Tales from our Garden: Kale and Carrot Slaw

Wow! It has been quite awhile since I posted. The past couple months have been crazy including renovations on our house which has kept me out of the kitchen. Things are back to normal now so regular posts should resume.

We now have some catching up to do.

Over the May long weekend we planted our garden for this year, this year it includes:
- four types of tomatoes (beefsteak, cherry, heirloom and san marzano)
- kale
- carrots
- green onions
- peas
- corn
- zucchini
- cucumber
- herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano)
- berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and red currants)

The past few weeks have brought us many delicious raspberries which I have been enjoying by the bowl full daily,

This past weekend, I attended a pot luck picnic and decided to pick my first bunch of kale and a carrot from the garden to make up a delicious and easy kale slaw. This salad is perfect for a BBQ or potluck as the kale is hearty enough to remain crisp and not get soggy after a few hours.

This recipe is the first of many of this season's Tales from our Garden, so enjoy!

Kale and Carrot Slaw
Serves 6-8 as a side dish

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. honey
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 bunch of kale, shredded
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 cup roasted sunflower seeds
• kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, honey and a pinch each of salt and pepper until combined. Slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking until the mixture is thick and emulsified. 
2. Toss the dressing with the kale, carrots and sunflower seeds. Season with some more salt and pepper and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving. 

Grilled Flank Steak and Tomato-Bread Salad

Although the rain today is definitley regular spring weather, this past week in Toronto has felt more like summer. The other night I made this meal and it was perfect for a HOT spring/summer night

A perfect summer recipe is one that can be made quickly with as little time in the hot kitchen as possible. The marinade for the steak is super simple and I did it quickly before bed the night before so when I got home from work all I had to do was hand Jordan the steak to grill up on the BBQ and then whip up the salad.

I make this salad all the time but this time I decided to add some capers. I found these capers that were marinated in balsamic vinegar instead of regular white vinegar and I thought they would be a nice briny addition to the salad but you can use regular capers or leave them out all together if you wish. Also, I made my croutons from scratch but if you wanted to use store bought that would be great as well.

Marinated and Grilled Flank Steak
Serves 4 or 2 with leftovers for lunch

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 flank steak, about 1-2 lbs

1.  In a large casserole dish whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and garlic.
2. Place the flank steak in the marinade, spooning some of the marinade on the top of the steak. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
3. In the morning, flip the steak, recover with plastic wrap and place back in the fridge.
4. Right before grilling, remove the steak from the fridge to take the chill off before grilling.
5. Heat your BBQ to high and grill the steak until cooked to a medium-rare, about 4-6 minutes/side.
6. Remove the steak from the grill, place on a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing. 
7. Serve with the tomato-bread salad. 

 Tomato-Bread Salad
Serves 2-4

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 demi baguette (small baguette), cut into one inch cubes
• 2 pints of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 Tbsp. of capers in balsamic vinegar, with the brine
• a small handful of basil, torn into small pieces
• a couple of handfuls of arugula
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place the baguette cubes into a mixing bowl.
3. In a small saucepan add the olive oil and garlic and place over medium high heat. Heat the oil until the garlic is just starting turn golden and fragrant then remove from the heat.
4. Pour half of the garlic oil over the baguette cubes and toss to combine. Season with some salt and pepper then pour onto a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until golden and crispy, about 10 minutes.
5. Remove the croutons from the oven and allow to cool, about 5 minutes.
6. In a large mixing bowl combine the cherry tomatoes, capers, basil and bread cubes with the remaining garlic oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
7. Place the arugula on a platter and pour the tomato mixture on top.
8. Serve with the sliced steak on the side and enjoy!

Tea for Two

I am so sorry for the lack of posting recently but I am back!

This past weekend I helped put together a "Tea for Two" themed bridal shower for my friend Mandy.

The Bride's sister and Maid of Honour, Seri, runs an INCREDIBLE party planning company based out of NYC, called Little Miss Party Planner, or LMP for short (www.littlemisspartyplanner.com)

Under the supervision of LMP, myself and the other bridesmaids put together an amazing event.

I wont go into details of all the decor and special touches as LMP will cover those on her blog, but I will talk about what I know and that is the food.

We wanted to keep the food simple, light and easy for people to eat, so here is the menu I put together:

• Tea Sandwiches: Curried Chicken Salad, Smoked Salmon with Dill Creme Fraiche & Caviar and Asparagus with Lemon Cream Cheese
• Trio of Crostini: Gorgonzola Cream with Fresh Figs & Red Wine Reduction, Goat Cheese with Truffle Honey & Toasted Walnuts and White Bean Puree with Garlic Confit
• Green Bean Bundles with Herb Dip
• Wild Mushroom Phyllo Purses
• Goat Cheese and Caramelized Shallot Tarts topped with a Roasted Tomato
• Bacon and Aged Cheddar Scones with Chive Butter
• Crab Cakes with Dijon Aioli

The beautiful desserts were supplied by the amazing Bobette and Belle (www.bobbetteandbelle.com) but I threw in one dessert of my own, and with the help of my friend Jayme (and Pinterest of course) created some adorable tea bag sugar cookies.


See below for pictures of the event. All photos were taken by the wonderful Robyn Harrison. (www.robynharrison.com)

The event was a great success and I can't wait to celebrate with everyone at the wedding.

Congratulations Mandy! Only 125 days to go! xoxo

Salami and Onion Matzoh Brei Frittata

Here is one more Passover recipe to get you through the rest of the week.

Salami and Onion Matzoh Brei Frittata
Serves 4

• 6 pieces of unsalted matzoh 
• 6 large eggs
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cups Kosher beef salami, cut into small cubes
• 2 Tbsp.vegetable oil
• kosher salt and pepper

1.  Preheat your ovens broiler.
2. Into a colander, break the matzoh into small pieces, about 1-inch in size. Rinse the matzoh under hot tap water until the pieces are softened, about 1-2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the matzoh pieces until coated well with the egg.
4. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and saute the onions until softened and slightly golden, add the salami and continue to cook until the salami starts to crisp. Turn the heat to high and add in the matzoh and egg mixture. Stir to combine, then using the spatula, flatten the mixture.
5. Place the pan into the oven and bake under the broiler until the top is golden and the eggs have cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with some salt pepper, and some fresh chopped parsley and serve.
7. ENJOY!

 

Passover Recipe: Passover Fried Chicken

It is now mid Passover week and I don't know about you but by now my mother's delicious brisket leftovers are not so delicious anymore. It is time for something different, so why not go southern?

I based this recipe off of Thomas Keller's famous Ad Hoc Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe and although obviously not as good as the real thing this kosher for passover recipe is top notch.

Although you have to start the prep for this dish the night before, brining the chicken before hand ensures juicy and flavourful chicken and makes a huge difference. Enjoy this chicken fresh from frying, reheated in the oven or even cold.

Passover Fried Chicken
Serves 6 (2 pieces of chicken each)

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 6 chicken legs
• 8 cups of water
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 head of garlic, cut in half  horizontally
•  1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
• a few thyme sprigs
• a handful of fresh parsley
• juice and zest from 2 lemons
• 6 eggs, whisked
• 4 cups matzoh meal
• 2 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• a couple pinches of cayenne pepper
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• vegetable or canola oil for frying 
• honey for drizzling

1. In a large pot combine the water, salt, honey, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, thyme, parsley, and lemon zest and juice. Place on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for one minute until all the salt is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool.
2. Once the brine is cooled add the chicken pieces. Place in the fridge over night or up to 12 hours.
3. When ready, remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Let come to room temperature.
4. Place the eggs into a shallow dish. Combine the matzoh meal, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne and salt and pepper.
5. Once the chicken is at room temperature you are ready to bread. Working with one piece at a time, place the chicken into the matzo meal mixture, followed by the egg mixture and then back into the matzoh meal. Place onto a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.
6. Fill a large, saucepan with vegetable or canola oil and place over high heat. Once the oil is heated (if using a thermometer the oil should be about 325 degrees F), start frying the chicken a few pieces at a time until brown and crispy and cooked through. Remove onto a paper towel lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.
7. Just before serving drizzle the chicken with a little bit of honey.
8. Enjoy!

Passover Recipe: Dark Chocolate and Fleur de Sel Matzoh Crunch

It is that time of year again when Jews all around the world are celebrating Passover and thinking of creative ways to dress up the limited food that we can eat. One of the most popular Passover snacks is Matzoh Crunch; plain boring matzoh topped with delicious toffee and other delicious sweets. This year I decided to fancy up my matzoh crunch with some good quality  dark chocolate and fleur de sel. The results were SCRUMPTIOUS.

Whether  you are celebrating passover or not whip up a batch today and you will not be disappointed.

Dark Chocolate and Fleur de Sel Matzoh Crunch

•  6 pieces of unsalted matzoh
• 1 1/2 cups butter (or margarine)
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 100g bar of good quality dark chocolate
• a few pinches of fleur de sel or other flaky salt

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Lay the matzoh onto a parchment lined baking sheet (you may have to use more than one) and set aside. You can break some of the pieces of matzoh in half to fit more onto a tray
3. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter or margarine with the brown sugar until melted. Raise the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally until starting to thicken, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Pour the sugar mixture over the pieces of matzoh and spread using a spatula until all the pieces of matzoh are fully covered. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden.
5. While the matzoh is baking, melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 second intervals, being very careful not to let it burn.
6. Remove the matzoh from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes then lightly sprinkle with the fleur de sel. Allow to cool for another few minutes and then generously drizzle the chocolate over.
7. Allow the chocolate to harden at room temperature for about 30 minutes and then break the matzoh into small pieces. 
8. ENJOY!

Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes: Piri Piri Chicken, Dressed Potatoes, Arugula Salad

Last night was the third installment of Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes cookbook test!

On the menu:

• Piri Piri Chicken
• Dressed Potatoes
• Arugula Salad

This time, I followed the recipe exactly, no substitutions at all.

Here are my thoughts:

Ingredients: Just like the other recipes all the ingredients were easy to find and economical.

Method: The method for this recipe was pretty easy to follow and was actually the simplest so far.

Cook Time: Because I skipped the dessert portion of the recipe dinner was on the table in 30 minutes.

The Food: This recipe was not one of our favourites. The potatoes were delicious but the chicken was lacking. We found the piri piri sauce to be quite strong from the vinegar and onions. I think if the sauce had some more time to cook, or was cooked prior to being added to the chicken we may have liked it a bit more. Either way it was still a satisfying meal that was easily prepared and I will definitley be making the potatoes again.