Category Archives: Friends Food Fun

Friends Food Fun

Ep 5 – Lamb Chops in Curry Sauce

Leave a comment

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvZGAppzODw

**Smoothed out the sound in this updated video**

Well, I found a new hobby. aka annoying Helenka (more than usual – and the funny thing is she gets to read this before it’s posted – ahh the evilness of it all) with bad spelling [Evil editor’s note: he spelled it ‘speling’] thrown in with some grammatically incorrect sentences. However, like the true perfectionist and very well written person that she is, she perseveres and sends me notes on what changes she has made (which is also why you may see changes being made in our RSS feeds). We have been friends for nearly 20 years and, as truly kindred spirits , adopted each other as little brother (me) and big sister (her) — so we get along famously, bickering and laughing all the way. Our episodes are more than 10 minutes long (as previously stated), so the parts I have to edit out are usually our antics (which spoils the fun because you can’t see them but, what the hey, ya does what ya can within the set limits).

Getting on with our real purpose for the blog, in this episode Helenka and I tried lamb, because I found within my cupboards a bottle of Vegetarian Lamb Curry Sauce by Sherri (I do not know why it’s called vegetarian, but there it is; I’d probably rename it myself to Meatetarian Lamb Curry Sauce – but who wants that on a bottle). [Evil editor’s note: Perhaps because the sauce contains NO animal protein, but you’re supposed to serve it with meat. Really, go figure.]

Hope you enjoy it!
B&H =:)

FFF EPP5 lamb

Now Serving: Lamp Chops in Curry Sauce

Recipe Ideas

  • Check Helenka’s detailed notes!

Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)

Starting with a jar of Sherri Lamb Curry Sauce, Brian added broccoli tenders (long, slender, young stalks and florets) to the cooking sauce, saving a couple for raw garnishes. As for the lamb, he had four adorable loin lamb chops. Well, they really were adorable. I’d suggested a few days earlier that they could be broiled before being added to the simmering sauce. So, after sprinkling them with Australian Murray River salt and freshly ground pepper, he broiled them, then cut a vertical slit in each so they could absorb more sauce. The broccoli turned out to be an excellent choice of veggie to soak up yet more sauce. And we gobbled up everything together with garlic naan. Verdict: from our obvious enjoyment, another winner.

While Brian and I do agree on a whole bunch of things, I actually prefer shoulder chops over loin chops and the wide variety of cooking methods that can be employed besides broiling. A couple of terrific websites for getting splendid lamb recipes are:
http://www.national-obsession.com/category/list
http://www.nzlamb.ca/recipes/recipes.php
The latter source also has recipes printed on the outside of the packages of their frozen lamb products. As Brian has already proved, you can get a lot of helpful recipe tips from packages and jars. But it’s still an eye-opener to get an idea of just how much of a variety you can get from the official producers themselves. Not only that, but you can achieve quite a different result based on following the directions of one package as opposed to another (for example, roasting a rack of lamb at a higher temp. for a shorter time). But, then again, that’s all a part of the experimentation and discovery and, yes, FUN of cooking.

Another website that I can personally vouch for is:
http://bit.ly/929kuT = This is the website of the LCBO, the primary source of alcohol in the Province of Ontario that publishes a Food & Drink magazine several times a year (though the recipes are also available online). Unfortunately, two of my most memorable recipes are out of date on the website. In past years, I have made (and served Brian) seared Lamb Shanks cooked in White Vermouth and broth, with the addition of lemon zest, not to mention the obligatory sauteed onions and garlic. I’ve also tried to cut through some of the heavier lamb fat taste by adding lemon juice (not in the original recipe). I’ve served this dish over rotini pasta.

Variations

I’ve used the aforementioned shoulder chops in another recipe: braised lamb shoulder in red wine with mushrooms. Once again, full of flavour, served over pasta and garnished with freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley.

Cooking time (duration): 60

Number of servings (yield): 2

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: USA (Nouveau)

Friends Food Fun, Party Tips, Special Videos

We Gots a Special (actually two!)

Leave a comment

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cIkC3QsUAI

For my birthday back in February 2010 I wanted something special to serve so I found a wonderful ice cream based upon a recipe from All Recipes (one of my favorite recipe sites) click this link.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKT_xH7aNcA

When you were a kid do you remember getting a loot bag at the end of a birthday party!!??

In this video I show you what I created for my guests to take home at the end of my birthday party. I also added in some pencils and tea lights which was done after the taping.

Friends Food Fun

FFF_Ep4 – Sweet & Sour Ribs!

Leave a comment

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onLuUSaLffw
This blog was meant to be a weekly one so, in addition to that, I’ve added my twitter account for micro blogging outside the regular schedule (@TheRealBrianU) plus I’ll add some video specials along the way.
Editing video: One of the issues I came up against recently is that these things take up a tremendous amount of hard disk space, especially seeing as iMovie converts the high definition files into the mov format (geek speak!). My poor lil Macbook pro was getting all stogged up (Newfie slang)… so a la Frankenstein I created something….
Being extremely fussy (like that’s new), I wanted an external hard drive that was very robust, but it had to have the following:
1/ Firewire 800 (my macbook pro did not have eSata which is faster – more geek speak!)
2/ Very fast and robust (so no backup drive would do unless you wanted to spend gobs of money)
3/ Minimum 2 terabytes (otherwise why bother)
Using parts I found at my favorite computer store (hence the Frankenstein reference) here in Toronto (Canada Computers – love them), I now present to you TeraZilla (Helenka helped confirm the name I had chosen was the best one of the bunch)!
It’s a NexStar MX shell with two 1-terabyte Western Digital Caviar Black hard drives (yay me!).
I do proclaim that I’m a GEEK and I love FOOD (really … hmm, that’s interesting; one would never know those two go together).
So now off to one of my favorite subjects, RIBS! I have traveled far and wide, ok just far — I became wide just from eating the things, but I’m working on that, down more than 21 pounds (updated) since January (another yay me!) — looking for the best bbq ribs I could find. I’ve been to parts of the bbq belt, and have sampled some great ribs. I also discovered locally that we Canucks can cook ribs (and make sauces too). Plus celebrate them with our very own ribfests (plural, as a lot of towns and cities have their own) during the summer.
Now I know Helenka shares my love of ribs (though I think sometimes I’m more likely to take it to extremes – noooo boiling) so I thought, as I’m cleaning out my cupboards, I would serve ribs my way in a sweet & sour sauce.
Enjoy B&H!

Recipe: Sweet & Sour Ribs

Ingredients

  • Ribs

    1 rack of Ribs (baby back are best) Salt and Pepper to taste Ribs in Sauce 1 bottle Sweet & Sour Sauce

Instructions

  1. Ribs

    Using a sharp knife remove the membrane on the back of the ribs (I cut just under the membrane then pull it off – takes practice but worth it). Place the ribs on a baking sheet (a rack on the sheet works well). Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 2 hours (low and slow is best – lower the heat and add more time if you wish). Ribs in Sauce Cut your rib rack into pieces of two ribs each (helps to keep them together) In a large pot, heat your sauce; then add in your rib pieces. Boil for a few minutes (keeping a careful watch as you can scorch the sauce).
    Once the sauce has reduced, remove from heat and serve with your favorite salad (we used baby spinach with yellow pepper dressed with dijon mustard, olive oil and balsamic vinegar).

Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)

Dinner was pre-dawn roasted ribs, simmered in a jar of VH Sweet & Sour Sauce, accompanied by an organic baby spinach salad with strips of yellow pepper and dressed with dijon mustard, olive oil and balsamic vinegar (with ratios acquired through experimentation because that’s also a part of the fun of cooking). Once again, the ultimate taste sensation of the dish transcended its humble beginnings (aka from a jar). What made the taste of the ribs splendid was that they’d been sprinkled with the Salish smoked alder salt (which I’d given him two years ago, so it’s time it got used up) and grindings of mixed peppercorns (not even a fancy brand) before roasting. With the addition of the fruitiness of the simmered sauce (think along the lines of honey paired with jam), the ribs blossomed and burst on the palate, leaving behind multiple notes (think of a wine tasting where you have the initial aroma and flavours but, after you swallow, you’re left with subtle lingering nuances that are a welcome reminder). In this case, it was the meat falling off the bone (and ravished … er … ravaged by my fingers), the glistening, fruity sauce clinging to every morsel, with the base note of the taste of pepper after I’d swallowed.

Variations

That last note took me by surprise. And it brought back some really old memories of Graham Kerr’s show, The Galloping Gourmet, produced in – at the time – gastronomically sleepy English Canada in the 1960s. [Not only the country, but also television, as it was considered shocking that he not only cooked with wine but drank it on screen! Plus the outrageous double entendres!] I’d embraced his tip of grinding black pepper onto fresh strawberries, because the pepper enhanced the sweetness of the fruit. So the fact that these ribs could evoke such a strong reaction from me – even after I’d swallowed – took me by surprise. It’s not the first time Brian has made excellent ribs but, thruthfully, these were exceptional (seriously, they’re “will you marry me” ribs!). The cooling sauce (which I did lick off my fingers) even complemented the mustardy dressing on the spinach (and that is another thing to consider when cooking, that the side dishes shouldn’t be warring with the main on the plate or in the mouth). My only regret: there was no doggy bag. I know: greedy much?

Cooking time (duration): 150
Number of servings (yield): 2
Meal type: dinner
Culinary tradition: USA (General)
Friends Food Fun

FFF_Ep3 – Chicken Korma in HD!

2 Comments

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI25zSLjr2A

Silly me, I must have forgotten to turn the video on 😉 – ok, let’s see – flip switch… there now, it’s on — so back to our regularly scheduled program!

Ok I’ve started this new blog and I’m learning how to edit video using iMovie (I bought Adobe Premiere Elements but cannot seem to make it work the way I want it to on my PC, so with iMovie I stay — for now).

When I originally did the concept for the videos, it was kinda kitschy, and my debut was at my milestone Birthday party back in February (so I turned 40 and made a big deal out of it — more on that to come). Whoa, the original video was about 30 minutes (because Helenka and I got carried away, lol); the final 10 minute version is Ep 1.

Now that I’ve had a chance to review my work and learned a bit more about using the tools I have, I was able to create something a bit more to my liking (which you see here), and in HD no less, while keeping within the 10 minute limit set by youtube. By the way, all my videos are filmed in 1080p; I’m only now just figuring out how to post them in 720p on youtube.

In this episode, Helenka and I try an Indian Korma sauce I just happened to have in my cupboard (hmm, I sense a trend here which you will see in upcoming shows). I use chicken as my protein source, and we add a whole bunch of veggies along with the Korma sauce plus Naan which we both love.

Enjoy!
B&H =:)

Recipe: Chicken Korma and Naan

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle of Pataks Indian Korma Sauce (or your own favorite)
    2 tbsp Vegetable Oil (I like olive oil best)
    4 Chicken Breasts (cut into small pieces)
    1 medium Onion, chopped
    2 cloves Garlic chopped
    2 medium Carrots cut into bite sized pieces
    8 Yukon Gold Potatoes (the baby ones) cut in half or 2 medium cut into bite sized pieces
    1 Cauliflower (a medium head cut into floret pieces)

    Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic (careful not to burn the garlic). Stir in the chicken and sauté for another 3 minutes until the meat is sealed. Add in the remainder of your vegetables (potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower). Stir in a jar of your favorite Cooking Sauce, bring to a boil then simmer for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and your veggies are tender.

    Naan
    On a cookie sheet covered in foil, place your naan over which you’ve dribbled a few drops of cold water before heating in a 400 degree oven for about 2-3 minutes.

Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)

Using a jar of Patak’s Korma cooking sauce (a classic north Indian sauce that has a rich yet delicate coconut flavour with hints of garlic, ginger and coriander) as the starting point for a chicken dish, Brian added the sauce to sauteed chicken breast chunks, onions, garlic, carrots, Yukon gold potatoes and an unexpected but extremely yummy ingredient – cauliflower. This dish took longer to cook than was shown on the jar because of the inclusion of the potatoes. However, cooking the dish longer meant that the flavours were able to develop to their fullest potential. A possible vegetarian alternative for using this sauce would be to prepare a mixed vegetable dish without the chicken, coating cauliflower and the other vegetables before baking in a 400 F oven. The dish was garnished with a bush of parsley (none of this “sprig” nonsense) and served with wedges of plain and garlic naan (flatbread) heated in the oven. The garlic naan was especially well paired with this dish.

Variations

Onion kulcha (similar to naan, but stuffed with minced onion) would be a wonderful substitute for naan.

Cooking time (duration): 40

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: Indian (Northern)

Friends Food Fun

Friends Food Fun Ep 2!

Leave a comment

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYQTB_5OL_Y

My New Year’s resolution this year was to lose as much weight as I possibly can with a particular goal to be reached by June 2010 (only my Wii Fit Plus knows this goal and it’s sworn to secrecy, but let’s just say it’s aggressive 😉 ).

Now, speaking of Wii Fit Plus, I’m using it more as a score keeper than actual exercise routine since I’m exercising in my condo’s gym but, on the weekends, I have been known to use it for the exercises it does offer, and I have to say they are fun!

On the food side, eating better was another one of my goals and, seeing as this is not the first time I’ve been down that particular path (sigh), I felt that I have to take it one step further (make that 3 steps further):
1/ Eat smaller, better meals during the day and actually cook something for dinner!
2/ Throw out all my bigger clothes once my goals have been met (this I have never done in the past).
3/ Continue to use the Wii Fit Plus as a score keeper even when I meet my goal.

So without further ado, this episode Helenka and I put together features a recipe I found off the pack of Uncle Ben’s Natural Select Spanish Style rice called Quick and Easy Paella, though we did add a few things like Turkish saffron (safflower) and Habanero pepper for a kick.

Helenka said it was quick and easy and see: only 4 lines.
Enjoy!
B&H

Recipe: Quick & Easy Paella

Ingredients

  • 125 ml Spanish Onion
    125 ml Red Bell Peppers
    250 ml Uncle Ben’s Natural Select Spanish Style Rice
    200 ml Water
    796 ml can of diced Tomatoes
    225 gm raw Shrimp
    (For people who use the old system of measurement, 125 ml = 1/2 cup; 250 ml = 1 cup; 200 ml = 4/5 cup; 225 gm = 1/2 lb; 796 ml = 32 oz)

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, saute Spanish onion and red bell peppers.
    Add Uncle Ben’s rice, water and the can of tomatoes.
    Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 7 minutes.
    Add the raw shrimp to the rice, re-cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until shrimp is pink.

Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)

Dinner was quick and easy paella (with the recipe off the package of Uncle Ben’s Spanish rice). Beside the ingredients listed on the package, Brian added Habanero powder (after having gauged my interest) which gave it heat but not bite, as well as garlic (which was my suggestion). Verdict: yes, people, I did moan on camera! The heat was just right though it took my breath away momentarily. And then I quickly took a second bite! I also liked the fact that both the red pepper and the Spanish onion had been roughly cut. It made the dish seem more authentic (and the jagged edges were imbued with the intense flavours).

Variations

During the taping we had a discussion on paella containing other ingredients. I talked about a mixed paella that usually contains chicken and mussels as well as the shrimp. I also thought it contained octopus. Don’t look at me that way. I happen to love octopus and could easily imagine it in a Spanish dish. However, when I did look up recipes for mixed paella, I came across the expected chicken breasts and mussels, but the other shellfish were CLAMS and a luxury item, LOBSTER CLAWS. It also contained chorizo sausage and peas and was garnished with capers and lemon wedges. So, a very hearty and colourful meal. Suggestions for garnishes: as this particular recipe did not call for mussels whose dark shells would have popped out against the surface of the rice, perhaps a fan of interleaved raddichio and endive in one corner or serving the rice on a large green leaf (banana?) would have produced a wider colour contrast (despite the fact that the dish’s origins are Spanish, changing the presentation is something than can definitely make your cooking unique).
Yes, I know, I know, I’m overly complicating the presentation. This was supposed to be quick and easy and it was.

Cooking time (duration): 30

Number of servings (yield): 2

Meal type: dinner