Mom and I went to Jane's on the Commons for Mother's Day brunch. Actually we went Saturday to avoid the rush. We had been wanting to go. I had read about this restaurant several times while on the road in several different Canadian publications.
http://www.janesonthecommon.com/index.html
It was everything I had read about and more. We just had coffee since it was brunch and it was an excellent cup of coffee and I'm pretty fussy about my coffee (surprise, I'm fussy about something food related...). I ordered the grilled cheese. I had heard so many good things about the grilled cheese I just had to try it even though there were so many good things on the menu. Mom had the ricotta pancakes. Mom is doing LA Weight Loss and I'm also trying to eat healthier. So this was our treat outing that wasn't suppose to break the bank, if you know what I mean.
This was the most amazing grilled cheese I had ever had. It was made on french bread with sharp cheddar (the secret to great grilled cheese and mac and cheese is using a good sharp cheddar, even kraft's old or extra old will do the trick) and provolone. It was served with tomato butter. I can't even begin to think of how you make tomato butter but it was delish. I had the spinach salad on the side with goat cheese and pistachios. Yum, yum, yum!
Mom's pancakes had bananas in the middle and had maple syrup on the side but it was so tasty that mom didn't use much syrup. And the service? It was impeccable. And you all know how I have high expectations for service!
The grand total for this excellent meal - just $30 with tip! And we were full right up until dinnertime. So if you are in Halifax anytime soon, make a trip to Jane's on the Commons. You won't be disappointed.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
The Expanding Waistline (aka How did I get this big?!?!)
I"m a pudgy little wino. Okay, I'll admit I've gotten a little thicker around the middle in the last few years. It didn't happen overnight. And it didn't happen because I quit smoking (the exact date, I don't remember because I was so ready it was a non-event but I think it's been about 4.5 years) I was already gaining weight before I quit. It might have something to do with the huge lifestyle change that came with going from being single to being a couple. Every night was a romantic candlelight dinner with wine and gourmet fare. And then there was the introduction into all sorts of evil fast foods that I never would have indulged in but that my new partner was used to.
It hit me a while ago when Tim said to me that this was the best he had ever eaten in his life. This from a man with stage one hypertension ( we had just found that out. since then he has gotten it down with diet and exercise!!!!!) I had to tell him it was the worse I have ever eaten. Time for a reality check.
So after a few too many pounds I decided it was time to do something about it. I don't believe in diets. Anything that deprives you is going to fail in the long run and research has shown that those who diet never really keep it off. The regular meetings of weight watchers do work but you must always go, forever. Yup. Big commitment for me.... But how was I nice and healthy sized before? Well for me it was about grocery shopping and menu planning. See I used to go to the store and buy all the nice looking veggies. Then I'd come home and plan my menu based on using those veggies up before they went bad. Sounds funny? Maybe but works for me. In the last 3 weeks I've lost 6 pounds. No pain, no misery. I also started weighing or measuring my cheese portions. I try never to have more than an ounce at any one meal. We are cheese craze around here so any 'diet' that says no cheese isn't going to fly. But if I can have a little at every meal then I'm happy.
I'd like to add that I've lost weight but still ate out, including a trip to MacDonald's (they have those Shrek glasses!). We had date night (lamb chops and creme brulee were on the menu) and girls night (more creme brulee, mussels, bruschetta, shrimp) in the last week and I still didn't gain anything back!
I do have at least 2 veggie servings per meal. I weigh my meat portions ( i buy in bulk and then bring it home, cut away visible fat and divide it up into 4 ounce serving portions). We eat red meat. We drink wine. Tim hasn't really lost anything but he has been eating out for work related events for at least 13 meals in the last 3 weeks. Eating out is tough. The portions are way too big, everything is well salted and the fat is not controlled. That doesn't mean you can't eat out but I do limit it to only once a week. Now that is something I couldn't have done when I was travelling all the time. Although now when I eat out I make sure to get a salad to start because it fills me up and I can split the main course for 2 meals - less calories to burn at once!
So stay tuned as we see how I fair. Also, I have a restaurant review of Jane's on the Commons in Halifax that I have been meaning to share.
It hit me a while ago when Tim said to me that this was the best he had ever eaten in his life. This from a man with stage one hypertension ( we had just found that out. since then he has gotten it down with diet and exercise!!!!!) I had to tell him it was the worse I have ever eaten. Time for a reality check.
So after a few too many pounds I decided it was time to do something about it. I don't believe in diets. Anything that deprives you is going to fail in the long run and research has shown that those who diet never really keep it off. The regular meetings of weight watchers do work but you must always go, forever. Yup. Big commitment for me.... But how was I nice and healthy sized before? Well for me it was about grocery shopping and menu planning. See I used to go to the store and buy all the nice looking veggies. Then I'd come home and plan my menu based on using those veggies up before they went bad. Sounds funny? Maybe but works for me. In the last 3 weeks I've lost 6 pounds. No pain, no misery. I also started weighing or measuring my cheese portions. I try never to have more than an ounce at any one meal. We are cheese craze around here so any 'diet' that says no cheese isn't going to fly. But if I can have a little at every meal then I'm happy.
I'd like to add that I've lost weight but still ate out, including a trip to MacDonald's (they have those Shrek glasses!). We had date night (lamb chops and creme brulee were on the menu) and girls night (more creme brulee, mussels, bruschetta, shrimp) in the last week and I still didn't gain anything back!
I do have at least 2 veggie servings per meal. I weigh my meat portions ( i buy in bulk and then bring it home, cut away visible fat and divide it up into 4 ounce serving portions). We eat red meat. We drink wine. Tim hasn't really lost anything but he has been eating out for work related events for at least 13 meals in the last 3 weeks. Eating out is tough. The portions are way too big, everything is well salted and the fat is not controlled. That doesn't mean you can't eat out but I do limit it to only once a week. Now that is something I couldn't have done when I was travelling all the time. Although now when I eat out I make sure to get a salad to start because it fills me up and I can split the main course for 2 meals - less calories to burn at once!
So stay tuned as we see how I fair. Also, I have a restaurant review of Jane's on the Commons in Halifax that I have been meaning to share.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sunday Suppers
We had a roasted leg of lamb for dinner on Saturday night for my mom's birthday. After dinner we didn't know what to do with the leftover leg bone. There was still quite a bit of meat on it but it was entangled with a lot of fat and grizzle. I decided to make an Italian Sunday Gravy out of it. Basically you just brown some onion, toss in some peppers, mushrooms, celery, carrots, whatever you want. Add in some wine, apple juice or broth to deglaze the pan. Add in some fresh or dried herbs of your choice. Open a can of tomatoes or tomato sauce and simmer the lot with your leftover lamb, beef or pork bone. Let it go for a couple of hours until the meat has fallen off your bone. Serve it over pasta or potatoes and you have a healthy dinner with freezable leftover!
Another great tip for a Sunday supper is to use chicken or turkey parts for a nice home cooked meal without the fuss of a whole bird. You can buy turkey breasts, legs or thighs and roast them just like a whole bird but in about 1/4 of the time. You can even make a stuffing and cook it on the side or under the turkey pieces with some stuffed under the skin of the pieces. Same with Chicken. Gravy can still be made out of any drippings or use chicken broth as the base. Yes, you can even cheat and buy the can or package mix gravy.
Another great tip for a Sunday supper is to use chicken or turkey parts for a nice home cooked meal without the fuss of a whole bird. You can buy turkey breasts, legs or thighs and roast them just like a whole bird but in about 1/4 of the time. You can even make a stuffing and cook it on the side or under the turkey pieces with some stuffed under the skin of the pieces. Same with Chicken. Gravy can still be made out of any drippings or use chicken broth as the base. Yes, you can even cheat and buy the can or package mix gravy.
Mom's Birthday Cake
Alec and I picked out a nice looking, not too terribly sinful, cake to make for my mom's birthday. She's losing weight (15+ lbs so far!) and didn't want to spoil it on her birthday. We won't speak about the wine and chocolate she ate while waiting for her special dinner.... Anyhoooo. This was the cake we decided to make. Isn't it beautiful?
So I cheated and got an angle food cake mix. Then I discovered I didn't have a tube pan. I don't bake much so I'm not that well equipped. I put half the mix in one round cake pan and then added cocoa powder to the rest of the mix and put it in the second cake pan. I was a little worried about the chocolate cake because it seemed that adding the cocoa powder really took the fluffiness out of the angel food cake batter. But it cooked up okay. I layered the pieces on top of each other but didn't trim around the top of the while cake to give the cake a good slope like the one in the picture. Therefore the glaze didn't drizzle down the sides well, it just dripped from the top to the bottom of the dish. And it seems my cocoa powder wasn't as dark as the one they used in the picture because I ended up with a brown and white cake instead of a black and white cake.
Luckily it tasted great.
Worse part of the meal was that I had planned to make a Squash, Spinach and Boccochini salad but ended up completely forgetting. I've never forgotten a whole menu course before!
So I cheated and got an angle food cake mix. Then I discovered I didn't have a tube pan. I don't bake much so I'm not that well equipped. I put half the mix in one round cake pan and then added cocoa powder to the rest of the mix and put it in the second cake pan. I was a little worried about the chocolate cake because it seemed that adding the cocoa powder really took the fluffiness out of the angel food cake batter. But it cooked up okay. I layered the pieces on top of each other but didn't trim around the top of the while cake to give the cake a good slope like the one in the picture. Therefore the glaze didn't drizzle down the sides well, it just dripped from the top to the bottom of the dish. And it seems my cocoa powder wasn't as dark as the one they used in the picture because I ended up with a brown and white cake instead of a black and white cake.
Luckily it tasted great. Worse part of the meal was that I had planned to make a Squash, Spinach and Boccochini salad but ended up completely forgetting. I've never forgotten a whole menu course before!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Quick Haddock Dinner, Suitable for Guests!
Tonight I made a really quick dinner that was totally suitable for guests. Healthy and delicious! And cheap! So let me share it with you.
Here are the ingredients:
3 Haddock fillets (or one per person)
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (I got mine from the Italian market so they had no salt added)
2 tsp of capers (something I didn't think I liked but I have found add a nice flavour even if I don't like to bite into them, I just pick out the whole ones when I see them)
1 zucchini, cut in half and sliced
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning (I have the no salt version but you can use the regular or just mix up equal parts of dried basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary)
2 tbsp of crumbled blue cheese (optional or use another cheese like Cambonzola or Gorgonzola or even Parmesan)
Spray a baking dish with olive oil. Place the fish fillets on the bottom of the dish. Pour the rest on top, mixing it all together as best as you can. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 if the fillets are thin. If they are thick you may want to cook longer. You can test to see if they are done by poking them with a fork in the middle of the dish and seeing if they are flaky. Be careful not to over cook the fish! I served this on polenta I had from a roll that I just cut into slices and grilled but you could use pasta, I would go with spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine. Or risotto or polenta. Serve with Parmesan on the side for sprinkling on.
Here are the ingredients:3 Haddock fillets (or one per person)
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (I got mine from the Italian market so they had no salt added)
2 tsp of capers (something I didn't think I liked but I have found add a nice flavour even if I don't like to bite into them, I just pick out the whole ones when I see them)
1 zucchini, cut in half and sliced
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning (I have the no salt version but you can use the regular or just mix up equal parts of dried basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary)
2 tbsp of crumbled blue cheese (optional or use another cheese like Cambonzola or Gorgonzola or even Parmesan)
Spray a baking dish with olive oil. Place the fish fillets on the bottom of the dish. Pour the rest on top, mixing it all together as best as you can. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 if the fillets are thin. If they are thick you may want to cook longer. You can test to see if they are done by poking them with a fork in the middle of the dish and seeing if they are flaky. Be careful not to over cook the fish! I served this on polenta I had from a roll that I just cut into slices and grilled but you could use pasta, I would go with spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine. Or risotto or polenta. Serve with Parmesan on the side for sprinkling on.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Trattoria Toscana
Saturday night Tim and I decided to try the new Italian restaurant in town. It opened 4 months ago in the former Mavericks location. I reviewed the menu on line www.toscanas.ca before we made the reservations and started drooling immediately... So expectations were set. We've eaten at some amazing Italian restaurants in NYC and in Stockholm, yup you heard right, Stockholm. So we were pretty excited to try this new place. We had heard nothing about it from anyone we knew so it was risky but we were up for the challenge.
When we arrived we were pleased to see they had updated the decor to match a more Mediterranean style restaurant. It was a bit bright but cheery. We were seated in the back room along the wall. Now this is the seating style I dislike the most when you have a row of tables lined up so that you are sitting beside your neighbor like it is communal dining. It's hard to have a private conversation this way. The waitress did look to move us but the place was fully booked. The real reason she looked to move us was because we couldn't hear each other. It was so noisy! Neither of us could ever remember it being that noisy when we ate in the same room when it was Mavericks. And there was no background music. Some nice cheery Italian dinner music would have been perfect. I could see speakers but only heard the loud ramblings of the other diners.
We were served drinks in a reasonable time period which always makes me happy. The waitress took our order then had to come back to clarify a few things. She quickly explained that she had only been waitressing for 3 weeks but that the food was way better than her service. She was actually a full time paramedic who was waitressing as a new challenge. By her taking the time to share this with us it endeared her to us and we were quite willing to be patient and offer our feedback. And, as I said to Tim, I could never imagine being able to waitress myself so I have a lot of respect for those who attempt this.
I ordered a bloody caesar to start. I feel this is one of the basic measures of a good restaurant. Tim had a glass of chianti. Both were perfect. And my caesar had 2 spicy green beans as garnish - my favorite! They also served us bread with olive oil and balsamic for dipping, another of our favorites. We were off to a good start. And the large table behind Tim was about to leave so there was hope that the noise level would drop soon.
Tim ordered the calamari to start and I ordered the mussels. I only ordered the mussels because usually the calamari is a relatively small order. Not here! It was huge. Had we known that I wouldn't have ordered the mussels too. However, they were delicious. They had a cream wine sauce with basil that was amazing. The calamari was obviously seasoned with course salt because we would actually bite into a piece of salt while eating them. Now if you remember, we eat low sodium at home which means we are a little salt sensitive. Tim told our waitress because really the calamari should have been salted with a finer salt, even a plain kosher salt would have been better. Tim figured this was a course sea salt. It may have had more to do with the fact that the calamari may not have been salted as soon as it came out of the fryer so the salt didn't melt into the calamari like it should have. We also recognized that we may have to start asking for the chef to leave off the last seasoning of salt because of our own sensitivity. Anyway, the calamari itself in the batter was a good texture, not too chewy. We had the remainder of it wrapped to take home because it was just too much food and we didn't want to spoil our appetite for the main course.
We didn't order salads because there was creme brulee on the dessert menu. However I saw a bunch of the salads come out to other tables and I will definitely be trying one next time. They looked divine.
I should tell you about our dining neighbors because they were moderately amusing. I wouldn't normally but I'm pretty sure they won't be reading this and there are some good lessons to be learned from their night out. First of all they were seated after us with wine in their hands so they had obviously had to wait to have their table prepared. There were 4 of them. From what I could tell, a couple, the sister and the mother. We had reservations for 7:30. Even if they had their reservations for 7, it is still way too late to be taking out Granny. When dining out with your beloved elderly mother or grandmother, make reservations for no later than 5pm. Older folks tend to be on an earlier schedule. This poor woman looked as though she was going to fall asleep in her chair while her dining companions proceeded to sling back the wine and behave badly... When I say they behaved badly, well aside from the basic disregard for Granny needs, they sent back the caeser salad which I drooled over when it came out. It was not a diner caeser salad, no this was a gourmet caesar salad with big freshly toasted croutons and beautiful crisp green romaine. I think their complaint was how the dressing was placed on the salad. I believe it was drizzled and they wanted it tossed. I'm not sure why they hadn't gone to East Side Marios, especially when I heard them order the lasagna. Why bother going to an upscale Italian restaurant if all you want is lasagna? Mind you, every good Italian restaurant in North American must have it on their menu but all 4 of them order it. So you could tell they were really gourmet connoisseurs...
Things were moving slowly as we waited for our main course. We had ordered a bottle of wine and neither of us was driving home so we were quite content to drink our wine and enjoy each other's company. However, the table next to us were missing Granny's med time and were getting antsy. The gentleman went to complain to the manager and felt quite vindicated when, as he returned to his seat, their meals appeared. The lasagnas were individually baked so while the gentleman was convinced that complaining to the manager made their meals appear, the truth is it was just coincidence that they came out of the oven at the same time. At this point he felt compelled to tell the waitress that he was from Nova Scotia. I'm not sure what that proved but as a fellow bluenoser I was embarrassed. And then he went on to state that they were reviewers. Okay no reviewer ever reveals himself like that. It was quite laughable and Tim and I were quite entertained.
We were offered complimentary drinks for the wait since we had polished off our bottle of wine. This is always a nice touch when the service isn't going smoothly. Nothing like free booze to make your customers happy! Our meals arrived, Tim had the beef tenderloin with wine sauce and gorgonzola while I had the salmon stuffed with shrimp and scallop puree. It was totally worth the wait! And this is an important point - if you make your customers wait, it better be perfect when it gets there! We both cleaned our plates.
We were too full of wine to have room for dessert. The chef came out to say hello. But this time there was only us and one other table left in the restaurant. Apparently he had just come back from catering. It's a hard call to make for a lot of these folks in the restaurant business in small markets like Moncton. When it's busy you have to try and do it all because in a small market it can be slow for a long time. It turned out that the kitchen had a hot water problem halfway through service and the chefs in the kitchen were panicking. I thought the service was just slow because they had been only open for 4 months and getting the timing down to keep meals running smoothly is truly an art. My point here is to tell your customers what is going on. You'd be surprised at how most of them will be understanding. Life happens. We still had an excellent meal.
And then the chef sang for us. This chef is known as the "Singing Chef" and he was quite good. At the end of the evening when the bill came we were shocked. We had a full evening for under $125! Tim tipped the waitress well and made sure he told the chef what a great job she had done. We'll be back!
On a side note, on the cab ride home we were also sang too. Seems our cabbie was a long time singer songwriter. Tim and I just may have to get out more often.
When we arrived we were pleased to see they had updated the decor to match a more Mediterranean style restaurant. It was a bit bright but cheery. We were seated in the back room along the wall. Now this is the seating style I dislike the most when you have a row of tables lined up so that you are sitting beside your neighbor like it is communal dining. It's hard to have a private conversation this way. The waitress did look to move us but the place was fully booked. The real reason she looked to move us was because we couldn't hear each other. It was so noisy! Neither of us could ever remember it being that noisy when we ate in the same room when it was Mavericks. And there was no background music. Some nice cheery Italian dinner music would have been perfect. I could see speakers but only heard the loud ramblings of the other diners.
We were served drinks in a reasonable time period which always makes me happy. The waitress took our order then had to come back to clarify a few things. She quickly explained that she had only been waitressing for 3 weeks but that the food was way better than her service. She was actually a full time paramedic who was waitressing as a new challenge. By her taking the time to share this with us it endeared her to us and we were quite willing to be patient and offer our feedback. And, as I said to Tim, I could never imagine being able to waitress myself so I have a lot of respect for those who attempt this.
I ordered a bloody caesar to start. I feel this is one of the basic measures of a good restaurant. Tim had a glass of chianti. Both were perfect. And my caesar had 2 spicy green beans as garnish - my favorite! They also served us bread with olive oil and balsamic for dipping, another of our favorites. We were off to a good start. And the large table behind Tim was about to leave so there was hope that the noise level would drop soon.
Tim ordered the calamari to start and I ordered the mussels. I only ordered the mussels because usually the calamari is a relatively small order. Not here! It was huge. Had we known that I wouldn't have ordered the mussels too. However, they were delicious. They had a cream wine sauce with basil that was amazing. The calamari was obviously seasoned with course salt because we would actually bite into a piece of salt while eating them. Now if you remember, we eat low sodium at home which means we are a little salt sensitive. Tim told our waitress because really the calamari should have been salted with a finer salt, even a plain kosher salt would have been better. Tim figured this was a course sea salt. It may have had more to do with the fact that the calamari may not have been salted as soon as it came out of the fryer so the salt didn't melt into the calamari like it should have. We also recognized that we may have to start asking for the chef to leave off the last seasoning of salt because of our own sensitivity. Anyway, the calamari itself in the batter was a good texture, not too chewy. We had the remainder of it wrapped to take home because it was just too much food and we didn't want to spoil our appetite for the main course.
We didn't order salads because there was creme brulee on the dessert menu. However I saw a bunch of the salads come out to other tables and I will definitely be trying one next time. They looked divine.
I should tell you about our dining neighbors because they were moderately amusing. I wouldn't normally but I'm pretty sure they won't be reading this and there are some good lessons to be learned from their night out. First of all they were seated after us with wine in their hands so they had obviously had to wait to have their table prepared. There were 4 of them. From what I could tell, a couple, the sister and the mother. We had reservations for 7:30. Even if they had their reservations for 7, it is still way too late to be taking out Granny. When dining out with your beloved elderly mother or grandmother, make reservations for no later than 5pm. Older folks tend to be on an earlier schedule. This poor woman looked as though she was going to fall asleep in her chair while her dining companions proceeded to sling back the wine and behave badly... When I say they behaved badly, well aside from the basic disregard for Granny needs, they sent back the caeser salad which I drooled over when it came out. It was not a diner caeser salad, no this was a gourmet caesar salad with big freshly toasted croutons and beautiful crisp green romaine. I think their complaint was how the dressing was placed on the salad. I believe it was drizzled and they wanted it tossed. I'm not sure why they hadn't gone to East Side Marios, especially when I heard them order the lasagna. Why bother going to an upscale Italian restaurant if all you want is lasagna? Mind you, every good Italian restaurant in North American must have it on their menu but all 4 of them order it. So you could tell they were really gourmet connoisseurs...
Things were moving slowly as we waited for our main course. We had ordered a bottle of wine and neither of us was driving home so we were quite content to drink our wine and enjoy each other's company. However, the table next to us were missing Granny's med time and were getting antsy. The gentleman went to complain to the manager and felt quite vindicated when, as he returned to his seat, their meals appeared. The lasagnas were individually baked so while the gentleman was convinced that complaining to the manager made their meals appear, the truth is it was just coincidence that they came out of the oven at the same time. At this point he felt compelled to tell the waitress that he was from Nova Scotia. I'm not sure what that proved but as a fellow bluenoser I was embarrassed. And then he went on to state that they were reviewers. Okay no reviewer ever reveals himself like that. It was quite laughable and Tim and I were quite entertained.
We were offered complimentary drinks for the wait since we had polished off our bottle of wine. This is always a nice touch when the service isn't going smoothly. Nothing like free booze to make your customers happy! Our meals arrived, Tim had the beef tenderloin with wine sauce and gorgonzola while I had the salmon stuffed with shrimp and scallop puree. It was totally worth the wait! And this is an important point - if you make your customers wait, it better be perfect when it gets there! We both cleaned our plates.
We were too full of wine to have room for dessert. The chef came out to say hello. But this time there was only us and one other table left in the restaurant. Apparently he had just come back from catering. It's a hard call to make for a lot of these folks in the restaurant business in small markets like Moncton. When it's busy you have to try and do it all because in a small market it can be slow for a long time. It turned out that the kitchen had a hot water problem halfway through service and the chefs in the kitchen were panicking. I thought the service was just slow because they had been only open for 4 months and getting the timing down to keep meals running smoothly is truly an art. My point here is to tell your customers what is going on. You'd be surprised at how most of them will be understanding. Life happens. We still had an excellent meal.
And then the chef sang for us. This chef is known as the "Singing Chef" and he was quite good. At the end of the evening when the bill came we were shocked. We had a full evening for under $125! Tim tipped the waitress well and made sure he told the chef what a great job she had done. We'll be back!
On a side note, on the cab ride home we were also sang too. Seems our cabbie was a long time singer songwriter. Tim and I just may have to get out more often.
Mac and Cheese Tip
Everyone knows I am a big fan of freezing meals for eating later when life is short on time or I just don't feel like cooking. This week we had a meal I wasn't thrilled with. I had made macaroni and cheese a few months ago and put one square aluminum pan in the freezer. I took it out this week and baked it. It was toooooooo dry. And not very cheesy. I've talked about freezing your pasta separately from sauces and soups because they tend to continue to absorb the liquid until completely frozen, making for mushy pasta and gloopy soup. Well I think this also applies to some casseroles. In the future I will make my cheese sauce and boil up my macaroni but I will stop there. I'll freeze them separately. When I'm ready eat the meal at a later date, I'll defrost both the pasta and the sauce and then combine them in a pan for baking. If it gives a nice creamy casserole then it is definitely work the effort!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Crepes! They aren't just for breakfast!
Here is a fun idea for the whole family or for a romantic evening in.... Crepes! They aren't that terribly complicated and you can put almost anything inside of them. We used a simple recipe of 1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups of skim milk
2 Tbsp melted butter
Mix it all together. You should have a thin batter. You don't need a crepe pan, any frying pan will do. Heat the pan to medium and spray it with a little cooking spray. You should put the batter in the middle of the pan and then sort of swirl it around. You want to cover the bottom of the pan. It will most likely take you a couple of tries to get a nice crepe but even Julia Child used to throw out the first one she made out of each batch! So don't get frustrated. Once you get the hang of it you'll be fine. This recipe makes about 10 - 10" crepes. They freeze well so don't worry if you aren't going to eat them all at one meal.
The recipe I used was inspired from the cookbook "A New England Table", a great resource for home style recipes.
The nice part about crepes is that each family member can make their own. So if you have picky kids they can just put add the ingredients they like to their crepes.
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups of skim milk
2 Tbsp melted butter
Mix it all together. You should have a thin batter. You don't need a crepe pan, any frying pan will do. Heat the pan to medium and spray it with a little cooking spray. You should put the batter in the middle of the pan and then sort of swirl it around. You want to cover the bottom of the pan. It will most likely take you a couple of tries to get a nice crepe but even Julia Child used to throw out the first one she made out of each batch! So don't get frustrated. Once you get the hang of it you'll be fine. This recipe makes about 10 - 10" crepes. They freeze well so don't worry if you aren't going to eat them all at one meal.
The recipe I used was inspired from the cookbook "A New England Table", a great resource for home style recipes.
We had crepes because I had bought some lovely asparagus at the grocery store and Tim isn't a big fan of them just steamed or sauteed with garlic so I wanted to dress them up a little. We had leftover ham from Christmas in the freezer so we pulled it out to go with the asparagus. Then I made a "mock" Hollandaise sauce.
Mix 1 cup of milk with 1 Tbsp of cornstarch and 1 egg yolk. Heat them in a pan over low -medium heat, stirring until thick. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1 Tbsp of butter, 2 1/2 Tbsp of lemon juice, 1/2 tsp of dijon mustard, 1 tbsp of sour cream and a pinch of salt and pepper.
I sauteed the asparagus and ham, which I had cut into strips. We then assembled the crepes by putting in some asparagus, ham, shredded mozzarella and mock Hollandaise sauce. The important thing is for everything to be warm. That way the cheese melts all through it.
The nice part about crepes is that each family member can make their own. So if you have picky kids they can just put add the ingredients they like to their crepes.
Turning Leftovers into a Frittata
How many of us had a nice "cooked" dinner yesterday? Being part Newfoundlander, it is a tradition in my family to have a nice big dinner on Sundays with all the fixin's. Usually there is a roast chicken, beef or pork with mashed potatoes, turnip and carrots. There may be some greens, turnip tops or green peas. Gravy is a must. All these things freeze reasonably well which is convenient for quick meals at a later date. However, how about trying something different with the leftovers on Monday night? I'll often take the leftover veggies, sometimes the meat too, and make it all into a Frittata (which is basically Italian for omelet). Due to the fact that the eggs add protein to the dish, I often leave the leftover meat out, using it instead for sandwiches for weekday lunches. And I put away the gravy in the freezer for making meat pies at another time. There is no place for gravy in this frittata unless you are feeling super adventurous...
All I do is fry some onions in a non-stick pan with some cooking spray. Add in the veggies, dice up any veggies that are big. You want everything to be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. If you mashed your potatoes and/or turnip, don't worry, just add them to the pan as is. I like to get the veggies browned a bit over medium high heat. Stir over 4 to 6 beaten eggs. I like to add some cheese too. Mozzarella or cheddar work well as do ricotta or even cottage cheese. Yes I'm serious! Put a lid on the pan if you have one. It will be quite thick and a lid will help it cook through quicker with the steam. If your pan is oven safe you can also put it in the oven for about 10 - 15 minutes at 350.
And that's it! There is your Monday night dinner. Quick, delicious and nutritious. Anything the kids don't like? Make smaller ones for each person or just a separate one for the kids. And if you are lucky you'll have leftovers for lunch on Tuesday.
All I do is fry some onions in a non-stick pan with some cooking spray. Add in the veggies, dice up any veggies that are big. You want everything to be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. If you mashed your potatoes and/or turnip, don't worry, just add them to the pan as is. I like to get the veggies browned a bit over medium high heat. Stir over 4 to 6 beaten eggs. I like to add some cheese too. Mozzarella or cheddar work well as do ricotta or even cottage cheese. Yes I'm serious! Put a lid on the pan if you have one. It will be quite thick and a lid will help it cook through quicker with the steam. If your pan is oven safe you can also put it in the oven for about 10 - 15 minutes at 350.
And that's it! There is your Monday night dinner. Quick, delicious and nutritious. Anything the kids don't like? Make smaller ones for each person or just a separate one for the kids. And if you are lucky you'll have leftovers for lunch on Tuesday.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Bogart's Restaurant Review
When your dinner companion asks you at the end of the evening "was that really worth $125?", you have to question your restaurant selection. For years now we have had a "like" versus "not so crazy about it" relationship with Bogart's. I used to live close by so it was great fun to stroll over for a good bloody caesar and a nice appetizer. They used to make a great hummus back in the days before Tim made his own. Then they changed the menu. Tim was so disappointed at the time that we stopped going.
Every once in a while we give Bogart's another try. They have a solid menu of fine dining classics. Veal Osso Bucco, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Rack of Lamb, Roast Duck, etc. Last week we tried it again. They always make a fuss about having reservations. In the city of Moncton a reservation on a weeknight for 2 people is rarely needed unless you are going to the Windjammer or Pastelli's. Few other restaurants are that busy during the week. I called ahead. This time they had lost our reservation in the 30 minutes that elapsed between the time we called and the time we showed up there. They were still able to seat us given that the restaurant was only about 20% full.
We were served drinks fairly quickly which as you all know is one of my pet peeves. Don't leave me sitting there without a cocktail! I can eat at home and have a cocktail in my hand in a timely manner! The bloody caesar was okay but not one of the better ones I have had. Tim ordered a brandy and the waitress had to bring out the whole selection for him to pick one because she knew nothing about brandy. Okay, I could let that slide.
Tim ordered the fish chowder as a starter and I ordered the roasted duck salad. We never got our bread until we already had our appetizers on the table. And we had to move our own bread plates out of the way for the waitress to put our appetizers down. These are little things but when you are paying fine dining prices, you should expect fine dining service. She kept saying how I was the first one who had ever ordered a duck salad in the 6 months since she had been there. That should have been a sign.... I now know why no one orders it. It was mostly salad with a little duck that was basically tasteless. The greens were nice and there were lots of them. The dressing was lovely too. But there was really no need for the duck. Except that it was called a "duck" salad. And for $12.99, I wanted to taste some good duck! I was a little disappointed. Tim's chowder, on the other hand, was fantastic. Full of flavour and rich. It even had corn in it which Tim does not like but he thoroughly enjoyed it anyway.
For our main courses, Tim ordered the Chicken Aphrodite. It was an interesting dish of chicken stuffed with walnuts and cooking in phyllo pastry. It had a sweetness about it. It was interesting but Tim was full after the chowder so he was a little disappointed that he couldn't enjoy his main dish more. This is why sometimes we just go out for appetizers or don't bother ordered them if we are being sensible.
I had fillet of sole stuffed with shrimp and crab. It tasted just like the ones you can get at the Costco. Isn't that a terrible thing to say?! But I've had the ones from the freezer at the Costco and they are pretty darn good. Now we should point out here that the kitchen at Bogart's is open for all to see so I'm pretty sure they aren't whipping out boxes from the Costco. The fillet was served on a bed of creamed leeks and spinach which was divine. I also had the rosemary mashed potatoes which were lovely.
We shared a bottle of Germany Pieroth Riesling, had cocktails to start but no dessert. So was the meal worth $125. For us I'd have to so no. I can do most of the dishes at home but I am The Gourmet Goddess. For most folks looking for the fine dining standards, this is a good place to go and it's not too fussy so you won't feel embarrassed if you don't know which fork to use.
If you have a different view or something to say, leave a comment. We all work hard for our entertainment dollar so let's share our experiences!
Every once in a while we give Bogart's another try. They have a solid menu of fine dining classics. Veal Osso Bucco, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Rack of Lamb, Roast Duck, etc. Last week we tried it again. They always make a fuss about having reservations. In the city of Moncton a reservation on a weeknight for 2 people is rarely needed unless you are going to the Windjammer or Pastelli's. Few other restaurants are that busy during the week. I called ahead. This time they had lost our reservation in the 30 minutes that elapsed between the time we called and the time we showed up there. They were still able to seat us given that the restaurant was only about 20% full.
We were served drinks fairly quickly which as you all know is one of my pet peeves. Don't leave me sitting there without a cocktail! I can eat at home and have a cocktail in my hand in a timely manner! The bloody caesar was okay but not one of the better ones I have had. Tim ordered a brandy and the waitress had to bring out the whole selection for him to pick one because she knew nothing about brandy. Okay, I could let that slide.
Tim ordered the fish chowder as a starter and I ordered the roasted duck salad. We never got our bread until we already had our appetizers on the table. And we had to move our own bread plates out of the way for the waitress to put our appetizers down. These are little things but when you are paying fine dining prices, you should expect fine dining service. She kept saying how I was the first one who had ever ordered a duck salad in the 6 months since she had been there. That should have been a sign.... I now know why no one orders it. It was mostly salad with a little duck that was basically tasteless. The greens were nice and there were lots of them. The dressing was lovely too. But there was really no need for the duck. Except that it was called a "duck" salad. And for $12.99, I wanted to taste some good duck! I was a little disappointed. Tim's chowder, on the other hand, was fantastic. Full of flavour and rich. It even had corn in it which Tim does not like but he thoroughly enjoyed it anyway.
For our main courses, Tim ordered the Chicken Aphrodite. It was an interesting dish of chicken stuffed with walnuts and cooking in phyllo pastry. It had a sweetness about it. It was interesting but Tim was full after the chowder so he was a little disappointed that he couldn't enjoy his main dish more. This is why sometimes we just go out for appetizers or don't bother ordered them if we are being sensible.
I had fillet of sole stuffed with shrimp and crab. It tasted just like the ones you can get at the Costco. Isn't that a terrible thing to say?! But I've had the ones from the freezer at the Costco and they are pretty darn good. Now we should point out here that the kitchen at Bogart's is open for all to see so I'm pretty sure they aren't whipping out boxes from the Costco. The fillet was served on a bed of creamed leeks and spinach which was divine. I also had the rosemary mashed potatoes which were lovely.
We shared a bottle of Germany Pieroth Riesling, had cocktails to start but no dessert. So was the meal worth $125. For us I'd have to so no. I can do most of the dishes at home but I am The Gourmet Goddess. For most folks looking for the fine dining standards, this is a good place to go and it's not too fussy so you won't feel embarrassed if you don't know which fork to use.
If you have a different view or something to say, leave a comment. We all work hard for our entertainment dollar so let's share our experiences!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Braised Dinners - Quick and Easy
I love winter but even I feel like it's dragging on at this point. Here is a meal I like to make to help me cope with those cold nights. Braising doesn't take a lot of effort and is a great way to make an inexpensive and perhaps not so tender piece of meat melt in your mouth. The smells of the dish simmering away in the oven will fill your whole house with warmth.
For this recipe I'm going to show you how to braise chicken legs but you could use beef, pork, lamb or turkey. You do want something on the bone as this will help flavour the dish. I cut off any visible fat or skin to help lower the fat content.
Braising consists of 3 simple steps - 1. Brown 2. Add everything to the pot 3. Simmer.
First we brown our meat. Use a 1-2 Tbsp of oil. Heat it in an oven safe frying pan with straight sides and a lid like I have here or use a dutch oven (biggest pot out of your set with 2 handles). If you don't have either then do all you work on the stove in a pan and transfer everything to a round casserole dish before you put it in the oven. You must have a properly fitting lid - this is a must! Heat the oil to medium high. Brown your meat on both sides, about 5 minutes each. Remove them from the pan and put them on a plate to add back in later.
For this recipe I'm going to show you how to braise chicken legs but you could use beef, pork, lamb or turkey. You do want something on the bone as this will help flavour the dish. I cut off any visible fat or skin to help lower the fat content.
Braising consists of 3 simple steps - 1. Brown 2. Add everything to the pot 3. Simmer.
First we brown our meat. Use a 1-2 Tbsp of oil. Heat it in an oven safe frying pan with straight sides and a lid like I have here or use a dutch oven (biggest pot out of your set with 2 handles). If you don't have either then do all you work on the stove in a pan and transfer everything to a round casserole dish before you put it in the oven. You must have a properly fitting lid - this is a must! Heat the oil to medium high. Brown your meat on both sides, about 5 minutes each. Remove them from the pan and put them on a plate to add back in later.
Next brown your aromatics - onion, celery, carrots, garlic, ginger, whatever you want. I used onion and carrots in this dish. 
Once they are brown add in your liquid, herbs and flavorings. I used a small can of diced tomatoes, 1 cup of red wine, 2 cloves of garlic, chopped rosemary and a smidge of anchovy paste. Stir it all to blend well and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. You should still have the pot on the stove so it should all start to simmer together. Add back in your chicken. 
Now you are ready to go to the oven. Preheat your oven to 350. Cover your dish and cook it for 40 -50 minutes until the meat is falling off the bone. That's it! That's dinner. You can serve this over rice, pasta, couscous, potatoes, whatever you feel like. Make your own combinations. Just Brown, Mix it all together and Simmer. That's braising!
The nice part about this dish is that it is truly elegant enough for company and you can have it in the oven before dinner guests arrive. But it is also quick and easy enough for a week night. You could even brown everything the night before and even have it all mixed together in a container in your fridge, just put it in a oven safe pot or casserole when you get home, cover it and pop it in the oven. You will have to cook it a little longer to allow time for the food to warm up from fridge temperature. I'd add 10 minutes to the cooking time.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Perfect Weekend Indian Chili
Why does chili have to be Tex-Mex inspired? If you have a crock pot and some ground meat, you can make all sorts of variations of chili. This one is easy to assemble and if you don’t want to wait all day for it to cook, put it in a big pot on the stove and it will cook in about an hour. Remember though, all chilies – no matter what the variety – taste better after they have sat a while. So think about making this a day or 2 before you want to eat it.
I used all frozen veggies in this. During the winter months I find frozen veggies tastier. And it is definitely more convenient!
Serves 8
Ingredients
• 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 inch piece of ginger, chopped fine
• 2 tsp or 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 lb, 454 g ground lamb, extra lean beef or buffalo
• 540ml can of chickpeas
• 14 oz./398ml can of tomato sauce, no salt added
• 1 cup low sodium beef broth
• 2 Tbsp Curry Powder
• ½ Tbsp 13 Spice Curry Blend or ½ tsp each – cumin, coriander, chili powder and turmeric
• 4 cups frozen cauliflower
• 2 cups frozen diced turnip or one small fresh turnip, diced small
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 1 cup fat free yogurt
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat
2. Sauté the onion and ginger until softened, about 3 minutes
3. Add in the garlic and cook one more minute. Empty the pan into the crock pot
4. Return the pan to the stove. Brown the ground meat. If using lamb, drain it and rinse under hot water to remove the excess fat. Add it into the crock pot.
5. Add the next 7 ingredients to the crock pot (from the chickpeas through to turnip)
6. Cook for 4 -6 hours on high or up to 8 hours on low
7. Right before serving, stir in the peas.
8. Put a dollop of yogurt on each bowlful before serving.
9. Enjoy!
This dish freezes beautifully. If you want to lower the fat content then go with the extra lean beef or buffalo. You may need more broth if you are using fresh veggies or are cooking this on the stove. Just be sure this is enough liquid to cover the other ingredients.
Serve with mashed potatoes or basmati rice, white or brown.
Nutritional Information Main Servings with Ground Lamb: 323 Calories, 14g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 37 mg Cholesterol, 400mg Sodium, 8g Fiber, 32g Carbohydrates
I used all frozen veggies in this. During the winter months I find frozen veggies tastier. And it is definitely more convenient!
Serves 8
Ingredients
• 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 inch piece of ginger, chopped fine
• 2 tsp or 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 lb, 454 g ground lamb, extra lean beef or buffalo
• 540ml can of chickpeas
• 14 oz./398ml can of tomato sauce, no salt added
• 1 cup low sodium beef broth
• 2 Tbsp Curry Powder
• ½ Tbsp 13 Spice Curry Blend or ½ tsp each – cumin, coriander, chili powder and turmeric
• 4 cups frozen cauliflower
• 2 cups frozen diced turnip or one small fresh turnip, diced small
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 1 cup fat free yogurt
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat
2. Sauté the onion and ginger until softened, about 3 minutes
3. Add in the garlic and cook one more minute. Empty the pan into the crock pot
4. Return the pan to the stove. Brown the ground meat. If using lamb, drain it and rinse under hot water to remove the excess fat. Add it into the crock pot.
5. Add the next 7 ingredients to the crock pot (from the chickpeas through to turnip)
6. Cook for 4 -6 hours on high or up to 8 hours on low
7. Right before serving, stir in the peas.
8. Put a dollop of yogurt on each bowlful before serving.
9. Enjoy!
This dish freezes beautifully. If you want to lower the fat content then go with the extra lean beef or buffalo. You may need more broth if you are using fresh veggies or are cooking this on the stove. Just be sure this is enough liquid to cover the other ingredients.
Serve with mashed potatoes or basmati rice, white or brown.
Nutritional Information Main Servings with Ground Lamb: 323 Calories, 14g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 37 mg Cholesterol, 400mg Sodium, 8g Fiber, 32g Carbohydrates
We ate in?! The Signature Fish Dish, Roasted Veggies and Smashed Potatoes
Last night we had a meal that was elegant enough to be from a restaurant yet simple and quick enough to put on the table after a long week. And most of it came out of my freezer! The meal consisted of my signature wrapped haddock, roasted brussel sprouts (other veggies work well here if you don't like brussel sprouts - but why not? what did a brussel sprout ever do to you?!) and smashed crispy potatoes.
First we start with the potatoes. These are fresh, not frozen. You need to give them a wash then boil or microwave them until soft. Not quite ready to eat soft but soft enough so you can poke them with a fork and then smash them down. Use a dish towel and place the potato inside. Now use the palm of your hand to squish the potato down to about 1/2 inch thick. Put the smashed potatoes on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil and then a layer of parchment paper if you have it. Sprinkle on Olive Oil and salt or salt substitute. They get cooked in a 425 oven for 30 minutes.
Next we prepared the brussel sprouts. I used frozen brussel sprouts - much easier. Just toss them with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a little pinch of salt or salt substitute. The can cook in the same oven as the potatoes during the last 15 minutes. You could also use frozen asparagus but it will only take 5 minutes in the oven.
Now on to the fish. The fish cooks at 350 for 15 minutes or so. The rule is 10 minutes per inch of thickness of the fish. All I do is smear some Laughing Cow light cheese on the top. If you don't have this then use light cream cheese. Want to shake it up some - use a flavoured light cream cheese like herb and garlic or vegetable! You only need about a Tablespoon per fillet. Lay a slice of prosciutto on top of each fillet. That's it. Put it in the oven. I have a toaster oven so I used it to cook the fish while the potatoes and brussel sprouts were in the big hotter oven. Once the fish was done I topped it with some shredded parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of fresh basil which I had on hand. It's optional. 
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Valentine's Day Dinner- Creme Brulee
Last night we stayed in for Valentine's Day. As my rant from yesterday states - we went out the night before Valentine's Day for dinner. But just because we weren't going out doesn't mean we weren't planning a nice evening in. Oh contrare. I had a great menu planned. Raw Oysters on the half shell, Rack of Lamb Persille on my signature creamy spinach and for dessert, Creme Brulee. We love Creme Brulee and I figured as an experienced cook, I should be able to handle making it myself. Honestly, I was pretty worried that I'd screw it up.
First off I had to shuck the oysters. I had picked up an oyster knife a while ago because the very first year Tim and I shared Valentine's day I had made oysters and didn't have a proper knife to open them with. So this year I was all set. It isn't that terribly hard. The box of oysters didn't look pretty but only one out of the 14 I shucked was bad. It was easy to tell it was bad because I could smell it before I even got the shell fully open. What a stink! One of the serious advantages of having oysters out in a restaurant - you don't have to deal with the bad oysters. It can ruin your appetite. But we persevered and it was worth it. We had them with a little cocktail sauce and they were great. We also had a bottle of Italian Champagne - Prosecco with it. Oh my god, it was perfect. If you haven't tried this sparkling wine I highly recommend it. Smoooooth
Next we had our rack of lamb. I just drizzled it with lemon juice and rubbed chopped rosemary and bread crumbs on it. I cooked it at 400 for 15 minutes and then reduced the temp to 325 for another 10 minutes. We like it rare but you could cook it longer. I made my signature spinach dish to go with it (I'll enter that recipe as a separate blog entry). We had a nice Shiraz with it.
For dessert we had creme brulee, my first attempt at making it even though I've had all the necessary tools for a couple of years now. You must have a small kitchen torch to make this properly. Although a long lighter may work. It was really easy to do! The ingredients are simple
For 2 Creme Brulee
Just under 1 cup of whipping cream
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract, the real stuff, not the imitation stuff
Rock sugar or regular to sprinkle on the top.
Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it starts to simmer. I added in the vanilla with the cream.
Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and cream in a medium bowl.
Once the cream starts to simmer, take it off the stove and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Add a small amount of the cream to the egg yolk mixture, whisking quickly. This is called tempering the eggs. You are trying to bring them up to temperature without scrambling them. It's really easy.
I then added a little more cream into the eggs a second time just to be sure I wasn't going to scramble them before I added all the cream. Then I added all the cream. All the while whisking away. But try not to whisk in bubble or you'll end up with a bubbly top on your custards (which is what the creme brulees are, a custard)
Pour the mixture into small au gratin dishes for each serving.
Boil a kettle of water. You will put the dishes in a bigger baking dish and then pour the water in the bigger baking dish to a depth of 2/3 up the side of the littler dishes with the creme brulee in it. I put the whole thing on the oven rack before I pour in the water.
Bake at 300 for 40 - 50 minutes until the custard is firm. Take it out and let it fully cool. We put ours out in the snow after it had come to room temp.
Sprinkle with sugar and light your torch! The most sober person should do this job. I put ours on a tea towel to protect the countertop. You heat the sugar until it is golden brown and you have a nice crust.
First off I had to shuck the oysters. I had picked up an oyster knife a while ago because the very first year Tim and I shared Valentine's day I had made oysters and didn't have a proper knife to open them with. So this year I was all set. It isn't that terribly hard. The box of oysters didn't look pretty but only one out of the 14 I shucked was bad. It was easy to tell it was bad because I could smell it before I even got the shell fully open. What a stink! One of the serious advantages of having oysters out in a restaurant - you don't have to deal with the bad oysters. It can ruin your appetite. But we persevered and it was worth it. We had them with a little cocktail sauce and they were great. We also had a bottle of Italian Champagne - Prosecco with it. Oh my god, it was perfect. If you haven't tried this sparkling wine I highly recommend it. Smoooooth
Next we had our rack of lamb. I just drizzled it with lemon juice and rubbed chopped rosemary and bread crumbs on it. I cooked it at 400 for 15 minutes and then reduced the temp to 325 for another 10 minutes. We like it rare but you could cook it longer. I made my signature spinach dish to go with it (I'll enter that recipe as a separate blog entry). We had a nice Shiraz with it.
For dessert we had creme brulee, my first attempt at making it even though I've had all the necessary tools for a couple of years now. You must have a small kitchen torch to make this properly. Although a long lighter may work. It was really easy to do! The ingredients are simple
For 2 Creme Brulee
Just under 1 cup of whipping cream
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract, the real stuff, not the imitation stuff
Rock sugar or regular to sprinkle on the top.
Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it starts to simmer. I added in the vanilla with the cream.
Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and cream in a medium bowl.
Once the cream starts to simmer, take it off the stove and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Add a small amount of the cream to the egg yolk mixture, whisking quickly. This is called tempering the eggs. You are trying to bring them up to temperature without scrambling them. It's really easy.
I then added a little more cream into the eggs a second time just to be sure I wasn't going to scramble them before I added all the cream. Then I added all the cream. All the while whisking away. But try not to whisk in bubble or you'll end up with a bubbly top on your custards (which is what the creme brulees are, a custard)
Pour the mixture into small au gratin dishes for each serving.
Boil a kettle of water. You will put the dishes in a bigger baking dish and then pour the water in the bigger baking dish to a depth of 2/3 up the side of the littler dishes with the creme brulee in it. I put the whole thing on the oven rack before I pour in the water.
Bake at 300 for 40 - 50 minutes until the custard is firm. Take it out and let it fully cool. We put ours out in the snow after it had come to room temp.
Sprinkle with sugar and light your torch! The most sober person should do this job. I put ours on a tea towel to protect the countertop. You heat the sugar until it is golden brown and you have a nice crust.
I forgot to get a picture until I had half eaten mine. It was delish!! We finished it off with a nice glass of port. What a lovely evening.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Maverick's
I thought I had already written about the move Maverick's has made but I can't seem to find it in the archives which is fine since we went again last night and I have more to say.
For those of you who don't know yet, Maverick's has moved from it's downtown location to the Future Inn on Mapleton Road. I was concerned that it would have lost it's charm. It's different for sure. But is some ways it was a good change. There is more seating which was why when we decided to drop in for dinner last night we didn't worry about having a reservation. Tuesday night before Valentine's day didn't seem like a big dinner out kind of night. We ended up waiting a good 20 minutes for a table. However, this was not because they were full by any stretch of the imagination. They tried to put us at a table along the wall where everyone is lined up but I don't like those seats. There is no privacy and since Tim was in the mood to complain about work, I figured privacy was best. They have booths and nice tables in 2 rooms in the back. We could have a better table but we'd have to wait. It seemed the hostess was seriously overwhelmed. I didn't recognize her so I assumed she was new.
She finally seated us amongst many empty tables...and without a wine menu! Number one rule of fine dining - never let your customers sit for more than 5 minutes without someone taking their drink order. Hard to do when we weren't even given a menu to choose from. We waited for about 10 minutes when someone came over and asked if we had been looked after. Apparently the server who approached our table had been told we had been when in fact, we had not. I was not impressed. She did not get us a wine menu or take our drink orders but told us she would send someone over. Unacceptable. When our server finally came over I was losing my patience. When I go out to dinner I want a glass of wine in my hand immediately! This server took our food order and then brought us a wine menu. Okay, that order is wrong but at least there was a sign of hope that we'd get something tonight.
Now here is the clincher. We got our appetizers before we got our drinks! I'm a huge fan of wine and food pairing. I had ordered a pinot grigio to go with our calamari and all I had was water to drink with it. When the server finally showed up with my wine I asked if they were seriously understaffed tonight. She told me no! Now I should mention that one of the chefs was out on the floor serving food. That was definitely a sign that they were understaffed. And I can appreciate that sometimes life happens. But if they weren't understaffed then they had to be seriously incompetent. Maverick's, as one of the better places to eat in town, should also have excellent service. And for years they have had excellent service. Which left me wondering if the move from fine dining establishment to hotel restaurant hadn't hit them in the service department. I have a hard time with poor service when I eat out. Remember, I can make most of these meals at home so when I go out it's for the luxury of having someone else provide the experience for me.
The meal itself was good as expected. On our way out the hostess mentioned that they were short staffed. Apparently she had been there since 6 AM! Okay so that explains why she didn't seem on the ball. It was sheer exhaustion! Why our server denied this, I do not know. I would have appreciated her situation much more and not made the assumption that they had a bunch of incompetent people working if she had just shared the truth with us.
Moral of the story may be to wait until Valentine's day to go out for dinner. The hostess told us they were fully staffed for Valentine's day and they were fully booked. The jury is still out about this move Maverick's has made. Some of it's charm is definitely gone and it seems some of it's more experienced staff is too although I think, due to the longer hours the restaurant is now open to accommodate the hotel guests, that they are spread out more during the day. They do need to work on things a bit. I overheard someone say last night that there is a Keg restaurant going in a new building downtown. That will be serious competition for the steak crowd here in Moncton.
For those of you who don't know yet, Maverick's has moved from it's downtown location to the Future Inn on Mapleton Road. I was concerned that it would have lost it's charm. It's different for sure. But is some ways it was a good change. There is more seating which was why when we decided to drop in for dinner last night we didn't worry about having a reservation. Tuesday night before Valentine's day didn't seem like a big dinner out kind of night. We ended up waiting a good 20 minutes for a table. However, this was not because they were full by any stretch of the imagination. They tried to put us at a table along the wall where everyone is lined up but I don't like those seats. There is no privacy and since Tim was in the mood to complain about work, I figured privacy was best. They have booths and nice tables in 2 rooms in the back. We could have a better table but we'd have to wait. It seemed the hostess was seriously overwhelmed. I didn't recognize her so I assumed she was new.
She finally seated us amongst many empty tables...and without a wine menu! Number one rule of fine dining - never let your customers sit for more than 5 minutes without someone taking their drink order. Hard to do when we weren't even given a menu to choose from. We waited for about 10 minutes when someone came over and asked if we had been looked after. Apparently the server who approached our table had been told we had been when in fact, we had not. I was not impressed. She did not get us a wine menu or take our drink orders but told us she would send someone over. Unacceptable. When our server finally came over I was losing my patience. When I go out to dinner I want a glass of wine in my hand immediately! This server took our food order and then brought us a wine menu. Okay, that order is wrong but at least there was a sign of hope that we'd get something tonight.
Now here is the clincher. We got our appetizers before we got our drinks! I'm a huge fan of wine and food pairing. I had ordered a pinot grigio to go with our calamari and all I had was water to drink with it. When the server finally showed up with my wine I asked if they were seriously understaffed tonight. She told me no! Now I should mention that one of the chefs was out on the floor serving food. That was definitely a sign that they were understaffed. And I can appreciate that sometimes life happens. But if they weren't understaffed then they had to be seriously incompetent. Maverick's, as one of the better places to eat in town, should also have excellent service. And for years they have had excellent service. Which left me wondering if the move from fine dining establishment to hotel restaurant hadn't hit them in the service department. I have a hard time with poor service when I eat out. Remember, I can make most of these meals at home so when I go out it's for the luxury of having someone else provide the experience for me.
The meal itself was good as expected. On our way out the hostess mentioned that they were short staffed. Apparently she had been there since 6 AM! Okay so that explains why she didn't seem on the ball. It was sheer exhaustion! Why our server denied this, I do not know. I would have appreciated her situation much more and not made the assumption that they had a bunch of incompetent people working if she had just shared the truth with us.
Moral of the story may be to wait until Valentine's day to go out for dinner. The hostess told us they were fully staffed for Valentine's day and they were fully booked. The jury is still out about this move Maverick's has made. Some of it's charm is definitely gone and it seems some of it's more experienced staff is too although I think, due to the longer hours the restaurant is now open to accommodate the hotel guests, that they are spread out more during the day. They do need to work on things a bit. I overheard someone say last night that there is a Keg restaurant going in a new building downtown. That will be serious competition for the steak crowd here in Moncton.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Mexican Lasagna out of Leftovers
I took my Super Bowl Chili (which had been frozen) and made it into a Mexican Lasagna yesterday. It is really simple to do this. You only need a couple of ingredients. You can make it up and freeze it for another time. And you all know how I feel about freezing meals! It's just a great idea!!
If you don't have leftover chili, don't worry. You don't have to take the time to make some... Buy it in the can or even better yet, go through the drive through at Wendy's and order 2. Wendy's chili tastes great and is on their $1.99 menu if I'm not mistaken. It'll be the perfect substitute for the homemade leftover stuff.
This serves 4 in a square pan like the picture above.
2-3 cups of leftover chili
5 tortillas
1/2 jar of salsa
1/2 cup of corn, frozen works best.
Cheddar or tex mex cheese blend. I used some of each and I got the light cheddar.
Layer a bit of the chili in the bottom of the pan, just enough to cover the bottom. Cut to fit a layer of tortillas. Then put in the rest of the chili on top. And top with some grated cheese.
Cut to fit another layer of tortillas.
Top with the salsa and corn and some more grated cheese.
Cut to fit another layer of tortillas
Top with cheese and fresh cilantro if you want or sprinkle with some chili powder.
I used a Spanish Cheese, Queso Manchero because I had found some at the grocery store. Try any "queso" cheese if you can find it.
Oh, and by the way, this meal is low fat and nice and healthy! You can assemble it and freeze it. And you can freeze any leftovers after you cook it.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Spinach Salad - It's not just for Popeye!
Spinach salad doesn't have to be boring. Here is a simple way to stretch your creative juices without spending the whole night making dinner. For this variation on spinach salad I used toasted walnuts (yup, I toasted them for about 5 minutes on a baking sheet at 350.), dried cranberries and crumbled blue cheese.
I made a dressing out of the following:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
and with the toasted walnuts I also roasted a small shallot. If you don't have a shallot, finely slice some red onion and roast it. Or if you have neither, add a sprinkle of onion powder!
Whisk it all together and that's it!
Now isn't that a healthy looking meal! I roasted both white and sweet potatoes in the oven for 30 minutes at 350. I had some pork pieces with I just rubbed with a salt free herb mixture and sauteed in a pan. Excellent!
I made a dressing out of the following:2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
and with the toasted walnuts I also roasted a small shallot. If you don't have a shallot, finely slice some red onion and roast it. Or if you have neither, add a sprinkle of onion powder!
Whisk it all together and that's it!
Now isn't that a healthy looking meal! I roasted both white and sweet potatoes in the oven for 30 minutes at 350. I had some pork pieces with I just rubbed with a salt free herb mixture and sauteed in a pan. Excellent!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Quick and Easy Spaghetti Squash
(I don't reheat in these margarine containers, I just store in them and reheat in microwave approved dishes)I've preached about the virtues of spaghetti squash before. It's cheap, tasty and a nutritious replacement for regular spaghetti. Just cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place it cut side down on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. You can then use a fork to scrap out the spaghetti like strands. An average size squash will feed 4.
Here is a super quick way to serve spaghetti squash. We do it as the main meal but if you have a meat obsessive in the house, add a pork chop or chicken breast on the side.
Prepare the squash. This can be done the night before while you watch TV! Then it's all ready to go the next night for supper.
1 red onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic
1/3 - 1/2 a head of broccoli chopped or 2 cups frozen broccoli
2 cups of fresh spinach or one box frozen
1/2 cup light cream cheese
1/2 cup red or white wine
2 tsp Italian seasoning or 1 tsp dried basil and 1 tsp dried oregano
Saute the onion in a tbsp of olive oil until soft, add the broccoli and garlic and saute until the broccoli becomes that vibrant green colour. Add in the spinach and cook until wilted or heated through if using frozen.
Add in the cream cheese, red wine and seasoning. Mix until the cheese is melted and it's all blended. Add in the spaghetti squash and toss it all together. That's it. Dinner is done!
You end up having a plate of veggies for dinner!
If you don't like spaghetti squash simple boil some spaghetti while you are making the veggies and sauce and toss it in instead of the squash.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Super Bowl Sunday!
Are you ready for some football!!! We sing that every Sunday around here. Makes the dogs crazy... I made my chili and pineapple salsa yesterday so the flavours could meld. I still haven't added the fresh cilantro to the chili. I'll wait until just before serving to do that. I also added 1/2 a bottle of beer. It really does add a great flavor. When I open a can of chipotle peppers, I use what I need and then freeze the rest in ziplock bags. I put one pepper per bag. Most recipes only call for one so then I can just take out what I need. I also used roasted garlic in my chili so the garlic taste isn't strong.
I did the pineapple salsa in the food processor. I think I liked it better done by hand. It looked nicer but the processor made it up in a snap! 
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
No New Recipes?!
Okay, so once again I have been slack about sharing recipes. Mostly because I haven't really been cooking. Tim was away last week and so far this week he's been working late. Tomorrow I should have him home again for a while and we are determined to get back on the healthy track. Well to be honest, I've still been on the healthy track, eating out of my freezer. Tim, however, has been off track as he has been on the road which is never healthy. But we'll fix that ASAP!
On another note, Super Bowl Sunday is coming up. It's one of my favorite days of winter. Time to put on a pot of chili and chill some beer. Even if you don't love football, the commercials are worthy of tuning in. I'm going to make my chili the day before do it has extra time to let the flavors meld. And after Sunday I'm going to share with you some great recipes to make with your leftover chili. Chili also freezes beautifully so it's a great meal to make lots of and then you have healthy meals on hand! I'll finalize the recipe on Sat. and then I'll share it with you. But a priliminary list of ingredients follows:
1 lb of stew meat or simmering or marinating beef (yup, not ground meat - chunks of beef are soooo much better!!!)
1 can of black beans
1 can of kidney beans
red pepper
onion
garlic
can of tomatoes or tomato sauce depending on whether you like your chili chunky or smooth and saucy
chipotle powder
chili powder
cumin powder
dried oregano and basil
fresh cilantro
These are subject to change but that's the basics. Sometimes I add tabasco sauce too but we'll see.
I'm also going to make my healthy and super tasty - Pineapple Salsa for Super Bowl Sunday. Tim loves it and it is a great way to get some fruit into your diet. And it also does well if it sits for a day or two before eating. A great afternoon snack for the work week. Here's a quick link to the recipe - http://thegourmetgoddess.blogspot.com/2006/09/great-little-salsa-and-other-easy.html yummilicous!
On another note, Super Bowl Sunday is coming up. It's one of my favorite days of winter. Time to put on a pot of chili and chill some beer. Even if you don't love football, the commercials are worthy of tuning in. I'm going to make my chili the day before do it has extra time to let the flavors meld. And after Sunday I'm going to share with you some great recipes to make with your leftover chili. Chili also freezes beautifully so it's a great meal to make lots of and then you have healthy meals on hand! I'll finalize the recipe on Sat. and then I'll share it with you. But a priliminary list of ingredients follows:
1 lb of stew meat or simmering or marinating beef (yup, not ground meat - chunks of beef are soooo much better!!!)
1 can of black beans
1 can of kidney beans
red pepper
onion
garlic
can of tomatoes or tomato sauce depending on whether you like your chili chunky or smooth and saucy
chipotle powder
chili powder
cumin powder
dried oregano and basil
fresh cilantro
These are subject to change but that's the basics. Sometimes I add tabasco sauce too but we'll see.
I'm also going to make my healthy and super tasty - Pineapple Salsa for Super Bowl Sunday. Tim loves it and it is a great way to get some fruit into your diet. And it also does well if it sits for a day or two before eating. A great afternoon snack for the work week. Here's a quick link to the recipe - http://thegourmetgoddess.blogspot.com/2006/09/great-little-salsa-and-other-easy.html yummilicous!
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