TIm's Birthday

There was a special celebration at the Seegmiller house last night and we were lucky enough to be invited! We were celebrating Tim's birthday, and in time honoured tradition, Tim prepared a good part of the feast. Front and centre was the fantastic prime rib of beef, that he cooked perfectly on The Broil King Keg. The rest of the meal was equally delicious, making creative use of a lot of vegetables that were grilled earlier in the day. Bev set out some healthful dips, to help stave off our appetites until the dinner was served. 

Roasted Beet Dip with yogurt, chilies and zatar

We modified yet another recipe from Jerusalem (Ottolenghi, Y. And Tamimi, S., 2012) for our barbecue. 

2 lbs beets

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 red chile, seeded and finely chopped, or

½-1 tsp red chili pepper flakes

1 cup greek yoghurt

1 ½ tbsp maple syrup

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp zatar

1 tsp salt

Garnish:

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp roasted hazelnuts, chopped

½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

To prepare beets, preheat grill on HIGH for 5 minutes, then reduce to MEDIUM. Place scrubbed beets in tin foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap and place on upper rack, with the lid closed, for at least an hour. Since the beets that we used had been in storage for several months, they required a solid 90 minutes before becoming tender.  The beets are finished when they can easily be pierced with a small knife.  Remove from grill and set aside for 15 minutes, still enclosed in the foil packet. This will allow the skin to loosen from the beets and they will be easier to peel. Let cool.

Place the grilled beets, garlic, chile and yogurt in the food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the maple syrup, olive oil, zatar and salt. Transfer the dip into a decorative bowl or flat platter. Scatter the green onions, hazelnuts and feta cheese on top and drizzle with a bit more olive oil.  Serve with warm pita bread and olives.

Grilled Asparagus, Zucchini, and Manouri

From Ottolenghi the Cookbook

12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup olive oil

1 large bunch asparagus, ends trimmed

2 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise

7 ounces Manouri cheese, sliced ¾ inch thick

arugula

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the basil oil:

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup basil leaves

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toss the prepared cherry tomatoes with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.  Spread them on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in a preheated 325°F oven for 50 minutes, until semi-dried.

Toss the prepared zucchini and asparagus with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil and grill them on a preheated barbecue until just tender crisp.  Let cool on a rack. 

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet.  Fry the Manouri cheese for 3 minutes per side, until golden.  Drain on a paper-towel lined plate.

For the basil oil, place all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Arrange the vegetables and cheese on a large platter and drizzle with some basil oil, to taste.  Reserve remaining dressing for another time. 

Happy Birthday Tim!!!!

Grilled Lamb Chops

Winter weekends are the best when spent outdoors, enjoying the snow and the sunshine, if you can find some!  You do need to get your day organized so that you can actually get a full day in-- whether it be spent on a ski hill, or with your children at the hockey rink . Here is where your barbecue can become your greatest asset for meal preparation. Our strategy is to plan a meal that involves a few dishes that require some advance preparation. These  can then be quickly finished when you come in from the cold. After all, you will be tired from being outside all day and ready for a nice relaxing meal and glass of wine or two.  Lamb chops fit the bill perfectly----- marinate them while you are out, then grill them in less than 15 minutes--- the added bonus is that there are no pans to clean up.  We served them with simple steamed broccoli and a delicious vegetable stew that we had prepared the day before.

Grilled and Glazed Lamb Chops

8 meaty lamb chops

for the marinade:

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

½ teaspoon salt

zest of 1 lime

¼ cup lime juice

¼ cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

In a small bowl, stir together all the marinade ingredients.  Continue stirring until the honey has dissolved.  Place the lamb chops in a re-sealable plastic bag or shallow glass dish and pour the marinade over top.  Let stand at room temperature for ½ hour, or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM HIGH.  Clean grids thoroughly and grease the grids with vegetable oil.  Reduce heat to MEDIUM and place chops on the grill, reserving the marinade. Cook for a total of 12 minutes, turning three times for perfect grill marks.  At the same time, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil for 3-4 minutes. 

Serve the chops on heated dinner plates, and pour some of the glaze over top. 

On another note, we are thrilled when we hear that we have inspired people to try some of our recipes and tips. Last week, in response to our Fish Taco blog, Ben sent us a photo of the Tacos that he and Elaine prepared . They look so fresh and flavourful-yummy!

 We are also delighted when we are sent ideas of dishes that inspire us to develop recipes,  for grilling or otherwise.  Here are 2 things that we will be working on in the next couple of weeks, thanks to Ben, Elaine and Charlie!!

Charlie was looking for a quick and easy (and dare we say, Frugal?) Friday night dinner idea for a last-minute pre-pub gathering.  We suggested a recipe for Chicken Dijonnaise, from the Silver Palate, and this was the delicious result.  Charlie and his friend John are the authors of their own food blog, Austerilicious.




Elaine developed a recipe for chicken, crusted with Dukkah!  Well, we had never heard of it before, but after a bit of research, we learned that Dukkah is an Egyptian spice blend consisting of a mixture of herbs, nuts, usually hazelnut, and spices. It is often served with bread, or as a dip. Elaine used it to create a crunchy coating on roasted chicken. We will try it on salmon too. Thanks
for the inspiration!

Fish Tacos for Lunch

Last week was quite the roller coaster ride on the weather front!! Luckily, we were able to take a few days away to spend some time doing 2 of our favorite winter activities: skiing and experimenting with food on our grills. We always have the greatest success when we can spend a few hours together in the kitchen, working with a cornucopia of fresh foods that we have in the refrigerator. Last weekend, in consideration of all of the rich and filling meals that we prepared and shared over the holidays, we concentrated on light, healthful foods, that were packed full of flavour, but were light on fat content (except for the garlic aioli, just enjoy it!). That, and the fact that we we wanted to spend as much time outside as we could, before the polar vortex descended upon us, lead us to the creation of this fantastic lunch of Fish Tacos with Guacamole and Pickled Onions. Enjoy!

Fish Tacos

1 pound cod, cut into 1” chunks

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

for the marinade:

2 arbol chiles

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon soy sauce

¾ cup orange juice 

1 clove garlic, crushed

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon allspice

corn tortillas

Place all the marinade ingredients in a small pan, and bring to a simmer over MEDIUM LOW heat.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and let cool.  Remove and discard the chiles.  Meanwhile, soak bamboo skewers in water to prevent scorching.

Alternate the cod and shrimp on skewers, and place them in a shallow glass pan.  Pour the marinade over top, cover and let stand 15-30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, preheat the barbecue on MEDIUM, and clean the grids with a steel brush. Using a silicone basting brush, lubricate the grids well with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.  Place the skewers on the prepared barbecue, and cook, basting with the marinade, until the shrimp is just opaque and the fish just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. 

At the same time, heat a cast iron frying pan on the side burner or stovetop over medium heat.  Place one corn tortilla at a time in the pan to warm, turning once.  Stack the warmed tortillas on a platter and keep warm. 

To assemble, build your tacos using the toppings listed below as well as some salsa and shredded lettuce.  Use a fork to slide the grilled fish off the skewers and onto the tacos.  

Toppings:

Guacamole

2  ripe avocados
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp red onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
dash of Tabasco sauce
juice of a lime 
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl. Mash with a pastry blender until all ingredients are combined. It will still be slightly chunky, and we like it that way.
 
 

Lime Aioli

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, peeled

¼ cup lime juice

1 1/3 cups olive oil

Place all the ingredients in a tall narrow glass measuring cup.  Position the blade of an immersion blender in the bottom (where the egg yolks are) and turn it on. Within seconds the mixture will come together to create this delicious sauce. 

If you do not have an immersion blender, place all ingredients except for oil in a blender.  With the motor running, add the oil in a thin stream until it is incorporated.

Can be made a day or two ahead.

Pickled Onions

 

1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

Toss together in a small bowl and let stand at least 30 minutes.  Can be made a day or two ahead.

New Year's Eve Appetizers

Happy New Year!

After a hectic Christmas week we spent New Year’s Eve with friends at one of our favourite restaurants, Bhimas Warung.  According to tradition, we gathered at home for appetizers and walked through the snow across town to the restaurant, enjoying all the festivities along the way (Nora, you know who we’re talking about!).  

Cumin Shrimp

2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails intact

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly gound black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

juice and zest of 1 lemon

In a small bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients.  Place the shrimp in a re sealable plastic bag, or in a flat glass dish.  Pour the marinade over the shrimp and combine to coat well.  Let stand 15-30 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat the barbecue on MEDIUM HIGH.  Brush the grids clean and coat them well with oil to prevent sticking.  Lay the shrimp on the grill and cook until just done; about 2 minutes per side. 

Pork and Green Onion Dumplings 

1lb ground pork

2 small cloves garlic

2tsp ginger, minced

2/3 cup shredded cabbage

1/2 red pepper, diced

3 green onions, diced

1tbsp sirachi sauce

1egg, beaten

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

1/4 cup fresh cilantro,  chopped

1 pkg. thin dumpling wrappers (we find them at our local Asian Food Market)

Place filling ingredients in a large glass bowl and mix gently with a wooden spoon until combined.  This mixture can be covered and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to fill the dumplings.

Lay the dumpling wrappers out on a flat surface, then place a dollop of filling, a heaping teaspoon on the centre of each wrapper. Lift the sides of the wrapper, creating a pouch, and twist to seal.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large sauté pan on HIGH. Fill the pan with 30 dumplings and fry until bottoms are crispy and golden brown. Carefully pour 1 cup water into the pan, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Serve with a spicy dipping sauce.

For the Dipping Sauce:

¼ cup light soy sauce

2 Tbs. rice vinegar

1 Tbs. Asian sesame oil

½ tsp. Sirachi sauce

1 tsp. minced green onions

Combine all ingredients in a glass mixing bowl and whisk vigorously.

Hot Bourbon Cider with Bitters

4 oz bourbon

 3 ½ oz apple cider
2 ½ tsp lemon juice
2 tsp maple syrup
4 dashes aromatic bitters
2 caramels

Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer. Meanwhile, fill your serving glasses with hot water. Once the glasses are warm to the touch, pour out the hot water and wipe dry. This will keep your glasses and, therefore, your drink warmer for a longer period of time. Pour 2 oz of bourbon into each glass. Once your cider has reached a low simmer, remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, maple syrup and bitters. Pour the warm cider mixture over the bourbon, dividing evenly between the two glasses.  Spear the caramels with swizzle sticks and place them in the hot drinks. 

Makes two servings.

And the next day, we're back to some healthier living!