Pork Chili Verde

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

or as Stella calls it, Mexican Green Chili!

The most fun comes when you get to dress up your chili bowl just the way you like it. Stella said it was so good she couldn’t stop eating. Magic words for Nana’s ears!!

Serves 6

2-3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-2″ pieces
lard for browning the meat
flour for dredging
salt and pepper
2 jars tomatillo salsa
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups chopped sweet peppers
1 cup diced white onion
1 cup corn
1 tin white kidney beans
1 small tin diced green chilis (use mild or spicy depending on who’s coming for dinner!)

Preheat oven to 325.

Heat the lard in a large heavy bottom saucepan. (Yes, you can use a neutral oil, but lard does add a certain level of flavour that you won’t get with neutral oil)

Season pork with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.

Fry the pork pieces a few at a time, until you have a golden crust. If you overcrowd the pan they will steam rather than get a nice carmelized crust.

Once all the pork has been browned, saute the onions and peppers, seasoning with salt and pepper while you do that, then deglaze the pan with the chicken stock. Stir in the tomatillo salsa and then return all the pork to the saucepan. Stir to combine, and then bake in the slow oven for about 3 hours, until the pork is tender and falling apart with just a touch. Stir in the beans, green chilis and corn, allow to heat through.

Bring the whole saucepan to the table and surround with toppings for everybody to help themselves.

Suggested toppings:

sliced radish
cubes of avocado
sliced jalapeno
grated cheese
crumbled taco chips
cilantro
green onions
Sour cream

Serve with a loaf of crusty bread ….. try my recipe, (No Knead bread) its quick and easy, and completes this meal perfectly.

Perfect Medium Rare Steak

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

Oh … winter… not a season we are ever going to taste a perfect grill marked steak. I’ve been working on achieving the perfect steak during the “off” season. Nailed it!

PERFECT. Pink inside, crusty outside, and drizzled with Cafe de Paris Beurre. I’m in heaven.

First step is to make your dry rub:

1 lemon – zested, and zest set aside to dry

Zest your lemon, and allow it to sit a bit, just to dry it out so it helps create the perfect crust. Do you buy lemon pepper dry rub? Stop! Just try this instead …

Combine:

freshly cracked pepper
sea salt
onion powder
garlic powder
mustard powder
paprika
raw sugar

I use all equal amounts of all these ingredients. You can certainly adjust to your own preference!

Stir to bring it all together, and once the lemon zest has dried out a bit, add it in there too.

We are lucky. I’d be the first to admit that. We dry our garlic and onion in the fall, and create our own powder. Yep, we even do paprika, this one is grilled poblano peppers. No, sorry, we didn’t create either the mustard powder or the salt and pepper. (But, does it give us extra points because we bring the sea salt home from a favourite region in Mexico??)

Pat the steaks dry – VERY important. Drizzle over a little neutral oil, and then press in the seasoning. Make sure to get the seasoning rubbed into the sides as well as top and bottom.

Got everything ready?? Just look at that marbling on the steak … that is what you are hoping for.

While the steak is coming to room temperature, heat up a pan that can handle the heat of a 400 degree oven. (this would be a great time to preheat your oven!)

Sear the steak on all sides – get it good and crusty! Pop it into a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. . . . check it carefully, you want to pull it out of the oven once the steak hits 120 degrees. Tent it with tin foil, and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

I couldn’t help myself, needed to top the steak with my Cafe de Paris Beurre ….. it makes everything better. I’ve eaten …. but want to eat it again. I think that says it all.

Served with baked potato and a simple iceberg wedge salad and I’m totally satisfied. You will be too! Give it a try. If you are able to grill all year ….. well good for you! Maybe you want to try it anyway, and see what you think??

Thai Salmon

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

It doesn’t happen often, but every so often Grant isn’t home for dinner …. and he doesn’t like salmon, so that is the first thing I think of making. Loved this spicy, tasty salmon with a bit of sauce to drizzle over rice or vegetables.

Not only was this tasty, spicy, and packed with flavour, it was super easy and didn’t require any cleanup! How fantastic is that?

1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon Sriracha, optional
2 pounds salmon
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- To make the sauce, whisk together chili sauce, soy sauce, garlic, fish sauce, ginger, lime juice and Sriracha in a small bowl; set aside.
- Place salmon onto prepared baking sheet and fold up all 4 sides of the foil. Spoon the chili sauce mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the salmon, covering completely and sealing the packet closed.

Just a few items needed, wrap this little salmon up in flavour and bake!

Preheat your oven to 375 and prep the salmon.

Drizzle with the seasoning, wrap and bake. (I lined my foil with parchment)

Pull it out of the oven and sprinkle with cilantro, green onions, peanuts and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

Looking for a quick dinner? When the grandkids are here, I sure am! This was perfect, and the girls loved it. They built their own bowls and tucked right in.

Here was my surprise for the night – Sloan put this together, and then handed it to me. “Here you go Nana, take a photo now …… it looks pretty good”. Then she handed me her cilantro before adding her vegetables and digging in. The cilantro, apparently, was only for the photo! Yes, it is the only photo I got tonight. I will have to do it again soon.

Do you know how easy it is to make your own teriyaki sauce? This recipe is so quick and simple to do you will want to keep a jar of it in the fridge all the time.

TERIYAKI SAUCE

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
4 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp ground ginger
2 – 3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp cornstarch

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Allow to boil gently just until sauce has thickened. Thin with a bit of water if necessary to have it sauce like, and not jelly like!

This jar might not look like much, but this teriyaki sauce is the bomb!

Cook rice according to instructions.

Cut about 1 pound of chicken breast into bite size pieces, and marinate with a few tablespoons of the teriyaki sauce, while you prep the rest:

Slice a variety of vegetables, whatever you like!

This could so easily be a vegetarian meal – just serve with the stir fried vegetables, or use tofu in place of the chicken.

Prep some toppings:

rough chop on cilantro
slivered green onions
toast sesame seeds

Okay, now things come together quickly!

In a hot wok or skillet, heat a neutral oil and quickly fry the chicken just until cooked through. Set aside.

Wipe out wok/skillet and heat a bit more oil. Stir fry vegetables until just crisp tender.

Set everything out and allow everybody to build their own bowls. Remember to set out your teriyaki sauce to drizzle over.

Veal Scallopini

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

Need a quick dinner idea? Here you go, you’re welcome! This veal is quick cooking, and for such a short amount of effort you won’t believe how much you are going to love it!

Served with tender fettuccine noodles and sautéed vegetables you’ve got a quick easy dinner that packs a flavourful punch.

Ingredients

2 lb. (about 12) veal cutlets, also called scaloppine, pounded until ¹⁄₄” thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¹⁄₂ cup flour
1/2 cup panko crumbs
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
¹⁄₂ cup dry white wine
1 ¹⁄₄ cups chicken stock
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
¹⁄₄ cup capers, drained
2 tbsp. chopped parsley

Instructions

Season veal with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess.

Heat 2 tbsp. butter and oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add veal, and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Transfer to a serving platter, and set aside.

Have everything ready to go when you remove the veal from the skillet, it goes quickly at this point. And … yes, make sure the wine you use is something you would be happy to drink!

Add wine to skillet, and cook, scraping bottom of pan until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add stock and lemon slices, and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Add remaining butter, juice, capers, and parsley, and season with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce over veal and serve.

No Knead Bread, it’s a miracle!

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

This bread will make you look like a kitchen boss, make no mistake about it. While you will find recipes everywhere for this ….. and they all tell you to let the dough sit for anywhere from 12-18 hours I am here to tell you you can fake it with as much time as you’ve got! Yes, you may get a “better” result in that length of time, but throw it together the same afternoon you want to eat it and it will still be a miracle.

You want to know how forgiving this is? Stella said we needed bread with the spaghetti we were having for dinner ………. so today I tossed it all together about 3:30, let it sit for an hour, and then proceeded with the baking. It was still amazing!!

I’ve been studying these recipes for no knead bread, mistrusting the whole concept. After all, generally speaking I do things the long way …. you know that, right? I think of my kitchen time as yoga, peaceful, calming and S L O W ….. Well, this hit all those boxes except for the slow part …. but it worked so well with a late night dinner. Tuesdays the grandkids have gymnastics, and I don’t get home from taking them until after 6. So, beef stew leftovers just cried for something special like this to elevate dinner. The night before I prepped the dough (took all of maybe 5 minutes) and forgot about it until after gymnastics. Pop it into the oven and you won’t believe the results.

Craggy and crusty on the outside, delicate and textured inside. I’m hooked.

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 cups room temperature water

DOUGH PREP: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and yeast together until mixed. Stir in the water until a chunky, thick dough forms. If it needs a little more water, add a few more tablespoons, just enough to get it barely wet throughout. It’s gonna look scrappy and weird and you’re going to question me on whether or not this will work, but it will. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 12-18 hours at room temperature. Overnight is ideal here, kids.

That’s it folks! Stir in the room temperature water to your dry ingredients, and let it sit. Sure doesn’t look pretty here, but just wait …..

Look what happens after it sits overnight! Soft dough, little bubbles all over and through it.

PREP FOR BAKING: When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450. Stick a 6 quart enamel coated cast iron Lodge Dutch Oven (or similar) in the oven for about 30 minutes to heat. At this point, the dough should be big and puffy and pretty loose, with little bubbles in it. Gently scrape the dough out onto a well-floured surface. (Remember: NO KNEAD.) Gently shape it into a ball with flour on the outside, set on a piece of parchment, and cover with plastic while your pan heats up.

Prep …. ha ha …. today that consists of tossing a little flour onto a piece of parchment paper, and then gently turn out your dough onto the flour. Roll it around just so that flour gets all over the surface, and under the dough. Leave it on the parchment, and gently lift the whole package by the parchment and set it into the heated pan.

BAKE: Remove the plastic from the dough. Lift the dough and parchment together into the pan so the parchment lines the bottom of the hot pan (be careful not to touch the pan since it’s very hot). Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake another 10-15 minutes to get the exterior nice and golden brown and crispy. Voila! Done. Miracle no-knead bread, you boss you.

Just a little peek of it in the dutch oven ….. I was DYING until I could peek.

Oh my …. the flavour and texture of this bread were out of this world – we loved it.

Do yourself a favour, and make bread! This really will make you feel like a boss, go for it! I recently bought a loaf of bread from a specialty bakery. It was $7.00 a loaf, and while we thought it was great, try this for pennies …. just as delicious!

I know I’ve mentioned how easy and flexible this recipe is, but now I’m going to let you know how versatile! This beautiful loaf was made by my friend AJ, with 50% buckwheat flour. It’s gorgeous, and just makes me want to try other variations. Thanks AJ!

I’ve reprinted this recipe from “Pinch of Yum” after studying these recipes for months! Seems so strange to think of a bread that doesn’t require kneading, but this couldn’t be easier, and results in a great loaf of bread. While the entire text portion is lifted from “Pinch of Yum” I’ve taken my own photos, and I’m hooked on the whole idea. Thanks!

Caesar Salad

Posted on February 26, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

Love the textures of a great Caesar salad – contrasting fresh crisp greens, crunchy bacon and croutons, soft parmesan and a creamy dressing.

Everybody needs a great Caesar dressing in their kitchen, try this one and adjust to your families taste. My grandkids don’t love garlic, so when they are over I usually go light on the garlic cloves but that’s totally up to you!

1 egg (or 1/4 cup mayonnaise)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1-3 cloves garlic
2 anchovy fillets (packed in oil)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
pinch of sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 – 3/4 cup oil (I like to use a combo of vegetable oil and really good extra virgin olive oil)
dash hot sauce (totally optional)

Combine all ingredients except oil in jar or blender. Shake/blend really well until smooth, and slowly add oil until emulsified. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper, adding more if necessary.

Everybody helps make dinner around here, and Stella is learning the fine points of knife work! Don’t worry, she quickly learned to rest the knife against her knuckles to avoid trimming her fingers……

Assembling that cheese grater has all Sloan’s attention.

Wash your lettuce leaves and spin dry (you can do this ahead of time, wrap in clean kitchen towel and keep in fridge until ready to use, it really crisps up the lettuce)
Cook bacon until crisp and crumble.
Toss stale bread chunks in olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper and toast until dry and crunchy. (This is also a great place to use dried herbs, and some garlic powder)
Grate Parmesan cheese

Toss lettuce pieces in very large bowl with the bacon, croutons and parmesan cheese. Just before serving toss with dressing just until everything has a delicious coating. Taste and squeeze a bit of lemon over if you like.

This easily goes from a side dish to a whole meal if you serve Caesar salad with grilled chicken or shrimp, and a side of garlic toast.

Cake Donuts with Fruit Glaze

Posted on February 25, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

These fun little donuts are delicious! So easy to make, and even quicker to bake. The toppings can be anything you like to suit the occasion.

I bought silicone donut molds to bake with, and they are so much fun! This recipe comes together quickly, and bakes even faster. Whatever you top them with, they are sure to be a winner. Today I did a raspberry glaze and an orange peach glaze, but I included a few others here.

Realistically you can make any toppings you like, next time I might do chocolate with toasted nuts on top ….

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup flavorless oil, like canola or vegetable
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
Sprinkles for decorating

Special equipment:

a 12-cavity donut pan and a piping bag

To make the donuts: preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Coat a 12-cavity donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl.
Always whisk your dry ingredients together first, that way you can use the same whisk for the wet ingredients.
Whisk together the egg, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and water in a medium bowl.
Yes, I’m often a bit generous with my vanilla ……
Whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir to combine.
Fill a piping bag with the batter and pipe the batter into the donut pans, filling each cavity halfway. This could get a little messy.
I used a ziplock bag and just snipped the end off.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean, about 12-14 minutes.
Check your oven at 12 minutes, if a toothpick comes out clean, you are done.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove to a rack and cool completely.
I think I might have overfilled these a touch, as they did get a little lip on them.
To decorate the donuts, dip them halfway into the glaze and then allow excess glaze to drip off. Sprinkle the tops with a little fun and enjoy.

Have you seen “Girl Meets Farm”? It is on Food Network and features Molly Yeh. Her recipes are easy to follow, usually contain simple ingredients and I love everything I’ve tried. This recipe is from her “baby shower” episode.

Cake Donuts 7

Here are some glaze suggestions, also from that episode:

Orange Glaze:
1. Combine the confectioners’ sugar, honey and 4 tablespoons of the juice in a bowl. Add more juice little by little until the mixture is spreadable (you might not need the full remaining tablespoon). It should be quite thick yet spreadable.
Rhubarb Glaze:
1. Put the rhubarb, granulated sugar and 1/2 cup water into a small pot on a stovetop. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the sugar is dissolved and the rhubarb is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Pour into a blender and puree until smooth, then transfer to a bowl. Add confectioners’ sugar as needed for taste and consistency.
Blueberry Glaze:
1. Put the blueberries, granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water into a small pot on a stovetop and cook over medium heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the berries have burst and the sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Pour into a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a small bowl, straining if necessary, then add the confectioners’ sugar. Whisk to combine, adding more confectioners’ sugar as needed for taste and consistency.

Cafe de Paris Beurre

Posted on February 24, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

How to enhance an already perfect medium rare steak? Cafe de Paris Beurre. It’s that easy.

What’s that, you say???? Only the most amazing flavour packed umami bomb you will ever create. Don’t be alarmed by the list of ingredients. This makes a whack of butter, which you can give away to your best of friends, or stash in your freezer to pull out when needed.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound, 5 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 ounce ketchup
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 ounce capers, rinsed
2 ounces shallots, finely diced
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chives, snipped
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dill, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon tarragon leaves
1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
8 anchovy fillets, rinsed and finely chopped
1 tablespoon brandy
1 tablespoon madeira
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne powder
juice of one lemon
zest of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1/4 Orange
2 teaspoons sea salt

Just a few of the many ingredients needed.

Okay, it might not look appetizing right now, but it smells incredible …

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, beat the butter by hand or use an electric mixer set to slow speed, until it has a slightly creamy texture.
In a separate bowl, combine all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add this mixture to the butter and beat again until all the ingredients are completely combined.
Place a double thickness of foil, about 12 inches long, on a flat surface and line with a similar-sized piece of silicone paper. Spread half the butter along one of the foil edges and roll up to form a long sausage shape — roll it with your hands like a rolling pin to get a tidy shape and eliminate any air pockets. Twist the ends to seal. You can also use plastic kitchen wrap, which I did this time. Repeat this process with the remaining butter. Place in the fridge to chill before use.
To use, slice a ½ inch thick disc of butter and place on top of a grilled steak (or a steamed spud). Traditionally, the steak is placed back under a hot grill (broiler) to soften and brown the butter, but I don’t reckon you need to do this, just let it melt from the heat of the steak.
The butter can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few weeks or in the freezer for several months.

Ready to roll into logs and pop in the freezer (or gift bags!)

Don’t just think of steaks, top any chicken or fish dish, or use it in place of garlic butter on bread.

I tried out quite a few recipes I found, and this one from Food Republic, is the definite winner, and the most like a butter topped steak we had a “Red Door” in Whistler. If you aren’t a meat lover, don’t even worry – it’s just amazing on vegetables, scrambled eggs or melted and drizzled over popcorn!

Grilled mushrooms on a cedar plank

Posted on February 23, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

As the snow drifts by the window I’m dreaming of making these again ….. smoky from the grill and cedar plank, and bursting with creamy cheesy goodness.

25 to 30 small cremini mushrooms (about 650 g), stemmed
2 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup water-packed artichoke hearts (about 2), drained, finely chopped and patted dry
1/4 cup cream cheese , softened
1/4 cup finely chopped green olives
1 egg , lightly beaten
1 clove garlic , grated
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley

To take these over the top, sprinkle with toasted and chopped hazelnuts, they add such a delightful crunch …. as you can see in this photo I didn’t have any handy this time!

Soak one 12- x 7-inch untreated cedar plank in water for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Meanwhile, using tip of spoon, gently scrape out mushroom gills to widen cavities.

In bowl, stir together Asiago, artichokes, cream cheese, olives, egg, garlic and pepper. Spoon 1 tbsp filling into each mushroom cap, pressing to flatten slightly.

Arrange on cedar plank, filling side up. Top with hazelnuts, if using, or you can always substitute toasted Panko crumbs. Place plank on grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill until mushrooms are tender and filling is bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.

Sprinkle with parsley. Serve on plank on heat-resistant surface or transfer to platter.

If barbecuing isn’t an option for you this can also be done in the oven …. 425 for 20 minutes.

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Category Archives: Recipes

Pork Chili Verde

Perfect Medium Rare Steak

Thai Salmon

DIRECTIONS:

Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls

Veal Scallopini

Ingredients

Instructions

No Knead Bread, it’s a miracle!

Caesar Salad

Cake Donuts with Fruit Glaze

Ingredients

Special equipment:

Orange Glaze:

Rhubarb Glaze:

Blueberry Glaze:

Cafe de Paris Beurre

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Grilled mushrooms on a cedar plank