Pancakes with a Quick Fruit Syrup

Syrup

ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries – or your favourite soft fruit or berry

1 tsp white sugar, dissolved in 1/2 cup of water

instructions:

Bring water to a boil in small saucepan over high heat. Add fruit and bring back to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer while you make the pancakes!

Add a touch of cinnamon or vanilla or nutmeg or lemon zest to slightly mellow or experiment with the flavour of your syrop, and adjust the sugar content to your liking. If you wish to thicken your sauce, add in 1/2 tsp of instant tapioca, fruit pectin or white flour dissolved in a bit of hot water while the mixture is simmering.

Pancakes:

ingredients:

1/2 cup buttermilk or milk with 1 tsp natural yogurt stirred in

1 pinch baking soda

1 eggs, beaten

2 tsp oil or cool melted butter

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

instructions:

Stir baking soda into milk and set aside. Beat the eggs and butter together in a large bowl. Sift or mix dry ingredients together. Add milk to egg mixture alternately with dry ingredients until all is combined – do not overmix! mixture can be a little lumpy, just be gentle.

cook on medium-hot griddle or frying pan, 1/4 cup per pancake. allow to cook on first side until bubbles form and just start to pop, then flip and cook until golden brown.

Gourmet Pita Pizzas

You can make so many different thin-crust sensations using your favourite pita bread as the pizza “dough”. I switch it up between a whole wheat crust and different seasoned varieties. Here’s what you’ll see on my table:

ingredients:

Sun-dried Tomatoes (in oil), Kalamatas and Peppered Salami, with Feta cheese and (optional) tomato sauce.

OR

Chopped dried mission figs, cooked for 5 min in 1 tsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp water over low heat, (or fig jam spread thin as a sauce) crumbled goat cheese, chopped fresh basil and pine nuts, drizzled with olive oil.

OR

Spicy capicola ham, fresh tomatoes with chives, bocconcini and finely chopped parsley, drizzled with olive oil.

OR

Alfredo sauce with roasted chicken, red pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese.

OR

Good ol’ honey ham, pineapple and mozza with tomato or barbeque sauce.

instructions:

pre-heat oven to 400 F top the pita with topping combo of your choice, with the cheese on top. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese melts/things start to brown.

Bowtie pasta with Goat Cheese

ingredients:

1 handful (for one person) Bowtie or other chunky pasta

1 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic cloves sliced

pinch of red pepper flakes

small handful of cherry (or grape or strawberry) tomatoes – halved

handful of spinach washed well and chopped roughly

1 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Salt and Pepper

instructions:

start at least 4 cups of salted water to boil for the pasta

In a medium sized frying pan, warm olive oil at medium-low. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, cook until the garlic is just starting to brown and then add the tomatoes. Allow tomatoes and garlic to saute uncovered for 3-5 minutes.

Add the pasta to the boiling water, stirring as it comes back to a boil.

Rinse the spinach leaves well, trimming stems if you wish. Shake the excess water off of the leaves, chop roughly and add to pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach is bright green and wilted.

Boil pasta a little bit shy of package directions – it should be soft but with a bit of a crisp “bite” – to your liking. Drain and toss the pasta with the spinach mix, then plate and top with crumbled goat cheese.

Season with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.

time: 15 min

difficulty: easy, just watch so that the pan is not too hot!

double-able: yes!

Best Summer Salad. Ever.

ingredients:

4 or 5 fresh strawberries, sliced to 1/4″ or diced chunky

small handful fresh blueberries, rinsed and whole

1 firm, ripe red plum – cut along the center, twist to separate, remove pit and chop roughly.

1/4 cup bocconcini (torn into small pieces) or feta (broken up)

1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans

optional: chopped pre-cooked baby white potatoes (salt and peppered before adding)

light drizzle of olive oil

small splash of balsamic vinegar

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

small sprig of fresh thyme, minced finely

pinch of Chinese five-spice seasoning, if you have it. (nutmeg or anise or pumpkin pie spice will do, use a light touch!)

directions:

mix everything together, toss with olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper.  Serve fresh on a bed of spinach or fresh mixed greens. If you have a lot of excess liquid, save it for the next day for a delicious dressing for a green salad!!

difficulty: Easy! Expensive ingredients, though.

time to prepare: 5 min, tops.

double-able?: YEAH!! super pricey but so worth it in the summertime.

Fresh Tomato and Bocconcini Salad with Fresh Herb Mix

ingredients:

2-3 small tomatoes, sliced into wedges and seeds removed (i like to do one red and one yellow – the sweeter the tomato the better).

1 tsp chopped fresh parsley (you really need fresh for this one).

1 tsp olive oil.

1 tsp balsamic vinegar.

coarse salt, fresh ground pepper.

a few bite-sized balls of bocconcini, split open with your hands. (Fresh mozzarella slices will work in a pinch)

Fresh Herb or Spring salad mix.

instructions:

Drizzle olive oil and balsamic over top of tomatoes in a dish with a lid. Sprinkle parsley, salt and pepper generously. Mix well with spoon or hands. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Add bocconcini to tomatoes and toss lightly. Arrange a small handful of leafy greens of your choice on your serving plate. Top with tomatoes. Splash a little bit of balsamic on top, and more salt and pepper, as needed.

time: 10 minutes

difficulty: easy!

double-able: indeed. adjust dressing carefully.

Roasted Asparagus

ingredients:

1 small bunch asparagus (at least 5 stalks for one person)

olive oil

coarse salt (and fresh ground black pepper if you like)

instructions:

preheat oven to 425 F

Rinse asparagus in cold water and snap off the blunt ends – they will flex and break off above the woodiest part.

Lightly grease a shallow baking dish with olive oil.  Arrange still damp asparagus on the baking dish in a single layer. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, turn with hands to toss.  Sprinkle evenly with salt (and pepper).

Bake on the middle rack of a 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring halfway through.  The tips may brown a tiny bit but remove if anything starts to burn.

Serve warm or cool. The flavor is fantastic, but if you’d like to try something different, drizzle with a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar.

These are so good as leftovers! Eat as-is or cut up and toss in a salad.

time: 15 minutes

difficulty: easy

double-able: hells yes!

Pan-Fried Halibut

ingredients:

2-3 halibut cheeks (for neat crab-like texture)

OR

1 small fillet of FRESH (not previously frozen!!) Halibut or other white fish

1 tsp butter

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp fresh dill, chopped (just a pinch dried)

1 small lemon

coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

instructions:

Heat butter and olive oil together in a small frying pan over medium-high heat, stir until butter is melted and pan is warmed through. (the olive oil keeps the butter from burning and the butter gives the fish it’s rich flavor – just don’t turn the heat too high, as olive oil can’t handle it!)

Rinse fish in cold water and pat to dry with paper towel.

Sprinkle salt, pepper and 1/2 of the dill on top of your fish. With dry hands, pat seasonings into fish. Place into your hot pan seasoned side down. Sprinkle the remaining dill on top, then squeeze a tiny bit of lemon juice on as well (or, if you’re feeling fancy, grate a little zest and sprinkle it on top).

For 1 inch fillet, cook for five minutes on first side, then flip and five minutes more. A basic rule for fish cooked on it’s own is ten minutes per inch of thickness!

Fish is done when it flakes with a fork at the thickest part and loses it’s transparent “raw” look.

Serve immediately with a slice of lemon and a small amount of fresh dill to garnish. This dish screams for a fresh salad – try an Herbed Salad with Olive Oil and Lemon dressing or Fresh Tomato Salad with Balsamic.

time: 15 minutes

difficulty: easy

double-able: yes!

Roasted Root Vegetables with Feta and Rosemary.

ingredients:

2-3 baby potatoes (or one small russet or white table potato), sliced 1/4 inch thin.

1 small beet, washed and trimmed at both ends, sliced very thin.

1 small yam (orange fleshed “sweet potato”), quartered and sliced 1/2 inch or slightly larger.

1 small sweet onion, trimmed at both ends, peeled, and sliced vertically into eighths.

1/4 cup or so feta cheese, well drained and broken into bite-sized chunks.

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped finely. (1 tsp dried).

1 Tbsp olive oil.

coarse salt and fresh ground pepper.

instructions:

Prep veggies as indicated. Preheat oven to 425 F.

Lightly grease a small ceramic baking dish with a bit of the olive oil. Arrange the beets along the bottom of the dish, followed by the potatoes and then the onions and then the yams.

Drizzle remaining olive oil over veggies. Season generously with salt (about 1/2 tsp-1 tsp), grind pepper to lightly cover dish and sprinkle rosemary over all. Lightly toss veggies (mix ‘em around a bit) with your fingers until everything is pretty much coated with oil and seasonings.

Add crumbled feta , poking about to evenly distribute in the dish.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven at 425 F for 10 minutes, pull out and give them a light stirring, then put back in the oven for another 10-15 min (ovens will vary – the edges of things may char a bit but nothing should really burn), until the baby potatoes are soft enough to mash with your fork, and taste good!

(which reminds me, Rule number one is: always taste test.)

Allow to cool in the dish for a few minutes, then use a big spoon or flipper to transfer to a plate without stirring the veggies around too much (it’s prettier this way, and it’ll keep them from breaking/mashing. As they cool they will firm up more). Add more salt and fresh ground pepper to taste (but make sure you taste it first!)

If you’re feeling hungry, or like treating yourself, pair this delicious, satisfying dish with Pan-Fried Halibut, Grilled Asparagus and Fresh Tomato and Herb salad! Also a fantastic menu for company!

time: 10 min prep, 30 min total cook time

difficulty: easy

double-able: definitely! (but, watch how much oil you use!)

Linguini with Blue Cheese and Figs.

ingredients:

1″ diameter handful of dried or fresh linguini, broken in half

I Tbsp butter

1/4 cup milk, or cream.

2 Tbsp (roughly) mild blue cheese, crumbled

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped. set aside 1/2 Tbsp for garnish.

3-4 dried mission figs (the dark purple ones), roughly chopped.

instructions:

In a medium to large sized pot, bring salted water to the boil. Add the broken linguini and stir immidiately. return to boil and cook for a minute or so less than package instructions.

While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a small saucepan. Add milk slowly, stirring all the while.

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until milk simmers and then thickens slightly. If the milk is bubbling very hard, turn down the heat as it will burn. Allow to continue lightly simmering over low heat until pasta is almost ready, then add blue cheese and 1Tbsp parsley.

Stir until most of the cheese is melted. Leave over low heat while you drain the pasta.

When pasta is done (taste test for soft but firm), strain in collander quickly, so as not to dry everything out completely, then add to saucepan with your cream sauce. Stir to coat evenly.

Transfer to a deep plate or bowl, reserving extra liquid in pan (if it is really runny, put the sauce back on the heat and turn it up to medium and cook, stirring, to reduce it down to desired consistency).

Top pasta with chopped figs, pour thickened sauce over top and sprinkle remaining parsley over all.

Finish with fresh ground pepper and salt.

time: 15 minutes

Difficulty: easy

double-able: yes!