Roasted Garlic

Pre-heat oven to 400.
Cut the top off the garlic head.
Place in muffin tin.
Drizzle with oil.

Cover with tin foil.
Place in oven for 30-40 minutes depending on size of head.

Garlic is done when cloves are soft.
Let cool.
Squeeze the base and the garlic pieces should slide out easily.
Use with pastas, pizzas, dips, sauces, meats ect.

Source:Photos:Shawn Campbell

Chicken With Peanut Salsa

Could this be my signature dish? Thats what I asked myself over and over again last night when I should have been sleeping.

I've been researching peanut salsa for days now. While compiling my final ingredient list this morning I thought I started to feel a little bit of a contraction. I wasn't ready to go into labour. I was determined to make this salsa and feed it to somebody. So I quickly got dressed, grabbed my list, and ran/waddled to the grocery store. It turned out to be a false alarm. Not only was I able to make the dish, I was able to eat it too!! Now, I think I'm ready for labour...until I get obsessed with my next recipe idea.

-5 Chicken drum sticks
-1 1/2 cups unsalted peanuts
-1 roasted red pepper
-1 onion
-4 garlic cloves
-2 Chipotles in adobo
-4 T. Adobo
-1 T. smoked paprika
-1/4 t. cinnamon(Optional)
-1 T. tomato paste
-1/8 t. ground clove
-Juice of one lime
-Juice of one lemon
-About 2 cups chicken broth

Roast peanuts in pan, throw into food processor or blender.
Dice and saute onion and garlic in same pan. Add to processor.
Dice roasted red pepper and add to processor with chipotle, adobo, paprika, cinnamon, clove, tomato paste, citrus juice and chicken stock. Keep adding chicken stock until the consistency is liquidy and saucy rather than pasty.

Brown and crisp drum sticks in onion and garlic pan. Toast with salt and pepper.

Add just enough peanut salsa to coat chicken and a bit for the bottom of the pan and bake until chicken completely cooked. (NEXT TIME I WILL KEEP IT IN THE PAN AND FRY RATHER THAN BAKE TO KEEP THE CHICKEN CRISPY)

I served this with baked cilantro tomatoes and couscous.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Lemon Butter Halibut with Dill Sour Cream

He doesn't like seafood but thinks he might be able to handle halibut. I soaked it in lemon, butter, salt + pepper. I also served a fresh dill sour cream mixture for him to dip it in and a spinach salad on the side. He ate it all and said it was good and thats really all I could ask for.

Wash halibut, squeeze lemon juice over top, salt Pepper, butter. Bake at 375 until white and flaky.

Sour cream, Fresh Dill, and Salt.

And a spinach Salad.


Photos:Shawn Campbell

Sun Dried Tomato Burger with Garlic Basil Mayo

~ Maternity Leave Burger Party ~

~ Of Two ~
In the past I would mix ground beef with egg, onion and garlic. Then I learned that it's not necessary. Not necessary at all.

Garlic Basil Mayo:
1/4 cup Mayo
2 T. Finely chopped fresh basil
2 Cloves of garlic
Generous pinch of salt

Sun Dried Tomato Burger Mixture:
Extra Lean Ground Beef
Sun Dried Tomato
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Mix ground beef with finely chopped sun dried tomato. Form patties. Coat each side generously with salt and pepper. Fry.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Mexican Lettuce Wrap

Like the Asian Lettuce Wrap we want to incorporate a super flavourful meat/vegetable mixture with a slightly crispy texture. We replaced noodles with baked torilla strips and topped it with hot sauce, cheese and a sour cream mixture. Then wrapped it up into a crispy coat of lettuce.

Sour Cream Mixture:
1 Cup sour cream
1 t. Chili powder
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 t. Sugar
Cilantro to taste(Optional)

Ground beef
Cumin
Chilli powder
Cayenne pepper
Onion
Green pepper
Tomato
Jalapeno
2 tortillas
Cheese(Jack)
Hot sauce

-Slice tortillas very thin. Lay on baking sheet. Brush with oil. Bake for 10 minutes at 375.
-Brown Ground beef. Add cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Cook with onion, green pepper, tomato and jalapeno.
-Fill lettuce with beef filling. Top with sour cream mixture, hot sauce, cheese and crunchy tortilla strips. Wrap up nice and tight and enjoy!

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Ashorizo Lasagna

This lasagna was delicious. The lower layer consisting of spinach and leek with a textured cheese mixture. While the middle layer combined chorizo, garlic, peppers, onion, mushrooms and tomato sauce. Then came the light layer of bechamel sauce and mozza. I was hesitant to add this layer but couldn't help think of the spinach and how nicely it would accomodate it. The small amount of bechamel sauce was barely noticable but helped balance the spice of chorizo with the tang of the tomato sauce. It was a genius blend of ingredients and I recommend you try it immediately. You want it. You want to make it and feed it to your family.

Bottom Layer:
1 Large container of cottage cheese
3 T. chopped leek
1 egg
Parmesan cheese
Mozza cheese
fresh spinach

-Mix cheeses, egg and leek with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Spread over a layer of no boil lasagna noodles in a 9 x 13 pan. Lay fresh spinach on top 2 leaves thick. Then another layer of noodles before adding to second layer. The chorizo layer.

Second Layer-Chorizo Layer:
1 jar of Ragu sauce
2 Chorizo sausages, sliced or diced or however you like it. I sliced mine and then cut it in half for a chunky style.
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 diced onion

I was trying to speed things up so I didn't even cook the tomato sauce. I cooked the the chorizo, mushrooms, onion and garlic and simply added it to the cold tomato sauce. Spread into the lasaagna dish and lay another layer of noodles on top.

Third Layer-Bechamel Layer:
2 T. butter
2 T. Flour
1 Cup milk
salt and pepper
1/2 t. nutmeg
Mozza
Parmesan

-Melt butter, whisk in flour, gradually add milk, stirring contantly over med high heat. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg.
-Pour over lasagna, top with tonz of mozza and parmesan.
-Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Place a baking sheet underneath in case it drips. let cool for 10 minutes.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Buckwheat Crepe

I had never used buckwheat flour or tasted buckwheat flour ever that I can remember.

"...it contains all nine essential amino acids, rich in fiber, antioxidants and magnesium. Eating buckwheat regularly may help improve cardiovascular health, assist in regulating blood sugar, and reduce your risk of colon cancer"-Bon Appetit

It was scary. Buckwheat just doesn't sound that appealing and the magazine showed no images of it. I cut the amount of buckwheat in half and split it with all-purpose flour. I thought I'd start slowly.

I made a savory filling to experiment (Spinach, red onion, toasted pine nuts and mozzarella topped with Avgolemono Sauce)and I also made a sweet filling recipe slightly adapted from the magazine(Pear, lemon juice, brown sugar, lemon zest and devon cream).






Basic Buckwheat Crepe: (Bon Appetit)
1 1/4 cup buckwheat flour(Split with all-purpose)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil plus more for skillet
3/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 t. salt

Whisk ingredients together, pour over Med High heated non stick skillet. Immediately tip pan so batter goes right to the edge. Cook for 30 seconds on each side or until lacey and brown.

Spinach Pine Nut Filling:
-Toast pine nuts, add onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute. Set to side.
-Melt butter in aseparate pan, add fresh spinach, heat until just wilting.
-wrap into crepe with grated mozza
-Cover with Avgolemono Sauce

Avgolemono Sauce:
Boil 2/3 cup chicken broth. In a separate bowl whisk 2 egg whites and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Add half boiling broth in stream, whisking constantly careful not to scramble eggs. Then add that mixture to pot with other half chicken broth. Careful not to boil. Sauce should thicken slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste.



Pear Filling:(Adapted from Bon Appetit)
Heat crepe in pan with butter. Flip. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Fold into quarters. Keep warm in oven.
-Toss peeled, cubed pears (I used canned)with lemon juice and brown sugar.
-Lay onto crepe, top with lemon zest and creme fraise (I used devon cream)


Photos:Shawn Campbell

Buckwheat Flour

Mozza Stuffed Meatballs

I took the idea from blogger Homemade but her recipe is from Racehel Ray...I'm worried that if I see the word EVOO I'll stab myself in the eye with my shiny Cuisinart knife. So I made up my own recipe. Good but no signature. I prefer spaghetti with Chorizo.

Ground Beef
Ground Pork
Mozza cubed
Freshly grated parmesan
Panko Crumbs
Chopped onion
Diced garlic
Egg

I shaped the meat mixture around the cheese cube. I seared them in a hot pan. Then I put them in the sauce and simmered for about 30 minutes.


Photos:Shawn Campbell