Cold Summer Rolls

June 29th, 2011

12 round rice papers
¼ package of thin rice vermicelli noodles
3 carrots, julienne strips
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
½ English cucumber, julienne strips
3 spring onions, julienne strips
2 cups bean sprouts
1 bunch of mint or coriander
24 cooked shrimp, cut in half (optional)

Dipping sauces

Number One  (place sauce in bowl and sprinkle with peanuts)
1 cup Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon chopped peanuts

Number Two (instructions below)
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
Sprinkle of dried chilies (optional)

Chop all your vegetables and place in bowls on your working surface. If using shrimp, prepare as well and place in a bowl.

For the carrots, add rice wine vinegar and stir. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, place enough hot water to be able to soak the rice noodles. Place noodles in the bowl and let them soak till soft, about 15 minutes. In another large bowl, place hot water to soak your rice papers – one at a time as you are assembling.  Soak for about 5 minutes, always using two hands to massage in the warm water till they are pliable.

Line up all your bowls in front of a cutting board and begin your assemble.

Place one soft rice paper on your board. Place about a ¼ cup rice noodles towards the bottom of the circle closest to you. Place on top of the noodles, a few pieces of each of the vegetables. Top with some herbs. Begin to roll away from you. Tuck in the sides and continue to roll up till you complete the roll.

Place on a dish and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat this method till all your rolls are completed. For best results, place in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving.

For the second dipping sauce, place a same saucepan on medium low heat and add in the vinegar and sugar. Heat till sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and place in a bowl with the garlic, coriander and chilies. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely.

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Baked Mussels with Herbs

June 13th, 2011

2 pounds of fresh Mussels
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 cups of Panko or regular bread crumbs
½ cup parsley (finely chopped)
½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Black Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Wash the mussels and discard beard and any crushed/chipped or open mussels. Fill a large pot of water with approximately 1 and half inches of water. Boil and salt the water. Add mussels and cook till they are open (5-8 minutes).

Remove lid and cool till you are able to touch the mussels. Discard any that did not open. With the good mussels, open entirely add remove side without any mussel and discard. Place the mussel sided shell on a baking sheet, mussel facing upwards for stuffing.

Sauté onion and garlic till soft in 1 tbsp. of oil. In a bowl add chopped parsley, breadcrumbs and mix. Then add cooked onion mix and stir. Add the rest of the oil till the mixture sticks together for easy packing. Season mixture with pepper.

Stuff mixture and pack tightly on mussel shells (approx. 1 tsp). Top with grated Parmesan.

Bake mussels for 15 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown. Serve immediately.

 

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County Mushrooms with Spinach & Chevre

April 28th, 2011

15-20 cremini or white mushrooms (Wellington Mushroom Farm)
1 cup soft goat cheese (Fifth Town Artisan chevre – Plain Jane)
2 cups finely chopped fresh Spinach (Vicki’s Veggies)
1 small sweet onion (finely diced)
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tbsp. fresh chopped basil
1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley or chives
1 tbsp. Ontario maple syrup
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
Ground pepper and salt to taste

In a fry pan, saute the onion in butter and oil till golden brown (about 10 minutes on medium heat). Add the spinach and cook anther few minutes, till soft. Add maple syrup and stir. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool.

In a bowl, place the goat cheese and herbs. Mix in the spinach mixture and stir till it is thoroughly incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. It’s best to cover this and place in fridge for a few hours for the flavors to incorporate (but you can use it right away)

With a damp paper towel, wipe off each mushroom. Remove the stem and with a small knife cut off the top of the mushroom a bit to make a flat surface for the cheese.

Scoop about one tablespoon of the cheese mixture on each mushroom and shape it so it looks like a small dome on top.

Place mushrooms on baking tray and cook in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

Serve on its own or on individual plates, place three on a bed of baby spinach and drizzle with some balsamic vinegar for a great appetizer.

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Karin’s Tourtiere

November 27th, 2010

Tourtiere Filling Ingredients:

1/3  lb Stewing Beef
2/3 lb Stewing Pork
2 large Cloves Garlic, Minced
I Medium Onion, Sliced

Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Pepper
1 Tbsp Dry Savoury
1 – 1 ½ Cups Good Beef or Veal Stock

Pastry Ingredients:

3 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 Cup Shortening or Lard
¾ Cup Milk

Method:

Cut the stewing meat into 2” squares. Heat a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently til softened. Add the meat and cook gently (without browning) as well. Add salt, pepper and savory: pour in stock. After approximately one hour, using a potato masher begin to mash the meat until it is completely shredded. Simmer the mixture a little longer to meld flavours. Adjust salt and pepper. Cool the mixture.

As the meat is simmering, Cut the lard or shortening into 2” squares. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and the salt. Rub the shortening or lard into the flour until combined and the fat pieces are the size of peas. Add the cold milk and knead until JUST combined. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll the pastry out to a ¼” thickness. Using a circular pastry cutter, cut the dough into circles that are appropriately sized for the baking tin you are using.  Cut additional smaller circles for tops. Lift the circles from the table and gently fit them into the tin.

Pre-heat the oven to 400°. Place a small amount of the cooled filling in the tartlet shells. Brush the edges of the pastry with either water or egg wash and fit the tops onto the bottoms. Start baking at 400°. Then turn the heat down to 375°.  Bake for approximately 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool slightly then remove from the pan.

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Moroccan Lamb Cigars (Briouat bil Kefta)

September 21st, 2010

2 medium onion chopped finely
4 tablespoons oil
1 ½   pounds of ground lamb (or beef)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon of allspice
½ teaspoon ginger
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped cilantro
3 eggs slightly beaten
1 package of phyllo pastry
1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter -melted

To prepare the filling – In a large skillet sauté the onion in some oil for about 5 minutes. Add the meat, spices and cook till done, about 10 minutes.  Make sure it is ground really well. Add in the parsley and coriander and stir.

Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and pour over the meat. Cook gently for a moment or two only. Let the filling cool.

Lay out one sheet of the phyllo dough at a time on a plastic mat, lengthwise. With a pastry brush lightly coat the top with melted butter. Then cut each rectangle in four long strips with a small paring knife or pastry wheel.

Place about a tablespoon of the mixture at the bottom of each strip. Start to roll up and tuck the sides in along the way. When you reach the top, apply a bit more butter to seal. Place on a lined baking sheet with wax paper.

Complete all the rolls and freeze on the tray. When frozen, remove from the tray and place in a zip lock freezer bags.

To bake, place in a 425 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes till lightly golden.

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