This dish was inspired in part by shrimp and grits and in part by gambas al ajillo (recipe here). I hope you like it as much as Ed and I did.
Archive for the ‘Main Course’ Category
Favourite Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks, Poultry on November 8, 2010 at amI have been making pot pies for years and it is still one of the dishes that Ed requests the most. I’ve made family style pot pie, individual pot pies and even miniature pot pies (second photo below) for pot lucks and parties. This is a very forgiving recipe. You could use half and half instead of cream, and you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. This is a great way to use up left over turkey because you can freeze the pot pies and then bake them from frozen.
If you’re short on time, here are 2 shortcuts:
- instead of blanching vegetables in a separate step, cook all of the vegetables together with the onions in the first step, prior to adding the flour
- use store bought puff pastry
Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese (2 ways)
In Pasta, Rice, and Doughs on August 25, 2010 at pmI gave up trying macaroni and cheese recipes years ago. I never made one that people didn’t like, but I never found one that I could enjoy. Recently, it occurred to me that maybe it’s because I don’t like what baking does to the texture of this dish. So I tested that theory and made a stove top macaroni and cheese for the first time. I liked it a lot more than baked macaroni. The macaroni and cheese recipe is pretty standard, but I made it better in two ways: The first was adding a crunchy panko crumb topping and the second was mixing in peas and canned tuna in olive oil. The texture and flavour of canned tuna in olive oil is by far superior to canned tuna in water, and makes a world of difference in this dish.
Beer Butt Chicken
In Poultry on August 16, 2010 at pmEarly this year, Ed started taking an interest in cooking, and I love it 
He’s made cupcakes (recipe here) and brownies (recipe here) and more recently, beer butt chicken. I liked the beer butt chicken so much that I asked him to show me how he made it, so that I could post it on my food blog. The skin is beautifully crispy, the beer keeps the meat moist, and it’s really easy to make.
Carbonara
In Pasta, Rice, and Doughs on July 13, 2010 at pmCarbonara is a very interesting pasta dish that incorporates separated raw eggs. When I had pancetta left over from making vinaigrette (recipe here), I decided to make carbonara for the first time. The sauce is creamy but not runny or overly thick. This is a simple dish and the flavour is subtle, and I love it. Despite many of the “carbonara” recipes out there, note that authentic carbonara does Not use cream.
Crispy Cornflake Baked Chicken
In Poultry on June 29, 2010 at pmA friend of mine gave me a subscription to Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food Magazine. This cornflake (that’s right, the cereal) crusted chicken was the first recipe that I tried from those magazines. Ed loves it and I made it regularly for 2 years. I made it for my parents once and my mom was surprised when I told her that the skin had been removed. It’s a Very healthy way to make crispy chicken.
Four Different Sauces for Mushroom Ravioli
In Pasta, Rice, and Doughs, Sides and Sauces on May 27, 2010 at pmI made ravioli from scratch for the first time (recipe here). For the filling, I used porcini, chanterelle, and lobster mushrooms with ricotta, parmesan and goat cheese. I wanted to make a sauce that would pair well with mushroom ravioli, but there were so many suitable (and delicious) options, that I couldn’t pick just one or two. So, I made 4 different sauces. They are all easy to make and range from simple and comforting to sophisticated and fancy.
Mushroom Ravioli Sauce Pairing #1 is a comforting and hearty tomato sauce. It is the simplest of the 4 recipes. The tomato contrasts the creamy mushroom filling nicely.
Mushroom Ravioli Sauce Pairing #2 is a rose sauce. It is the only cream based sauce and it’s fun to make because it involves setting vodka on fire. This sauce is very similar to the sauce that I make for my vodka penne (recipe here).
Mushroom Ravioli Sauce Pairing #3 is a white wine and butter sauce that goes really well with the mushrooms. I like to serve this sauce over giant raviolis.
Mushroom Ravioli Sauce Pairing #4 is one of the simplest, yet the fanciest sauce that I’ve paired with mushroom ravioli. If only I could afford white truffles to go with this, because that’s how they serve it in some parts of Italy. I like to serve this browned butter over giant raviolis.
Photo above: Giant raviolis in White Wine Sauce
Wild Mushroom Ravioli (from scratch)
In Pasta, Rice, and Doughs on May 26, 2010 at pmI’ve been wanting to make ravioli from scratch for a long time now. When I received samples of dried mushrooms from Marx Foods (see my review here), I knew that they would be perfect in ravioli and, more importantly, I would finally get to use my brand new fluted pastry wheel.
Poached Eggs with Asparagus, Prosciutto and Hollandaise
In Red Meat and Eggs on April 20, 2010 at pmI love eggs and eat them often for dinner. Usually, I eat eggs when I’m being lazy, but I decided to make a slightly fancier egg dinner. It was simple to make and delicious. If you want a healthier meal, simply omit the hollandaise sauce. I took this opportunity to learn how to poach eggs properly and I tried Julia Child’s Blender Hollandaise Sauce recipe. See my post on How to Poach an Egg here.
White Fish on Lima Beans and Corn
In Fish / Seafood, Sides and Sauces on April 13, 2010 at pmAfter I discovered that lima beans aren’t bad in a soup (recipe here), I tried eating them whole in a succotash. I was surprised at how much I liked this simple combination of lima beans and corn. This healthy side would be great for a picnic or a barbecue. I paired it with tilapia. My recipe was inspired by the Snapper with Succotash recipe from the Everyday Food magazine subscription that a good friend of mine gave me. This is a simple, one pot meal. One pot meals are perfect for weeknight dinners and this dish cooks in just a few minutes. It was a bit too healthy for me, though, so I added a creamy lemon and dill sauce (recipe here). I wish I could have taken a picture of the sauce poured over the fish, because it looked very pretty, but I accidentally dropped my camera into the sauce and broke it. 
Lasagna Rolls
In Pasta, Rice, and Doughs on April 4, 2010 at pmThese are perfect for entertaining. They taste great, they’re easy to make and they look incredibly elegant for lasagna. Since the lasagna is rolled into individual portions, these are great for pot lucks too.
Picture below right: Before going into the oven.
Pan Fried Tilapia
In Fish / Seafood on March 16, 2010 at pmThe texture of tilapia makes it very easy to handle and the thin fillet allows it to cook very quickly so it’s perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Since it’s such a mild fish, I like to pair it with more flavourful dipping sauces like honey mustard, tartar sauce, or ketchup. I buy tilapia fillets in bulk and freeze them separately. They defrost in no time since they’re so thin, which is another reason I use them for my lazy meals.
