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Friends Food Fun

FFF EP – 44: BASIL PESTO PASTA

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httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRSLck7UhcQ

Hello, Culinary Playmates:

It is I, Helenka, your fearless advocate of gustatory creativity (aka I eat weird but really tasty food and think you should, too). As my entirely unwanted throat problems were being quite persistent (and embarrassingly noticeable on camera ::sighs::), I believe Brian was doing his utmost best to try to shock them out of my system with as much garlic and other intense flavours as possible. This was another such episode. [Aw, Brian, you were being so helpful. ::pats Brian on the head::]

The recipe was simply smashing and the changes Brian made were very much appreciated. As you know, garlic is our friend and we think it should be yours, too. If the dish weren’t evidence enough, there was also garlic bread to accompany the pasta. Yay, more garlic!

We’ve mentioned more than once before that, when you reduce fat, salt and sugar, you must-must-must replace those appetite-enticers with strong flavours. [Well, you obviously wouldn’t replace the sugar with garlic (though I’m sure someone in Gilroy, Ca., the capital of garlic, has), but that’s why you have cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as extracts, in your spice rack, too. Right?]

I’ve always loved pasta (well, after I grew up, moved from my Polish neighbourhood, and actually discovered and started eating it) and cannot imagine not having it as a part of my personal culinary repertoire. The terrific thing about this dish is that, along with the marvellous merging of garlic, pesto and chili garlic sauces, there were all those primavera style veggies tossed in with abandon. I definitely believe that, if you’re going to try to eat healthier, it’s easier to create a tasty pasta dish that uses a titch of oil (as this one did), rather than trying to reproduce a cream-sauced dish (can anyone say Alfredo nemesis?) using low-fat substitutes. I’m sure it works … on some other planet, but not on Earth (or not without a whole lot of convoluted prep of the low-fat ingredients, thereby defeating the desired goal of simplicity). So I’m a big fan of olive oil or, if you only need a sheen in the skillet, an olive oil spray.

Variations:
If you’re not keen about any of the veggies we used, then come up with your own combination. You could incorporate any number of the following: green beans, sugar snap peas, baby corn, water chestnuts, asparagus, cauliflower, zucchini, a medley of colourful bell peppers, or anything else that grabs your attention while you’re walking through the produce section.

If you want to move beyond using plain olive oil (ooh, adventurous), you could experiment (there’s another of my favourite words) with flavoured oils such as roasted garlic (so NOT a surprise for us to recommend it), hot pepper or basil, etc.

If you think that angelhair pasta is too fussy (and don’t care to do all the twirling, either Roman-style or with a pasta spoon), go for penne or rotini. I could even see this dish being transformed into a vegetarian lasagna, layering the broad noodles with a mixture of sautéed veggies and the pesto/garlic/chili sauces. [Oh, Brian, I just made myself hungry. Could we try making this as a lasagna? Pleeeeeease? ::sighs in defeat:: Brian’s ears are apparently in OFF mode.]

Helenka’s Nostalgic Meanderings:
In the episode, I said that angelhair was my favourite type of pasta. But that wasn’t quite truthful. I happen to enjoy so many different styles of pasta because each has its own unique personality and texture (not to mention shape). After all, if there’s anything I can’t stand, it’s a food that is boring. Blech. ::shudders::

Angelhair is definitely a delicate delight. But, then again, I also remember how often I would make linguine with clams in a white wine and garlic broth that included many veggies. I think that was my signature dish during the 1980s. In the summer of 2010, I got into the habit of cooking up a pot of fusilli, draining and cooling the pasta before I’d toss it with kalamata olives, chopped tomatoes, sliced shallots, a spritz or two of red wine mist vinaigrette, and a finishing sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese. On a hot day, it made for a very refreshing and quick’n’easy dinner. Considering how unbearably hot it was last year, this dish helped to cool me off. Mind you, the glass of white wine was also nice.

And that’s another bonus for cooking with pasta. As long as you avoid any butter or cream sauces, you can usually serve it cold. It’s a versatile dish, a comfortable carbohydrate to which you can add a variety of protein, be it chicken, beef or sensational seafood (crab, lobster or shrimp are all yummy enhancements), making more expensive food purchases go a long way.

Well, that’s a wrap for another fall episode for 2011. As the weather gets colder (except for the lovely though totally anomalous warmth and sunshine we’re enjoying in Toronto this pre-Thanksgiving week), we’re sure this dish will definitely warm you up, inside and out. Until next time, have yourselves a great week and don’t forget to have fun with your food, too!

Enjoy!
B&H =;)

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Please note: We prepare, taste and review the recipes in the cookbook. However, in an effort to respect copyright, we are not able to reproduce the actual printed recipes here. If you do have the book, please follow along with us.

Friends Food Fun

FFF EP-41: OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN WITH GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

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httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmYN6-GrpL0

Hello, Culinary Playmates:

It is I, Helenka, your fearless advocate of gustatory creativity (aka I eat weird but really tasty food and think you should, too). And, just to make everything crystal clear, in our last post a certain chef (Brian, if you haven’t figured it out already) attempted to impersonate MOI (though, really, I don’t think going blond would suit him at all). So I’m relieved to regain my official editor’s perch here.

Now, who’s up for fried chicken? No … there’s no catch. Really, ‘cuz we’re making it the healthier way, in the oven (based on the recipe from Cook This Not That VOL 2).

Once again reaching into my nostalgic vault, I will remind our viewers that I did not grow up eating deep-fried chicken. The only deep-fried food I ate occasionally was those oh-so-tasty strips of powdered sugar covered dough (chrusty, in Polish) that I’ve described in a previous blog. Only later in life did I discover a certain fast-food establishment where one could buy cut-up fried chicken pieces. No, it wasn’t the Colonel’s place, but a burger joint that branched out into fried chicken for a short time. Actually, even though the crust was pretty good, I would usually remove the breading and eat just the superbly tender chicken meat that had been cooked to perfection. Not bad for fast food.

::ponders for a moment:: Wait a minute. I’m wrong about not eating breaded food (though it still wasn’t deep-fried). We used to have the Polish version of Wiener Schnitzel (pounded thin cutlet, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and then sautéed). You will also find fried or breaded chicken in European cuisine, though typically in an upscale manner. Anybody up for Chicken Cordon Bleu? Or Chicken Kiev? Still fried chicken. And that brings me to my devious topic today: how herbs and spices can take a dish from one country (or continent) to another.

I faintly remember some of the spices used when I was growing up. [Hey, I was even shorter ::sighs:: and couldn’t reach the cupboards!] I know there were the basics of sugar, salt and black pepper. I also remember pickling spices (for dill pickles, the tall jars packed with huge fronds of dill, or in an artfully-arranged jelly of pigs’ feet with carrots and other cute cut-up veggies). And white pepper that was used in the Polish version of Gefilte Fish (instead of ground fish in the shape of balls, it was rolled into a cylindrical shape, wrapped in muslin cloth and poached in broth before being sliced into a thick round and served in the broth on a soup plate). And I remember bay leaves for – what else – but chicken soup. And paprika for devilled eggs. Oh, also caraway seeds for hot sauerkraut. And orange extract and vanilla for baking, if I recall correctly.

Otherwise, most of the flavourings were derived from real food sources (chopped onion or garlic, soaked dried Polish mushrooms, etc.). So, when I moved out on my own, acquiring herbs and spices became an adventure. I remember my first purchase was a cello-wrapped pack of three jars that included a bonus paperback book on spices. I also remember buying my first wok, along with sesame oil, special Chinese spices and cookbooks. Or having raw fish (alas, not even close to sushi-grade) at home, enhanced with wasabi (Japanese horseradish) and gari (pickled ginger). [Oh, dear. Now I’m really missing the taste of dried cuttlefish snacks from the shop at the corner of Yorkville and Bay.] And making cold soba (buckwheat noodles) with snipped laver (seaweed sheets).

After that, I would buy spices here and there, but I still wasn’t as adventurous as I would have liked. So, when I saw a special deal at my fave department store downtown ::waves to the long-gone spirit of Simpsons::, I snapped it up. What was it? It was a brown wooden rack (um … colonial style?) filled with a brand-name of 24 different herbs and spices. I then bought a duplicate rack, removed the jars (putting them aside to act as refills) and began to buy the flavouring ingredients (yay, lemon zest) I was coming across in my cookbooks. What cookbooks? Oh, the Time-Life series, both foods of the world and individual food groups. Whenever I would want to cook a certain food, I’d check both sources (nearly moaning over some of the recipes) and then I’d choose exactly the perfect recipe for the occasion. So, I’ve always appreciated how recipes can flow through geographical boundaries or be transformed into a unique blend of cuisines from countries that share a border (anyone for Alsace-Lorraine?).

Variations:
This recipe provides a perfect opportunity to infuse different flavours into both the coating mix as well as the marinade. Add some grated Parmiggiana Reggiano and finely-chopped parsley to the breadcrumbs, as well as garlic, oregano and basil to a tomato juice marinade … and it’s Italian … er … fried chicken. You see what I’m doing – just using my imagination (which I’ve done ever since episode #1 and haven’t run out of ideas yet). You don’t need me to repeat all of those whacky variations I’ve given you in countless episodes. Of course, you can look up a few, but allow yourselves to let go of your preconceived taste sensations and – shock of shocks – EXPERIMENT!!! The best thing will be that you will end up with succulent chicken pieces that are so full of flavour – both inside and out – that you won’t dare remove the fried crust, because you’ll be missing out on an amazing complementary taste experience.

Brian’s intent for making both the chicken and the yummy smashed ‘taters was to try to recreate a restaurant experience we used to have as often as possible (well, it sure seemed that way, lol) many, many years ago. When we didn’t know where we wanted to eat, we’d usually head downtown to our fave rib’n’chicken place. Though it wasn’t only the ribs or chicken, it was the spices and hot sauces used in the cooking process. And there just happened to be the hypnotic open rotisseries that were … uh … very … oh, wwwowww…. Hmm? What? Oh, right. Note to self’s mind: Mind, get back on track! And the special smashed ‘taters were another feature that both Brian and I really enjoyed though, as you can see, they’re so easy to prepare at home. Please let our experience motivate you to recall a dish you’ve eaten at a restaurant and try to recreate it at home. You’ll be surprised to see how much fun it is and the feeling of accomplishment when you realize, “Hey, I can do that, too!”

Well, that’s a wrap for yet another episode. Until next time, have yourselves a great week and don’t forget to have fun with your food, too!

Enjoy!
B&H =;)

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Please note: We prepare, taste and review the recipes in the cookbook. However, in an effort to respect copyright, we are not able to reproduce the actual printed recipes here. If you do have the book, please follow along with us.

Friends Food Fun

FFF – EP 40 DIY PIZZA WITH TOMATO SAUCE, GOAT CHEESE, CARAMELIZED ONION & BACON

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httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyxCLGZ8wok

Hello, Culinary Playmates:

It is I, Helenka, your fearless advocate of gustatory creativity (aka I eat weird but really tasty food and think you should, too).

In this episode, Brian brought out ingredients to make — ::grinds to a stubborn stop and puts royal hands on royal hips:: WAIT. JUST. A. MINUTE!!!

Do I see my life flashing before my eyes … or at least a certain type of food? Didn’t we just have pizza two regular episodes ago? Ah, but then Brian-the-boss (sounds better than “Bossy Brian”, right?) brings out a different recipe from the Cook This Not That book VOL. 2, this one including real pizza dough. Mind you, it contained our Nemesis from over a year ago, namely whole-wheat flour.

I’m surprised I didn’t do my traditional hand and arm waving after taking a bite of the pie that emerged from the little-oven-that-could, but you will note that I dug in heartily to get a second forkful. Because all of the flavours and textures got very cozy during the baking process and, with the intent of full disclosure, I confess I never met an onion or bacon or cheese I didn’t clutch to my heart. Uh … metaphorically, that is. Otherwise, it’d be a real mess.

Okay, embarrassing revelation time. Since I already variationed [yes, it’s another word I’ve invented] myself to the extreme for the blog notes in Episode #38, I can’t think of anything else … although.… ::ponders for a moment:: There’s no reason why you couldn’t replace the bacon with thin slices or dices of your favourite Italian sausage. Mine just happens to be Soppressata (a dense dry-cured variety that comes in an oblong-shaped length). but you could use any other variety of sausage or combine two (one sweet, one hot) for more … er … ::whispers:: variety.

In the same train of thought, there could be more than one flavour of goat cheese used. You could overlap rounds of herbed and plain goat cheeses which would give your tastebuds a gently rolicking experience (just imagine my enthusiastic hand and arm waving and translate that feeling to your tastebuds; moans are – of course – mandatory).

But, you know, I shouldn’t go any further than that. The recipe was supposed to be simple and healthy and it was. Do you have any recipes that fulfill both requirements? Leave a comment and share them with us. Because (if we’ve said it once, we’ve said it an infinite number of times) sharing is one of the best things about cooking with friends.

Until next time, have yourselves a great week and don’t forget to have fun with your food, too!

Enjoy!
B&H =;)

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Please note: We prepare, taste and review the recipes in the cookbook. However, in an effort to respect copyright, we are not able to reproduce the actual printed recipes here. If you do have the book, please follow along with us.

Friends Food Fun, Party Tips, Special Videos

FriendsFoodFun! Christmas Special 2010

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httpvhp://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=DBA6612F073488CA

Christmas Celebrations, Past and Present

For me, while growing up in Newfoundland as one of a pretty big family (seven including my parents), Christmas was always something of a huge event for us. Usually it started with Mom grocery shopping which, to feed a family of this size, was an event all on its own. Upon her return home, all five kids would have traipsed to the car several times to retrieve the many bags she had brought back. Still, those almost never-ending multitudes of bags of food would not last long and barely made it past New Year’s.

Over the years, I also remember friends of my parents coming to visit, dressed as “Mummers” – people who would disguise themselves with old articles of clothing. I remember some pretty weird costumes they made, using whatever they could find to cover their faces to keep their identities hidden. It would be a game to “discover” just who those costumed folks were; being from a small community helped tremendously. 🙂 I think alcohol may have been involved, but you didn’t hear that from me.

My paternal Grandparents who lived just next door would come over on Christmas Eve to spend time with us. My Dad and my Grandfather would sit talking over some fine whiskey. I am sure the rest of us, being a noisy bunch, entertained everyone. Oh … getting us to bed was another chore, though we finally would settle in.

The next day, we would open our presents (at the crack of dawn no less) and Mom would busy herself preparing the turkey for cooking or checking on it if she was having a lunch as it would have been cooked overnight. A traditional Newfoundland Christmas dinner consisted of turkey, potatoes, peas porridge, carrots, turnips, salt beef and doughboys. Except for the turkey, it would all be boiled together for what seemed like hours (and the best meal you were sure to have).

This was a traditional Newfoundland boiled dinner (sometimes called Jiggs Dinner) and also served during Thanksgiving and Easter as well (at least it was in our family). Occasionally, there would be a ham thrown in (not boiled). When I was a teenager returning home from boarding school, Mom would always ask what I wanted her to make for Christmas and my response was always bread pudding with raspberries. It was divine. Mental note: “MOM, can you make it again this year … please???” Trying to describe it would probably not do it any justice and using Google led me to many recipes for it (of course, there IS Mom’s version, too).

Helenka and I have added our own traditions when it comes to Christmas and this year was no exception. [Well, there was one: I filmed it all!] It all started many years ago as we used to celebrate what we considered pretty fine dining by choosing something from that year’s President’s Choice Insider’s Report (Winter issue). Then, one year, when it didn’t inspire us, we set out to cook for each other (this is the shortened version of a long story). Part of that deal was that we would host each other and decorate our respective places: I’d do it usually before Christmas and she in the New Year. [Devious editor snickers. Pretty smart of me, eh?]

I always loved going overboard and, as I lived in a very small place, that was quite easy to do. I always had Christmas lights attached around the perimeter of my apartment (like a Christmas disco). [The still-stunned editor reminds Brian that he’s forgetting to mention that the lights were at the really high ceiling!] One year, I decorated my fridge with wrapping paper and a huge bow, then plunked a 4-foot Christmas tree on top of it … and off we went.

Another year, I wanted to pretend I had a fireplace; so I took my desk and put my Commodore 64 monitor (my TV back then) under it and, along with a plastic brick tablecloth with a hole cut out for the monitor, created my own version of a fireplace complete with stuff one normally puts on a mantle. But it didn’t just have to look right, it had to sound real. And it did, with Fireplace in a Box (VHS tape of a real fire) and surround sound. [Very impressed editor adds, “With all those speakers, I heard every crisp snap and crackle.”]

Nowadays, I have my own fireplace and mantle which I got to decorate in our Christmas Special. My friend Mary from work started me off, over a year ago, for my first party in my new place. It was fantastic plus everything I was hoping for. Mary left me with all the decorations you see here so that I could recreate it myself (and this was my first time doing it all on my own).

One thing I set out to do for our Special was to present some tried and true recipes we have used over the years and occasionally adapted (the roasted chicken for example was originally substituted with Cornish hens – yummy!). The Brussels with bacon is a new dish and inspired by the cookbook “Cook This Not That” while the stuffed tomatoes were invented on the spot from our own creative minds (though based upon the dish I made many years ago for Helenka).

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our loyal viewers as we complete this fantastic year of celebrating great friendships, fantastic food and, of course, we cannot forget the fun!

Presented here is the special journey that Helenka and I take you on in our Friends Food Fun! Christmas Special. And we’re so proud to share our recipes with you.

Happy Holidays,

Peace and Long Life,

See you in the New Year!

Cheers!

B&H =:)

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Recipes are below Helenka’s post 

Helenka, on finding the true meaning of Christmas, even if it took me a while

I believe that my approach to (and recognition of) Christmas is unique. And I’m not just saying that for effect, either.

When I was growing up, there was absolutely no religious connotation to December 25th at home. In fact, there was no celebration of any kind at home that day. Instead, we piled into a car and drove to a family friend’s house where long tables were set up in the basement for dozens of people in the Polish community to gather and enjoy a huge meal. Everybody knew everybody else. Included was the daughter of the house, one of my childhood girlfriends to whom I wasn’t that close … simply because she lived too far away for us to have any regular interaction. [OTOH, she was Sharif Ali to my El Aurens (Laurence of Arabia) when we were riding our pretend camels to the well in the desert … um, okay … on her uncle’s raspberry/strawberry farm. And we did get to go real trail riding nearby (on real horsies) once. When I say I have a really good memory, you’d better believe me … because those particular ones are over 40 years old!]

Instead, the traditional Christmas celebration took place on Christmas Eve at home, with the table set in a specific manner (straw underneath the tablecloth to represent hay in the manger and an empty chair just in case Jesus stopped by … or an unexpected guest), as well as a completely meatless 12-course dinner. My fave courses were the pickled herring with sliced onions and carrots with rye bread and the tiny piroszki (miniature pierogi) with a dried Polish mushroom/cabbage filling served in a meatless beet soup. So, it was a balancing act, going from a semi-religious celebration to an ethnic one overnight. However, one of the unique bonuses of not celebrating Christmas Day itself was that I got to open presents legally ::giggles:: a day earlier!

However, all of that changed when my father died before I turned 16. No more Christmas. I couldn’t do anything about it because I was just a kid and an only child at that. So it wasn’t until I moved out on my own at 23 (after getting my university degree) that I was able to start to assemble my own Christmas traditions.

Over the decades, I’ve participated in several types of Christmas Eve/Christmas Day celebrations:

  • casual aka running off in bone-chilling cold with a friend’s boyfriend (?!?) who was away from his home and family, to catch the umpteenth viewing of Star Wars IV (as we had an unofficial competition going on), then returning to my place to warm up with hot tea, seedless green grapes, cookies and to play Scrabble.
  • work-related, with a colleague inviting me to spend it with her daughter and herself (and gifting me with an exquisite black satin caftan which I accepted with glee) before driving me to the subway station at the end of the line where I managed to miss the final train and had the unique experience of taking the night bus across town.
  • with a variety of close friends over the years with whom I spent very satisfying Christmas Days and usually prepared some festive or extravagant dishes (can you say lobster?).
  • after deciding that there was something missing in my life in 1990, I attended my first Christmas Eve church service ever and discovered a church home and acquired a chosen family to which I’ve been adding (and, sadly, subtracting from as well) for the last 20 years.
  • interestingly enough, spending a happy Christmas Day alone after that church service when I did a lot of equally happy crying. All I had to do was glance through the order of service, remember the way I felt surrounded by thousands of people and feel warm all over. So it’s important to realize that one can have the capacity to celebrate even when alone … if such are the circumstances.
  • continuing a church tradition of offering a warm and inviting place in our Social Hall for Christmas Day dinner, decorations (including my menagerie of pigs – because they insisted on being included), music and games to people who had no place else to go (and hosting it for more than a decade). In fact, last Sunday I approached Mum (of Mum & Dad renown, as they were a couple who accepted all of us without hesitation – we who were biological, situational or emotional orphans from our families, to the extent that we were proud to call them our “Mum & Dad”) to reminisce about the year when her own aunt died (a charming yet feisty, down-to-earth lady in our congregation) and they didn’t feel up to doing their own Christmas dinner, so asked if they could join us. What a question! It was my honour to have them be with us. Not only did they come and relax, they brought lots of little gifts for me to add to the raffle draw (because all I could usually afford from a few monetary donations was to get everybody a fancy Christmas cracker – and I always thought we all looked quite grand in our tissue-paper crowns).
  • bringing close friends even closer into my chosen family, most of them drawn from my church and giving them official designations (I had lots of uncles, brothers and sisters, as well as fairy godmothers).
  • falling in love (more than once, lol) and having intimate, romantic Christmas dinners that I cooked from scratch, even if the menu wasn’t exactly traditional. There may have also been a Christmas pizza … once or twice.

The only thing I never did was to volunteer at a Mission, serving Christmas dinner to the homeless, though I do have one close church friend who’d done that year after year, but first stopped in at the church to share ours before heading out and I always felt both grateful and humbled that she got to have Christmas while being of service to those in need.

In years past (though not forgotten), I managed to combine the Christmas Eve service, Christmas Day dinner at church and then stagger home to prepare my own romantic Christmas dinner. Is it any wonder I needed to sleep for a week after that? Or didn’t even want to think about food?

But, you know, whatever the form of your Christmas (or other religious or non-denominational) celebration, the food and decor aren’t the important things: it’s the willingness to reach out, to share even with those to whom you have no family ties at all. Hey, I created my own chosen family and so can you.

Brian’s mentioned some of the highlights of hosting me at Christmas, in terms of decor and food. I was so awed by his creativity, I tried to match it. When he had the fake fireplace arrangement, I responded with Aquarium in a Box and transformed my place into an outer space underwater research station. I met him at the door carrying a pewter lantern, as the light levels had to be diminished so as not to disturb the fish ! Whenever he created something spectacular, I was inspired (resulting one memorable time in my three-hour masterpiece of velvety cream of asparagus soup). The year he made the original stuffed tomatoes, I countered with a tomato/bread/onion pudding as well as quail legs. Another year, I made my own mushroom butter as well as Tequila-marinated shrimp. Even when something threatened to be a disaster (crème brulée refused to firm up). I poured it into my ice cream maker and turned it into exquisitely rich ice cream. Another planned and far more healthy dessert that did turn out was mango sorbet with a scoop of mango purée in the same cut-glass bowl. As for trees, I think one year I outdid even myself when I put 800 lights on my tree, had the programmable multi-coloured lights wound around my 19-foot long balcony railing and even around the base of my glass and black steel coffee table. Hey, I did say Brian inspired me!

The way we’ve played off each other has been one of the cornerstones of our nearly two-decade long friendship that blossomed even though we had so many differences even beyond our ages (he came from a large family and had living grandparents; I was an only child who never knew my grandparents). It just makes it even more precious to me.

In celebration of togetherness, I lift my glass. And dedicate this blog entry to “Mum”. “Dad” will have to excuse himself for a moment from his pals amid heavenly surroundings to know that he’s being equally honoured. Cheers, “Dad”!

And, oh, I guess I should say something about food, so I will admit that we may have gone a titch overboard with the red pepper flakes in the Brussels sprouts. Just a tad. So I took special editorial liberty to adjust the amount stated in the recipe. And, even then, you should use a gentle hand.

I hope everyone will enjoy a serene holiday season and a joyous New Year. See you when the calendar page is flipped over!

Recipe: Roasted Chicken in a Fig and Clementine Glaze

Ingredients

Main Ingredients:

  • 1 whole roasting chicken
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small cooking onion, finely sliced
  • 1 oz Brandy or orange liqueur (we used Cointreau)
  • 6 dried figs, halved with stems removed
  • 6 clementines, peeled and segmented

Marinade:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tbsp Spanish paprika (or regular paprika)
  • 1 tbsp course black pepper
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh thyme and oregano, combined
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • salt, to taste
Orange Glaze:
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup orange juice, good quality (like Tropicana Grovestand)
  • ¼ cup sugar (or Splenda)

Directions

  1. To prepare marinade, whisk together all ingredients. Pour over chicken and marinate 4 hours, or overnight, in refrigerator.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (for crispy skin). Roast chicken, about 90 minutes (depending on size of chicken).
  3. Meanwhile, prepare orange glaze. In medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine all ingredients, cooking slowly, about 5 to 8 minutes, or until reduced by half.
  4. In large skillet, over medium heat, sauter onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil about 3 to 5 minutes, or until brown. Add Brandy or Cointreau and deglaze skillet. Add orange glaze and dried figs and continue to cook until slightly reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Add clementines until just heated through. Cut chicken into pieces, arrange on plate or platter, then pour glaze over chicken.

Variations

For a more spicy orange sauce, try some of these variations:
Fresh ginger slivers, chopped cilantro, crushed garlic, dried hot peppers.

Recipe: Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 4 medium to large tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs (increase up to 1 cup for larger tomatoes)
  • ⅓ cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
  • ¼ tsp dried basil (fresh is better, if available)
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
    Cut tops off tomatoes; scoop out pulp and seeds and reserve. In a bowl, mix Parmesan cheese, Panko breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, garlic, salt and pepper and reserved pulp and seeds.
    Spoon mixture into each tomato, then place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Depending on size, time may have to be adjusted.

Recipe:  Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 12 small red potatoes, quartered
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1-½ tbsp dried rosemary
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together until potatoes are lightly coated with olive oil. Place potatoes on a baking pan, and roast for 25 – 35 minutes until lightly golden.

Recipe: Brussels with Bacon

Ingredients

  • 4 strips precooked bacon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste according to desired amount of heat)
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed and cut in half
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp chopped walnuts

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add garlic, pepper flakes, Brussels sprouts and a pinch of salt; sauter until sprouts are lightly browned on the outside and tender but still firm 10 – 12 minutes. Add the walnuts and sauter for another minute or two. Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe: Cookies’n’Cream

Ingredients

  • Whipping Cream:
    1. Begin with thoroughly chilled cream.
    2. Chill mixing bowl and beaters beforehand.
    3. Whip the cream on medium speed.
    4. Add sugar (2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup granulated) and any flavourings like Framboise, Rum, etc. I used Butter Ripple flavoured liqueur (Schnapps).
    5. Cream is whipped when soft peaks form.
    6. For vanilla-flavoured whipped cream, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions

  1. For this recipe, you can use either canned whipped cream (which can be fun and fancy – sprayed in swirling patterns) or make your own (see above). Use a good-quality favourite cookie (once again, store-bought or home-made), studding them around the perimeter of the dessert dish and then artfully arrange some fresh fruit over the top in the centre. Voilà: an instant dessert using your own variations and imagination.