Cheater's Chicken "Pozole" Soup

This Mexican inspired "Pozole" soup is absolutely heartwarming. I call it a "cheater's" version as the original recipe is made with pork shoulder which imparts a very special flavour. This is a quickie

version to prepare while maintaining the layering of flavours which is so key to this fantastic dish.

In a large soup pot, prepare the broth in which you will boil 5-6 bone-in chicken thighs. I use both chicken stock and water to fill about half the pot. I usually squirt in a bit of chicken Bovril too, always adds great depth of flavour. While you wait for the liquid to come to a boil, add:

1 tbsp. oregano

1 tbsp. cumin

2 tsp. paprika

1 tbsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (don't omit the smallest pinch, defines taste)

1 onion, cut in half

2 whole cloves of garlic

2 bay leaves

1 whole jalapeno pepper (adds flavour but not really any heat, you can use half)

Salt to taste

Drop the chicken into the boiling broth and lower the heat for a nice rolling simmer to cook the chicken, for about 60 min or so. Then remove the jalapeno pepper, and the cooked chicken pieces into a bowl to cool a bit. You will de-bone and skin, shred by hand and placed back into the soup.

Time for the Hominy corn, the Star ingredient. These are the large, puffy white kernels of corn. I love the Goya Hominy, easily found among the Mexican food items in the grocery store. Add the full can of corn, drained and rinsed to the pot and let simmer.

Add some large diced pepper, we love cubanelle and poblano peppers. Either or both are perfect. Let the soup simmer until the peppers are tender. These add a unique flavour to the broth.

To finish this soup, add a small can of Mexican ground tomatillo sauce and chopped fresh cilantro stocks. This gives the soup the extra kick it needs to round off the broth. Finally, add the fresh juice of 2 limes, this lifts the entire dish.

Now it is ready to serve!

Garnish the soup bowl with all or a combo of the following: sliced radishes, avocado, a dollop of Greek yogourt or sour cream, crushed up tortilla chips, fresh cilantro and parsley, finely shredded cabbage or lettuce, red onion etc. Add another squirt of lime...heavenly!!!

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Mom's Marvelous Mediterranean Sea Bass

After years of enjoying this fantastic fish dinner at my Mom's, we decided to cook it together for our New Year's Day dinner. Firstly so we could have it again...yum! And secondly, so I could finally learn the nuances of the preparation. 

The visit to Mom's fave fish monger was the beginning of the process where the banter occurred about the provenance of the Mediterranean Sea Bass, from Greece? Of course, he yelled back from over the counter...frrresssh!! Oh good, said my Mom, relieved and happily picked out the ones she wanted for a thorough cleaning, head on. Glossy, white flesh, clear eyes...wow, what gorgeous specimens. Two biggies for the feast.

This is a baked fish dish, with the simple flavours reminiscent of delicious fish meals in Greece...basted with olive oil, fresh lemon, dried Greek oregano, a pinch of paprika. (and a tiny hit of water in this concoction.) We love the Med Sea Bass, but would be wonderful with Porgy, (dorade royale) red snapper, and type of bass- like white fish really.

In a large pan, first the fish is broiled on one side until it gets brown and slightly charred. All the while, it is basted with the inspired "zumi". This can take a while depending on the size of the fish. For a big one, up to 15 minutes. When the fish starts to char, turn the broil to LOW until golden and done. Then switch the oven to 400F and leave the big fish cook for another 20 min or so, basting often. It will be luxurious in its finished state, golden, smelling like heaven.

That's it!!

Serve directly on the table and de-bone, or do it before and place de-boned fish on a platter. Either way, have a bit of the same "zumi" (sauce) prepared and add a few chopped capers. Great for a last baste on the plate.

This is a treat you will make over and over...I promise!

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A Million Marvelous Loaves

A million cakes with one recipe.  Years ago, I found this cake in an one of my old Fine Cooking magazines. I couldn't count how many times I've made it. With infinite variations depending on the season or taste of the moment, it is simply a great loaf cake recipe, finally now posted. Hooray!!

Our most recent variation is a winter cake with white chocolate and cranberries detailed below, this and some other ideas we have tried at the end of the recipe. Pre- heat oven to 350F.

Basic foundation, whisk to combine in a medium bowl:

2 cups of flour

3/4 c. white sugar- decrease to 1/2 c. if using other sweet add in's like chocolate etc.

1 tbsp. baking powder (heaping)

1 tsp. salt

Any spices and any dry add ins.

1 c. milk, or buttermilk- use 1/2 c. milk if using more wet add ins for the second 1/2 cup

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla, or any other flavour profile

Mix: wet goes into dry, and then add 1/2 c. (1 stick) melted butter and fold into the batter. This is the KEY to this recipe! 

Into a pam-etized loaf pan, and cook for about 50 min or until done.

That's it!

A few ideas for some terrific flavour profiles, just use your imagination!!

• white chocolate chips, hazelnuts and cranberries
  
  orange juice and zest
• dark chocolate chips, orange juice and zest, and orange glaze on top
• milk chocolate chips, almonds, almond extract
• lemon juice, lemon zest, poppy seeds and blueberries, lemon glaze
• any chocolate, crushed peppermint candy and peppermint extract
• Cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, pecans and pumpkin puree- fabulous!!
• Cardamom and orange flavours, juice and zest

And on, and on, and on...

Love this cake!!

 

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Five Spice Duck, Mandarin Noodle Salad and Peanut Sauce

This is such a fun and scrumptious dinner, light and bright! The key is to use "duck confit" ( so, already cooked sous-vide) which you whip into a fabulous base for thid crunchy sweet and savory meal.

Duck prep: cook the duck per instructions. Usually a boil in the "sous -vide" bag, then baked for a few minutes. For this dish, a sprinkle of Five-spice and a good crisping up under the broiler, in a frying pan or high heat oven.

Vegg prep: a thin julienne of cucumber and scallions are a must, lots! If you wish you can add carrot, radish, iceberg lettuce, snow peas and any other vegg you like for a good crunchy texture. Long thin slices...

Sauce: Hoisin is essential. A quick side sauce mixture of Sambal Oelek (thai chili sauce) and soy sauce is also fun to dab into for a spicy kick. 

Asian pancakes are fun to use for a duck wrap. We tried rice paper, and although it worked, not a pretty sight and hard to maneuvre. Otherwise, the duck is awsome on top of salad!

The Noodle Salad: Pre cook rice noodles. Boil for a couple of minutes, rinse under cold water, and drizzle with sesame oil to keep from sticking. We love mixing any crispy lettuce, thinly sliced cabbage, red is fun. Add shredded carrot, scallions, radishes, celery,  Top with mandarin/clementine/orange segments and toasted almond slivers. Mango slices are a yummy addition too. Lots of fresh coriander and fresh mint.

A fresh citrus Asian inspired dressing: in a jar mix, 1 tsp. grated ginger, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, rice wine vinegar, bit of balsamic vinegar, squeeze of lime juice, squeeze of fresh orange juice, a hit of soy sauce and a hit of maple syrup. To this, add a 2 to 1 hit of olive oil or canola oil. Shake and taste. Balance the flavours as per your taste. Add salt and pepper if needed. 

Peanut sauce can be added to any of the above, it's just so damn good!

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter, add a bit of water until desired consistency. To taste: add rice vinegar, touch of maple syrup, soy sauce, chili paste (crazy for Sambal Oelek) minced ginger. That's about it. Just keep adjusting until you like it best. Can be jarred and kept in the fridge for a long time...great for dumplings!!

 

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Barb's Glorious Gingerbread Cookies

I have no idea who Barb is, but this is her recipe in my sister-in-law's recipe book. What can I say, over the holidays we keep making more as they don't last long. THE BEST!!!

Pre-heat oven to 325F.

3/4 c. softened butter
1 c. white sugar

1 egg

1/4 c. molasses

Cream the butter and sugar, add egg and molasses.

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground clove

1/4 tsp. nutmeg ( I added this...love nutmeg, but can be omitted!)

Combine the dry into the wet. It is a stiffer dough that you can actually knead by hand at the end. Make small perfectly rolled balls and dip into a bit of sugar. These cookies spread into nice rounds, so space well on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-9 minutes, do not overbake. 

OH SO CHEWY!!!!!! Great with a cuppa tea...

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Playful Poke Bowl

This is one of those super satisfying, extreme flavour meals, especially if you are a sushi lover. "Hey! Let's make a poke bowl!" is always a good idea!! I could eat this every day...no kidding. 

Use a high grade salmon or tuna, but you can make this dish with shrimp or really any protein you may like.

The key to a really yummy bowl is the freshness of the ingredients.  It's all about creating the flavours and textures that will be layered on a bed of seasoned rice, and making enough of everything for "seconds". Rice, protein, vegg and seasoning.

The Rice- sushi rice is probably the best but we usually make this dish with basmati. Once cooked, you can season the rice with a bit of rice wine vinegar and a drop or 2 of sesame oil. 

Vegg components, really anything goes as long as it is finely chopped, diced or sliced. Some favourites are:
shredded carrots

sliced cabbage

Avocado!

sliced snow peas

cucumber

scallions

radishes

Buy the bright green seaweed salad from the grocery store. Seriously, adds a great punch to this poke bowl.

The diced salmon or tuna needs a nice quick bath in a simple marinade, and this, just a few minutes before serving so it doesn't cure.  Combine a few drops of sesame oil, a bit of grated ginger, rice vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, lime juice and sesame seeds. Pour this over the fish as a seasoning.

That's about it! Now layer your Poke Bowl bow, rice first, and the alternate fish and vegg as you wish.

For the finishing touch, a yummy sauce- combine mayo, (add a bit of Greek yogourt if you like) and your favorite Asian hot sauce. We love Sriracha and Sambal Oelek.

A spritz of lime, some fresh coriander or basil is a nice garnish too.

This treat is healthy, fresh, so easy to make for an ultimately satisfying bite.

ENJOY!!

 

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"Vij's" Comfort Family Chicken Curry

 Thanks to Canadian Indian Chef Vikram Vij for all of his delectable treats loved by our family and many. This cozy chicken curry dish has graced our table over a hundred times. And, it never tastes exactly the same, so it's magical and open to moods and variations.

No exaggeration here...that cinnamon and onion sauté that fills our home with such a fabulous aroma is a sure sign of the ultimate comfort food dinner, and hopefully lots of leftovers. The kind of thing that inspires happiness and excitement the minute you walk in the door.

Here is my take on Vij's recipe, serves about 6 people (just great for leftovers) 

The key is to prepare everything in advance as follows. "La mise en place" makes this dish so easy to put together.

The spices...in a small bowl, combine: 
3/4 tbsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 heaping tsp turmeric

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander 

1 tbsp garam masala (you can make your own...)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

** level tablespoons are good here. Teaspoons can be heaping. 

1 stick of cinnamon

Dice or slice 2 large onions

Rough chop about 1.5 cups of fresh tomato or about a cup of canned diced tomato

Grate or finely chop 2 large cloves of garlic

Grate about 2" fresh ginger, makes about 2 tbsp (freeze your ginger and thaw a bit before grating)

Set aside 1 cup of either: sour cream or thick Greek yogourt, or half of each. Any variation is great.

2 cups of liquid- 1 cup water and 1 cup chicken broth

You will need about 6 to 8 de-boned chicken thighs. I usually cut them up into chunks so easy to serve. In case you are curious, yes, I have doubled this recipe for a crowd as it works well. You just need a really big pot!

Now assemble in a large, heavy bottom pot- a Creuset if you have one:

In canola oil, sauté the onions and cinnamon until golden, about 10 min or so on medium heat. The aroma is heavenly...

Lower the heat and add ginger and garlic, stirring so it doesn't burn.

Stir in the spices to bloom, brings out their flavour

Add the tomatoes and stir until the mixture seems to separate a bit. Takes a couple of minutes.

Add all of the chicken to the pot, and cover for 10 minutes. I turn the pieces after about 5-6 minutes.

Once the chicken has cooked for a while, add the sour cream/yogourt to the pot and combine well. Then add the liquid.

Turn down the heat quite low and let this all simmer for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. I usually put the top of the pot over a wooden spoon to an open tilt. Stir every few minutes. 

Make a slurry- a tbsp of cornstarch and a bit of warm water. Add this to the pot as it is simmering, and the sauce will thicken just enough.

Prepare basmati rice and some frozen small sweet peas. Garnish each bowl with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime. (peas are a must with this dish!) Also, a nice dollop of yogourt is always fabulous. 

Warm naan bread is a great scooper-upper for all of this luscious sauce.

I promise that your family and friends will be begging you for this dish forever!!

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