Hearty Chili

Michael is hosting poker night and the culinary stakes are high. Spicy chili, cheddar cornbread and “Buffalo” chicken wing salad with blue cheese dressing, and Michael’s own Hard Lemonade completes his hand.

• 'Buffalo' Chicken Wing Salad with Blue Cheese
• Cheddar Cornbread
• Homemade Chili Powder
• Michael's Hard Lemonade
• Spicy Chili

'Buffalo' Chicken Wing Salad with Blue Cheese

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy

Ingredients:

Salad

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup flour
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 batch Spicy Chicken Sauce (recipe from this episode)
• 1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and sliced
• 2 ribs celery, washed and cut into sticks
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Spicy Chicken Sauce

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup Franks hot sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup

Directions:

Salad

1. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Toss chicken with flour, salt and pepper until well coated.
3. Pour oil into pan and add the chicken.
4. Cook on one side until it's golden brown and then flip and cook the other side until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Remove with tongs and place in a bowl.
6. Pour Spicy Chicken Sauce over hot chicken, toss well to coat.
7. Put lettuce, celery and chicken into a salad bowl. Drizzle any excess chicken sauce over the salad and add the lemon juice.
8. Toss well and garnish with crumbled blue cheese.

Spicy Chicken Sauce

1. Whisk together the butter, hot sauce and ketchup.

Cheddar Cornbread

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy.

Ingredients:

Cheddar Cornbread

• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 cup milk
• 4 x eggs
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup corn oil
• 1 cup grated cheddar

Directions:

Cheddar Cornbread

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Oil and flour an 8" x 8" pan.
3. Place cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and chili powder in a large bowl and whisk well to combine.
4. Blend together the milk, eggs, corn and corn oil.
5. Pour into the dry ingredients and add the cheese.
6. Stir just until combined.
7. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake until golden on top and cornbread springs back when touched, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Homemade Chili Powder

Ease Of Preparation: Easy
Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

Homemade Chili Powder

• 1 x dried ancho chili
• 1/4 cup dried oregano
• 1/4 cup cumin seed
• 1/4 cup coriander seed
• 1/4 cup paprika

Directions:

Homemade Chili Powder

1. Grind ingredients in a spice or coffee grinder and store in a mason jar.

Michael's Hard Lemonade

Yield: 6

Ease of Preparation: Easy

Ingredients:

Michael's Hard Lemonade

• Lots of ice
• 8 ounces vodka
• 1 cup of sugar
• The juice and zest of 8 lemons
• Water

Directions:

Michael's Hard Lemonade

1. Fill a large pitcher with ice.
2. Pour in vodka, sugar, lemon zest and juice.
3. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.
4. Fill the pitcher with water and stir again.

Spicy Chili

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy.

Ingredients:

Spicy Chili

• 1 lb. bacon, chopped
• 2 x onions, chopped
• 1 heads garlic, separated, peeled and sliced
• 2 x red peppers, chopped
• 3 -5 heaping spoonfuls chili powder
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 x x 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes
• 19 oz can black beans
• 19 oz can kidney beans
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Spicy Chili

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add bacon.
2. Add a splash of water and let the bacon render its fat.
3. As the water evaporates, the bacon will brown.
4. Pour off excess fat and add the onions, garlic and peppers.
5. Cook until they are softened and just beginning to caramelize.
6. Add chili powder and ground beef and stir well, chopping the beef up with a wooden spoon.
7. Add tomatoes and beans and season with salt and pepper.
8. Simmer for an hour.
9. If you have a chance, make this a day in advance and reheat when needed. The flavours will brighten and meld as it rests overnight.

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Fusion Fish Cakes

Michael fuses fun and flavours in the kitchen. Smoked salmon sushi, fusion salmon cakes, Asian noodle salad, iced tea and coconut tarts with chocolate add an international flavour to the menu.

• Asian Noodle Salad
• Coconut Tarts with Chocolate and Coconut Cream
• Fusion Salmon Cakes
• Smoked Salmon Sushi
• Spiced Maple Ice Tea

Asian Noodle Salad 2

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Asian Noodle Salad

• 1 pkg of rice vermicelli, soaked until soft in hot water and drained
• Zest and juice of 2 limes
• 1/4 cup of peanut butter
• 1/4 cup of marmalade
• 1 tbsp of soya sauce
• dash of hot sauce
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 3 x green onions, sliced
• 1 cup of cilantro leaves
• 1 x carrot, peeled and shredded
• 1 cup of peanuts

Directions:

Asian Noodle Salad

1. To make the dressing, whisk together lime zest and juice, peanut butter, marmalade, soya sauce, hot sauce and olive oil until smooth.
2. Place the rice vermicelli, green onions, cilantro and carrot into a salad bowl and add dressing. Toss well and garnish with peanuts.

Coconut Tarts with Chocolate and Coconut Cream

Yield: 6

Ingredients:

For the Coconut Tart Shells:

• 2 x egg whites
• 2 cups of shredded coconut

For the Chocolate and Coconut Cream:

• 1/2 cup of coconut milk
• 8 oz of bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:

For the Coconut Tart Shells:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk egg whites lightly and stir in coconut.
3. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and press a large spoonful of coconut mixture into each cup, pushing it evenly into the bottom and up the sides.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool in muffin pan.

For the Chocolate and Coconut Cream:

1. Heat coconut milk.
2. Place chocolate into a bowl and pour hot milk over it. Stir until chocolate melts and mixture becomes satiny-smooth.

Fusion Salmon Cakes

Yield: 2

Ingredients:

Fusion Salmon Cakes

• 8 oz filet of salmon, skin removed, cubed
• 2 tbsp of ginger, grated
• 1 tsp of soya sauce
• 2 tbsp of minced red onion
• 1 cup of cilantro leaves
• 3 tbsp of olive oil

Directions:

Fusion Salmon Cakes

1. Place ingredients into a food processor and pulse a few times just until ingredients come together. Do not over mix.
2. Form mixture into 2 large patties.
3. Heat a large skilled over medium high heat. Add oil and when it’s hot, fry salmon cakes. When golden on the one side, flip and brown the other side. Serve alone or on a bun with desired condiments.

Smoked Salmon Sushi

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Smoked Salmon Sushi

• 1 cup of canned chickpeas
• 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp of sesame oil
• dash of hot sauce
• 1 tbsp of soya sauce
• 3 tbsp of chopped cilantro
• 16 slices of smoked salmon
• 4 x sheets of nori paper

Directions:

Smoked Salmon Sushi

1. Mash chickpeas and add Dijon, sesame oil, hot sauce, soya sauce and cilantro and mix well.
2. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Place a sheet of nori paper over the plastic wrap.
3. Cover the half of the nori sheet closest to you with 4 slices of smoked salmon, slightly overlapping them.
4. Spread a few tablespoons of the chickpea mash over the smoked salmon. Using the plastic wrap to help, begin to roll tightly. Dampen the far edge of the nori with water and then seal the edge. Cut into 1 inch slices

Spiced Maple Iced Tea

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Spiced Maple Ice Tea

• 6 x green tea bags
• 1 tbsp of star anise, cracked or powdered
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup
• 1 x lemon, sliced
• Ice

Directions:

Spiced Maple Ice Tea

1. Boil a kettle of water.
2. Put tea bags, star anise, maple syrup and lemon into a large pitcher. Pour in six cups of hot water and brew for 5 minutes. Chill.
3. Fill a glass pitcher with ice and pour tea over it. Serve.

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