Feeling Grill At Ease

Feeling like a simple meal? A grilled cheese sandwich is as simple it can get; yet no other sandwich has as many possible variations. Have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or midnight snack. There is no wrong time for a grilled cheese sandwich. Have it with a coffee or juice or beer or even wine. Imagine what wine you can have with a Grilled Gorgonzola and Bresaola Sandwich.

I had some leftover bacon grease, jalapeno bread, monterey jack cheese, cranberry and rhubarb sauce in the fridge and I thought, "That will result in 6 heavenly bites." Obviously you can make any alterations as you like, but this really came together well.

A little tip when making grilled cheese: I like to lightly fry the cheese in the pan to cut the edge off the cheese. Once you add it to the bread, be sure the cheese is fully melted.

The temperature of your stove top can range from medium-low to medium, depending on your pan and elements. I'm sure you already know the temp you need to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. If you do not, start with medium low and allow your bread to brown.

I like using cast iron for grilled cheese. I swear to you it makes a huge difference in the flavour and it adds to the rustic quality of your food. If you don't own one, either buy one or ask your grandmother for hers.

Grilled Monterey Jack Sandwich with Cilantro and Cranberry

2 Tbs of Butter (but I used bacon fat leftover from breakfast)
4 Slices of Jalapeno Cheese Bread
4 Slices of Monterey Jack Cheese (it was about 80 g for people who weigh)
2 Tbs. Cranberry Sauce or Peach Preserve
10 Leaves of Cilantro, ripped into small pieces
Tabasco Sauce to Taste (I used 5 - 6 drops and it had enough heat for me)

Heat cast iron pan skillet on your stove top at medium to medium-low heat.

Spread fat on one side of the bread. Spread cranberry sauce and Tabasco sauce on one side of the opposite side of the bread. Lay greased side down on hot pan. Sprinkle ripped cilantro on bread and add cheese. Allow to brown for 2 minutes. Close the sandwich and allow cheese to melt.

Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Serves 2.

A Humble Chef's tip: some pork with this would be nice, but then again we did use bacon grease to brown the bread. It really adds a nice smoky flavour. 

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. 

A Post Title That Is A Little Thin on Humour

A few years ago, we had a teenage girl from Belgium live with us who watched our kids over two summers. Two things she insisted in taking back to Belgium was licorice and pancake mix. Apparently, neither was available back home. Strange really. Since the crepe is such a staple in France and Belgium. All you need to add is a leavening agent coupled with a nice package with a fictional character.

Strangely, crepes seems to be considered somewhat exotic. Truth is, it is very easy and very fast to make crepes. Eggs, milk, flour. What can be simpler? Since it is so simple and inexpensive, no wonder that every other European (and Latin American, for that matter) have their own name and style of this paper cake. Most famous is the Russian Blini which slightly different because it often has yeast added. My favourite is Pankakka (I think the spelling is correct) from Sweden. Only because it makes me chuckle and was always tempted to purchase these kakkas from the store in IKEA.

Crepes are very adaptable. They can sweet or savoury. Large or small. Hot or cold. Soft or crispy. Yummy or yucky. I personally prefer yummy but to each their own. Truth is, I like all types of food except one; yucky food. I'm typically picky with yucky.You will need a non-stick pan for this. You can purchase specific pans (blue steel) for crepes, but I usually use an 8 inch omelet pan and that usually does the trick.

Savoury Crepes with Bruschetta and Feta Cheese

250 ml Milk
1 Egg, beaten
200 g A.P. Flour
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
1 Small Red Onion, finely diced
Drizzle of Clarified Butter
4 Plum Tomatoes, innards removed, diced
3 Large Basil Leaves, chiffonade
200 g Feta Cheese, grated or crumbled
Splash of Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Whisk together flour, salt, pepper and half of basil. Create a crevice in flour and add milk, eggs and butter. Slowly whisk in until smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, vinegar, basil and feta.

In a medium non-stick pan, melt small amount of butter. Using a ladle, pour desired amount of batter and move pan around to make the crepe flat. Cook for about 1 minute and flip. Continue cooking for about another 30 seconds. Flip pan over table and lay out crepe.

Lay out about a tablespoon worth of bruschetta mix and roll.

Makes about 6 - 8 crepes.

A Humble Chef's tip: have an omelet pan that you use only for crepes and omelets. Be careful not to scratch your pan by using metal utensils. Use either wood or heat -resistant silicone.

Variation: not a fan of feta, try some decadent Gorgonzola. Also, try serving this with a nice Arugula Salad. Nice combination.

I Never Quiche And Tell

I apologize about the converter . . . working on it.

I did a class today and I told the class that I would post the recipe and so here it is. Apparently, I do quiche and tell, but only this once!

I was amazed by how many people why don't know how to make quiche. Well, actually, many simply haven't tried. It is a type of meal that we forget about. I'm not entirely sure who but I have some theories: fear of making the pastry (although, most cooks don't bother making the crust anymore, they purchase them), it takes a little bit of time to cook for breakfast, it's just as easy to make an omelette. However, as I talked about it to the class, it clicked in that quiche has all your basic food groups: protein in the eggs (or meat if ant), dairy in the milk (and cheese if any) and grain in the flour of the crust. It's very well rounded!

I think it's a perfect Sunday brunch item myself. It takes a little more time to cook than scrambled or over-easy eggs, but if you're not in a rush, then there's no problem.

Quiche is also great because it is so adaptable. You have leftover spinach? Heat it with some garlic and clove and poof! Quiche Florentine. Or, leftover roast beef? No problem: heat some chopped onions, mushrooms and a few drops of horseradish and . . . oh. My. God. Prime Rib Dinner Quiche complete with built-in Yorkshire Pudding.

Point is, it's great. You eat it.

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

2 Broccoli Crowns, washed and cut into florets
200 g Cheddar Cheese, grated
6 Eggs
250 ml 2% Milk
1 Large Pie Crust
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Ice for Ice Bath

Preheat oven to 328 exactly.

Just kidding. It's actually 329 exactly.

In a bowl, whip eggs with milk and seasonings and place into a picture. Well, that might be messy. Maybe try a pitcher. Let come to room temperature.

In a pot of salted water, cook broc in water for 1 minute and shock in ice bath.

Place the broc in the crust, cover with egg wash and top with cheese.

Cook in oven for 30 - 35 minutes.

Let rest for 5-6 minutes.

Serves 6ish.

Leek and Peameal Bacon Quiche

1 Leek, rinsed well and julienne
2 Pieces of Bacon, cut into squares
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
1 Small Red Onion, finely diced
150 g Oka, grated
6 Eggs
250 ml 2% Milk
Pinch of Dried Sage and Thyme
1 Large Pie Crust
Drizzle of Oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Preheat oven to hot.

In a bowl, whip eggs, milk and seasoning. Place in a jug and let come to room temperature.

In a saute pan, heat oil on high heat. Sweat leeks and onion for 1 minute. Add garlic and herbs. Add bacon until opaque.

Place filling in crust, top with egg wash and top with Oka. OK?

Cook in hot oven, preset at 325 for about 30 to 35 minutes.

Let rest for 5-6 minutes.

Serves around 6 Grandmothers.

A Humble Chef's Tip: make sure you dehydrate the filling as much as you can on the bacon recipe. Let it evaporate for a minute or two to dry out. It can get soggy if it's too wet.

Variation: are you kidding me? There are so many that there are some restaurants that have quiche of the day! Go nuts!

Apple of My Eye

Number 50. So far, so good. I do hope you enjoy my writing and I truly wish that you have tried some of these recipes with success. It is an odd thing to follow a recipe: to trust some guy you have never met (or maybe you have) and spend the money on some method that may or may not out as well as you hope. I suppose such is the case for any cookbook. It is disappointing that the last comment made was October 20 but I suppose I can let that pass.

For a commemorative post, I have decided to offer a multitude of recipes. This was a menu I did for a cooking class recently. A local law firm decided to have a staff party at the cooking school and spend a couple of hours watching me cook up some food and anecdotes. It turned out well in the end.

The menu was titled "Apple of My Eye" and after reading the recipes, I hope you can locate the re-occurring theme.

I won't be offering any variations or helpful hints; since it was a paid class, it is possible that the class may feel ripped off if the chef went ahead and simply gave away all the hints and tricks. I suppose they could have paid to listen to my playful banter and witticisms. Yeah. Right.

Sweet Potato and Roasted Apple Soup

1 large Red Onion, cut in chunks
2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
4 Macintosh Apples, cores removed
7 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
Pinch of Allspice
Pinch of Dried Ginger
Pinch of Clove
Pinch of Cinnamon
Drizzle Canola Oil
2l Chicken Stock
Salt & pepper, to taste

In a sauce pan, heat oil. Add onion and cook for two minutes. Add apples and garlic. Cook for two minutes. Add potatoes and spices and cook for two minutes or until potatoes are little brown.

Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

Using a blender, liquefy soup. Season to taste.

Serves 10 – 12.

Gorgonzola and Apple Rolls

450 g pecans, finely chopped and toasted
4 Golden Delicious Apples, grated (make sure they’re delicious!)
12 Sheets of Phyllo
400 ml Unsalted Butter, melted
400 ml Gorgonzola Cheese
1 Sprig of Rosemary, chopped

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine apples and cheese.

Lay out pastry and lightly butter with pastry brush. Sprinkle rosemary. Lay another sheet and repeat. Sprinkle half the pecans and half of the apple mixture. Roll tightly and place onto baking sheet.

Repeat and use whatever remainder of the filling there is.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.

Cut into medallions and serve with salad of your choice.

Serves 10 – 12.

Pork Tenderloin with Sour Dough Stuffing with Cranberry Leek Sauce

4 Pork Tenderloins, butterflied and flattened
1 Sprig of Fresh Sage, chiffonade
1 Large Loaf of Sour Dough Bread, cut into squares
100 g Dried Cranberries
4 Granny Smith Apples, grated
Splash of Rum
Dab of Butter
200ml White Wine
1 Small White Onion, finely diced
4 Cloves of Garlic, Crushed
1 Leek, julienne
500 ml Whipping Cream
50ml Maple Syrup
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Preheat oven to 350.

In a sauté pan, melt butter on medium heat. Add half the garlic onion and cook for 1 minute. Add apples and cranberries. Cook for 2 minutes. Add bread and half the wine. Remove from heat and soften bread. Season to taste. Let cool.

Lay out tenderloins flat with presentation side down. Distribute stuffing evenly in the tenderloins. Roll over tightly.

In a frying pan, sear pork in oil. 1 Minute each side. Place on a baking sheet and cook in oven for 15 minutes.

For the sauce, in a frying pan, melt remainder of butter until frothy. Add remainder of garlic and leek. Saute for 1 minute. Add remainder of wine and let reduce by half. Add whipping cream and reduce by one third. Season to taste.

Serves 10 to 12.

Hmmm. I think that's enough. The starch was Apple Potato Pancakes but maybe I'll save that for another day.

A Cheesy Post With A Cheesy Title

Well, my fellow connoisseur du fromage and I catered a small event over this past weekend with great success. Not only is she a great help with the small touches that I would normally overlook (we had little give-aways of Balsamic Reduction for the guests of the dinner party) but she was also invaluable in helping me with plating, tasting, cleaning and prepping. In fact, she visualized the Tomato Salad which was what we ended up going with in the end. She also made up a small menu to give to the guests. Here is what it looked like when I copied and pasted it:

Chef’s Amuse

*

Potage Crecy au Chèvre

*

Roma Tomato Salad with Bocconcini

& Balsamic Reduction

*

Filet Mignon with Molten Gorgonzola Mousse,

Thyme-scented Broccoli & Chesire Potato Purée

*

Sélection de Fromage

Queso Manchego, Oka Québécois,

Yorkshire Wensleydale with Cranberries

*

Milk Chocolate Pyramids in Phyllo

It looked much better on a little menu.

The party went extremely well. In case you're wondering, the Amuse was a Lobster Watermelon Salsa on an Endive. I was pretty happy with it, but next time I know how to make it unbelievable.

The next time you have a party, a cheese selection is highly recommended. You can do them in advance and use it for in between meals. Besides, 99 people out of 100, love cheese. Every once in a while, somebody is a vegan or lactose intolerant. Very rare when somebody simply dislikes cheese.

You can go with simple, local cheese with plain crackers. Or, go with some imported selections that you really like. One thing to keep in mind is to have a variety of flavours, textures and colours. I really like the aged cheddar with Guinness because it has great contrasting colours and because most people really enjoy it. Have one soft, ripened cheese like brie or camembert. Maybe a hard ripened cheese like Manchego, Edam, Gouda. I love blue cheeses myself, I usually go with Gorgonzola or of the like when I compose my platters. Don't use unripened cheese (mozzarella, feta, ricotta) because they aren't the classiest. Goat's cheese is usually a favourite

As for garnishes, you can do whatever you like: dried apricots or cranberries, fresh figs, dates, grapes, apple slices, pistachios, walnuts, whatever. Make sure it is a palate cleanser whatever it is. Grapes are basically a must. It the photo I used cranberries soaked in red wine and grapes.

Crackers are up to you. Going with crostini is a nice touch but nobody will begrudge you if you simply go with the store bought artisan crackers. Crostini is just a baguette cut into small circles with your flavours of choice: garlic cloves rubbed on, sprinkle some chopped parsley, olive oil or butter, whatever.

A Humble Chef`s tip: Be sure to have the cheeses at room temp. Otherwise, your brie will taste pretty much like butter.