Gorgeous Tomato Ginger Jam

We first had a taste of this delectable treat at a county fair food truck in Stowe, Vermont. A big yummy seared pork belly sandwich with this incredible jam, arugula and a bit of sriracha aioli. MY GOSH...my mouth exploded with WTF!!!

So simple, so incredibly delicious, hard to describe...here it is:

4-5 large ripe tomatoes, blanched, cored and skinned or 1 large can of tomatoes without the juice. Cherry tomatoes are amazing also...you can get them in a tin as well.
About 1-1/2 cups of sugar for a full recipe, or pair down if making less, needs to be sweet.

¼ c. g

rated ginger ( I like lots, gives a great bite!)
3 or 4 grinds of course black pepper
Big pinch of salt
At the end...1-2 teaspoons (or more) of freshly squeezed lime juice

Put the tomatoes in the saucepan and stir in the sugar, pepper, and salt. Add the fresh ginger. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently to ensure that the mixture is cooking evenly, until most of the liquid has cooked off. If foam occasionally rises to the top, skim it off. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.

Storage:
The jam will keep for at least 6 months in the refrigerator, in jars or tupperware.

A  great condiment for turkey, pork or anything really. Makes the BEST side for a gorgeous cheese platter. Try on any sandwich. So beyond good!!

Read More

Beast's Best! Grilled Steak, Vegg, Halloumi on Tahini scented Quinoa

2. This dish is a taste sensation!! The first time I tasted this, my sister served it to her cottage crowd. There is no other way to describe the layers and combination of flavours that make this one of the very best group meals of all time.  Every time we enjoy it, we can't believe how crazy fantastic it is! 
3. 
   
4. There are a few steps to this delectable creation, so you need to prepare in advance, and then it all comes together quickly. Good idea to read this through before you start.
5. 
   
6. For the Quinoa Salad:
7. 
   
8. Dressing to be mixed in the salad: make in advance if you wish
9. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10. 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
11. 1 teaspoon honey
12. 1/2 teaspoon salt
13. 
    
14. The Salad:
15. 2 cups cooked quinoa
16. 1 cup cooked French lentils
17. 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill 
18. 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano

For the Yogurt Dressing: this can be made in advance, served in a separate dish
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the grilled steak and vegetables:1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, sliced lengthwise into 1/4" planks, fronds reserved for serving
1 pint cherry tomatoes
12 scallions, roots trimmed (about 2 bunches)
Olive oil (for brushing)
1/2 pound Halloumi cheese, sliced into 1/4" planks (gotta have the Halloumi, not optional)
1 pound flank Steak or any cut you love that can be sliced on top of the salad
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1. 1. For the Salad: whisk oil, vinegar, honey, and salt in a large bowl. Add quinoa, lentils, dill, and oregano and stir to combine. Set aside.
2. Make the yogurt dressing:
   1. Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, tahini, oil, salt, and 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Grill the vegetables and steak and assemble the salad:
   1. Prepare a grill or grill pan for medium-high heat. Brush fennel, tomatoes, and scallions with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning occasionally, until tender and charred in spots; let cool. For the Halloumi cheese, brush with oil and grill, turning occasionally, until charred and warmed through, about 2 minutes per side.
   2. Marinate the steak ( for an hour or so) with cumin, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Grill until medium-rare. Let rest, then thinly slice against the grain.
   3. Transfer quinoa salad to a large platter. Top with grilled vegetables and steak. Season with additional salt and pepper and top with fennel fronds. Serve with the yogurt dressing on the side. It really makes this dish sing!
4. 
   

Read More

Late Summer Cherry Tomato Confit

Nothing is more delicious than the ripe tomato flavours of late summer. This confit (in this case, bathed in oil) is incredibly simple to make and can be used in a great variety of ways. It can also be frozen, which makes it a great go-to sauce anytime. This is an rich and potent yet smooth tomato preparation. A little goes a long way...

So simple...

Pre-heat oven to 300F degrees. In an oven proof pan or dish:

up to 4 cups of cherry tomatoes (or frankly any ripe variety)
1.5 cups of olive oil
6 cloves of smashed garlic
chili pepper flakes
the zest of 1 large lemon
salt
sprigs of fresh herbs, whichever you like. I love this with rosemary and thyme.

Roast for about 1 hour or until the tomatoes look collapsed. That's it!

Cool and let the fabulous aroma waft through the house. Use as a sauce on pasta, or on anything you like. It is really so delicious!

Happy September!

Read More

Mo-Fo Ceviche!

If you've never had Ceviche, you don't know what you are missing! Fresh, light, tastes like summer...

Ceviche is basically any super fresh firm white meat fish cured in citrus juice. Halibut, tilapia, sea bass, red snapper etc.

This dish comes together quickly, 30 min max. Here's how we do it.

Cut the fish in thin slices along the bias and arrange in flat layers on a platter.
Completely cover the fish with freshly squeezed lime juice (or lemon)
Cover and keep cold. This needs to sit for 20-30 min. The fish will become opaque. If it sits too long though, it will become mealy.

Meanwhile, prepare the garnishes:
Thinly sliced pepper, jalapeno or any hot chili pepper you like
Finely sliced red onion
Halved cherry tomatoes
Diced cucumber
Lots of cilantro
Salt and Pepper

Great for a crowd, serve with tortillas and a cold Margie!

Read More

Warming Thai Red Curry Soup

• This is a seriously heartwarming soup, the scent of lemongrass and red curry paste alone will do you in. It's fast to put together and oh so "clean". 
• 
  
• Here's my take:

2 big nests of (good for 4 bowls) or more of rice noodles (thicker pad thai noodles work best)

Boil these noodles for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water and set aside.

Never cook the noodles in your soup, they just get mushy...

• 
  
• Saute:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (really don't need much)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced lemon grass- tip... remove the hard exterior of the stalk. Crush down on the softer core with your knife to release the flavour and mince
• 1 tbls. fresh grated ginger

Stir these together for a couple of minutes

Add:

• 2 heaping teaspoons red curry paste
• a bit of a (32 ounce) carton chicken broth to melt the paste, then add the rest
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

3/4 tablespoon white sugar
1 tsp. fish sauce for depth

Let this come to a boil and then simmer on low for about 15 minutes. 

Add:

• 1 (13.5 ounce) can reduced-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup peeled and deveined medium shrimp ( I use frozen uncooked shrimp)
• 1 large carton of sliced fresh mushrooms, essential to this soup!
• Chopped stalks of fresh coriander ( use the leaves later) 

Once simmered enough to cook the shrimp, about 5 minutes, add:

1 big bag baby or whole leaf spinach leaves...lots

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice ( or to the individual bowl)
• lots of chopped cilantro
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Place some noodles at the bottle of each serving bowl, and pour soup on top. Garnish with lime juice, fresh cilantro and a hit of your favorite hot sauce. Mine is Sambal Oleak.

This is a major winner!!  Enjoy

Read More

Aromatic Vegetable Coconut Curry

Talk about comfort food...this dish will fill your home with incredible aroma of that bowl of curry you have been craving just when the Fall weather begins and in the dead of winter.

There are so many curry variations that we love around here but those with an onion and cinnamon flavour base are among our favorites. ( see Vij's Curry chicken recipe, an earlier post.) This vegetable curry is so heartwarming with a luxurious coconut milk infusion that gives it that extra panache.

The key for this recipe is the curry sauce itself, and chickpeas are a must.  A real "must-go" dinner...empty the fridge of all your vegg, any vegg will do. Prepare everything in advance and don't skimp on the cayenne pepper!

Prepare the following in a small bowl before you start cooking:
1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 heaping tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. cayenne
3/4 tbsp. salt
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp.  garam masala

Start by sauteing the following in some canola oil until golden:
1-2 large yellow onions, diced
1 stick of cinnamon

Then add and stir for a minute or so:
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (2 Tbsp.)

Prepare 1 large chopped fresh tomato or canned whole tomatoes (no juice), about a cup.

First, add the above spices to the onion mixture to toast for a minute or so. Then add the tomatoes. The oil will separate a bit once cooked for a couple of minutes.

To this, add your vegg options, diced- any or all of the following:
Carrots
Cauliflower
Sweet potatoes
Potatoes
Can of drained chickpeas...A MUST!
Any root vegg is nice...
 To the vegg mixture, add:
1 cup coconut milk

And low salt chicken broth or vegetable broth, or even just water, enough to cover the vegetables. 

Ground black pepper

Bring this to a boil and let simmer on low. If you want a little thickness to the sauce, make a slurry of cornstarch with warm water.

**At the complete end of the cooking process, throw in big handfuls of baby spinach or any greens, green beans, frozen peas, snow peas etc. They just need a minute to cook so they won't be soggy and add a crunch factor.

MUSTS: these extras give the curry a boost of freshness at the end of the cooking process, just before serving: spritz each serving with fresh lime juice and fresh cilantro. 

Top with Greek yogourt when serving on scented basmati rice. To the rice when cooking, add crushed cardamom, a piece of lemon and a bay leaf.

Packs a punch!!!

---

Read More