Tomato Vodka Salmon

Michael makes a romantic dinner for two with an emphasis on presentation. He prepares Bloody Mary salmon, salad ‘Bouquet’ with cucumber vase and roasted tomatoes and little vanilla cakes.

• Bloody Mary Salmon
• Little Vanilla Cakes
• Mint and Pea Puree
• Salad ‘Bouquet’ with Cucumber Vase and Roasted Tomatoes

Bloody Mary Salmon

Yield: 2

Ease of Preparation: Easy
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:

Bloody Mary Salmon

• 1 cup tomato juice
• 2 ounces vodka
• 1 tsp horseradish
• A few splashes of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsps lemon juice
• Large splash olive oil
• 1 x stalk celery, chopped
• 2 x salmon filets, 6 oz each

Directions:

Bloody Mary Salmon

1. Pour tomato juice, vodka, horseradish, Worcestershire, lemon juice, olive oil and celery into a shallow pan.
2. Bring to a gentle simmer and add salmon filets.
3. Cover with a tight fitting lid and let salmon poach in the liquid for about 10-12 minutes, until it is just cooked through.
4. Serve with Mint and Pea Puree (recipe from this episode).

Little Vanilla Cakes

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy
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:

Little Vanilla Cakes

• 4 x white chocolate
• 2 ounces butter
• 2 x eggs
• 4 Tbsps sugar
• 1 x vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cup flour

Directions:

Little Vanilla Cakes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly butter 4 ramekins and then sprinkle with sugar.
3. Shake so the sugar coats the bottom and sides of each ramekin. Discard excess sugar.
4. Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water until melted. Stir until smooth.
5. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla seeds, vanilla extract and flour.
6. Pour into prepared ramekins and refrigerate until ready to bake.
7. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cakes are just cooked through.
8. Un-mold onto serving plates and serve with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Mint and Pea Puree

Ease of Preparation: Easy
Yield: Approximately 1 cup
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:

Mint and Pea Puree

• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• Salt and pepper
• 1 x small bunch fresh mint leaves

Directions:

Mint and Pea Puree

1. Place peas, oil, water and salt and pepper into a small pot and bring to a simmer.
2. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the peas are bright green and cooked through.
3. Remove from heat and add mint leaves.
4. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth, or alternately puree in a blender.

Salad ‘Bouquet’ with Cucumber Vase and Roasted Tomatoes

Yield: 2

Ease of Preparation: Easy
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:

Roasted Tomatoes

• 2 x plum tomatoes, cut into quarters
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 
  

Vinaigrette

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper

Salad

• 6 x Boston lettuce leaves, cleaned
• 6 x leaf lettuce leaves, cleaned
• 1 cup mixed baby greens
• Sprigs fresh dill
• Sprigs fresh basil
• Fresh chives
• Broccoli or alfalfa sprouts
• 1 x cucumber, sliced lengthwise, 1/4-inch thick

Directions:

Roasted Tomatoes

1. Place tomatoes in a small baking dish.
2. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 350°F until softened and caramelized, about 45 minutes.
3. Cool.

Vinaigrette

1. Place ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
2. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Salad

1. Divide salad lettuces and baby greens into 2 piles, with the larger leaves on the bottom and the smaller ones in top.
2. Roll them into bundles and fold the ends up.
3. Secure with a finger and wrap a cucumber slice around the base to hold it together.
4. Secure with a large toothpick.
5. The bundle should be stable and able to stand on a plate with the cucumber acting as a vase holding the greens like a bouquet.
6. Stick herbs sprigs and some sprouts attractively into the bouquet and garnish the plate with roasted tomatoes and some vinaigrette.

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Braised Lamb Shanks

Michael demonstrates how relaxing cooking can be with braised lamb shanks, roasted cauliflower with almonds, orange juice braised sweet potatoes, and roasted pineapple with coconut crusted ice cream.

• Braised Lamb Shanks 3
• Orange Juice-Braised Sweet Potatoes
• Roasted Cauliflower with Almonds
• Roasted Pineapple with Coconut Crusted Ice Cream

Braised Lamb Shanks 3

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy
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:

Braised Lamb Shanks

• 4 Tbsps vegetable oil
• 4 x lamb shanks
• 4 x carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 x celery stalks, chopped
• 2 x onions, peeled and chopped
• 1 L apple cider
• 2 cups raisins
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 4 x bay leaves
• 2 x crisp apples, cored and chunked
• Salt and pepper
• 1 x celery rib, sliced
• 1 x carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 x apple, cored and chunked

Directions:

Braised Lamb Shanks

1. Heat a heavy bottomed stew pot over medium high heat and add oil.
2. When it begins to smoke, add lamb shanks and brown until they are a deep golden colour on all sides.
3. Remove from pan and rest on a plate.
4. Drain excess fat from pot, then return the shanks to the pot.
5. Add carrots, celery, onions, apple cider, raisins, cinnamon, bay leaves, and the apples.
6. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
7. Cover tightly and braise for 1.5 to 2 hours, until meat is very tender and almost falling off the bone.
8. Add sliced celery, carrot and apple during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Orange Juice-Braised Sweet Potatoes

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy.
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:

Orange Juice-Braised Sweet Potatoes

• 3 x sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch slices
• 2 Tbsps chopped rosemary
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 x red onion, sliced thickly
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Orange Juice-Braised Sweet Potatoes

1. Put sweet potatoes into a large sauté pan.
2. Add rosemary, orange juice, red onion and season with salt and pepper.
3. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Roasted Cauliflower with Almonds

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy. 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:

Roasted Cauliflower with Almonds

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Roasted Cauliflower with Almonds

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Put cauliflower florets into a 9" by 13" baking pan and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Add salt and pepper and almonds.
4. Toss well and roast in oven until golden and tender, about 25 minutes.

Roasted Pineapple with Coconut Crusted Ice Cream

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy. 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:

Roasted Pineapple with Coconut Crusted Ice Cream

• 1 x pineapple, skin and ends trimmed off and cut into large chunks
• 3 Tbsps brown sugar
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 3 scoops vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Roasted Pineapple with Coconut Crusted Ice Cream

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place pineapple chunks into a large bowl and add sugar, rum and allspice.
3. Toss well and pour into a 9" by 13" baking pan.
4. Roast for 1 hour, or until pineapple is caramelized and tender.
5. Place coconut into a shallow bowl and add a scoop of ice cream.
6. Roll it around until it is coated in coconut.
7. Repeat for other ice cream balls.
8. Spoon some pineapple into a serving dish and add ice cream.
9. Serve immediately.

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Baked Halibut

Michael shows off his infinitely modifiable method for cooking any fish by creating baked halibut with tomatoes, onions & a simple sauce, tomato couscous with black olives, cucumber & carrot salad, an avocado tuna fish appetizer and chocolate banana milkshakes for a treat.

• Baked Halibut with Tomatoes and Onions
• Chocolate Banana Milkshake
• Cucumber and Carrot Salad 2
• Simple Seafood Sauce
• Tomato Couscous with Black Olives and Basil
• Tuna Avocado Salad

Baked Halibut with Tomatoes and Onions

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy. 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:

Baked Halibut with Tomatoes and Onions

• 2 x onions, peeled and sliced
• 2 x tomatoes, chopped
• 1 heaping tbsp curry powder
• Salt
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 lb. fresh halibut
• 1 tbsp oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Baked Halibut with Tomatoes and Onions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place onions in an 8" by 8" baking pan and then add tomatoes, curry powder, salt and orange juice.
3. Rub fish with oil and salt and pepper and place on top of the vegetables.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the fish flakes and is just cooked through.

Simple Seafood Sauce

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy. 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:

Simple Seafood Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsps ketchup
• 2 Tbsps marmalade
• 1 x green onion, sliced
• 2 Tbsps lemon juice
• 1 tsp curry powder

Directions:

Simple Seafood Sauce

1. Whisk together until well blended and serve as a condiment with halibut or other fish.

Tomato Couscous with Black Olives and Basil

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy.
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:

Tomato Couscous with Black Olives and Basil

• 1 cup couscous
• 1 1/2 cups tomato juice
• 1 x 17 ounce can chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 cup Calamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 1 bunch basil leaves, sliced thinly
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Tomato Couscous with Black Olives and Basil

1. Put couscous into a medium sized bowl.
2. Heat tomato juice to a simmer and pour over couscous.
3. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to steam for 10 minutes, until couscous is tender.
4. Remove plastic and fluff with a fork.
5. Stir in chickpeas, olives, basil and season with salt and pepper.

Cucumber and Carrot Salad 2

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy.
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:

Cucumber and Carrot Salad

• 1 x cucumber, sliced thinly
• 2 x carrots, grated
• Half a red onion, sliced thinly
• 2 x fresh grated ginger
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Cucumber and Carrot Salad

1. Put ingredients into a medium sized bowl and toss well.
2. Adjust seasoning.

Tuna Avocado Salad

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy.
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:

Tuna Avocado Salad

• 1 can tuna, packed in water
• 1 x avocado, pitted and peeled
• 2 Tbsps olive oil
• 2 Tbsps lemon juice
• 1 x green onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Tuna Avocado Salad

1. Place tuna and water into a bowl.
2. Chop avocado and add along with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Toss well and serve with crisp bread.

Chocolate Banana Milkshake

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy
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:

Chocolate Banana Milkshake

• 4 x ripe bananas
• 4 x large scoops vanilla ice cream
• 4 cups milk
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder

Directions:

Chocolate Banana Milkshake

1. Place all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth and thick.
2. Serve immediately.

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Homemade Sushi

Michael shows how mainstream the flavours of Asia have become with orange ginger broth with soba noodles, sushi, spicy pineapple salad, coconut sticky rice pudding, and sun tea.

• Coconut Sticky Rice Pudding
• Orange Ginger Broth with Soba Noodles
• Spicy Pineapple Salad
• Sun Tea 2

Coconut Sticky Rice Pudding

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy
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:

Coconut Sticky Rice Pudding

• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 x eggs
• 3 Tbsps sugar
• 1 tbsp chai tea leave blend
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 2 cups of leftover sticky rice (1 cup sushi rice or other white rice cooked with 2 cups water)

Directions:

Coconut Sticky Rice Pudding

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, eggs, sugar and tea.
3. Add raisins, coconut and rice and stir well.
4. Pour into a 2 qt baking dish and place into a roasting pan.
5. Pour enough water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the side of the baking dish and then place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Orange Ginger Broth with Soba Noodles

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy
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:

Orange Ginger Broth with Soba Noodles

• 1 x small package soba noodles
• 2 cups orange juice
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 inch piece of ginger, frozen
• 1 tbsp soya sauce
• 1 cup sliced green onions
• 2 cups baby bok choy, chopped
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 x carrot, grated
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions:

Orange Ginger Broth with Soba Noodles

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Season with salt and then add soba noodles.
3. Boil just until they have softened, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Drain and rinse.
5. Bring orange juice and chicken stock to a simmer.
6. Grate in frozen ginger, reserving some for garnish and add soya sauce, green onions, bok choy, sprouts and carrot.
7. Stir until bok choy is wilted.
8. Place some soba noodles into soup bowls.
9. Ladle in some broth and vegetables and garnish with sesame seeds and grated ginger.

Spicy Pineapple Salad

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy
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:

Spicy Pineapple Salad

• 1 x pineapple, skin and core removed and cut into chunks
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 tbsp soya sauce
• 1 tbsp of Sambal style hot sauce or your favourite hot sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 x small red onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

Spicy Pineapple Salad

1. Place pineapple into a salad bowl.
2. Whisk together the lime juice, soya sauce, hot sauce and brown sugar.
3. Add to the pineapple, along with the cilantro and red onion and toss well.

Sun Tea 2

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy
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:

Sun Tea

• 6 bags of Rooibos chai tea, or your favourite tea flavour
• 1 bunch fresh mint leaves
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 can coconut milk

Directions:

Sun Tea

1. Place tea bags, mint leaves, lemon zest and juice, honey and ginger into a large jar and fill with water.
2. Cover with a lid and place in direct sunlight for about 3 hours.
3. Fill glasses with ice and pour about two thirds full with the sun tea.
4. Top with coconut milk and serve.

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