Torn and Tossed Garlic Bread

Everybody loves the crunchy crust and soft tender bits of garlic bread – why not get more of it?

Torn garlic bread is crunchy and soft all at the same time.

Torn garlic bread is crunchy and soft all at the same time.

I had a loaf of sourdough bread and half a loaf of French bread – rather than tear it I cut it all into approximately 2 inch pieces.

Melt 1/2 cup butter, stir in 2 garlic cloves and 1 small shallot – both chopped fine. Naturally, use more garlic if you feel so inclined (and everybody is eating it…).

In a large bowl combine the melted butter, garlic and shallot mixture – add in the cubed bread, season with salt and pepper and toss well.

This is great made earlier in the day too, just let it sit and absorb all those flavours.

When you are ready to serve, spread cubes on baking sheet – take care not to overcrowd the pieces. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes just until the outside is nice and crispy, golden brown.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve – everybody will love it!

Serve this with as any side dish, or with your favorite soup or salad.

Creamy Tahini Salad Dressing

This salad dressing makes a large jar – use it on anything! So great for pasta salads, rice salads, dressed up grilled vegetables, brush it on chicken for grilling, let your imagination run wild. You will love it – something we first had with my “Red Rice Rocks”, also known as a bowl of goodness.

1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 generous tbsp tahini paste

2 cloves garlic, crushed

red chili flakes (optional)

1 1/4 – 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients except the oil in a blender – blend briefly, and then slowly drizzle in the oil until smooth and creamy.

Crispy Peanut & Sweet Chili Chicken Wings

2 pounds chicken wings
1 tbsp. oil
1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp tamarind concentrate
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp. sriracha sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ” piece of ginger, minced

Marinate chicken wings for as long as you have available – Remove from marinade (reserve marinade) then bake on a rack in preheated oven (400 or 425 convection) until golden brown and crispy – at least 30 minutes.

Heat the marinade in a small saucepan until it boils and reduces slightly.

When they are starting to get golden brown and crispy, toss them in the reduced marinade and put back on rack to get all crunchy.

Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro.

Mexican Chicken Salad

Last night I made a couple of beer can chickens with a smoky rub …. enough left over that I thought it would make a perfect Mexican Chicken Salad tonight! This would be a great vegetarian dinner, just leave out the chicken….

Mexican Chicken Salad

Dressing:
1/2 tsp Mexican Chile powder
1/2 tsp Chipotle Chile powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried mustard powder
1/4 tsp dried chile flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 minced garlic cloves
Blend well and slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup grapeseed oil.

Taste it (with a sliver of lettuce) and adjust your seasonings to your preference.

Make a green salad packed with all your favorite ingredients, ours tonight included:

red leaf lettuce
roasted corn
garden peas (uncooked, and shelled)
roasted baby spring onions
cucumber
red and yellow peppers
toasted pumpkin seeds
toasted slivered almonds
(I wish we had avocado but there weren’t any available that were perfect..)

Garnish with:

shredded white cheese
cooked and shredded chicken
crushed tortilla chips
croutons
cooked and cooked Mexican rice
(Mexican rice is easily made substituting the liquid in your rice recipe with chicken stock, a bit of tomato paste, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.

We love salads like this – arrange the toppings around the salad and everybody gets to build their own at the table.