Brown Butter Butternut Squash Ravioli

Butternut squash, brown butter and sage is a combination made in heaven.  Add a few roasted hazelnuts and you have reached Nirvana!

Get a big, plump butternut squash, cut it in half, seeds out and roast it at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.  Oh boy...that alone is fabulous to eat.

After it cools, scoop out the flesh into a large bowl.  Add and mix:
1 egg
some nutmeg, to taste but gotta have it in there!
salt and pepper
a bug handful of parmesan cheese

We buy the fresh lasagna sheets to make the ravioli.  Its a good idea to dip the sheets in hot water before you use them to make them easier to manipulate. Get a medium sized glass and cut out rounds.

Put a bit of the squash mixture on one round and cover with another.  Use a fork to pin down the edges.  Sometimes an egg wash can help it stick. These will be placed in boiling water until they float to the top of the pot and have heated up enough, say 3-4 minutes or so.

In the meantime, Chop several leaves of  fresh sage. Also roast a few crushed hazelnuts and keep handy. You need to make enough butter sauce to spoon on top of the ravioli so melt half or a whole stick of butter in a medium hot pan.  Don't move it around too much, just let it froth until you see it turning brown on the edge.  Then swirl it few times until a nice golden color.  The aroma will be nutty and buttery, add the sage to infuse for a minute or so.

This is spooned over the ravioli just before it is served so all is hot. Add a few hazelnuts on top of each portion.

This is a descendent and addictive dish. My daughter makes it best!!!!

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Tomato and Peach Quinoa Salad

This is such a fresh and quick summer salad, full of sweet and salty flavour, pretty addictive!  The tomato and peach combo is a classic, and when paired with fresh herbs and a salty add in, it's just delicious.

Cook 1/2 cup quinoa in 1 cup chicken broth, bring to a boil and then a low simmer for about 15 min.
Once cooled add:

lots of halved cherry tomatoes
2 sweet ripe peaches cut in cubes (ripe nectarines work too)
1 small cucumber, cubed
several pitted and chopped kalamata olives

Add the zest of 1 lemon, a large amount of finely chopped basil and mint.  The mint is really essential in this salad, it just elevates all of the other flavours.

Make a sweet and tart vinaigrette.  I like to mix olive oil, alt and pepper with white wine and balsamic vinegar. With the lemon zest, this is a powerful burst of flavour and the quinoa just soaks it up.

If you like nuts, add some toasted almonds, pistachios or pine nuts.

This is a super BBQ side dish or a terrific lunch salad, another "taste of summer" dish to share...

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Late Summer Roasted Tomato Soup

On a nice and hot late summer day, find some super ripe tomatoes to make this amazing comfort soup. Luckily, we have farmer's markets in our neck of the woods where we can find them aplenty.

Pre-heat your oven to 425 F degrees. In a dutch oven/creuset type pot, (stovetop to oven pot) combine the following:

• 6-8 super ripe tomatoes, quartered
• 1 small sweet onion or a couple of big shallots, or both, quartered
• a good swirl of olive oil
• a handful of fresh thyme leaves
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 or 2 smashed cloves of garlic 
• 1 chopped Jalapeno pepper (optional)

Put your pot in the oven and let the tomatoes roast for at least 30 min, or until they seem roasted enough. Sometimes takes up to 45 or 50 minutes for the right appealing "smell".

Once cooked enough, pull the pot out and let the tomatoes cool down. Puree this concoction in a blender or with an immersion blender. I like to add tons of fresh parsley and basil when blending.  If you like a kick, add a fresh red chili pepper or two!

On the stovetop, warm soup if needed and add:

• 1 cup of milk, or the amount you like best to make a creamy soup consistency. You could also use Greek yogourt or cream

When serving, if you wish, add:

• 1/3 cup basil pesto or a big handful of fresh chopped basil, to swirl around
• shaved parmesan for serving, always yummy!!

This delicious soup just tastes of summer...and even better the next day!

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Beast's Baked Mustard Crusted Cod

Inspired by my sister's delicious recipe, this is a 1-2-3 meal packed with flavour.  Cod is such a great fish, a clean palate for many interpretations.  This quick baked meal is moist and delicious, perfect with a side of basmati rice to go with the buttery "zumi".

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare as many filets of fish as you would like, thicker filets are more moist

In a small bowl, combine:
1/2 pound of softened butter
a good dollop of dijon mustard, really to taste
fresh thyme
salt and pepper

To this, add breadcrumbs until you get a paste consistency. I like the panko crumbs best as they seem to get crispier in the oven.

Place the fish in a pyrex and smear the paste over each filet.  Cook the fish for about 15 minutes, and if needed, broil for just a minute or two to further brown the yummy mustard topping.

Serve right away so it doesn't get mushy!  Such a wonderful easy fish dish, will become a staple in your kitchen!

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Greek Pecan Cookies

Here is the recipe for these mouth-watering cookies, as per my son:

Pre-heat oven to 350  degrees.

1 pound of unsalted butter (the big brick)
lots of confectioner's sugar,
lots of crushed up pecans,
2 or 3 cups of flour, depending...
A really good electric mixer

Whip the softened butter in a large bowl, whip it, whip it good!  Has to be fluffy so it takes quite some time, hence the electric whipper. Start adding the confectioner's sugar and alternate with the flour. Once the texture becomes moist to the touch, like cookie dough, and rollable, it is done!  This may take a while...bake until done, whatever that means in terms of time. Experiment!! Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar for flair.

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Pretty (easy) Pineapple Cake

Here's another 1-2-3 cake, great for non gifted bakers like me. Takes a few minutes to put together and is surprisingly moist and delicious.  Great for a "what should I bake" Saturday morning. The cream cheese icing makes this delectable!

    Preheat the oven to 350.

Pineapple Cake

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple with juice

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

*1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix everything in a bowl with a fork. Pour into a greased 9X13 inch pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes (until top is golden brown). Sprinkle with chopped nuts if you like them, pecans are great!

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick of butter, room temp

1 package cream cheese ( 8oz. or 250 grams)

3/4 cup to 1 cup confectioner's sugar (or more depending on your level of sweetness)

1 tsp vanilla

I usually microwave the cream cheese for a few seconds so easier to cream everything with a fork. 

KEY: Frost the cake when still warm, it seeps into the cake...deadly!

This yummy cake will become one of your go-to's, I promise!

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Deadly Dressings- Ceasar's, Slaw and Sunshine!

Years...years spent on looking for the right flavours in both a Coleslaw Dressing and a Caesar's Salad Dressing.  Lots of good ones, tons of horrible ones and then you hit the RIGHT ones. Keep these 2 recipes for your homemade dressing library. Now, added a 3rd! Creamy Yogourt Honey Mustard, a sunshine-y thing! 

Creamy Coleslaw Vinaigrette- whisk in a bowl
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp plain white sugar, you can substitute with maple syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

So yummy with fish tacos or any summer BBQ. Don't forget the sweet potato fries!

Best Caesar's Salad Dressing out there!
You will need a large salad bowl.

First, on a wooden cutting board finely chop 6 anchovy fillets, (don't scrimp) and 1 small garlic clove. Put a pinch of coarse salt over this as you chop so it doesn't all slide around, good trick, becomes paste-like. Place this in the large bowl.

In the same large bowl, stir together:
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice and more if you wish
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard

Now...the KEY: 1 drop at a time, whisk in 2 tbsp olive oil.  You must constantly whisk and really add just a drizzle at a time.  I get help for this part so I don't screw up and ruin the emulsion! Once nice and creamy ADD 1/2 cup of canola oil, or any light oil.  Grapeseed and peanut also work really well. KEEP WHISKING.
Then add 3 tbsp of finely grated Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.

I like to make homemade croutons for this salad by toasting bread that has been tossed in olive oil, garlic salt and rosemary.

Sunshine dressing

1/2 c. Greek yogourt

1/4 c. Dijon mustard

1/4 c. Olive oil

3 tbsp. Honey 

2 tbsp. Ape cider vinegar

2 tbsp. Lemon juice 

1 small clove minced garlic

1/2 tsp. Salt , or to taste and lots of fresh ground pepper. 

Light and so delicious...Green salad with celery, pear or apple, pecans or walnuts, sharp cheddar cheese and you are in heaven! 

These 2, now 3 recipes are staples in our kitchen and should be in yours!

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