Spanish Paella

For a special Sunday dinner, Michael makes a simple Spanish paella, grilled asparagus with parsley pesto, watermelon & basil salad, and raspberry lemon parfaits.

• Grilled Asparagus with Parsley Pesto
• Raspberry Lemon Parfaits
• Spanish Paella with Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage
• Watermelon and Basil Salad

Grilled Asparagus with Parsley Pesto

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Grilled Asparagus with Parsley Pesto

• 1 x large bunch of flat leaf parsley
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Sea salt
• 1 x bunch fresh asparagus, woody ends removed
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Grilled Asparagus with Parsley Pesto

1. Puree the parsley, cheese, almonds and oil in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt.
2. Add a splash or two more of oil if needed to help the mixture puree.
3. Store pesto in a small jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
4. Preheat a grill to high. Toss the asparagus spears with a splash of olive oil and salt and pepper.
5. Place on the hot grill, turning them as they begin to cook. They're done when they're slightly charred and tender.
6. Place on a serving platter and drizzle with parsley pesto.

Raspberry Lemon Parfaits

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Raspberry Lemon Parfaits

• 2 pints fresh raspberries
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup 35% whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• Zest and juice of 4 lemons

Directions:

Raspberry Lemon Parfaits

1. Divide the raspberries into the bottom of 4 parfait or martini glasses, or small bowls.
2. Pour orange juice, cream, sugar, cornstarch and lemon zest and juice into a small saucepan.
3. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat whisking well. Continue to whisk as it begins to thicken.
4. Pour over the raspberries and cool until firm.

Spanish Paella with Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Spanish Paella with Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage

• 2 x chicken breasts, skin removed and cut into large chunks
• 2 x Italian sausages, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 x onions, peeled and chopped
• 10 x whole cloves garlic, peeled
• 28 oz can whole tomatoes
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup of your favourite red or white wine
• 3 x bay leaves
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 x red pepper, seeds removed and chopped
• 1 x lb. of shrimp, shelled and deveined

Directions:

Spanish Paella with Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage

1. Heat a large flat sauté pan or traditional paella pan. Add a splash of oil and begin to brown the chicken and sausages. Once they have browned set them aside on a plate.
2. Add the onions to the hot pan and a small splash of oil, sauté until golden.
3. Add the garlic and stir for a few moments.
4. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon.
5. Add rice, stock, wine, bay leaves, rosemary, red pepper, the reserved meat and the shrimp.
6. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat until the liquid has absorbed and the rice is tender, about thirty minutes.

Watermelon and Basil Salad

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Watermelon and Basil Salad

• Half a watermelon, rind removed and flesh cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 x large bunch fresh basil, sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Watermelon and Basil Salad

1. Toss everything together in a large salad bowl.

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Lasagna with Speedy Tomato Sauce

Michael turns a weekend treat into a simple weekday dinner with his speedy lasagna, Sicilian salad, herb butter bread, and strawberry banana turnovers with cinnamon-crusted ice cream.

• Cinnamon Crusted Ice Cream
• Roast Garlic Oregano Butter
• Sicilan Salad with Orange, Olives, Red Onions and Mint
• Speedy Lasagna
• Strawberry Banana Turnovers

Cinnamon Crusted Ice Cream

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Cinnamon Crusted Ice Cream

• 4 tbsp course sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Cinnamon Crusted Ice Cream

1. Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon and roll the scoops of ice cream in it.

Roast Garlic Oregano Butter

Ingredients:

Roast Garlic Oregano Butter

• 1 x garlic bulb
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Roast Garlic Oregano Butter

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Roast the garlic until juices begin to bubble out of the top, about 45 minutes.
3. Cut off the bottom of the garlic bulb with a serrated knife and squeeze the soft roasted garlic into a small bowl. Remove any stray garlic peel.
4. Add the butter, oregano, salt and pepper and mash everything together with a fork until smooth.
5. Spread on your favourite bread and toast until golden brown.

Sicilan Salad with Orange, Olives, Red Onions and Mint

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Sicilian Salad

• 6 x large oranges
• 1 cup of pitted green olives, sliced
• 3 tbsp capers
• 1 x red onion, sliced thinly
• 1 x large bunch fresh mint leaves, sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Sicilian Salad

1. Zest the oranges into a medium-sized salad bowl.
2. Trim the peel off of the oranges and cut them into half-inch slices.
3. Toss well with the remaining ingredients.

Speedy Lasagna

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Tomato Sauce

• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 x medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 10 x cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 4 x Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1 x 28 oz can tomatoes, crushed or pureed
• 1 x small can tomato paste
• 2 cups beef stock
• 3 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp dried basil
• 3 x bay leaves
• Salt and pepper

Cheese Sauce

• 2 x eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup 35% cream
• 475 g (1 pound) ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• Salt and pepper

Assembly

• 1 box of ready-to-bake lasagna noodles
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Tomato Sauce

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepot and add the onions.
2. Sauté until they soften and turn golden brown, about 5 minutes, and then add the garlic.
3. Sauté a few moments more then add the ground beef and sausage meat.
4. Chop the meats thoroughly with a spoon to break them up into small pieces.
5. Add the tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, beef stock, oregano, basil, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
6. Stir well and heat until the entire mixture is simmering and heated through.
7. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

Cheese Sauce

1. Whisk eggs and cream together, then stir in the cheeses.
2. Season with salt and pepper.

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Layer the ingredients together in a 9" x 13" x 3" or other baking pan.
3. Follow this sequence: a cup or so of sauce, a layer of noodles, half of the cheese sauce, one third of the grated Parmesan, noodle layer, meat sauce layer, noodle layer, remaining cheese sauce, one third of the grated Parmesan, noodle layer, remaining meat sauce, remaining Parmesan.
4. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour.
5. Remove foil during last 15 minutes of cooking to allow the top to get golden and crusty.

Strawberry Banana Turnovers

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Strawberry Banana Turnovers

• 1 pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed and cut into four squares
• 1 x banana, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup marmalade
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup grated or flaked coconut
• 2 x eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp coarse sugar

Directions:

Strawberry Banana Turnovers

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Lay pastry on a flat surface. Cut into 4 squares.
3. In a small bowl, stir the banana with the marmalade, nutmeg and coconut.
4. Place a large dollop of the mixture into the center of each pastry square.
5. Brush the edges with beaten egg and fold one corner over to meet the other, forming a triangle, or alternately a rectangle.
6. Press edges together with a fork to seal tightly.
7. Brush tops with more egg wash and sprinkle with course sugar.
8. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake until puffed and golden, about 12 minutes.

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Pasta with Black Olive Sauce

Fast food is on the menu – but not takeout – as Michael prepares pasta with tomato olive sauce, pesto salad and banana muffins with raspberry butter.

• Italian Salad with Basil and Homemade Croutons
• Penne with Black Olive Sauce
• Raspberry Butter 2
• Spiced Banana Muffins

Italian Salad with Basil and Homemade Croutons

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Italian Salad with Basil

• 1 lb. mixed baby greens, cleaned and dried
• 1 x bunch or 2 bunches fresh baby arugula, cleaned and dried
• Half of a red onion, sliced thinly
• 1 x large bunch of fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 100 g (4 ounce) wedge of Parmesan cheese

Homemade Croutons

• 1 x baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 2 tsp dried oregano or basil
• Salt and pepper

The Dressing

• 1 tbsp any type mustard
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Italian Salad with Basil

1. Place salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Shave the Parmesan cheese over the greens with a vegetable peeler.

Homemade Croutons

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place bread cubes in a large bowl and drizzle thoroughly with olive oil.
3. Add dried herb, salt and pepper and toss well.
4. Pour onto a baking sheet and toast in oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

The Dressing

1. Place all dressing ingredients into a small jar and shake well until emulsified.
2. Alternatively, place in a small bowl, and whisk well until emulsified.
3. Put some croutons on top of the salad. Pour the dressing and toss together well.

Penne with Black Olive Sauce

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Penne with Black Olive Sauce

• 2 x medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 x cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 28 oz can whole or pureed tomatoes
• 1 cup of black or green kalamata style olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• 3 x bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lb. farfelle or penne pasta
• Salt to taste

Directions:

Penne with Black Olive Sauce

1. Sauté the onions with the olive oil in a medium sized saucepan until they soften and begin to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so.
3. Pour in the tomato juice from the canned tomatoes, puree the remaining whole tomatoes, and then add to the mixture.
4. Add the olives and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.
5. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
6. Taste the sauce and season with salt if needed.
7. Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil.
8. Add lots of salt and then the pasta.
9. Stir well and cook pasta until it's just tender - al dente, about 9 minutes.
10. Drain the pasta - but don't rinse it - then immediately toss with the sauce.

Raspberry Butter 2

Yield: Half a cup.

Ingredients:

Raspberry Butter

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 3 spoonfuls raspberry jelly
• 5 x fresh raspberries, for garnish

Directions:

Raspberry Butter

1. Whisk butter and jelly together and spoon into a small bowl.
2. Garnish with fresh berries.

Spiced Banana Muffins

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

Spiced Banana Muffins

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup bran
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 x ripe bananas, peeled
• 2 x eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Spiced Banana Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Whisk together the flour, bran, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
3. Mash the bananas and stir in the eggs, brown sugar, oil and vanilla.
4. Mix well and add to the dry ingredients. Stir until well combined.
5. Spoon the batter into a prepared muffin pan and bake until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted, about 12-15 minutes.
6. Serve warm with Raspberry Butter (recipe from this episode).

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Christmas Dinner

Michael takes easy it for the holidays by adding some new twists to his family’s holiday favourites. Spiced sugar cookies, brined turkey and whole grain stuffing add to the flavourful fest.

• Honey Roast Turkey with Gravy
• Whole Grain Stuffing

Honey Roast Turkey with Gravy

Yield: 8

Ingredients:

For the Brining Solution:

• 2 cups of kosher salt
• 2 cups of honey
• 2 gal of water
• 1 x 10 lb. turkey, fresh or thawed

For the Roast Turkey:

• 2 x whole carrots
• 2 stalks of celery
• 2 x onions, skin on, cut in half
• 1 x bulb of garlic, peeled
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

For the Gravy:

• 2 cups of red wine
• 2 tbsp of cornstarch
• 2 tbsp of water

Directions:

For the Brining Solution:

1. Stir salt, honey and water together until salt has dissolved.
2. Place brining solution into a picnic cooler or container large enough to hold the turkey and brine. If using a cooler you’ll need 3 or 4 freezer packs to keep it cool.
3. Put turkey into the brine and either cover it with the freezer packs and close lid, or place container into a refrigerator. Leave to brine overnight.

For the Roast Turkey:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Take turkey out of brine, rinse and pat dry with a towel. Tie legs together with butcher’s twine.
3. Assemble carrots, celery, onion and garlic into a roasting pan to form a rack for the turkey to rest on. Place turkey onto the vegetable rack and then place in oven. Roast for 15 minutes at 500 degrees, and then turn oven down to 325 degrees without opening the door. Roast for 20 minutes per pound, or until an internal thermometer reaches 165 degrees.
4. When finished, take out of oven and place on a platter to rest for at least 20 minutes. Cover with foil to keep warm.

For the Gravy:

1. Take vegetable rack out of roasting pan and discard. Skim off any fat and reserve the turkey juices in a glass-measuring cup.
2. Heat the pan over medium-high heat and then pour in wine to deglaze, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. Mix the cornstarch with the water and stir until it is smooth.
4. Pour turkey juices back into the pan and bring to a simmer. Add cornstarch mixture while stirring and continue to stir until thickened.

Whole Grain Stuffing

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Whole Grain Stuffing

• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 x onion, chopped
• 1 x carrot, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup of raisins
• 1 cup of dried apricots, chopped
• 1 tbsp of fennel seed
• 1 cup of wheatberries
• 8 cups of chicken stock
• 2 cups of frozen cranberries
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Whole Grain Stuffing

1. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil and then onions, carrots and garlic. Sauté until they begin to soften and caramelize. Add wine, raisins, apricots and fennel seeds. Cook until liquid has absorbed. Add wheatberries, cranberries and salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the wheatberries are tender. Adjust seasoning and serve.

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Grandma’s Beef Stew

Michael’s mom is coming for dinner so he jazzes up some of her classics. Beef stew, mashed potatoes and spinach salad with pears, walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette all get a Michael makeover to impress Mom.

• Beef Broth
• Beef Stew
• Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
• Spinach Salad with Pears, Walnuts and Raspberry Vinaigrette

Beef Broth

Ingredients:

Beef Broth

• 5 kg. of oxtails, short ribs, or beef bones
• 4 x chopped onions
• 1 heads of celery, chopped
• 6 x carrots, chopped
• 1 lb. of mushrooms, chopped
• 1 x small can of tomato paste
• 1/2 bottle of red wine
• 5 x large sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 x large sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 4 x bay leaves

Directions:

Beef Broth

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Roast bones and vegetables in oven until golden brown and well caramelized. Add a splash of water to the roasting pan and dissolve any browned bits in the pan. Place in a large stockpot and add tomato paste, veggies, wine and herbs. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 4-5 hours.
3. Strain stock into a clean pot and simmer until reduced by half.

Beef Stew

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Beef Stew

• 2 lb. of beef short ribs, cut into 2” pieces
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 3 x onions, chopped
• 3 x carrots, sliced
• 3 stalks of celery
• 1 heads of garlic, peeled
• 3 cups red wine
• 1/4 cup of tomato paste
• 1 can of beef stock
• 3 x bay leaves
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Beef Stew

1. Heat oil in a large pot, season ribs and brown evenly and thoroughly. Remove ribs and reserve on a plate, and then add onions, carrot and celery to the pot. Sauté, making sure to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan until the vegetables are caramelized. Add garlic, wine and tomato paste and stir well. Add beef stock and beef and bring to a simmer, covered, for 2-3 hours, until meat is very tender, and beginning to fall of the bone.
2. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes 2

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

• 4 x Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 stick of butter
• Large pinch of nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup of milk or 1 cup cream

Directions:

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

1. Cut potatoes in half and place in a steamer. Cover with a lid and steam over medium heat for 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Let it foam once and then continue to cook over low heat until it begins to brown. When it is just golden, take it off of the heat and add the milk.
3. Add brown butter, nutmeg, milk, salt and pepper to the potatoes. Mash potatoes in a bowl with a potato masher.

Spinach Salad with Pears, Walnuts and Raspberry Vinaigrette

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

• 1 bag of baby spinach
• 1 x granny smith apple, cored and sliced
• 1 x pear, cored and sliced
• 1/2 of a red onion, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup of walnuts

For the Raspberry Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar
• 1 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of frozen raspberries
• dash of hot sauce
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

For the Salad:

1. Place salad ingredients into a salad bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.

For the Raspberry Vinaigrette:

1. Puree vinaigrette ingredients with an immersion blender, or in a blender.

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