Creme Brulee

Apple Chips

Yield: 8

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Apple Chips

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 1 x whole granny smith apple, un-cored and thinly sliced into rounds.

Directions:

Apple Chips

1. Bring sugar and water to a boil, without stirring. Once sugar has dissolved, simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool.
2. Soak apple slices in the cooled simple syrup for a minimum of 20 minutes or overnight. Preheat oven to 300° F.
3. Drain apples and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake until golden and crispy.

Caramel Crème Brulee

Yield: 6

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Caramel Crème Brulee

• 1 cup plus 6 tbsp of sugar
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 cup of 35% whipping cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 8 x egg yolks

Directions:

Caramel Crème Brulee

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Make a caramel with 1 cup of sugar and the water by placing them in a large saucepot and bringing to a boil without stirring. The sugar will dissolve and begin to bubble. Let it boil for about 5 minutes, watching carefully as the water boils off and it begins to turn yellow. Gently swirl until the sugar turns an even golden. Take it off of the heat before it gets brown. Quickly pour the milk and cream into the caramel along with the vanilla and salt and whisk until incorporated.
3. Whisk eggs and then slowly pour the caramel mixture into them, a little at a time, whisking constantly.
4. Pour into 6 ramekins or crème brulee dishes and bake in a hot water bath in the oven for 30 minutes, or until edges are set and centre is slightly jiggly.
5. Just prior to serving, sprinkle with the remaining sugar and caramelize with a blowtorch.

Fennel Apple Salad

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don?t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

For the Vinaigrette:

• 2 x granny smith apples, quartered and cored.
• 1 cup of cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 heaping tbsp of Dijon mustard
• 1 cup of olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the Salad:

• 1 x bulb of fresh fennel, sliced thinly and fronds reserved
• 1 x granny smith apple, sliced thinly

Directions:

For the Vinaigrette:

1. To make the vinaigrette, place 2 granny smith apples, cider vinegar, brown sugar and mustard in a small saucepan and cook until soft. Puree with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

For the Salad:

1. Put the sliced fennel, fennel fronds and sliced granny smith apple in a large salad bowl and toss with a few spoonfuls of the warm apple vinaigrette.

Pot Steamed Salmon

Yield: 2

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Pot Steamed Salmon

• 2 x 6 oz filets of fresh salmon, skin removed
• 2 cups of orange juice
• 1 x red onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 tbsp of capers
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Pot Steamed Salmon

1. Bring orange juice to a hearty simmer. Add chopped onions, olive oil and capers and let simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture reduces by at least half. Add salmon and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and steam for five minutes.

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Weekend Brunch

Blueberry Maple Syrup

Yield: 2

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Blueberry Maple Syrup

• 4 cups of frozen blueberries
• 1 cup of maple syrup
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp each of ground nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom

Directions:

Blueberry Maple Syrup

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue until reduced by half.

Brunch Bake

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Brunch Bake

• 8 x eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• Half of a loaf of whole grain bread, cubed and toasted
• 8 x small breakfast sausages, sliced
• 1 x large onion, sliced
• 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
• 3 sprigs of fresh tarragon
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Brunch Bake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add sausages and onions. Sauté until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, whisk eggs together with milk and season with salt and pepper. Add cheese, bread cubes, sausage and onion mixture and tarragon. Pour into a lightly oiled 9" by 9" baking dish and bake for 35 minutes or until set.

Fortune French Toast

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don?t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Fortune French Toast

• 1 cup of cream cheese
• 1 cup of orange marmalade
• 1 loaf of fresh raisin bread, unsliced
• 1 cup of oatmeal
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp of ground star anise or any other spice
• 4 x eggs
• 1 cup of milk

Directions:

Fortune French Toast

1. Puree cream cheese and marmalade in a food processor until smooth.
2. Slice raisin loaf into 6 thick slices. Cut a deep pocket through the side of each slice.
3. Whisk milk and eggs together.
4. Put oatmeal into a shallow wide dish.
5. Fill each slice with 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture.
6. Dip bread slices in egg mixture and then oatmeal.
7. Heat oil and butter together in a large skillet over a medium to medium high heat and fry bread slices until golden brown on one side, flip and brown other side. Serve with blueberry maple syrup.

Potato Bacon Cakes

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don?t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Potato Bacon Cakes

• 1 lb. of Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
• 4 x of bacon, chopped
• 3 x green onions, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 x egg
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Potato Bacon Cakes

1. Steam potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork.
2. Fry bacon until crispy, strain off fat and set aside.
3. Smash steamed potatoes and add the bacon, onions, cheese and egg and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
4. Form potato mixture into four patties. Put reserved bacon fat into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a touch more cooking oil if necessary. Fry potato cakes until golden and heated through.

Sunshine Smoothies

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don?t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Sunshine Smoothies

• 2 or 3 bananas
• 1 cup of yogurt
• 2 cups of orange juice
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 cup of frozen strawberries

Directions:

Sunshine Smoothies

1. Puree bananas, yogurt, orange juice and nutmeg. Half-fill 4 glasses with half of the smoothie mixture.
2. Add frozen strawberries to the remaining smoothie mixture and puree again.
3. Gently pour onto the banana smoothie base in each glass to create a layered effect.

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Tomato Bacon Pasta

Berry Pudding

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

For the pudding:

• 1 lb. of frozen berries, blueberries, raspberries or strawberries or any combination
• 2 cups of orange juice
• 4 tbsp of cornstarch

For the Berry Cream Topping:

• 1/2 cup of 35% whipping cream
• 2 tbsp of raspberry jelly
• 
  

Directions:

For the pudding:

1. Bring berries and juice to a simmer over medium heat. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl, add back to the pot and bring back up to a simmer.
2. Mix a slurry with the cornstarch a splash of water. Stir slurry into the strained berries until thickened. Pour into 4 serving glasses or ramekins and chill for at least 1 hour or even overnight.

For the Berry Cream Topping:

1. Whip cream and jelly together. Serve on top of Berry Pudding.

Brussels Sprouts 2

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Brussel Sprouts

• 500 g frozen Brussel sprouts
• 1 x onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Splash of water
• of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

Directions:

Brussel Sprouts

1. Place onions, oil, water and Brussel sprouts in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid over a medium high heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sprouts are bright green and tender. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Pasta with Tomato and Bacon Sauce

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Pasta with Tomato and Bacon Sauce

• 1/2 lb. of bacon, chopped
• 1 x onion, chopped finely
• 8 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 x large can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, minced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 box (600 g) farfelle, penne or spaghetti pasta

Directions:

Pasta with Tomato and Bacon Sauce

1. Brown bacon in a large saucepan. Add onion and sauté until they soften and begin to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté for a few more minutes. Pour in tomatoes and a splash of water. Add rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 hour.
2. Bring a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add a liberal amount of salt and when it comes back to a rolling boil, add pasta. It is done when just tender to the bite. Drain the pasta, but do not rinse.
3. Add pasta to the finished sauce, adjust seasoning, toss and serve.

Salsa Salad

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don?t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Salsa Salad

• 1 heads of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 x tomato, chopped
• 2 x avocados, peeled, pit removed and sliced
• 1 x red onion, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup of bottled salsa
• 1 cup of fresh cilantro leaves
• Salt and pepper
• 4 x flour tortillas, sliced thinly

Directions:

Salsa Salad

1. Place tortillas on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Allow to cool.
2. Put lettuce, tomato, avocados, onion, cheese, salsa, and cilantro in a large salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss with the salsa. Top with crispy tortillas.

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Moroccan Chicken

Couscous-Stuffed Tomatoes

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Couscous-Stuffed Tomatoes

• 1 cup couscous
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes
• 1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves, sliced thinly or chopped
• 4 x ripe tomatoes, pulp removed and set aside
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Couscous-Stuffed Tomatoes

1. Put couscous in a medium sized bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover tightly with a piece of plastic wrap and let steam for about 10 minutes, or until couscous is tender. Toss with a fork and add lemon juice and zest, fresh mint, tomato pulp and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Spoon couscous mixture into hollowed out tomatoes and serve.

Hummus 2

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Hummus

• 4 cups of canned or cooked chickpeas
• Zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 4 tbsp of tahini
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Hummus

1. Puree everything in a food processor until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as you like.

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

For the Ras-el-Hanout Spice Mix:

• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp cardamom pods
• 3 tbsp cinnamon
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

For the Tagine:

• 4 x chicken legs, thighs and drumsticks separated
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1 cup dried apricots
• 1 cup dates, pitted
• 3 x onions, sliced
• 3 tbsp almond butter
• pinch of saffron threads
• 1 tsp turmeric
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Directions:

For the Ras-el-Hanout Spice Mix:

1. Grind together in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, and store in an airtight container. You may also mix the same spices pre-ground.

For the Tagine:

1. Put 3 tbsp of ras-el-hanout in a food processor with garlic cloves and olive oil and puree to a smooth paste.
2. Place chicken thighs and drumsticks in a freezer bag with the paste, mix well and place in the refrigerator to marinate for a minimum of 1 hour.
3. Place the marinated chicken into a large pot along with dried apricots, dates, onions, almond butter, saffron, turmeric, salt and pepper. Pour in enough water to just cover everything, put a tight fitting lid on the pot and place over medium-high heat. Simmer for 2 hours, until the chicken legs are tender and the liquid has thickened. Adjust seasoning and add cilantro leaves just before serving.

Moroccan PB&J

Yield: 2

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don?t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Moroccan PB&J

• 4 pieces of rye crisp bread
• 4 tbsp of raisins
• 1/4 cup of almond butter
• pinch of ras-el-hanout Moroccan spice mix

Directions:

Moroccan PB&J

1. Spread 2 pieces of rye crisp bread with almond butter. Sprinkle with raisins and ras-el-hanout and top with the other 2 crisp breads.

Seasoned Pita Chips

Yield: 2

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Seasoned Pita Chips

• 4 x pitas
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp fennel seed
• 1 tbsp anise seed
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Seasoned Pita Chips

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Cut pitas into wedges. Place on a baking sheet and brush with honey. Sprinkle with spices and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes or so, until golden and crisp.

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Simple Turkey Dinner

Spice Roast Turkey Breast

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason, this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish, so you’ll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

I really enjoy the flavour of roast turkey but I don’t always have the time to deal with the entire bird so I often buy just a plain turkey breast. It’s so easy to work with that I can prepare it with out any time-consuming special occasion fuss. To add a flavour boost I often throw together this simple spice rub and roast away.

Ingredients:

Spice Roast Turkey Breast

• 1 tbsp of ground sage
• 1 tbsp of ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 2 tsp of salt
• 1 1/2 lb. turkey breast, boned
• 3 x whole carrots, peeled

Directions:

Spice Roast Turkey Breast

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place the spices, brown sugar and salt into a resealable plastic freezer bag. Shake until mixed well. Add the turkey breast and shake again, rubbing in the spice mixture until well coated. Let rest for a few hours or overnight if you have the time. You may also begin roasting it immediately.
3. Place the carrots into a 9-inch by 13-inch roasting pan overlapping to form a triangular rack. Set the turkey breast on the carrot rack. This will help the breast roast quickly and evenly by allowing the hot air in the oven to easily flow around the meat. Roast for 45 minutes or so, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of exactly 165 degrees F. By using an accurate meat thermometer you’ll guarantee that the meat won’t dry out from overcooking. Rest for fifteen minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat. The heat of the oven will have driven them to the center of the breast under high pressure; if you cut into the meat then they will flow out and be lost.

Brown Rice and Lentils

Ease of Preparation: Easy
4 Servings

Rice is a grain, lentils a legume. Combine the two and you have a perfect source of vegetarian protein. Of course, you don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy the wholesome, tasty richness of this healthy duo.

Brown Rice and Lentils

One-half cup of brown rice
One-half cup of green lentils
Two cups of water
A sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

Pour the brown rice into a small pot with the water and a pinch of salt. Slowly simmer over a medium-low heat for fifteen minutes.

Add the lentils and continue cooking until both the rice and lentils are tender and fluffy, another thirty minutes.

Fruit Crisp

Ease of Preparation: Easy
4-6 Servings with leftovers

Just about any fruit can be cut, tossed with a bit of sugar, and baked with a crisp topping. There are as many ways to make that happen as there are cooks. Here’s mine. It’s perfect for experimenting and works year round with whatever type of local fruit is in season.

Fruit Crisp

For the fruit, pick one of the following or use your favourite:
Six peaches, pears or large apples
Eight small apples
Twelve plums or nectarines
Six or eight cups of blueberries, strawberries or raspberries

A few spoonfuls of brown sugar
A few spoonfuls of cornstarch

For the crisp topping:
A cup or so of oatmeal
A cup or so of brown sugar
Two sticks of frozen butter (eight ounces)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the fruit with the brown sugar and the cornstarch. Load the works into a casserole dish.

Grate the frozen butter into the brown sugar and oatmeal; mix with your hands until the mixture comes together into a crumbly mass. Crumble over the fruit evenly covering it. Place the dish on a pan to catch any drips then bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 45 minutes to an hour.



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