Brown Butter Seared Scallops with Peach Salsa

Wine night with girlfriends! Of course it can never just be wine at my place so earlier that day I headed over to Granville Island. There I was standing in the Lobster Man store looking at the scallops for a good few minutes.. I’m sure the lady working there was wondering why I looked so dazed but I do this from time to time and every so often someone that works at the store/market comes over and asks if I’m okay and if I need any help! Really though I’m standing there because in my head I'm picturing the flavors, textures and contrast in colors (I love the light green on dark green), what I have in my fridge to go with it and even how I would want to plate it.
I had originally come for the Mussels to do a play on Moules Frites , which seemed like a great idea till I realized how messy that could get, considering I don’t have a proper dinner table in my 500 sq ft pad! So scallops it was. Peaches were in season at the time so I knew just what I would pair it with. To complete the eats for the night I picked up some Cognac Pate and Bison Bresaola from Oyama, a couple Cheeses from Les Amis de Formage, Onion Walnut Bread from my favorite bakery and made Yam Fries w/ a Balsamic Reduction and Truffled Aioli. Seeing as it was just Thanksgiving lets check off what I am so so very grateful for, amazing family, friends, food and wine!

Brown Butter Seared Scallops w/ Peach Salsa

8-10 scallops
3 tbsp butter
fleur de sel
grains of paradise (or black pepper)

Peach Salsa
2 peaches, diced
1/2 jalapeno, fine diced
3 tbsp orange bell pepper, fine diced
2 tbsp red onion, fine diced
cilantro, rough chopped
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
s&p
*(can add honey if peaches arent as ripe)*
For garnish:
avocado, sliced
cherry tomatoes, halved
pea shoots (tossed w/honey apple cider vinaigrette I had made previously, can use
lemon juice, olive oil, s&p instead)

1. Combine all salsa ingredients, set aside in fridge.
2. Pre-heat pan to med-high, throw in butter.
3. Pat dry the scallops, season w/ s+p.
4. Sear scallops only flipping once. Baste with brown butter. Cook till medium. Let rest. Finish
with fleur de sel.
5. Place dressed pea shoots on plate, then scallops, avocado and tomato garnish, finish with
salsa.

Green Onion Pancakes

So I think it was a sign that I was supposed to make green onion pancakes today. This morning I was on foodgawker and what do I see? A recipe for green onion pancakes! Later I was flipping through a cooking magazine while in line at the grocery store and what do u knoww...Green onion pancakes! My good friend Whit has also talked about nothing else but these darn pancakes for the last two weeks! Every time we were remotely close to Legendary Noodle (a place here in Vancouver that makes em fresh) she wanted to stop. That's all that has been running through my head... green onion pancakes green onion pancakes....!! Well I don't know what took me so long because they are dead simple to make!! I surprised Whit by making them for her and said "So nooww can you pleease stop asking to go to Legendary Noodle!?" she said "Okay, but now I'll just keep asking for YOU to make them for me!". I grew up on these and they taste just like the ones I used to eat when I was little, the only thing I did differently was finish them with a little French Sea Salt but other than that, tastes just like childhood!

Green Onion Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup warm water

2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 cup green onions, finely sliced

2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

Fleur de Sel (to finish)

Dipping Sauce

Hoisin Sauce

Sesame Oil

Garlic Chili Sauce

Water (to thin sauce out)

1. Mix to combine

Mix the flour, water and salt together and knead just until smooth. Cover and let rest 30 minutes in a bowl greased lightly with oil. Cut into 4 pieces

Roll the dough out, brush with sesame oil and sprinkle green onion and cilantro on top.

Roll like you would cinnamon bun dough or sushi, making sure it is rolled tight.

Coil into a circle

Roll out into a flat circle

Makes 4 yummy pancakes

Pan fry until golden on each side, the more oil you use the more evenly golden and crispy it will get.

Finish with sea salt and serve with dipping sauces.

Italian Dinner Part 1: Antipasti-Bresaola w/ apple, mizzuna, radicchio and shaved grano padano

I have been meaning to check out Bosa Foods for sometime now and finally got a chance last weekend. It may be a good thing that this store is so far away because I would be there every week buying things! This store is great, from their massive meat and deli section to their free samples (after 3 cannoli samples, a couple cookies and numerous cheese and cracker samples I was kinda full!) they have it all. I went on a Saturday afternoon and it was PACKED. I noticed all these cute little Nona's wandering around speaking Italian to their husbands, I just wanted to follow them around to see what they were putting in their carts! Okay, if we're being completely honest here what I really would have liked is if I could have asked one of them to take me home with them so they could show me how to make their secret family recipes! Besides wanting to check out the store I did have another reason for wanting to go, Bresaola! I have been meaning to try it for so long now and I just knew they would have it. Similar to prosciutto, it is dry cured beef instead of pork. This antipasti came together inspired by things I had just bought from my local farmers market, a nice tart granny smith apple, a sweet and crisp gala apple and some local greens, which was a nice balance to the salty bresaola. A good tip at your local deli, if you've never tried something before and are curious about it, it never hurts to ask for a sample. Stay tuned for the rest of this meal!

Bresaola Antipasti
14 slices of bresaola
Mizuna Greens ( Arugula would be nice too)
Radicchio, julienne (optional, just used for more color)
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
S+P
Apple, julienne (I used Granny Smith and Gala)
Lemon Juice
Grano Padano Cheese, finely grated with a microplane and shaved with a peeler (or Parmigiana-Reggiano)

1. Toss Mizzuna and Radicchio with balsamic, olive oil and s+p
2. Toss apple with lemon juce and finely grated grano padano
3. Lay bresaola on a plate, overlapping. Top with greens, then apple and finish with shaved grano padano

Grilled Flatbread w/ Fresh Ricotta, Artichokes, Anchovies and Wine Soaked Olives

Fresh ricotta...! I really think it's underrated. Cool and creamy with a slight hint of sweetness, I think it adds a nice balance to other strong flavors, in this case olives and anchovies. I can't seem to get enough of these kalamata olives, marinated in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, vinegar and herbs, if you can find them, buy 10 jars! They are THAT good! Rewinding a bit I had originally picked up this ricotta from my local Italian store for this breakfast panini I wanted to make. Ricotta in a breakfast panini? Hear me out! Also stuffed with medjool dates, hazelnut butter and mashed banana the warmth of the panini press makes the hazelnut butter, banana and ricotta get a bit gooey and melty. It's almost like a sweet version of a grilled cheese! Okay that sounds so wrong but I swear its soo good! Another favorite of mine is fresh ricotta drizzled with local honey, a sprinkle of chocolate chunks and crushed up amaretti cookies. Sweet, creamy and crunchy. Back to the savory usage of ricotta, I really wasn't in the mood for a cheesy pizza but something lighter, so flatbread seemed like the way to go. Moral of the story? Go get some ricotta and put it on everything....sweet or savory!

Grilled Flatbread w/ Fresh Ricotta, Artichokes, Anchovies and Wine Soaked Olives (Makes 1 flatbread)
Dough:
1 tsp yeast
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water
1 1/2 cups bread flour or all purpose flour (I used 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 white flour)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus 1 tsp to grease the bowl you proof it in
1. Combine yeast, warm water and sugar, let sit 5-10 min till the yeast puffs up
2. Place yeast mixture in mixer, add olive oil and mix. (Start with paddle attachment), or if by hand, start with a spoon and then use your hands to incorporate the rest.
3. Slowly add ½ the flour, add salt and add in the rest of the flour. Change to dough hook
4. Mix for 1 minute until dough comes together, might have to add a bit more flour, should be soft but not to sticky. Knead by hand for 20 seconds
5. Place in a bowl coated with the remaining oil, make sure to coat dough in oil as well, place saran wrap over top and let proof (rise) for about 1 hr to 1½ hrs.

Toppings (all optional):
Light base of San Marzano tomato sauce
Fresh Ricotta Cheese
Anchovies
Artichokes
Kalamata Olives
Roasted Red Bell Peppers
Fresh basil
Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano

1.Preheat bbq on high
2.Roll out dough until thin, can be odd shaped, coat both sides of dough with olive oil and cornmeal. Place on baking sheet
3.Place dough on grill and cover lid for 1-1 1/2 min, bottom side should have grill marks but not be completely burnt, flip dough over and cook the other side with bbq lid down. Dough is done when you can knock on it and it sounds hollow.
4. Place toppings on flatbread and warm through. (I usually do this in the oven). Finish with shaved parm and fresh torn basil.

Baked Yam Fries with Balsamic Glaze

Love love love these, I think I even like them better than regular fries! There is a key to making sure they come out crispy: When you spread them out on the baking sheet, they need to be evenly spread out, barely touching and not piled on top of each other. If that happens the yams will start to create moisture and steam instead of dry out and you will end up with soggy fries! Baked not fried, these crispy yam fries are packed with beta carotene and vitamin C and are one of the best side dishes to any burger, bbq turkey burgers in this case! Drizzled with balsamic vinegar that I reduced and a sprinkle of fleur de sel, who needs ketchup or aioli?!

Baked Yam Fries (4 servings)
3 large yams-cut into sticks
oil
s+p
fleur de sel or coarse salt

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss yams in oil just enough to coat. Season with s+p
2. On a baking sheet lined with baking paper spread out yam fries evenly and bake for 40 min or until golden and crispy, checking halfway through to turn fries over for even color.
3. Before serving, drizzle with balsamic glaze and fleur de sel or coarse salt.

Balsamic Glaze
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar

1. In saucepan add vinegar and on medium-high heat reduce vinegar slowly until it becomes thick and coats the back of a spoon.
*If for some reason you over reduce it, you can just add a splash of balsamic vinegar to bring it back to the consistency you like.

Summertime Salads: Watermelon Feta Salad and Cucumber Mango Salad Rolls

Summer is here! Okay, well it was last weekend anyways....prime beach weather and with that goes bbq's on the beach! I was in charge of the sides so I picked two of my favorite summer salads. Shown here is the watermelon feta salad and I also made my cantaloupe bocconcini salad. Cool, refreshing and light these are perfect for hot sunny days and pack and travel way better then a wilted green salad. Really it goes back to the basics, fruit and cheese, how can you go wrong? The mango cucumber salad rolls stuffed with fresh cilantro and mint made for good appys (and are good snacks for on the go). I just figured out how to use my mini charcoal bbq so stay tuned for anything I can get my hands on that goes good on a grill! Ohh yeaaa.

Watermelon Feta Salad
Watermelon, cubed
Feta, crumbled
Fresh mint, rough chopped
Fresh basil, rough chopped
Red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Radishes, thinly sliced (optional)
Black olives, sliced (optional)

Dressing:
Lime Juice
Honey (if needed)

1. Toss together and chill in fridge.


Cucumber Mango Salad Rolls
Rice wrappers
Rice vermicelli noodles, cooked and chilled
Cucumber, sticks
Mango, sticks
Red pepper, sticks
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Mint
Shrimp (optional)
Chicken (optional)
Favorite dipping sauce ( I used a sweet mango curry dipping sauce)

1.Dip rice wrapper in hot water, lay on flat surface and fill with ingredients. Wrap like a spring roll and keep covered with saran wrap.
2.Serve chilled.

Ladies Night

• Roasted Garlic Caramelized Onion Goat Cheese Baguette
• Cantaloupe Bocconcini Prosciutto Salad
• Roasted Cauliflower White Bean Dip
• Individual Strawberry Shortcakes
• Cinnamon Caramel Popcorn

Last night my close girlfriends and I got together for girls night so I thought what better way to start out the night then appy’s and drinks before going out downtown? It was a bit of a random selection, but recipes I’ve been meaning to try, or in the strawberry shortcake case, a poundcake from the freezer that needed some lovin! The crackers I used for the white bean dip are Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps and if you've never had them before, you need to go out and get some right now! The caramel popcorn recipe is from Dinner with Julie and I decided to add cinnamon to the recipe since I think caramel and cinnamon are the most amazing combo together. I also had picked up the cutest little popcorn containers from Gourmet Warehouse and have been meaning to use them. I love how the box says delicious and nutritious, this popcorn may not be nutritious but it sure is delicious! Nothing better than good food, good friends and a little dancing...

Cinnamon Caramel Popcorn (Adapted from Dinner with Julie)
8 cups air popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup kernels)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda

1.Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray and put the popcorn in it
2.Combine brown sugar, corn syrup and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add cinnamon and mix in.
2.Reduce the heat and boil without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and baking soda.
3.Quickly pour over the popcorn and stir to coat well. Spread onto a cookie sheet or roasting pan and bake for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Cool.

Individual Strawberry Shortcakes
1 Poundcake
1 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups frozen strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
mint garnish (optional)

1.In a mixer whip cream with icing sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Chill in fridge
2. In a pot add frozen strawberries and sugar.Cook on med-high heat. When strawberries soften, mash them and let reduce until sauce because thick and syrupy. Serve warm or cold.

Caramelized Onion Goat Cheese Baguette
1 baguette
2 garlic bulbs
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp thyme or rosemary, chopped
2 large white onions,sliced
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup nicoise or kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
s+p

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut tops off garlic, drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil. Roast in oven for 30 min or until garlic is soft.
2.In a large pan heat oil on med-high heat. Add onions and saute with sugar and thyme until soft and caramelized. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Slice baguette in half and warm in oven for 5 minutes. Take baguette out and turn broiler on.
4.Combine softened butter with roasted garlic and spread over baguette, top with caramelized onions, crumbled goat cheese and olives. Place in broiler for 2 minutes and serve warm.

Roasted Cauliflower White Bean Dip
1 can white beans (Cannellini,White Kidney, rinsed)
1 bulb roasted garlic
1 head cauliflower
1/2 lemon, juice
1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
3 tbsp warm water
s+p

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut cauliflower into small pieces and toss in oil, salt and pepper. Roast until caramelized. Let cool
2. In a food processor combine white beans, roasted garlic, lemon juice, chili flakes, water and 1/2 of the roasted cauliflower. Puree until smooth. Season with s+p and adjust consistency of dip by adding more water if necessary. Add in the rest of the cauliflower (saving a few florets for garnish) and pulse until chunky. Chill and serve.

Cantaloupe Bocconcini Prosciutto Salad
1 Cantaloupe
1 cup bocconcini
8 basil leaves, chiffonade
1 lime, juice
2 tbsp honey
6 slices prosciutto, julienned

1.Slice cantaloupe in half and scrape out seeds. Using a melon baller scoop out balls.
2. Mix honey and lime juice together. Toss everything together and serve chilled.

Salsa Fest: BBQ Chicken Quesadilla with Mango Avocado Lime Salsa

Every year in Calgary they have a summer event called the Sun and Salsa Festival where stores along the Kensington area participate by making their own versions of salsa for people to try as well as vote for their favorite. I helped participate in it when I was working at Crave at the time and man did I learn a lesson the hard way…! I was helping fine dice a massive amount of jalapenos needed for the salsa (I’m talking a huge buckets worth) and started off wearing rubber gloves, but they were getting in my way, so I took them off so I could chop faster. 10 minutes later I said to a colleague who was helping, boy my hand feels funny, how bout yours? She replied, yea it’s feeling a bit tingly…we finished and started cleaning up and by then the tingling turned into burning! We tried scrubbing with salt, soap and water (which of course made it worse, letting the oils from the peppers spread even more!) then I remembered you're supposed to drink milk if you eat something spicy so we tried dunking our hands in a cup of milk, well that didn’t work! Driving home it felt like my hand was on fire and by night I was sitting in a drop in clinic to see what the doctor could do for me. (I swear I usually have a high tolerance for pain!). Have you ever ate something so damn hot there’s nothing you can do but wait it out? Well that’s what he told me I had to do, just waait it out…2 days later the burning went away!! All I can say is at least we won that darn contest!! (Okay to counter my stupidity I have chopped jalapenos before with no side effects, just not a big buckets worth!). Last nights dinner involved a different salsa, more of a sweet salsa using mango's and avocado's that I thought would pair well with a BBQ chicken quesadilla using ground flax seed tortillas, "sour cream" aka thickened plain yogurt and a mixed field green salad with feta, toasted pecans and a raspberry vinaigrette. Careful with those jalapenos!


BBQ Chicken Quesadilla with Mango Avocado Lime Salsa

2 ground flax seed soft tortilla

1 chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1 cup fresh corn kernels (or canned)

1/2 red pepper, diced

3 green onions

1/4 cup favorite bbq sauce

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1.Saute chicken until almost cooked through, add in red peppers and cook until softened. Take off heat and add green onions and bbq sauce.
2. In a pan add a little oil and heat on med-low. Place tortilla in pan and on 1/2 the tortilla place chicken mixture and cheese. Fold over. Pan fry until golden and flip and crisp the other side. Serve warm

Mango Avocado Lime Salsa
1 mango, small dice
1 avocado, small dice
3 tbsp onion (red or white), small dice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juice only
2 tsp honey
1/2 jalapeno (optional)
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (optional, but adds a bit of smokiness)
s+p

Sour Cream
3 cups plain yogurt

1.Place yogurt in a strainer that has been lined with paper towel or a coffee filter and place over a bowl.
2.Let sit in the fridge to drain the liquid and become thick, at least 1 hr.

Wrap and Roll: Hoisin Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Why do things always taste so good wrapped up? Puff pastry, filo, pita, tortilla, flat breads and the guilt free of them all, crisp iceberg lettuce! When you've had a long day the last thing most people want to do is be in the kitchen but that's exactly what I love, I miss using my knives, I don't get to cook as much as I used to so anytime I can pick up my knife and start chopping is relaxing to me. This dish requires a bit more mise en place(meaning everything in it's place/getting your ingredients set up) but that's what I love about it! It's so satisfying having everything all ready so you can just throw it in a pan. I'll list the veggies I used but you can really use anything you like or whatever is in your fridge. The picture below is not only the mise en place for the wraps but also a soup I was making for the week to have on hand, another rendition of the roasted red pepper soup I made previously, this time using San Marzano tomatoes and a splash of vinegar.
Hoisin Chicken Lettuce Wraps
2 chicken breast, diced into bite size cubes
1 red bell pepper, julienne
2 baby bok choy, sliced
1 carrot, thin strips (use a peeler)
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 cups, button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 zucchini, sliced on bias
2 bunches green onion, sliced on bias
1 bunch cilantro (stems removed)
3 cloves garlic, fine diced
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1 cup hoisin sauce thinned with 1/4 cup hot water
1 tsp chili flakes
peanuts (optional)
3 cups cooked vermicelli noodles (chilled)
1 head iceberg lettuce, chilled

1. In a bit of oil saute chicken until cooked, remove and toss in celery, red
bell pepper, carrot, celery and mushrooms, saute until slightly softened then add garlic and ginger.
2. Add zucchini, bok choy, green onions and chili flakes, saute until soft.
3. Fold in hoisin sauce into veggies and toss in cilantro.
4. Top with peanuts and serve with chilled vermicelli noodles and iceberg lettuce.