Tag: butter

Seafood Linguine Alfredo

Seafood Linguini

Seafood Linguine Alfredo

  • Servings: 2-4
  • Difficulty: Easy
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“Everything you see I owe to pasta.” – Sophia Loren

The last time I posted an Alfredo type recipe was TWO years ago (time sure does fly) so I thought I would do another one but with a couple of variations this time around.

Now the Alfredo Sauce itself is staying the same (why mess with a good thing) however this time around as a time saving element I will be using precooked Clam meat and Mussels along with uncooked Shrimp in addition to Shallots and Spinach. I will also be using TAIL OFF shrimp as I personally can’t stand biting into a succulent shrimp only to try and find a place to dispose of the tail.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 package thawed 31-40 White Shrimp – peeled and deveined
  • 2 1/2 cups Clam meat
  • 2 1/2 cups Mussels
  • 2 Shallots – diced
  • 2 medium Garlic cloves – finely diced
  • 3 cups Baby Spinach
  • 1/2 cup Butter
  • 1 1/2 cups Heavy cream
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cups Grated Parmesan
  • 1 pkg (350 grams) Linguine noodles
  • Shaved Parmesan and Parsley for garnish

Putting it all together:

  1. In a large pot of salted water cook the Linguine according to package instructions.
  2. While the pasta is cooking heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan and add in the garlic and shallot and cook until the shallot is translucent. Add the butter and mix well.
  3. When the butter has melted add the heavy cream, spinach and the grated Parmesan and stir frequently.
  4. Reduce the heat and let the sauce thicken.
  5. Add in the shrimp, mussels and clams and continue cooking until the shrimp has turned pink.
  6. Plate the pasta, top with the sauce and garnish with the shaved Parmesan and Parsley.
  7. Enjoy.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……

                          Bon Appetit

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Brunswick Stew

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Brunswick Stew

  • Servings: 12 -14
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Stews, soups and casseroles are all “yucky weather” type dishes because they warm you up from the inside out and allow you to thumb yer nose at the cold, wet and otherwise cruddy stuff going on outside the window.

I like the traditional soups and stews….. butternut squash, potato and leek soups  along with chicken and beef stews….. but I like to try different types of stews as well and so I decided to try this one which if we went traditional would mean using things like rabbit and squirrel and since I can’t use rabbit (I would be shot if I did) and I would never use “tree rat” (that’s squirrel kids) I opted for pork and chicken as the protein.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 2 pounds Pork shoulder – cubed
  • 2 pounds Chicken thighs – cubed
  • 3 tablespoons Canola Oil
  • 1/2 cup of Butter
  • 1/4 cup Flour
  • 1 large White Onion – diced
  • 3 Garlic cloves – chopped
  • 1 1/2 pounds Baby potatoes – quartered
  • 4 cups Chicken stock
  • 1 19 ounce can Diced tomatoes (liquid as well)
  • 3 cups frozen Corn kernels
  • 3 cups cut Green Beans
  • 3 teaspoons Tomato Paste
  • 1/2 cup Yellow Mustard
  • 1 1/2 cups Smokey BBQ sauce
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Putting it all together:

  1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or Stock pot and brown the pork and chicken removing to a large bowl when done.
  2. Melt the butter in the same pot and saute the onions and garlic for about five minutes. Add in the flour and whisk well.
  3. Pour in the Worcestershire, chicken stock, yellow mustard and BBQ sauce and stir well.
  4. Add back the meat and the remaining ingredients.
  5. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer until the meat and potatoes are tender, about 50 minutes.
  6. Adjust the seasonings if needed
  7. Ladle into a bowl and serve with some crusty bread for sopping up the juice.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…..

                          Bon Appetit

Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joe’s

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Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joe's

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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This is one of those super easy recipes that is sure to please anyone in your household and because it is so versatile you can add or delete anything you like.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 pound ground Beef
  • 1 pound ground Pork
  • 1 medium Red Pepper – diced
  • 1 medium Yellow Pepper – diced
  • 1 medium Yellow Onion – diced
  • 4 small Garlic cloves – finely diced
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 tablespoons Ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons liquid Beef Base
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup Beef stock
  • 3 tablespoons Butter
  • 3 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh Ground Pepper
  • 6 slices Provolone
  • 6 soft Kaisers

Putting it all together:

  1. In a large fry pan brown the ground meat and remove to a bowl reserving the “meat juice”.
  2. To the pan add the onion, peppers and garlic and cook in the “meat juice” until just tender. About 5 minutes.
  3. Add in the butter and when melted add the flour and cook for about another 5 minutes.
  4. Whisk in the beef base and Worcestershire sauce and then add the ground meat back into the pan stirring well to incorporate.
  5. Add the ketchup and beef broth and simmer until the sauce thickens.
  6. Season with salt and pepper to taste
  7. Serve over toasted Kaisers and top with the Provolone
  8. Enjoy.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……..

                          Bon Appetit

Chocolate Butterscotch Brownies

Brownies

Chocolate Butterscotch Brownies

  • Servings: 16
  • Difficulty: Easy
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I don’t bake all that often mainly because I don’t think I am very good at it but secondly because baking really is an exact science. Unlike cooking where you can get away with not using exact measurements baking requires precise measurements otherwise the finished product will not turn out and most times I just don’t have the patience.

What then lead to my decision to make brownies? My wife’s best friend of 60 years was by for a visit and since she does not bake and does not really cook I decided to offer up a treat.

This particular recipe is an adaptation from the baking queen, Anna Olson, so I hope I do it justice.

Here is how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  •  10 oz (300 g) Bittersweet or Semisweet Chocolate, chopped
  • ⅔ cup (150 mL) unsalted Butter
  • ¾ cup (175 mL) Sugar
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) Vanilla extract
  • 3 large Eggs
  • ½ cup (125 mL) All-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp (2 mL) Salt
  • 3 oz (90 g) Butterscotch chips
  • 1/4 cup chopped Peanuts

Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C) and grease and line an 8-inch pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a bowl resting over a pot of barely simmering water, melt chocolate and butter, stirring gently. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla.
  3. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour and salt. Fold in the chopped peanuts and butterscotch chips.
  4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of the brownies comes out clean. Cool before slicing.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time………

                           Bon Appetit

Sole Meuniere

Sole

  • Servings: “2-4”
  • Difficulty: “easy”
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‎” I think every woman should have a blowtorch.” 

Julia Child

 

I had to pick up a few things from the grocery store the other day and while I was there I was contemplating what I would make for dinner and frankly I was stumped. I could BBQ something but it was raining and miserable so that was out and I didn’t fancy a soup or stew to counteract the weather. It was while passing the seafood counter that I swear I heard a little voice saying “Pick me. Pick me” and there right in front of me was the answer to my dinner quest……. Sole!!

To be honest I have never cooked sole before but I knew there were thousands of recipes on the net for cooking fish, especially sole, so I Googled it and found this recipe which it turns out is truly a “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 2-4 fillets Sole (about 140g/5oz each)
  • 6 tbsp plain Flour
  • 9 ounces Butter
  • 3 tbsp light Olive oil
  • juice from one Lemon
  • Pinch of Salt and Pepper
  • 4 ounces chopped Parsley 

Putting it all together:

  1.  In a pie pan or similar sized container mix the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the sole in the seasoned flour shaking off any excess.
  2. Heat a frying pan and add 3 ounces of butter. When the butter has melted gently place two of the filets in the pan and cook for about six minutes, turning once using a fish spatula, or until the filets are golden brown. Repeat for the remaining filets.
  3. Remove the filets and keep warm. Wipe out the pan and add the remaining 3 ounces of butter and melt. Add the lemon juice and parsley. Mix well.
  4. Plate the sole and spoon the butter parsley sauce over top.

Cooks note: To add another level of flavour add some Capers to the butter parsley sauce before spooning over the sole.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time………

                         Bon Appetit

Curried Mussel Chowder

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Curried Mussel Chowder

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: Easy
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You don’t become a chef to become famous.

Eric Ripert

I think every home cook has the daydream of hitting it big on T.V. as the host of their own cooking show and having millions of adoring fans just gobbling up any and all recipes they showcase and I admit that I fall squarely in this group however being the practical person that I am I know this will never happen so I will be content with cooking the best food that I can for my family and friends and posting the pics to my blog in the hopes that others will enjoy it as well.

Shopping list:

  • 1 1/2 pounds frozen precooked Mussel meat
  • 4 cups Vegetable stock
  • 2 cups Milk
  • 1/4 cup Butter
  • 1 cup diced Potatoes
  • 1 cup chopped Leeks – white and light green only
  • 3/4 each finely chopped Celery and Onion
  • 4 tablespoons Yellow Curry powder (see cooks note)
  • 1/4 all purpose Flour
  • 1 cup Corn Kernels
  • 2 tablespoons chopped Cilantro for garnish

Putting it all together:

  1. In a stock pot or Dutch oven melt the butter and saute the onions for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until blended. Cook the butter and flour for about 5 minutes but don’t let it brown.
  2. Pour in the vegetable stock and whisk until smooth. Add in the remaining ingredients except the Cilantro and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer (stirring occasionally) for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
  3. Pour the soup into four individual bowls, top with some cilantro and serve.

Cooks note: For a milder curry flavour substitute Garam Masala for the Yellow Curry powder.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……….

                          Bon Appetit

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

 

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Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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“What I say is that, if a man really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.”
A.A. Milne

There are so many “time saver” side dishes on the market that if a body was in a rush to make dinner they would have an aneurysm figuring out which one they were going to use so this post is my attempt to show that a good side dish need not come out of a box with a massive amount of sodium but with a little bit of patience and the right equipment it can be done in no time at all.

The secret, in my opinion, to this dish is a good cheese sauce and a good cheese sauce begins with a good “Bechemel Sauce” and then is enhanced with a good cheese and don’t let the term Bechemel intimidate you because it is merely flour, butter and milk mixed until it is the consistency that you want. I used a Mexican 3 cheese blend because I just happened to have it in the pantry but feel free to use whatever you wish.

Here is how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes – thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup Butter
  • 1/2 Flour
  • 2 cups Half and Half
  • 1 cup Chicken stock
  • 3 cups Shredded Cheese
  • 1 medium Sweet Onion – diced
  • 3 Garlic cloves – chopped
  • 1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon White Pepper
  • 1/4 cup Green Onion for garnish (optional)

Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°
  2. In a large pot or dutch oven heat the butter until melted. Add the sweet onion, pepper, nutmeg and garlic and saute for about 4 minutes. Whisk in the flour and continue cooking for about another 4 minutes being careful not to let it brown.
  3. Pour in the chicken stock and whisk until incorporated. Slowly add the half and half while continuing to whisk. Bring to a boil for three minutes then reduce the heat and add the shredded cheese a bit at a time whisking until smooth.
  4. In a 9 x 6 greased pan place a layer of potatoes and cover with cheese sauce. Alternate the process until all the potatoes and cheese sauce have been used. Top with Parmesan and green onion
  5. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……….

                          Bon Appetit

Steak and Kidney pie

Steak and Kidney pie

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: medium
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‘Chef’ doesn’t mean that you’re the best cook, it simply means ‘boss.’

Tom Colicchio

This is one of those recipes where people look at the title and either turn up their nose automatically or, as in my wife’s case, it elicits a warm walk down memory lane .In my case my childhood memories do not include this staple of British cookery because my dad was a Pork man through and through but there were also 7 kids and so the food budget was aimed at lower costing but still healthy foods like Liver.

Now this recipe is not an original from me but it is my adaptation of one from Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger so kudos chefs and thank you for giving me the base for my twist on your recipe.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 pound bottom Sirloin steak tails – cubed
  • 12 ounces Beef Kidney – cored, rinsed and cubed
  • 1 1/2 cups Mushrooms – quartered
  • 1 medium sweet Onion – roughly diced
  • 1 12 ounce can Guinness
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons liquid Beef base
  • 5 tablespoons Canola oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 1/3 cups of Flour plus 1/3 cup
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/2 cup cold Butter
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 3 tablespoons ice Water
  • 2 tablespoons melted Butter

Putting it all together:

  1. Prepare the pastry: In a large bowl, combine flour with butter and salt. Mix lightly with your fingertips until butter forms pea sized pieces. Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon of the water. Add to flour mixture all at once, mixing gently with your fingertips. You should be able to see chunks of fat, and the pastry should be moist enough to begin to stick together. If the pastry is too dry, add up to 2 more tablespoons of water.
  2. Turn the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface, dust with flour, and knead it until the pastry is smooth, about 3 to 4 times. Transfer to a plastic bag and form pastry into a disk. Refrigerate a minimum of 30 minutes, or as long as 3 days.
  3. Meanwhile: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a casserole or Dutch oven. Add the onions, garlic and mushrooms and cook for about four minutes. Add the 1/3 cup of flour and mix well.
  4. Stir in the Worcestershire, beef base, bay leaves and salt and pepper.
  5. Pour in the Guinness and bring to a boil.
  6. Add in the steak and kidney, mix well, cover and place in the oven and simmer for about 1 hour or until the meat is fork tender.
  7. Preheat the oven to 375°. Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
  8. Fill 4 oval Au Gratin dishes or one 9 inch pie pan with the steak and kidney mix and cover with the pastry. Make a vent hole in the pastry, brush the melted butter on the top and put back in the oven for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……….

                           Bon Appetit

Epic Oops

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  • Servings: “5”
  • Difficulty: “easy”
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I, like many other cooks, love to take a recipe and twist it to make it my own especially if it is something I have not tried before. Now most times this works beautifully and the recipe gets filed away for future dinners or for use by others however every once in a while one of these recipes falls into the category of “Oh lord!! What have I done?” This one my dear friends falls squarely into that category but at the same time it also offers up the challenge of getting it right.

Now I have always said that I am my own worst critic when it comes to the food that arrives from my kitchen to your table and this is one of those times despite the fact that my dinner guests loved the flavour profile and the idea of the dish. My disappointment comes from the fact that instead of being presented like a seafood type Cottage Pie it resembled more of a seafood “Swamp Pie” with the mashed potatoes slowly sinking into the horizon which then got me to thinking (after I finished berating myself) — “just what on earth went wrong?”

After carefully going over what I did (hey this could lead to a new profession….. “Forensic Foodologist”….LOL) I came to the conclusion that it was simply a matter of the broth/sauce being too thin and the mashed potatoes not thick enough and thankfully this type of mistake is easy to correct the next time around.

Here is how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 2 pounds peeled and diced potatoes
  • 5 Alaskan Pollock fillets – cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 package 51-60 shrimp – cleaned, peeled and tail off
  • 1/4 cup White wine
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh Dill
  • 2 cups frozen Mixed vegetables
  • 1 tablespoon granulated Garlic
  • 3 1/2 cups Chicken stock
  • 1 cup quartered small Cremini mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup milk

Putting it all together:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 375
  2. Bring the potatoes to boil in a large pot of salted water
  3. When tender, about 15 minutes, mash with butter, milk and granulated garlic
  4. Melt the butter in a large stock pot and add the onions
  5. Cook the onions for about 3 minutes
  6. Add the flour to the butter and onions and mix until there are no lumps
  7. Slowly pour in the chicken stock and mix until you get the consistency you want
  8. Add the mushrooms and mixed vegetable and cook for about five minutes
  9. Add the fish and shrimp and cook until the fish is firm and the shrimp is pink, about 10 minutes
  10. Pour into individual ramekins or an oven proof casserole dish, top with the mashed potatoes and bake for 15 – 20 minutes

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time………..

                                 Bon Appetit

 

 

 

Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet potato pie

  • Servings: 2 nine inch pies
  • Difficulty: easy
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For this recipe I decided to go back to the beginning and make the very first thing I ever learned to bake —- the iconic and oh so good sweet potato pie!

Now when I first heard about this dessert some 20 something years ago I thought “man people were nuts”… I mean really…. potatoes in a dessert? Well I tell you the very first bite had me hooked and the only sad part is I don’t make it nearly enough.

As you can see in the photo (Note to self: Get a different camera) the pie is lacking the one element my family and friends missed and that is whipped cream but seeing as how it was Thanksgiving and I was in the middle of doing about 18 other things I was forgiven. Maybe the next time.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 4 Large sweet potatoes – peeled and diced
  • 1 1/4 cups white sugar
  • 3/4 stick of melted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon real vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4  teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 nine inch ready to bake pie crusts

Putting it all together:

  1. Boil the sweet potatoes until fork tender
  2. When cooled place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl
  3. Add the remaining ingredients except the milk
  4. Using a hand blender mix all the ingredients until smooth
  5. Add the milk and mix until incorporated
  6. Pour equal amounts of the sweet potato mix in the pie crusts
  7. Place in a 350 degree convection oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the middle clean
  8. Let cool and dig in

So there you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond”.

Until next time……….

                              Bon Appetit