Working on My Zuchinni Body

So, a few weeks ago I posted a recipe for fresh pasta and I'm sure you have practising every weekend. Right? Well, I have. So today I made a stuffed pasta. It's not quite a ravioli, more like an agnolotti for the people who know the difference.

Precooked Agnalotti

The filling can be anything you like: meat, cheese, squash, spinach or whatever. It's usually made into a paste and laid into the pasta and fold it into the desired shape.Here I cubed grilled zucchini and covered a square sheet of pasta with another layer of pasta and sealed it.

It is an easy stuffing that takes minutes to make. If you want to make a cheese filling, you can easily research a recipe or if you want me to post a recipe, please write a comment asking me for a recipe you would like to see.

If you are adventurous enough to make the recipe, this gives you some serious street cred. And with ingredients that costs next to nothing, what do you have to lose?

When adding salt to the boiling water to cook the pasta, be sure to add enough salt to the point where you can actually taste the salt when you try tasting the water. Add a small drizzle of oil to the water so that it is less likely to boil over while cooking the pasta. If you added too much salt to the water, simply press control, salt, delete.

Grilled Zuchinni Stuffed Agnalotti with Caramelized Onions and Spinach

Photos by my totally talented daughter Iris. 

1 Zuchinni, cut into 4 strips
Tsp. Dried Basil
Fresh pasta (see previous post)
1 Red Onion, julienne
2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
1 Handful of Spinach
A few drizzles of oil
250 ml Tomato Sauce (preferably homemade)
1 tbs Parmigiano-Reggiano and Flatbread for garnish
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Make fresh pasta and lay down on your prep table into long strips.

Preheat your grill to high heat. Toss zucchini in oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and dried basil. Grill 2 minutes on each side. Allow to cool and cut into small cubes.

Using a pizza cutter, cut pasta into approximately 1" by 1" squares. Spoon a small amount of the grilled veg on every second square. Take another square of pasta and cover. Using a fork, press the edges along the side to seal the stuffing into the pasta square. Repeat until stuffing has been used up. This recipe made approximately 12 agnolottis making it 2 portions. Set aside.

Bring salted water to a boil.  

In a frying pan, drizzle small amount of oil and sauté onions for 2 minutes. Add crushed garlic and continue for another 7 minutes or until onions are caramelized. Add spinach, pinch of salt and pepper. Keep warm on low heat.

Throw pasta into the water and cook for 7 minutes. Drain and lightly toss agnalotti in oil to keep from sticking. Heat tomato sauce and spoon small amount of sauce into the base of the bowl. Layer agnolotti on top of the sauce, garnish with onions and spinach, cheese and flatbread.

Serves 2.

A Humble Chef's tip: use lots of water when cooking the pasta. It absorbs a fair amount when cooking.

I Ain't Alfredo No Ghosts

Pasta. Who doesn't love it? Well, maybe someone who is gluten intolerant.

Garlic Cream Sauce. Who doesn't love it? Well, maybe someone who is lactose intolerant.

Sausages. Who doesn't love them? Well, maybe a vegetarian.

Mushrooms. I know someone who doesn't love them. And he's 11.

If you are not one of these people, you must try this super easy recipe. Ten minutes prep time, 15 minutes cooking time and an hour of divinity. A great recipe for beginners of cooking and you have guests coming over and you're not sure what to make them. It is a sure fire hit for most guests and kids. Trust me. I've fed this recipe to a ton of people.

This is also something you can make in advance if you're nervous about people watching you or if you're nervous about having everything ready on time. Cook your pasta ahead of time and after draining from the water, toss in a little olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Heat sauce and toss pasta in the sauce to warm it through. You will see how easy entertaining can be.

Classic Fettuccine Alfredo with Sausages

Half a stick of Butter
2 Medium Sized White Onions, finely diced
3 Garlic Cloves, crushed
Pinch of Nutmeg
50 ml Vodka
500 ml 35% Cream
15 Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
Juice of a Half a Lemon
5 Smoked Sausages, sliced in half and cut into half moons
2 (more!!)Garlic Cloves,
Parmigiana Cheese to taste (for garnish)
1 Package of Fettuccine (I like Barilla)
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a tall stock pot, bring water and 1 tbs. salt to a rapid boil.

In a frying pan, melt half the butter until frothy. Add onions and garlic, and cook for five minutes. Add vodka and allow to deglaze your pan. Add cream and bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat. Liquefy in a blender and hold.

Melt remainder of butter in the same pan. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and smoked sausages and cook for 1 minute. Add cream puree and bring to a slight boil and hold. Since sausages are cooked, they only need to be heated through.

Add pasta and follow manufacturer's instructions. Drain and toss with cream sauce. Garnish with cheese and add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Serves 4 - 6

Magnum Pie

Comfort food means different things to different people. To me, it means a simple meal that removes pretentiousness. There's nothing wrong with craving a meal that remind us of a simpler time. Comfort food does not mean something pre-made or processed. It means done with care and for the love of simple cooking.

Growing up, my family always referred Shepherd's Pie as Chinese Pie. I never understood this. Until I read the French side of PC Sheppard's Pie and noticed it was called Pâté Chinois. Strange no? If you are interested knowing why it's called that in Quebec, you can read the Wikipedia page Pâté Chinois for the possible reasons.

Doesn't really matter; a pie by any other name would taste as sweet.

This is a version that is very different than the one taught  to me at George Brown. In that version, there were peas, lots of carrots and the ground lamb was cooked and served in demi-glace. So I like the creamed corn version. Also, the mashed potatoes had egg yolks and nutmeg (Duchess) giving the mashed potatoes added flavour and creaminess. My preference is to leave out the eggs but I would do either way.

The only really important thing to remember is make sure you keep the recipe simple that you enjoy making it and that you can maximize the flavours you've added.

Stevo’s Sheppards Pie

About 500 g Ground Beef or Lamb, or whatever amount 8 family members would normally eat

2 Cans of Creamed Corn or maybe just 1

1 Clove of Garlic or 2 if you like garlic

1 Large Cooking Onion, diced

1 Stalk of Celery, diced

1 Carrot, diced

1 Pinch of Cumin, Oregano, Paprika, Marjoram and Basil

6 Large Baking Potatoes, peeled and in cold water

¼ lb. Butter (1 Stick)

150 ml 35 % Whipping Cream

250 g Marble Cheese, grated

Splash of Worcestershire Sauce, aka “What’s This Here Sauce?”

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Preheat oven to 350.

In a tall pasta pot, cook potatoes. Drain well. In a separate pan, heat cream and half a stick of butter. Whip with cooked butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep hot.

In a large sauté pan, heat butter and add onions, celery and garlic. Add herbs and spices and sauté for 3 – 5 minutes. Add either the lamb or beef and brown. Reduce heat by half and continue to cook until browned through. Season to taste. If the beef is particularly wet, drain. Place cooked meat in a rectangle baking dish (maybe a 13 x 9?). Add desired amount of Worcestershire  Sauce. Top with corn and cover with mashed potatoes and coat with grated cheese.  Toss in the oven to melt the cheese and brown to desired colour.

Serves 8.

Variation: try roasting one sweet potato and while whipping the mashed potatoes, add the cooked sweet potato for a little sweetness and richer flavour.

A Humble Chef's tip: to reduce the stress of a weekday, make this on a  Sunday, save it and heat in the oven 1 hour before serving. 

Pairing My Cordon Bleu Tooth

Another turkey recipe in time for the holidays. And it's an easy one. I've done many Christmas themed classes through the Loblaws cooking school for the last 4 to 5 years and I figured it's time to post a few of them.

Cordon Bleu is simply a dish where meat is stuffed with cheese. That's it. That's the meaning of the fancy term. And there are many versions of Cordon Bleu with the chicken likely being the most famous. Where a chicken breast is butterflied, flattened, stuffed with emmenthal cheese and ham (or prosciutto), breaded and fried. I'm unaware of any connection to the Le Cordon Bleu (the Blue Ribbon) culinary schools and if anyone knows of any, I ask that they let me know in the comments section below.

I remember reading that Chicken Cordon Bleu is actually an American invention. Curious to know the validity of this.

I made Lyonnaise potatoes with this dish. I thought the caramelized onions went well with the honey dijon sauce. Give a a try!

Well, this blog post is pretty flat. I guess I better wrap it up.

Turkey Cordon Bleu with Honey Dijon Sauce

2 Large Turkey Breasts, butterflied

200 g Emmenthal Cheese, cut into long sticks

200 g Black Forest Ham, sliced

2 Tbs. Dijon Mustard

2 Tbs. Liquid Honey

1 Red Onion, finely diced

500 ml 35% cream

250 g Panko Bread Crumbs (1 Cup)

6 Eggs

250 g A.P. Flour (1 Cup)

½ Stick of Butter

Bunch of Sage, finely chiffonade

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lay out turkey breast and slightly flatten with tenderizer. Lay down slices of ham and cheese side by side. Roll up turkey breast and slightly season.

Make a breading station by laying out three bowls: 1 for flour, 1 for eggs and 1 for panko bread crumbs. Start by coating turkey with flour, then roll into egg wash and then into bread crumbs.

In a large frying pan, pour generous amount of oil and allow to get hot. Fry breast until golden on seam side down first. Then carefully turn over and continue to sear. Be sure to add any oil if frying pan is too dry. Place turkey into oven and cook for 35 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

In a separate frying pan, heat butter until frothy. Cook onions for 2 minutes. Add honey and Dijon and allow to get hot. Add cream and bring to a boil. Whisk thoroughly. Season to taste and garnish with sage. Serve with turkey breasts.

Serves  6 - 8.

A Humble Chef's tip: if you like to tie up the breast, it's better to show in person or with images. Try a search of tying up chicken breasts and see if that helps.

Variation: Instead of Emmenthal and Ham, I also like Gorgonzola and Salami. But I never get to do it since I'm the only one in my family who likes blue cheese. 

Putting On The Schnitz

Before going to culinary school, I knew I enjoyed cooking but I really didn't know much about different techniques. However, the three stage breading station was something I pretty much grew up on. I've never really thought about it until recently. It turns out that the breading station is used throughout most of the world. It seems to be just as common as making a sandwich.

The breading station is a three step process where you dredge whatever it is in seasoned flour, then covered with plain egg wash and then coated with seasoned breadcrumbs. A classic technique that has been used for a very long time.

The recipe today is a simple Schnitzel with a slight variation. But, even here in Canada, I'm not always sure what to call it. I suppose some days it's a scallopine or even a cotoletta alla milanese. But here we get into little details that even I find very confusing. Schnitzels and scallopines are usually made with an escalope rather than cotoletta alla milanese which uses a cutlet. What's the difference between an escalope and a cutlet you ask? Ummm, glad you asked. Let me pull out my old textbook and let me see. Aha! Found it. A cutlet is a slice of meat that usually comes from either the leg or the rib and is usually very thin. An escalope is boneless slice of meat, often from a loin, and is pounded out to make it thin. Got it? I'm sure many of you reading this will forget everything I've written anyways. Not exactly life changing material. Nevertheless, you can now strike up a conversation with your favourite butcher. I find it very awkward talking to butchers. Seems like I'm always trying to break the ice with them. But it's very hard. They can be quite intense. Maybe it's just me but when a gentleman who maintains eye contact while covered in blood, holding a cleaver, surrounded by dead animals and talking about municipal politics (and is hopefully not missing any teeth), I am slightly intimidated.

Anyways, no more silliness. Here's a recipe! You read it. You make it. You serve it. You eat it.

Pork Schnitzel

8 Thin Pork Cutlets
150 g Flour (about 1.5 Cups)
4 Eggs, whipped
150 g Seasoned Bread Crumbs (about 1.5 cups)
2 Lemons, zested then cut into wedges for garnish
100 g Cheddar Cheese, grated (about three quarters of a cup)
Drizzle of Honey Dijon
Salt and Black Pepper to Taste
Canola Oil for searing

In a bowl, combine bread crumbs with zest and grated cheese.

Dredge cutlets in seasoned flour. Drizzle mustard and spread evenly. Place in egg wash and then in bread crumbs. Repeat with remaining cutlets.

In a large skillet, pour generous amounts of oil and heat well. Sear both sides until brown, If not quite cooked, place in oven at 350 until cooked; about 5 minutes.

Serve with zested lemon wedges and Not Just Any A Humble Chef's Farinaceous Salad Made In the Style of the Germans

Serves 6.

Variation: you know, virtually every country in the world has a variation on this recipe. Ask your mom or grandma and I'm sure they can give a variation from their own country.

A Humble Chef's tip: these can be made in advance and refrigerated. However, do not allow them to touch other too much or they'll stick to each other. Then you'll have to peel one off the other.

When You Are In A Curry, Paste Yourself

I am no expert on using curry spices. I did not get formally trained with them nor did I ever work for an Indian or south Asian restaurant. I do know some basics having worked with the many Sri Lankans in Toronto. And so, I often experiment for myself and keep to what I know when serving.

Curry refers to a mixture of spices. We here in Canada have our own standard of what we think is curry; typically a blend of tumeric, cumin, coriander and a few others. Yet, abroad in countries like India and Bangladesh, this is not the case. Some chefs I've worked with make their own curry that often include spices like ginger, mace, cinnamon, clove and many others. It does take practice blending these spices to a desired taste. Which is why manufacturers have typically three types of curries at your disposal: mild, medium and hot.

For those unfamiliar to curry, stick to the mild for a while until comfortable. Then, experiment on your own.

This recipe uses a red curry paste which is more frequent in Vietnam and Thailand. The red paste is usually a blend of red chili peppers, onion (or shallots), lime zest, lemongrass, garlic and coriander. Though they range from manufacturer to manufacturer just like they would range from home to home. The green is virtually the same but uses green chilies instead.

Braised Root Vegetables in a Coconut Curry Sauce

4 Slices of Bacon, cubed
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
1 MacIntosh Apple, cored and grated
1 Red Onion, finely diced
1 Butternut Squash, cubed
1 Carrot, cubed
1 Sweet Potato, cubed
1 Parsnip, cubed
Pinch of Dried Ginger
Pinch of Tumeric
Dollop of Red Curry Paste
1 Green Onion, diced
2 Cans of Coconut Milk
Drizzle of Sesame Oil
Juice of Half a Lime (or lemon)
1 Sprig of Cilantro, chopped (optional)
Drizzle of Honey
Salt and Pepper to Taste

In a large saute pan, heat sesame oil. Add bacon until fat renders (about 2 minutes). Add ginger, onion and garlic. Cook for 1 minute stirring frequently. Add apples, tumeric and curry paste. Cook for 2 minutes stirring frequently. Add all root veggies and cook until all veggies are coated with fat and are slightly caramelized.

Add coconut milk and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Uncover and check for doneness: the veggies should whole but tender when pricked with a fork. Add lime juice, honey and, if you want, cilantro.

Serves around 6 people.

Variation: you can keep this vegetarian and omit the bacon. If you don't like cilantro, and I know many of you do, use basil at the last minute.

A Humble Chef's tip: use a small amount of the paste at first. Especially if you are unsure of how spicy the paste is. If the amount you put doesn't cut it, in a separate pot, ladle some of the curry broth out and add extra. Whisk in until blended and then add to original dish.

Don't Worry. No Poblano!

Despite the fact that yours truly is of Guatemalan descent, there aren't many Latin American recipes on my blog. Truth is, my training is classical and the places where I've worked prepares mostly traditional cuisine.

Growing up, fresh tortillas and refried beans was certainly a staple for weekend mornings. My mother takes pride in the simplicity of this style of cooking. On top of that, it is comfort food for myself and my brothers since it transports us to our childhood.

Yet, my mother never really showed me all the unique flavours and techniques Latin cuisine has to offer. We did do some staples like fried plantains, tamales, frijoles, fresh tortillas, fajitas and burritos. We even did pupusas with spiced coleslaw from time to time. For the most part, my mother cooks very simple North American foods like anybody else. And so even though I have a base knowedge of Latin foods, much of what I know of this type of cuisine is either self taught or through expirementation.

Mole Poblano is a classic sauce that hasn't really become too known outside Mexico. Yet, Mole Poblano sauce is nothing new. In fact, it has roots in Aztec culture. The thought of adding chocolate to savoury dishes seems unsavoury to many people but whenever I offer my chili to guests with the secret ingredient of chocolate, I get nothing but raves.

It can be a little off putting for some palates, but in time I'm sure you will appreciate the unique flavour and density of this sauce. If the sauce tastes a little bitter to you, a little sugar can offset that unwanted flavour.

For the adventurous, there many more Mole sauces: Amarillo, Negro, Rojo, Verde and Cacahuate. I'm sure there are more but this gives you an idea how many types there are.

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Mole Poblano Sauce

1 Cooking Onion, chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic, whole
Small Handful of Sesame Seeds
Small Handful of Almonds
1 Ancho Chile (if available)
Small Blend of Spices: cumin, cinammon, nutmeg, coriander, chili powder
2 Roma Tomatoes, chunked
100 g Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
Dab of Butter
6 Chicken Breasts
100 g Pecans
Salt, Sugar and Pepper to Taste
Preheat oven to 325.

In a sauce pan, heat butter until a little brown. Add onion and garlic and cook until golden. About 7 - 10 minutes. Add spices and continue top cook for another minute. Add seeds, almonds, chocolate, tomatoes and ancho chile and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Let simmer and puree. Adjust to seasonings.

Using a frying pan, heat oil until very hot. Sear skin side of chicken until golden. Remove from pan and using a pastry brush, spread a layer of sauce on top of chiken. Roll in pecans and place on cookie sheet with a rack. Cook in oven for 15 minutes or until internal temperature of 160 degrees. Let rest five minutes and serve with sauce.

Serves 6.

A Humble Chef's tip: if the onion caramelizes enough, you may not need to add sugar. Taste the sauce at the end and add what your instincts tell you.

Variation: there are many interpretions and variations to this sauce but before you change it, I would stick to one classic recipe and make changes when you're more comfortable. This works well with pork chops and really well with turkey.

Root Awakenings

Cooking creatively can be challenging at times. I find I get most inspired in people's homes because I will often find ingredients I don't normally have at home or even in a professional kitchen. I even get much of my inspiration walking through markets and grocery stores.

Fennel is a vegetable that I don't normally have at home because I simply never purchase it. When was the last time you purchased fennel? Or parsnips? Turnip? Rutabaga? It simply rarely goes on most people's grocery lists because we never think of it. Yet these vegetables are easy to cook, easy on the wallet and probably healthier than most things on your grocery list.

I've learned recently that many root vegetables were considered good for feeding pigs. I wonder if this is because blandness of the vegetable or cost?

In a previous post, I have explained the risotto process in more detail. The risotto cooking method should be the same every time, but what you add is what makes it unique and yours.

Sausage and Shrimp with Fennel Risotto

3 Sweet Italian Sausages
16 Shrimp, deveined
250 g Arborio Rice
3 Red Bell Peppers
3 garlic cloves, crushed
A Few Chili Flakes
1 Fennel Bulb, finely diced
1 Red Onoin, finely diced
1 Green Onion, chopped
1 l Chicken Broth
100 ml Sambuca or Ouzo
50 g Marmalade Preserve
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Juice of 2 Lemons
200 g Parmigiana Reggiano Cheese, grated
100 g Butter
Season and Pepper to Taste

Combine marmalade, 1 clove of garlic, chili flakes, lemon juice and olive oil. Marinate shrimp in mixture in fridge for 1 hour.

In a sauce pan, heat chicken broth to a boil then bring to a simmer. Poach sausages for 2 minutes and let cool.

In a sauté pan, heat up drizzle of olive oil. Sauté onion and fennel until lightly brown. 1 minute. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add rice and sauté until translucent, about 1 minute. Deglaze with Sambuca and let reduce by half. Add ladle of broth and stir. As broth evaporates, add more broth by the ladle and stir constantly.

Meanwhile, coat red peppers in oil and char the skin on open flame (BBQ, burner or with a kitchen torch) and place in a bowl and cover. Let steam through for ten minutes. Open and let cool. Once cooled, shed skin, remove seeds and innards and chop up the flesh. In a frying pan, sauté peppers, green onion, and clove of garlic. Add a ladle of broth. Bring to boil and purée.

For the sauage, cut lengthwise, then in half moons and a bias. In a frying pan, heat drizzle of oil. Add sausage and shrimp with the marinate. Cook for two minutes.

As risotto finishes cooking (all your broth should be used up) add butter and cheese and stir. Add seasonings.

In a bowl, pour risotto, ladle pepper purée overtop and garnish with sausage and shrimp.

Serves 4 - 6.

A Humble Chef's tip: check the doneness of the rice before adding the cheese and butter.

Variation: Omit the fennel and through some other onion related veg, like leek or something. Not everybody likes the black licorice flavour fennel has. If you don't like Ouzo, go with Vodka.

I Rest My Quesadillas

So, I recently went to the Real Canadian Superstore in Wasaga Beach and gave my first cooking class. It's what they call a What's For Dinner class where people can walk in watch me give a demonstration for an hour and try whatever it is I make. It is free and open to anyone interested in ideas for dinner. It was fun once I got past my nervousness. I will be giving more all summer both in Wasaga as well as Midland.

I decided on a fairly easy menu since it was my first time and something I felt that anybody can do in the same amount of time. It is an easy recipe and hopefully a little different than what people make themselves on a Friday night in August.

I've noticed in the past that a good portion of people dislike cilantro. Fair enough. If you want something different in your salsa, use fresh oregano or savory.

Quick Quesadillas

1red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 small red onion, diced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 medium tortillas
500 g Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Drizzle olive oil
Pinch of cumin
Pinch of Cajun spice
Salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 325°F

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a hot frying pan sear seasoned chicken, 2 minutes on each side. Place in oven and cook for 15-20 minutes. Remove and let cool. Once cooled, cut into medium-sized cubes.

In a hot frying, drizzle olive oil. Add cumin and Cajun spice. After 15 seconds, add onions, peppers and chicken. Sauté for 2 minutes.

In a cast iron frying pan on medium-low heat, lay tortilla flat. On one half, sprinkle small handful of Monterey Jack. Spoon chicken-vegetable mixture evenly over cheese. Sprinkle same amount of cheese on top. Fold other half over. Toast each side for approximately 1 minute, or until tortilla is crispy. Cut into three triangles. Serve with sour cream and salsa. Repeat.

Serves 3.

Homemade Salsa

3 mid-sized tomatoes, chunked
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 small jalapeno pepper (seeds removed), finely diced
1 small bunch cilantro (coriander), roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
Splash red wine vinegar
Drizzle olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Tabasco sauce, to taste

In a large bowl, combine ingredients.

Serves 4.

A Humble Chef's tip: try this with the Cilantro Lemonade and Vodka. Party time.

Variation: use some chopped shrimp or maybe if you have some leftover lobster or king crab, throw them in with a splash of lime juice. Mmm.