Fall Salads

This time of the year just when you thing summer is over try end of the season local salads

Arugula Salad and Romaine With Broiled Lemon

Escarole & Roasted Beet Salad

Crunchy Cabbage Salad

Shaved Root Vegetables Salad

Kale and Apple Salad

Arugula Salad and Romaine With Broiled Lemon

INGREDIENTS serves 4

2 lemons

15 ml sugar

5 ml fine sea salt, plus more to taste

50 ml olive oil

15 ml lemon juice

1500 ml arugula

600 ml romaine lettuce

Method

1.Scrub the lemons clean and slice them as thinly as possible. Put the slices and any juice you can wrangle from the cutting board into a medium bowl. Sprinkle with the sugar and salt. Toss to combine everything and to dissolve the sugar and salt. Let the lemon slices sit for at least 1 hour and up to a day.

2. Heat a broiler. Cover a baking pan with foil. Spread the lemon slices in as single a layer as possible given the number of slices and the size of the pan. Drizzle any juice in the bowl over the lemons.

3.Broil the lemons until they start to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

4.In a large salad bowl combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and any juices left from the pan of broiled lemons. Taste and add salt to taste, if you like need more acid add a splash of cider vinegar.

5.Add the arugula and romaine ( bite size ) to the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing. Top with the broiled lemon slices and serve.

6.Serve with crustini bread

Escarole & Roasted Beet Salad

Ingredients serve 4

2 medium beets

15 ml Vegetable oil

1 head escarole

1 small clove garlic chopped fine

2 shallots chopped fine

30 ml red wine or sherry vinegar

2 ml ground mustard

30 ml olive oil, hazelnut oil, or walnut oil

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method

1.Preheat oven to 190 C. Put the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle them with some vegetable or olive oil.

2.Cover them with foil, seal shut, and roast until tender, about 25 minutes (note that cooking time for beets varies tremendously, they may take up to an hour). Let the beets cool, slip off their skins, and cut them into bite-size pieces.

3.Tear the escarole into bite-size pieces wash and dry it.

4.In a large bowl, combine the garlic and shallot, if using, vinegar, and mustard. Whisk in the oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5.Toss the escarole with the dressing gently but thoroughly. Either toss the beets with the escarole, or divide the escarole between serving plates and top each one with a share of the beets.

6. Serve with French Banquet bread drizzled with olive oil and salt and pepper

Crunchy Cabbage Salad

Ingredients Serves 4

1 medium head cabbage, shredded

3 green onions, chopped

125 ml white vinegar

125 olive oil

125 white sugar

15 ml soy sauce ( white if you can find it )

75 ml slivered almonds

50 ml sesame seeds

300 ml. Toasted croutons

Method

1.In a large bowl, combine cabbage and green onions.
2. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, oil, sugar, and soy.
3. Combine cabbage with dressing, and refrigerate.
4.. In a skillet, toast, almonds and sesame seeds, until golden brown. Cool and store mixture in a covered container.
5. Just before serving, nut mixture and the croutons to cabbage. Toss well. Serve chilled.
6,Serve with wandering sticks ( crispy Chinese Noodles ) sprinkled on top just before serving

SHAVED ROOT VEGETABLE SALAD
Ingredients serves 4

60 ml hazelnuts, divided

75 ml fresh orange juice

15 ml fresh lemon juice

50 ml vegetable oil

10 ml hazelnut oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 medium red beet, peeled

1 small turnip, peeled

1 carrot, peeled

2 radishes, trimmed

60 ml flat-leaf parsley

Method

1.Crush ½ of hazelnuts; place in a small bowl. Whisk in orange and lemon juice, vegetable oil, and hazelnut oil. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.

2.Thinly slice beets, turnip, carrot, and radishes using a mandolin e or V-slicer. Place beet slices in another small bowl and remaining vegetables and parsley in a medium bowl. Spoon 50 ml vinaigrette over beets; pour remaining vinaigrette over vegetables in medium bowl. Toss each to coat. Season with salt and pepper

.

3.Arrange beets on a platter; spoon over any vinaigrette from bowl. Drizzle salad with any remaining vinaigrette; garnish with remaining hazelnuts.

4.Serve with topped with crumbled saltines c rakes sprinkle on so just before serving

Kale and Apple Salad

Ingredients serve 4

50 ml fresh lemon juice
30 ml olive oil
salt
1 bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves very thinly sliced
60 gr raisins or dates
1 crisp apple
75 ml slivered almonds, toasted
50 ml finely grated cheese Romano
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1.Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and pinch salt in a large bowl. Add the kale, toss to coat and let stand 10 minutes.

2.While the kale stands, cut the dates or raisins into thin slivers and the apple into thin matchsticks. Add the dates or raisins , apples, almonds and cheese to the kale. Season with salt and pepper and toss well.

3. Serve with toasted Raisin bread 

Halloween Menu with TWIST

Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore
Pasta without wine is like a heart without love

Halloween Menu with TWIST

Hearty Pumkin Vegetable Soup (serves 6)

Herbed chicken breast

Chocolate Pumpkin Chiffon Pudding

Zucchini flower Bacon Tartlets

Zucchini flower BaconTarts (2 ½ Dozen)

Ingredients

250 gr cream cheese

1 egg white

150 ml. chopped cooked zucchini flower

50 ml. chopped green onions (whites only)

5 ml salt

2 ml. ground nutmeg

30 cooked tart shells (phyllo tart shells)

Bacon cooked and diced (could sub with turkey bacon)

Method

1. In a bowl beat the first six ingredients (cheese, egg, zucchini flower, onions, salt and nutmeg)

2. Spoon filling into tart shells.

3. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.

4 Bake for 10 minutes at 190 C.

5.Sprinkle with bacon and bake for a few minutes longer or until lightly brown

6. Serve warm

Hearty Pumkin Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

15 ml. butter

1 medium onion diced

1 garlic clove minced

1 medium Pumkin peeled and diced

1 medium squash diced

1medium zucchini, peeled and diced

150 gr. orzo

500 gr. fresh chopped tomato or can diced tomatoes

5 ml. dried thyme leaves

5 ml dried rosemary

1 liter chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the butter medium heat.

2. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until golden brown.

3. Add the winter pumkin , squash, zucchini, sweet potato, orzo, canned tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, and stock 4.Simmer until the vegetables are soft and cooked through, about 30 minutes.

4. Season the soup with salt, and black pepper, to taste. Serve with sliced crusty POP’ S garlic bread.

5. Sprinkle with POP’S Spice

Herbed Paprika chicken breast

Ingredients (6 servings )

Tenderize the boneless chicken breast halves by flattening them as you would for a chicken cutlet, then marinating in lemon juice.

6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

100 ml. fresh lemon juice

75 ml. butter

50 ml olive oil

400 gr. plain dry breadcrumbs

100 gr sweet Paparika

75 ml chopped fresh basil

50 ml chopped fresh parsley

20 ml. chopped fresh rosemary

5 ml salt

3ml ground black pepper OR (POP’S Spices)

Lemon wedges

Method

1. Pour lemon juice over. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Remove chicken from dish and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Preheat oven to 220 c Melt butter with oil in small saucepan over medium heat cool slightly. Mix breadcrumbs, basil, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper in pie dish.

3. Brush chicken breasts on both sides with melted butter mixture. Coat chicken on both sides with bread crumb and paprika mixture. Place chicken on baking sheet.

4. Bake until chicken is cooked through and breadcrumbs are golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to plates. Serve, passing lemon wedges alongside. And HERBED GARLIC MASH AND brown sugar mashed turnips

Chocolate Pumpkin Chiffon Pudding

Serves 6

150 gr pumpkin puree

150 gr coconut milk

2 eggs

150 gr coconut sugar

250 gr chocolate chunks or chips melted

2 ml salt

1 ml vanilla

250 ml whipped cream

1. In a blender combine pumpkin, coconut milk, and eggs

2. Pulse in coconut sugar, melted chocolate, salt,

3. Transfer into serving glass and place in fridge for 2 hours to set

4. Serve with whipping cream

Smile and Be Sweet

“The best way to win a friend is to listen andSmile it only takes a minute” – Otto

Thanksgiving Canadian Dinner

Thanksgiving Dinner

Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore

Pasta without wine is like a heart without love

Soothing Yam soup

Marinated Roast Turkey with Gravy

Herded Mashed Potatoes

Chocolate Pumpkin Chiffon Pudding

Soothing Yam soup (serves 8 )

Ingretients

2 kg Yams

1 liter of water to boil sweet potatoes

50 ml grape seed oil

15 ml fresh ginger finely chopped

5 ml cumin

15 ml fenugreek seeds

15 ml loosely packed fresh fenugreek leaves

5 ml fennels seeds

pinch f salt and fresh ground pepper

Method

1. Put the yams in a medium sized saucepan and cover with the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a blender, adding just enough water to help it blend smoothly. Blend until there are no lumps and the soup is creamy and smooth.

2. Pour grape seed oil into a small skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add ginger and cook for one minute and then add fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek leaves, salt and pepper and cook spices for about 30 seconds. Add the yam soup and mix until the spices are evenly distributed. Serve hot

Honey Roast Turkey with Gravy

Brining Solution

500 ml salt

500 ml honey

8 liters o water

5 kg turkey, fresh or thawed

For the Roast Turkey

2 whole carrots

2 stalks of celery

2 onions, skin on, cut in half

1 bulb of garlic, peeled

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

For the Gravy

500 ml of red wine

50 ml of cornstarch

50 ml of water

Method

For the Brining Solution:

1Stir salt, honey and water together until salt has dissolved.

2.Place brining solution into a picnic cooler or container large enough to hold the turkey and brine. If using a cooler you’ll need 3 or 4 freezer packs to keep it cool.

3.Put turkey into the brine and either cover it with the freezer packs and close lid, or place container into a refrigerator. Leave to brine overnight.

For the Roast Turkey:

1. Preheat oven to 225 C.degrees.

2. Take turkey out of brine, rinse and pat dry with a towel. Tie legs together with butcher’s twine.

3. Assemble carrots, celery, onion and garlic into a roasting pan to form a rack for the turkey to rest on. Place turkey onto the vegetable rack and then place in oven. Roast for 15 minutes at 225 C degrees, and then turn oven down to 190 C. degrees without opening the door. Roast for 20 minutes 500 gr ,

4. When finished, take out of oven and place on a platter to rest for at least 20 minutes. Cover with foil to keep warm.

For the Gravy:

1. Take vegetable rack out of roasting pan and discard. Skim off any fat and reserve the turkey juices in a glass-measuring cup.

2. Heat the pan over medium-high heat and then pour in wine to deglaze, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

3.Mix the cornstarch with the water and stir until it is smooth.

4.Pour turkey juices back into the pan and bring to a simmer. Add cornstarch mixture whilestirring and continue to stir until thickened

Herded Mashed Potatoes ( serves 8)

12 large potatoes peeled and cut into medium chunks

pinch of salt

350 ml heavy cream or milk

15 ml of each fresh sage ,rosemary and thyme

100 ml butter cut into piesces30 ml fresh cut parsley

Fresh ground pepper to taste

1.Put potato chunks in a large saucepan over high heat and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

2.In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and all the herbs except parsley and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and cover, allowing herbs to infuse for 15 minutes.
3. Drain potatoes well and pass through a food mill (or use a masher). Add butter and gradually stir in cream until potatoes have the desired consistency (you may not use all the cream)
4.Stir in parsley, season with additional salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Chocolate Pumpkin Chiffon Pudding

Serves 6

150 gr pumpkin puree

150 gr coconut milk

2 eggs

150 gr coconut sugar

250 gr chocolate chunks or chips melted

2 ml salt

1 ml vanilla

250 ml whipped cream

1. In a blender combine pumpkin, coconut milk, and eggs

2. Pulse in coconut sugar, melted chocolate, salt,

3. Transfer into serving glass and place in fridge for 2 hours to set

4. Serve with whipping cream