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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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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Potato Crusted Salmon

Michael tries something new with a family favourite, fish. Potato & horseradish crusted salmon with pickle sauce, roasted licorice carrots, sauteed mushrooms with sherry & spinach and mango & strawberry cobbler make up this reinvigorating menu.

• Horseradish Potato Crusted Salmon with Pickle Sauce
• Mango and Strawberry Cobbler
• Roasted Licorice Carrots
• Sautéed Mushrooms with Sherry and Spinach

Horseradish Potato Crusted Salmon with Pickle 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:

The Salmon

• 2 x russet potatoes, baked and chilled
• 2 tbsp horseradish
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt and pepper
• 4 x salmon filets, 6 ounces each
• 
  

The Pickle Sauce

• 2 x dill pickles, chopped
• 1 x small bunch dill, chopped
• 1 x green onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• The juice from half a lemon
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

The Salmon

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Grate potatoes through the large holes of a box grater into a medium sized bowl.
3. Stir in horseradish, oil and salt and pepper mixing well.
4. Pat crust onto top surface of filets and place in a baking pan or on a baking sheet.
5. Bake until salmon is cooked through and the crust is golden and crispy, about 15 minutes.

The Pickle Sauce

1. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
2. Serve with salmon.

Mango and Strawberry Cobbler

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:

The Filling

• 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
• 2 cups fresh or frozen mango
• 1/2 cup cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 
  

The Topping

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 stick stick butter, frozen
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions:

The Filling

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place fruit into a large bowl and toss well with the flour, sugar and lemon juice.
3. Pour into a 2-quart ovenproof casserole or other dish.
4. It is best if the fruit fills the dish but doesn't rise above the edges.

The Topping

1. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Grate in frozen butter and mix lightly with fingertips.
2. Pour in milk and stir until mixture comes together and forms a rough dough.
3. Place spoonfuls of the dough on top of the fruit evenly covering it.
4. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden, about 45 minutes.
5. Serve warm.

Roasted Licorice Carrots

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 Licorice Carrots

• 6 x carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp ground star anise
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Roasted Licorice Carrots

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place the carrots in an 8" x 8" baking pan or other baking pan.
3. It is best if they form a single layer on the bottom of the pan.
4. Drizzle with oil and toss with star anise, salt and pepper.
5. Roast until carrots are caramelized and tender, about 30 minutes.

Sautéed Mushrooms with Sherry and Spinach

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:

Sautéed Mushrooms with Sherry and Spinach

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 lb. button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thinly
• 1 x large onion, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup sherry, Marsala, Madeira or port
• Salt and pepper
• 4 x handfuls of baby spinach

Directions:

Sautéed Mushrooms with Sherry and Spinach

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt butter.
2. When it begins to foam, add mushrooms and onions and sauté until they begin to caramelize.
3. Deglaze the pan with sherry, season with salt and pepper and cook down, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
4. When the sherry has reduced, add spinach and stir until it has wilted.
5. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.

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