oatmeal blueberry buttermilk pancakes

originally published on CBC.ca, February 2009.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup non-quick cooking rolled oats
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

(Makes eight pancakes)

Mix the oats and buttermilk together in a medium bowl and let sit covered and refrigerated overnight. In the morning, add one tablespoon of melted butter and one egg into the buttermilk/oat mixture. Mix thoroughly by hand. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients together and then fold them into the buttermilk/oat mixture by hand, making sure the batter is uniform and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Cover loosely and let sit unrefrigerated for 30 minutes.

When ready to cook, gently fold the blueberries into the batter being careful not to break any berries. Bring a large non-stick skillet up to temperature over a med-low heat. Water droplets should sizzle on the skillet, but not sputter and jump. Melt a small amount of butter in the pan to evenly coat it and then scoop the batter in heaping tablespoons onto the skillet, three or four at a time, giving each spoonful lots of space on the skillet. The batter will spread as the pancakes cook. Gently encourage the batter to spread and give each pancake shape with the edge of the spoon. If the pancakes touch while cooking, simply cut them apart with the edge of a spatula before flipping.

Let cook about four minutes on the first side. This is a thick batter, so you will see only a small amount of the bubbling that is characteristic of a thinner batter. When you do see this, and when the upper edges of the pancakes turn a matte tone, gently flip each pancake trying to do so in one motion using a wide spatula. The pancake will still be fairly gooey on top, so use care when flipping. Cook on the second side for about two minutes.

The surface of the pancake should be a speckled golden brown and the interior like a light oat muffin in texture. If after the cooking time, the surface is too light, or the interior gummy, your temperature is too low. If the surface is too dark or scorched, reduce heat. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel and add fresh butter before starting the next batch.

Serve the pancakes with butter and warmed pure maple syrup.

Note: To keep these pancakes warm, lay them on a cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper if you have it) in a 200 F degree oven for up to 30 minutes. Do not stack them in the oven, as they will become soft and starchy.

Roast Rack of Pork with Salsa Verde

originally published on CBC.ca, March 2009.

Use a rack of pork that allows for one chop (ie: one bone) per dinner guest. Make sure the rack has a nice layer of fat on it — otherwise your meat will end up dry. The fat will cook to a delicious crackling.

Preheat oven to 400 F

Searing the rack

Place a heavy roasting pan — large enough to hold your pork rack lengthwise — on the stovetop over a medium-high heat and add a teaspoon each of butter and vegetable oil. When the butter starts to foam, stand the rack in the pot on each end for about one minute, or until the meat has a beautifully browned surface. If the pan smokes, turn the heat down, and while searing use care, as the fat and oil can sputter. Use tongs to hold the rack and oven mitts to protect your hands. Season each end with a sprinkling of salt and pepper after searing, then lay the rack fat down in the pan and sear as much of the fat as you can in sections by rolling the rack with tongs. Season the underside of the rack then turn it over in the pan, bones down, and season the top. Place the pot with the pork rack uncovered in a 400 F oven. After 15 minutes reduce heat to 325 F and cook, basting occasionally, until internal temperature at the centre of the roast reaches 165 F. (About 1 1/2 hours for a 1.5 kg rack.)

When the roast is done, remove from pot and set it on a cutting board for ten minutes covered loosely with foil to keep warm. This allows the meat to “relax” so that juices return to the outer areas from its center. When ready to serve, cut the roast into chops between the bones. Plate with a generous tablespoon of salsa verde beside each chop.

Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 1 large handful of flat parsley leaves (about 2 loose cups)
• 1/3 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon chopped garlic (one small clove)
• 6 green onions
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

(makes ½ cup, or enough for 6-8 chops)

Cut the green onions off where the white bulbs end and the green stalks begin. Reserve white bulbs for another use. Wash and dry green onion stalks and parsley well. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and puree till smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as you go. Parsley should be reduced to tiny flecks. Serve as a condiment with roasted or grilled meats and fish.

Rare-grilled flank steak with sumac dry rub

originally published on CBC.ca, June 2009.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg flank steak

Rub Mixture

• 1 tsp. sumac
• 1/2 tsp. each: chipotle powder, ancho chili powder, cinnamon, coriander powder, paprika
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 15 turns of the black pepper mill
• 1 large clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

In a small bowl, mix the rub ingredients together into a paste with a spoon.

Lay out the flank steak on a cutting board and spoon half of the rub mixture onto one side of the steak. Using the back of the spoon, or your fingers, spread the rub evenly over the surface of the steak, rubbing it into all the crevices. Lay a piece of cling film over the steak, then flip the steak over. Coat the second side with the rest of the rub and then seal the steak with more cling film. Put the covered steak in the fridge to marinate for at least two hours or up to 24 hours.

Remove the steak from the fridge one hour before grilling. This steak cooks very fast, so make sure everything else for your meal is ready before you start. Heat your grill on high for 10 minutes. When ready to grill, dab some vegetable oil on a clean cloth and rub it on the grill. Remove the cling film from the meat and lay the flank steak on the hot grill. Close the lid and reduce heat to medium-high. Grill for five minutes, rotating the meat about 30 degrees at the halfway point, to create crossed searing marks. Flip the steak over after five minutes and repeat above grilling process for another five minutes.

When done, move the steak to a large cutting board and let it rest for five minutes.

Asparagus & Chickpea Salad with Fresh Basil & Parsley

originally published on CBC.ca, Juky 2009.

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (540 ml)
• 1 bunch asparagus (about 25 spears)
• 1 loose handful each of fresh basil and Italian parsley leaves, washed, dried and roughly chopped

Dressing

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 medium garlic clove, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 10 turns of the black pepper mill
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Put the chickpeas in a large bowl. Using the back of a fork, roughly mash about three-quarters of the chickpeas, leaving the rest whole. Don’t mash the chickpeas too finely. You just want to crush them into a crumbly texture. Add all the dressing ingredients and mix well.

Holding each asparagus at its middle, snap off the lower section of the stem where it naturally breaks. Discard the lower stems. Wash the asparagus well in cold water, then blanch them by plunging them into boiling, salted water. When the water returns to a boil, remove the asparagus and plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking and preserve their bright green colour.

When the asparagus cools, remove spears from the water and pat dry with paper towel. Laying four or five asparagus at a time on a cutting board, cut the spears at an angle into lengths of about one inch (two centimetres), being sure to keep the tips fully intact.

Add the asparagus and chopped herbs to the chickpea mixture and toss well. Adjust seasoning as desired.

Serves 4 to 6

Watermelon, Mint & Feta Salad

originally published on CBC.ca, August 2009.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cubed, seedless watermelon
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olives (approx 25 olives)
• ¼ cup sliced red onion
• 10 large mint leaves
• 2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 8 turns of the black pepper mill
• 1 pinch of salt

Serves four to six 6 people.

Slice about ¼ of a small red onion as thin as you can with a sharp knife. In a small bowl, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes.

While the onions are soaking, cut the watermelon flesh into bite-sized cubes, slightly larger than a standard sugar cube. Place in a large bowl.

By hand, crumble the feta cheese into the watermelon bowl. Most of the pieces should be just slightly smaller than the watermelon cubes, but don’t crumble them too small. Do not mix.

Use the flat side of a knife or your thumbs to crush the olives one at a time on a cutting board. Remove the pits by hand and rip each olive into two pieces. Place the olives in the watermelon bowl. Do not mix.

Drain the onions and pat dry with a paper towel. Add to the watermelon bowl. Do not mix.

Chop the mint leaves very finely. Sprinkle into the watermelon bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the watermelon mixture and gently toss with a large spoon just until all the salad ingredients are coated with dressing. Do not over mix the salad, as the watermelon and feta are fragile. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with two or three sprigs of fresh mint.

Swiss chard with oyster mushrooms and shallots

originally published on CBC.ca, September 2009.

Ingredients:

• One bunch Swiss chard (about 12 to 15 large stalks)
• 110 g/4 oz oyster mushrooms
• Two shallots, minced
• One teaspoon butter
• One teaspoon olive oil
• Two pinches of salt
• 10 turns of a black pepper mill

This dish goes wonderfully with any roast meat, especially chicken or pork, or can be a great vegetarian dish — especially if you do it as a gratinée.

I like to use oyster mushrooms for this recipe, but you can use just about any kind of mushrooms you like — just be sure to get them good and browned before adding the chard to the pot. If you don’t have shallots, substitute half an onion, minced.

Slice the mushrooms lengthwise into strips about the width of your finger.

Meanwhile, in a large deep pot heat the butter and olive oil together over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the sliced mushrooms, minced shallots and two pinches of salt.

Reduce heat to medium-low and sauté for about 15 minutes or until the mushrooms are nicely browned, stirring often. At the same time, strip the Swiss chard’s green leaves off their ribs. Wash the leaves twice in cold water to get rid of any sand. Chop them very roughly three or four times, and then once the mushrooms are good and brown, transfer the chard leaves to the sauté pot. Don’t worry about any water still clinging to the chard, as this will help cook the leaves. If necessary, add a couple of ounces of water to encourage cooking and prevent any scorching.

Add 10 turns of a black pepper mill and sauté the chard, mushrooms and shallots together for another 15 minutes, turning often with a set of tongs, until all the chard is thoroughly wilted and cooked.

Transfer to a serving dish.

Optional: Before serving, transfer the sautéed chard and mushroom mixture to a baking dish and sprinkle with one cup of grated Swiss cheese, gruyere or sharp cheddar. Gratinée it under the broiler for seven to eight minutes.

Perfect Yorkshire pudding

originally published on CBC.ca, October 2009.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Set your oven to 425 F with the rack set at centre position. Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. When the oven comes to temperature, place the pie plate in the oven to heat the oil for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and eggs. Sift together the flour and salt. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and whisk together into a smooth, uniform batter.

Once the oil has heated for 10 minutes, very carefully lift the pie plate out of the oven and set it on a heat-proof surface. Make sure no one else is nearby who might bump into you when you do this. Holiday kitchens can get crowded, and the oil is extremely hot and dangerous at this stage.

Pour the batter into the middle of the oil, scraping out the bowl with a spatula to get all of the batter. Very carefully return the pie plate to the oven. Remember, it is still extremely hot. Cook for 30 minutes at 425 F.

Make sure you turn on your oven light so guests can watch the Yorkshire pudding rise. Resist the urge to open the oven door too often, which can disturb the rising of the pudding. If the pudding seems to be rising more on one side, rotate the pie plate once by 180 degrees in the oven.

After 30 minutes, transfer the pie plate from the oven directly to your table. The pudding is impressive to see at this stage but will begin to sink within a minute. Serve cut into wedges with lots of gravy.

Serves six to eight.

Baked McIntosh Apples, or inside-out apple crumble

originally published on CBC.ca, November 2009.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 6 McIntosh apples
• 2/3 cup oats
• 2/3 cup chopped walnut pieces
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 pinches salt
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. cider vinegar
• 6 tsp. unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 450ºF.

In a bowl mix together oats, walnut, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and cider vinegar.

Lightly butter the bottom of a baking dish large enough to hold the six apples without them touching each other. Remove the stem from each apple. Cut a thin, level slice off the top of each apple, about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Using a paring knife or melon baller, remove the core of each apple and some of the flesh around the core, being careful not to penetrate through the bottom or sides of the apple. Remove enough of the apple’s flesh to form a small pocked inside the apple. Use your finger to coat the inside of each apple with about 1/2 tsp of butter.

Set the apples in the baking dish at equal distances from each other, with the pockets facing up. Spoon the oat and maple mixture into the six pockets, pressing the mixture down lightly as you fill the pockets. There should be enough oat mixture to fill all the pockets and to form a small mound on top of each apple. (If not, make a bit more oat mixture; apples do vary in size.) Place a small dollop of butter on top of each apple.

Tear off a piece of aluminum foil that is about one-and-a-half times longer than your baking dish. Crumple the foil and place it over the apples like a loose tent. Do not seal the sides; the foil is simply meant to prevent the top of the oat mixture from scorching. Bake at 450ºF for about 17 minutes, longer if your apples are exceptionally large.

Remove from oven and serve immediately, one apple per person. They are delicious with vanilla ice cream.

Eva and Anna’s Cranberry Galette

originally published on CBC.ca, December 2009.

A galette is a rustic pie with a very large bottom crust, the edges of which have been folded over the filling to leave a large untrimmed hole in the top. Traditionally, galettes are made on baking sheets, not in pie plates, but I recommend using a pie plate for this recipe — cranberries can release a lot of juice, and if there is any break in your crust then the pie plate will contain that juice. Be sure to use fresh berries; frozen berries release too much liquid.

Ingredients (makes two pies)

Shortcrust for two galettes (If making only one galette, freeze half the dough for later use.)

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup (½ lb.) unsalted butter, chilled
• 2 pinches of salt
• 12 Tablespoons ice water
• 1 egg

Filling for each galette

• 3½ cups fresh cranberries (the equivalent of a standard 12 oz bag)
• 1 cup white sugar

Making the crust

Shortcrust pastry is easy to make. The most important thing is to not overwork the dough. The more you work the dough, the less flaky your crust will be. It is also very important to use chilled ingredients.

Put one cup of water in the freezer with two ice cubes. Mix your flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut chilled butter into cubes about the size of standard sugar cubes. Place the butter cubes in the flour, and using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is thoroughly coated in flour and the mixture has a texture ranging from large crumbs to pea-size.

Sprinkle four tablespoons of the ice water over the flour and butter mixture. Using a wooden spoon, toss the mixture together to distribute and absorb the water. Repeat, adding four tablespoons each time. As you add more water, target any dry crumbs, tossing them into the wetter portions of the dough until you have many small wads of dough.

Turn all of the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with flour and then gather all the pieces of dough together pressing them very firmly into one large mound. Do not knead the dough. If any of the dough still seems dry and crumbly, sprinkle on a little more water using your fingertips and press it into the mound. Cut the mound of dough in half and wrap each half in plastic, pressing each half once or twice firmly into a ball, as though making a snowball.

Cool the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Making the galette

Set your oven rack to the centre position and turn the temperature to 400º F.

In a bowl, mix together enough cranberries and sugar for one galette. Butter the bottom and sides of a nine-inch pie plate. Unwrap one ball of dough and set it on a floured surface. Dust your hands with flour and press the ball into a flat disk. If any fissures or cracks appear, seal them by firmly pinching together the edges of the cracks. It is important that there be no holes in the crust through which juices can escape.

Dust your rolling pin and begin rolling out the dough in even motions from the centre. As you roll, keep the crust as round as possible and its thickness as even as possible. Again, if any cracks appear, pinch the edges together firmly. If the dough sticks to the counter, use a metal spatula to flip it onto a fresh dusting of flour. Roll the dough to a 12-inch diameter. Do not trim the rough edges.

Lay the dough in the pie plate. Place the cranberry and sugar mixture in the crust, mounded slightly at the centre. Gently fold the edges of the dough over the berries, leaving a large rough hole at the centre. Beat together one egg and two tablespoons of water and then brush the crust with this egg wash.

Bake at 400º F for 45 minutes. Ovens do vary in temperature accuracy, so watch the galette closely in the last 10 minutes. The crust should have a deep, golden-brown tone, and the berries should be bubbling. Allow to cool to room temperature before slicing. Serve with whipped cream.