juice
olive oil/butter

THe ChOPs

• marinate the chops in the beer, 2 tbsp lemon juice and a teaspoon of coarse salt for 20 minutes
• remove from marinade, place in shallow baking dish and bake chops in a 375F oven for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size or thickness
  
• top chops with cracked pepper and drizzle with honey
• place under the broiler until honey begins to caramelize
• remove and serve against the greens
  

The GREENS

• dice 1/2 cup white or spanish onion, mince 3 cloves of garlic and caramelize them in 1 tbsp olive oil
  
• add spinach with a pinch of salt and pepper, cover and cook until bright green (about 2 minutes)
• in a separate pan, toast 4 tbsp chopped walnuts, then add them to the spinach

the apple-baked taters

• 4 large yukon gold potatoes cut into chunks and put in a baking dish
• in a small bowl place 1/4 cup applesauce, 1tbsp butter, 2 tbsp brown sugar, few dashes of allspice, dash of cayenne, salt and fresh cracked pepper
• heat in microwave until butter is softened (30-40 seconds)
• mix and pour over potatoes
• cook for 1 hour at 375F

*vinegar will substitute just fine for beer, preferably malt or cider.

Chocolate Chili

Dinner tonight.
Inspiration: The hubby's love for the sweet and spicy.

One thing I can't recommend enough is to use recipes as a reference. Don't be afraid to omit unappealing ingredients or substitute them with the foods you do like. Nothing could be more true than when it comes to spicy food. Some like it hot. But it doesn't have to blister your tongue or require you to wear an extra layer of antiperspirant. The beauty with this particular recipe is that you can find your own personal balance between the sweet and the spicy. Here is my version. I hope you can read my writing ;o)


in a saute pan, cook the beef, jalapeños and chili peppers. when they are almost done, let them simmer in the red wine for about 4 minutes.
in a stock pot, saute the diced onion with the garlic until they are golden brown.
add to the pot the black beans, the beans in tomato sauce, the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, diced roasted red peppers and all of the seasonings.
stir in the finished beef and the brown sugar.
finally, grate in the chocolate.
let simmer for 2 hours.
adjust seasonings to taste.



I'd love to serve this with a cheddar corn bread.

~You're welcome ;o)

Wild Rice Pilaf

Easy dishes that taste like hours of preparation are my favourite. Rice pilaf is not just for restaurants and banquet halls. And it should never be instant. For the short time it takes to dice a few veg, the payoff is 2-fold.

In the Pot

• according to the directions on the package, measure out rice* adding it to chicken stock in place of water.
• add a combined cup of diced mushroom, red pepper, red onion and celery
• add 2 tblsp of chopped walnuts
  
• bring to a boil, reduce, cover and let simmer for the cooking time stated in the directions.
• Serve. It's that easy.

*use quick cooking wild rice. Otherwise the other ingredients will be far over cooked. If you must use regular wild rice, saute the other ingredients and stir them in once the rice is cooked.

~you're welcome ;o)