Simple Celebrations

Once again we were reminded this week that simple fresh ingredients are the secret to memorable gatherings.  

Can you believe she is 75?!

We’ve been planning for Mom’s 75^th birthday, which was all about getting people together to spend time with Mom.  Grandchildren and children cleared their calendars so that they could come from Montreal, London and Toronto to be with her.  All this month we had been thinking about the special impact Mom had had on all our lives, and we chronicled it in a beautiful bound memory/photo book.  A common memory shared by many of the grandchildren was sitting with Granny over a cup of tea served just the way they liked it (loads of sugar, stirred or not stirred), and having a special moment with her to talk.  

We all gathered at our house for some appetizers before heading to Janet Lynn’s Bistro for dinner.  We served Summer Rolls, which require some significant preparation time, and some grilled farmer’s sausage fresh from the Kitchener Market with mustard for dipping.  The next day as we were rehashing the events, Ted commented that in spite of the fabulous dinner menu, his favourite part was the sausage! 

In light of this wisdom, we are going to share with you two simple recipes for those times when there’s too much going on to even think about the food.

Grilled Farmer’s Sausage dipped in Mustard

 

This is silly to even consider this a recipe!

Go to the Market to buy a coil of Famer’s Sausage and a jar of your favourite mustard.

Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM for 10 minutes, then brush grids and reduce heat to MEDIUM LOW

Place sausage directly on the grill, and cook 6 minutes per side.

Slice and serve with mustard.

Another simple and delicious recipe for week nights or on a buffet at a party:

Pork Tenderloin

3 pork tenderloins

¼ cup soya sauce

¼ cup honey

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Mix marinade ingredients, pour over pork and marinate 2 hours or up to overnight. 

Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM  and brush grids.  Reduce heat to MEDIUM LOW and place the pork directly on the grids on the diagonal.  Follow the directions for perfect grill marks at www.broilkingbbq.com, turning the meat every 4 minutes for a total of 16.  Remove to a cutting board and tent with foil, letting the meat rest for 10 minutes to reabsorb the juices before carving on the diagonal.

If, on the other hand, you can’t resist making a fuss, and want to prepare a beautiful and healthy appetizer, this recipe for Summer Rolls is always a hit:

Summer Rolls with Shrimp and Mango

16 rice paper wrappers

2 heads boston bibb lettuce

1 English cucumber,  julienned

4 spring onions,  julienned

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 large mango, julienned

16 large shrimp, cooked, shelled and deveined, and halved lengthwise                                                     

1 bunch mint sprigs, washed

1  bunch cilantro sprigs, washed

½ cup hoisin sauce

Fill a wide, shallow dish with hot water. Working with 1 sheet of rice paper at a time, immerse in water and let stand until very pliable, for approximately 45 seconds. Remove from water and carefully arrange on a double layer of paper towels to drain.  Begin to assemble summer rolls by placing 2 halves of shrimp horizontally across the centre of the rice paper roll. Atop that place a leaf of lettuce, trimmed to fit , leaving a 1-inch border on bottom edge and on each side. Top lettuce with 3-4 strips each of green onion, cucumber, red pepper, mango., and ½ teaspoon of hoisin sauce. Finish  with a few sprigs each of coriander and mint.  Roll up filling tightly in sheet, folding in 2 sides of sheet to completely enclose filling, and continue rolling.

Transfer assembled rolls to a tray and cover with dampened paper towels. Repeat procedure with remaining rice paper sheets and filling ingredients. Tightly cover tray with plastic wrap (keeping dampened paper towels directly on spring rolls). Spring rolls may be made 6 hours ahead and chilled.

Just before serving cut spring rolls in half diagonally, with a serrated knife. Arrange spring rolls on a platter and garnish with coriander sprigs. Serve spring rolls with dipping sauce.

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

3 tablespoons fish sauce

• 3 tablespoons asian style sweet chilli sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/2 red red chili pepper, seeded and chopped (remove the seeds unless you like your sauce hot!)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.

Refrigerate until needed.

Happy Birthday Gran!!

                                           

ALWAYS BE READY WITH A WELL STOCKED PANTRY

When we started developing the concept for our  grilling cookbook
Gathering Around the Grill, we spent sometime examining our personal cooking styles and philosophies. The clear commonality was that we both agreed that using simple, fresh ingredients was the key to healthy, delicious meals, and that by keeping your pantry stocked with certain basic ingredients, you would always be prepared for the spontaneous dinners and celebrations that always seemed to be coming our way.  A word to the wise - when you have 4 children in your household, you must be comfortable with spontaneity , or you will never survive!

So we were not surprised to hear from one of our kids, Reid W., over the holidays that he has realized that by keeping a few ingredients in his pantry in his university residence, he can combine them in different ways to make a multitude of his favorite meals. The trick is to have the ingredients for the appropriate marinade or vinaigrette that highlights the flavor principles that he is feeling like that day. For example, garlic, lemon and thyme for Mediterranean, coconut milk, ginger and chilies for Asian, and so on. Often, student meals revolve around a little protein, lots of carbohydrates and as many. fresh vegetables as they can scrape together, either in a salad or a stir-fry.  Well, something must have rubbed off from being in the kitchen with mom—Hurray!!!

So, we were additionally pleased when we read  Mark Bittman's column in the New York Times a few weeks ago…… He wrote about his belief that many people are afraid of cooking, but that a cooking repertoire of 3 basic recipes can get anyone, and everyone cooking in the kitchen. His suggestions for 3 basic healthy recipes include a stir-fry, a chopped salad and a rice and lentil dish.   We are in total agreement with that, but also suggest experimenting with whole grains , like the Faro Salad recipe that we included in the blog last week.

One more thing that we would like to suggest is that by grilling some protein, such as a few chicken breasts, a pork tenderloin or a sirloin steak, students will have something on hand for the rest of the week to add to their chopped salad, stir-fry, sandwiches and soups!
This week , we suggest that students stock their pantries with the essentials that we recommend below, master these basic recipes and then start experimenting with the creation of their own nutritious and delicious meals.

Here are our pantry suggestions and a basic marinade and a basic vinaigrette to get started with.

PANTRY ESSENTIALS


OILS - olive, sesame, vegetable

VINEGARS - balsamic, rice, cider

SAUCES - worcestershire, soy sauce, asian chili sauce, fish sauce, dijon mustard

SWEETENERS - honey, maple syrup, brown sugar

FRUITS/JUICES - lemons, limes, oranges, canned coconut milk

FLAVOUR BOOSTERS - garlic, onions, shallots, ginger, chipotle chili peppers, fresh herbs

SEASONINGS - dried herbs and spices such as: salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder, cumin, coriander, thyme, basil, oregano and cinnamon





MEDITERRANEAN  MARINADE


1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a glass measuring cup and whisk well.
This is a versatile marinade for grilled chicken, fish and pork.


EVERYDAY VINAIGRETTE

We use this vinaigrette on everything from Salad Nicoise leafy greens. We used it last week on a composed salad of greens, grilled chicken breasts and bulgar wheat salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and feta cheese.
It was a perfect quick mid-winter dinner. Use whatever vegetables are in your refrigerator in the salad.

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
11/2 tablespoons lemon juice
8 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste

Girls' Weekend

Gathering around the Table

It doesn’t take much to have fun with your best girlfiends.  Here is our recipe for a great Girls' Weekend at Holimont:

 

7-8 fun-loving friends

Lots of snow and fresh air

A couple of dogs

2-3 great movies

Red and white wine

Everyone’s favourite chips

Simple Meals

A barbecue

A fireplace

Pots full of Sleepy Time Tea

Between winter activities including downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing we shared some delicious no-fuss, healthy meals.  These were some of the highlights:

      Terry’s Caramelized Onion and Cream Cheese Appetizer

   2 medium sized sweet onions, chopped

   2 tablespoons brown sugar

   ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar

   ½ teaspoon maple syrup

   8 ounce package cream cheese or goat cheese, at room temperature.

In a 12’ frying pan set over low heat, sauté onions in butter for 15 minutes.  Add the brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup and continue to cook for 45 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Shape the cream cheese into a circle on a small platter, and place hot caramelized onions over the cream cheese.

Serve with assorted crackers. 

Roasted Broccoli, Cauliflower and Farro Salad with Feta

by Tasha DeSerio of Fine Cooking Magazine

 

Kosher salt
1 ½  cups farro (either pearled or whole-grain)
1 lb. broccoli

1 lb. cauliflower
4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup crumbled feta
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar; more as needed

---

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. In a 4-quart saucepan, bring 2 quarts of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Boil the farro in the water until tender, 20 to 30 minutes for pearled and 45 to 60 minutes for whole grain. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, remove the broccoli and cauliflower crowns from the stems and cut into bite size florets. Peel and halve the stem lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the florets and stems with 3 Tbs. of the olive oil. Roast until tender and browned in spots, about 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, feta, scallions, red pepper flakes, and parsley to the farro. Sprinkle with the vinegar and 1 tsp. salt and toss. Drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and toss. Season to taste with more vinegar and salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

         Grilled Pear Salad with Stilton and Nuts

  3                pears -- sliced and peeled

  1               teaspoon  olive oil                       

  2               cups  arugula -- washed

  6               cups  mixed baby greens -- washed

  ½                cup  nuts  (walnuts, pecans or pine nuts)-- toasted

  ½ lb          Stilton Cheese, crumbled

  2                tablespoons  fresh basil -- chopped                                    

  ½                 cup  extra virgin olive oil

  3                tablespoons  balsamic vinegar

  1                teaspoon  honey

  1                teaspoon  grainy mustard

                    salt and pepper -- to taste

Preheat barbecue on HIGH.

Toss sliced pears lightly in olive oil.

Place on cooking grids and reduce heat to MEDIUM.  Grill 4 minutes per side, turning carefully.

Prepare salad by tossing arugula and mixed greens in a large bowl. Toss salad with dressing, prepared by mixing olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, grainy mustard, salt and pepper in a bottle and shaking vigorously.

Spread toasted pine nuts, crumbled blue cheese, basil and grilled pear slices on top of tossed greens and serve.

 

             Grilled Salmon Filets with Sweet Mustard Glaze

                2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard

                1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

                2 tablespoons soy sauce

                2 tablespoons maple syrup

                1 tablespoon canola oil

                1 tablespoon sesame oil

                1 clove garlic, crushed

                1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

                 Freshly ground pepper to taste

                 8  6-ounce salmon filets

                 Lemon wedges, for garnish

Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a 9 x 13 pyrex dish.  Coat the salmon filets and let marinate 15-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat barbecue on MEDIUM-HIGH for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to LOW, and brush or spray grids lightly with vegetable oil.

Place filets on the grill, skin side down, close lid and cook for 10 minutes.  Test for doneness by seeing if the fish flakes slightly when pressure is applied. Carefully slide a metal spatula between the skin (which will be somewhat sticking to the grids) and the flesh, and lift them on to a heated platter.  Remove and discard the charred skin.

Serve with lemon wedges.

                Carrot Cake

 

  2               cups  sugar

  2               cups  unbleached flour

  2               teaspoons  baking soda

                   pinch  salt

  2               teaspoons  cinnamon

  1  ¼          cups  vegetable oil

  4               whole  eggs

  2               teaspoons  vanilla

  3               cups  shredded carrots

                        For the Icing:

  8                ounces  cream cheese -- at room temperature

  ½               cup  butter -- at room temperature

  1                pound  icing sugar

  1                teaspoon  vanilla

  1                teaspoon  orange juice

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 2 layer cake tins, and line them with

parchment paper, cut to size.

In a large bowl, mix together sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and

cinnamon. In a smaller bowl beat together vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla.

 Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, and combine without

over-mixing.  Fold in the shredded carrots.

Scrape batter into prepared pans, and bake 35-45 minutes or until set.

Let cool 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks.  Peel off the

parchment paper.

To prepare the icing, blend together the cream cheese and butter.  Slowly

add the sugar, vanilla and orange juice.  Frost when cake is completely

cool.

 

BETTER THAN SEX

Some things are best left unspoken, but this had to come out eventually!

We were enjoying a fantastic winter weekend in Ellicottville, doing some of our favorite outdoor activities with our husbands and dogs; snow shoeing, down-hill skiing and cross-country skiing.      

By the end of the day, we were pleasantly exhausted, but ready to do our other favorite activities; cooking and eating!  It happened over dinner that night, a fabulous meal including Grilled Rack of Lamb and Mushroom Risotto. Our friends, Perry and Karen,  were taking an interest in how to prepare risotto, so we were giving them a bit of a lesson, and  one of them commented that it seemed like a lot of work. We assured them that it was simple, if they just  followed our tips,  and Andrea continued by assuring them that good risotto was "better than sex!" Sure enough, by the middle of the meal, Karen piped in that she agreed!   

So, this week we have decided to give you these recipes, as well as our guidelines for successful risotto. You can then judge for yourself.

HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT RISOTTO:

      Follow these rules for making a rich, creamy risotto, every time.  With  practice, you can switch up the vegetables to create other risottos, we love adding grilled asparagus, beets or shrimp; the sky is the limit!

• Have all of your ingredients organized by the stove before you begin cooking. 
• Pour yourself a glass of wine so that you will be content to stand by the stove for 20 minutes while stirring.
• Saute the onions and garlic in butter or olive oil first, then add the rice, so that the rice is coated to prevent the grains from sticking together.
•  Meanwhile, heat the stock gently in a saucepan on the back burner, so that it is already hot when adding it to the rice, thus maintaining a constant rate of moisture absorption.
• Constantly stir the mixture as you add the stock gradually, allowing the moisture to absorb each time before adding more. The stirring encourages the release of starch into the mixture, ensuring the desirable creamy texture.
• The risotto is finished cooking when the rice grains are tender, yet still slightly al dente. At this point, add a bit more stock and then the grated Parmesan.  This gives it a slightly soupy consistency. YUM!

MUSHROOM RISOTTO
5 cups vegetable stock

2 tbsp butter                                                                             

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup mixed wild mushrooms, chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

½ cup white wine

2 cups Arborio rice

½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1 tbsp butter

salt and pepper, to taste

 

Heat the vegetable stock in a saucepan over medium heat on the back-burner.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add onion, mushrooms, rosemary and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Mix in rice and continue stirring for one minute.  Pour in wine and simmer for 3 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Add the hot stock, a cup at a time, stirring between each addition, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before continuing with the addition of the next cup of stock. Continue adding stock until all stock is used and rice is al dente and creamy, about 20 minutes.  Stir in Parmesan Cheese and remaining butter.

GRILLED RACK OF LAMB

  4             racks of lamb -- frenched

  8             sprigs  rosemary

  8             sprigs  thyme

                  parsley

  10            bay leaves

  8             cloves  garlic

                  zest of two lemons

  2          teaspoons  black pepper -- freshly ground

  1                cup  extra virgin olive oil

Marinate the lamb the night before serving:  Remove leaves of rosemary and thyme from the stalk and chop with parsley, garlic, bay leaves, lemon zest and pepper. Combine in a bowl with extra virgin olive oil and mix. Arrange racks of lamb on a large baking sheet,  pour on marinade and gently rub into the lamb.  Cover with clear plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.  

Half an hour before serving:   Prepare grids by brushing with oil to prevent sticking. Preheat barbeque on HIGH for 5-10 minutes.  Place racks of lamb on grids and grill for 30 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes, tented with foil, before cutting and serving.

Ringing in the New Year on the Barbecue

Sometimes it can be very rewarding to see what our kids have absorbed along the way.  This year, two of Kris’ children and two of Andrea’s children hosted New Year’s Eve dinner parties; one in the country and one in the city. They did all the shopping, prepping and grilling with a little help from their friends.  

Luke and Andy were at the cottage with no running water; only a barbecue for cooking and a woodstove for heat.  They invited 15 friends for a carnivorous feast:  steaks, chops, sausages and some roasted vegetables kept them satisfied throughout the night.

Back in the city, Reid and Samantha designed a simple, but delicious menu, set the tables, and invited their friends to come in their holiday finery. Their menu was as follows: 

Grilled Thai Shrimp

Cheese and Crackers

Orange Ginger Pork Tenderloin*

Chicken Provencal

Roasted Sweet and Yukon Gold Potatoes

Rice Pilaf

Green Beans with Ginger and Lemon

Pavlova

*Recipe follows

This marinade for the pork is simple and versatile, and would be delicious on chicken, pork, tofu or fish. 

Orange Ginger Pork Tenderloin

1 orange, juice and zest

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 pork tenderloins, silver membrane removed

Combine the first seven ingredients in a small mixing bowl.  Place prepared tenderloins in a glass dish or a resealable plastic bag.  Pour marinade ingredients over the pork, and cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight.

Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM-HIGH.  Clean with a wire brush, and brush or spray them with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. 

Meanwhile, remove tenderloins from the marinade, and pat dry with a paper towel.  Brush or spray very lightly with vegetable oil.  Reserve the marinade for brushing over the meat during the initial cooking stages.

Reduce barbecue temperature to MEDIUM, and place the pork on the grill on the diagonal.  Close the lid and cook for 8 minutes. 

Brush reserved marinade over the meat, then turn by 1/3, brush it again, and close the lid for another 7 minutes.  Brush the meat once more, turn by the final 1/3, close the lid and turn off the barbecue.  Let stand inside the grill for 6 minutes.  Remove to a carving board, cover with foil and a kitchen towel, and let stand another 5-10 minutes to reabsorb juices.  Carve into thick slices on the diagonal.

Serves 6-8