Salmon En Croute

Leeana is one of my dearest friends- she's fun, loving, kind and loves food as much as me. We went to culinary school together and partnered up to cook a meal for our graduation ceremony. In the kitchen we achieve a lovely balance- bringing different skills to the table. Leeana is very precise. She cares about rules and beauty and stays true to the recipe she's following. I on the other hand am a bit carefree...or careless (it really depends on who you speak to). I don't really follow rules that well and care more about the eating than presenting. Some of our best meals happen when we're jamming in her kitchen. We play tunes, snack, catch up and cook! It's the best!

We made salmon en croute, a pear goat cheese and pecan salad and some pan seared cauliflower. Everything was delicious but the most delicious star of the show was the salmon en croute. It's deceptively easy to make. You will giggle with villainous delight as your friends sing your praises and think you slaved away over dinner... but oh no no no! You totally didn't! Those are the best meals- the meals that have so much wow factor and give you enough time to pretty yourself up for the party;)
You'll also sink into your chair a little when you have your first bite- you get the perfectly steamed salmon that's infused with pesto tented under this golden delicious crust.. WOW! I love it!

Ingredients:
1 12 ounce salmon fillet (for two people)
2 tablespoons pesto (see my chicken pesto pizza recipe)
1 package good quality puff pastry
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Debone the fillet- there shouldn't be any when you buy it but triple check! Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Reserve.

Sprinkle some flour on a clean, dry work surface and roll it out to exceed the perameter of the salmon by about 1 inch. Place the pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Roll out another sheet to roughly the same size. Lay the salmon on top of the pastry on the baking sheet and spread the pesto over the salmon. Top with the other pastry sheet, tucking in the edges. Make three slits along the center of the pastry and brush all exposed pastry with eggwash (1 egg mixed beaten with 1 tsp of water). Bake in 1 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

Sujuk Soup

Sajouk is a Middle Eastern sausage that tastes like a hybrid of the Spanish Chorizo and the Moroccan Merguez. It's very firm and dry and must be cooked. It's all beef and releases the most amazing smoky fat that tastes great with eggs or as I came to discover- Soup!

For some reason I was craving black eyed pea soup, I love the thick rich broth, the beans, kale and the layer of smokiness that anchors everything together. I didn't have black eyed peas but had cannelini and thought the sajouk would impart the perfect smoky/spicy flavour that this hearty soup pines for.

Given that this was a total experiment, I am utterly amazed at how delicious this turned out. If I ever publish a cook book this would definitely be featured. It's that good! Be ware- if you can't handle heat or spice this is NOT the soup for you.

Ingredients:
3 links of sajouk (mild or medium spice), casing removed and cut into 1/2 inch moons
1 large spanish onion
4 cloves garlic smashed
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 carrots peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
2 stalks celery, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 package kale, stems removed and leaves roughly ripped into large bite sized pieces
1/2 tablespoon smoked spanish paprika
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup wild rice
1 can cannellini or black eyed peas, drained
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup water

Method:
Fry the sajouk in a large soup pan. The sajouk will brown and release fat. You want it a dark brown/charred colour. Cook evenly on both sides then remove from pan and reserve. Add olive oil and onions. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Cook on medium low heat for 5-8 minutes until the onions are soft and transluscent. Add the garlic and cook 3 minutes more. Add carrots and celery. Cook for 4 minutes. Add the wild rice and let all the ingredients mix well. Add the stock, water, paprika and bayleaf. Cook on med-low for 45 minutes. Stir every couple of minutes. Add the kale, salt and return the sausage. cook for 20 minutes.

Turkish Kebabs

I consider my husband the authority on kebabs. Coming from a Pakistani background, he LOVES meat and knows a good kebab better than any other. Upon taking his first bite he said "succulent". One simple word that made me blush... on his second bite he raved about how the meat was perfectly charred yet remained juicy and tender (apparently this is a hard act to master when it comes to kebabs). I watched in delight as he scooped up pieces of beef that he meticulously dipped into the tomato and yogurt sauce with toasted pita. There's nothing that gives me more pleasure than cooking for the people I love and if "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach" holds true- he must love me very very very much;)

The sauces that accompany the kebabs balance each other perfectly. The fresh tomato sauce that's cooked simply in olive oil mixes effortlessly with the yogurt sauce that has lovely notes of garlic and lemon. Let me tell you boys and girls, this was a perfect dinner!

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef or lamb
1.5 cups old (not moldy, just dry) baguette
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
5 cloves garlic, pounded or finely chopped
1 spanish onion, grated
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley (stems as well) plus 1 tablespoon for garnishing
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
a dash of pepper

Tomato Sauce:
2 pints baby tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

Yogurt Sauce:
1 cup FULL FAT Greek Yogurt
1 small garlic clove grated on a microplane
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:
Soak bread in cold water for about 5-10 seconds. Remove the water and squeeze any excess out from the bread. It should crumble into bread crumbs. Mix all the Kebab ingredients well together with your hands. Let this refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Grab a fistful of the meat and work your way up from the bottom of your skewer to the top. Try to do this swiftly and evenly. Your skewers should be metal as this is troublesome with wooden ones. Heat your grill pan (make sure you brush with oil if it's not non stick). Place the kebabs down gently and turn 90 degrees every two minutes. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the meat is evenly charred. Top with tomato and yogurt sauce. Finish with fresh parsley.

Tomato Sauce:
Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add the tomatoes. Cover and cook on med-low heat for 5 minutes making sure to Gently shake the pan with the lid on every so often to avoid sticking. Remove the lid and press the tomatoes down a little to help their juices release. Add tomato paste, salt and pepper. Let it cook into a nice sauce that's not too thick or runny (should take about 10-15 minutes).

Yogurt Sauce:

Mix the yogurt, garlic, salt and lemon juice well. That's it!

Pasta Aglio e Olio

Don't let this not so fab picture deceive you! This pasta is killer! 

I used to avoid pasta for a long period in my life as the insecurities of fitting a cookie-cutter image got the best of me and I avoided my now starchy favourites like the plague! Oh how silly I was! The wisdom of womanhood finally slapped me around a bit and taught me that anything in moderation is perfectly fine. The less you stress about the delicious food you eat, the less you calorie count, the less you feel guilty about food- the happier and healthier and lovelier you are in life! That's my pithy piece of advice for the day;)

This dish is so so so so so so so so so so GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! I saute lots of garlic in lots of extra virgin olive oil and throw in some wine, let the baby reduce, add my chicken and presto! You are left with the most delicious sauce to lace your chewy al dente pieces of pasta.. I love food!

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken cut into cubes, sprinkled with salt and pepper

5 cloves garlic smashed and finely chopped

10 leaves of basil finely chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1 package mixed mushrooms (crimini, oyster etc)

1/2 a head of broccoli rabe cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup freshly grated parm cheese

any pasta of your choice

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a pan. Add the mushrooms and cook on med-high until they sweat and brown. Reserve.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta (stirring occasionally) about one minute before your pasta is finished add the broccoli rabe. Place the oil, garlic and chilis in a large saute pan. Cook on medium-low heat until the garlic softens. Add the basil and wine. Cook on med-high heat for about one minute. Return heat to medium and add the chicken and reserved mushrooms. Add a ladle full of pasta water (before you add the broccoli to the water as it will make it taste more bitter). Saute until the chicken is cooked. Add the pasta, broccoli rabe and grated parm. Serve immediately.

Polenta and Stacked Veggies

With the holidays in full swing I haven't been cooking as much as I'd like to(gasp). As much as I love to cook a delicious meal at home, I find dining out with friends and family terribly hard to resist. I was all by my lonesome this evening as my husband had more holiday parties to attend so I decided to indulge in something he doesn't particularly like...polenta! "What, why doesn't your husband like creamy smooth, parmigiano laced, milky polenta", you ask. The answer is "I also have no clue"! But that's okay, polenta for one is just as delicious! I whipped up a big batch and ate it with crunchy char grilled veggies that tasted of garlic and aged balsamic.. Oh goodness, this dish is HEAVENLY!

Ingredients:
2 cups polenta
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
1 cup grated parm cheese
1 tablespoon basil chiffonade (fancy term for thinly sliced)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon aged balsamic
1 Italian eggplant cut in 1 inch rounds
1 large yellow and green zucchini cut in a 1/2 inch thick bias
1 red and green bell pepper cut into 2 inch lengthwise strips
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a grill pan on your oven. In the meantime sprinkle the eggplant with 1/2 tablespoon of salt and let the stand. Toss zucchini in 1-2 tablespoons of oil or until lightly coated. Place on the hot grill and turn over after the bottom side has grill marks (about1-2 minutes). Repeat. Place cooked zucchini in a large bowl with the smashed pieces of garlic. Toss the peppers in oil until both sides are lightly coated and cook about 5 minutes or so on each side (they take a lot longer). Add cooked peppers to the large bowl.
Rinse the salt off the eggplant and pat dry. Rub the eggplant with olive oil, it absorbs it very quickly so just ensure that both sides have a light coating. Place on the grill and cook about 2-3 minutes on each side. Add cooked eggplant to the rest of the veggies and toss in a good amount of salt (about1-2 teaspoons) and pepper as well as the balsamic.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a med-large saucepan.  Reduce the heat to low, add the polenta and whisk for about 5 minutes or until it has come together in a porridge like consistency. Add the parm cheese, basil, milk and a dash of salt. Whisk until the cheese has melted.

Plate by spooning a good amount of polenta on a bowl, top with some veggies, top with more polenta and a dash of grated parm cheese...yum!

Baby Greens

There's nothing special to report apart from the fact that I absolutely adore baby greens. They're so enchanting and look like art on your plate as micro pieces of endive, lola rose, radicchio etc complement one another in size, colour and texture! I simply peel the leaves off as each piece is perfectly tiny, wash them under cold water and pat dry. This is perfect when paired with a lovely dressing like my aged balsamic vinaigrette!

Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons good balsamic (I use a medium aged one- not the ones that costs LOADS and are meant to be used as a finishing element!!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Method:
Place all the ingredients and a jar and close lid. Shake well and toss over the salad leaves!

Linguini with Asparagus, Buffalo Mozzarella and Poached Eggs

I was pressed for time and needed to make a hearty lunch and presto- I made this. It's surprisingly easy and ridiculously delicious! The sauce gets cooked in the time it takes you to boil your pasta! When you mix all the components together and the golden yolk spills from its casing into the basil garlic sauce- it creates a beautifully rich pasta that's cut with my favourite jarred Italian peppers and fresh bite of asparagus! You must try this at home!

Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 a pack of linguine
1/2teaspoon red chili flakes
2 eggs
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
5 cloves of garlic pounded in a mortar and pestle
10 leafs of basil pounded in a mortar and pestle
1/2 tablespoon of your favourite Italian jarred peppers
1 large bocconcini or buffalo mozzarella ball
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and throw in your pasta. In the meantime heat oil and butter in a saucepan, add garlic and chili flakes and cook on low heat. Cook until the garlic softens and turns golden add the basil and cook for one minute then turn off the heat.

When the pasta is 2 minutes from being ready, throw in the asparagus. Remove the asparagus and pasta from the water and place in the garlic basil sauce and toss in a ladle of pasta water. Let this simmer on medium heat for 1 minute- making sure to toss everything together. Turn off the heat and place pieces of mozzarella on top of the pasta..

Meanwhile add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the pasta water and reduce to a very soft simmer. Crack the egg into a ramekin- make sure there are no shells. Create a whirlpool effect in the simmer water by stirring your slotted spoon in a circular motion and add the egg in the middle of the whirlpool. Repeat. Cook on a gentle simmer for about 2-3 minutes or until the egg whites cover and become slightly firm. If you're not used to this make three eggs and use one as a tester before serving the others. Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon and gently pat dry with a paper towel. Place on top of the pasta and crack some fresh ground pepper. Place the hot peppers on top and call it a day!