Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Pancetta

I tried out this recipe over Thanksgiving and immediately knew it would be a new holiday must have. Actually I knew it was one of my new favorite anytime side dishes. The caramelized shallots are supremely sweet, the toasted almonds are rich and smoky and the pancetta, really what is there not to like about anything with pancetta. In lieu of pancetta you could certainly use bacon and once again, I ask, is there anything that could go wrong with that? No, the answer is a certified no. Be sure to put this little gem in your back pocket for any occasion but especially for your upcoming holiday entertaining.

Recipe:
1 lb green beans, trimmed of stems
3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 strips pancetta, diced and cooked until crispy
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup almonds, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Melt butter over medium heat in a saute pan and add the shallots. Saute shallots, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes or until they become lightly browned and sticky. Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans to the boiling water and boil for 3 minutes. Strain the beans and set aside. Add the almonds to the pan and toast for 4-5 minutes. Add the beans and pancetta to the pan and stir together. Heat everything together, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Classic Chicken and Mushroom Pasta Casserole

I'm sure you're not unfamiliar with your Mom's chicken casserole with mushroom soup. It was a staple in our house and if you know what I'm talking about, you will likely join in my comfort of this casserole. And my favorite thing about this casserole? The crunchy cracker parmeson crust on top, Oh yeah.





Recipe:
1 package penne pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 chicken tenderloins, diced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup buttery crackers such as Ritz
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in the skillet, and add the onions, celery and garlic and saute about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Mix in the cooked pasta, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
5. In a small bowl, mix the cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Spread evenly over the top of the casserole.
6. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven until bubbly and lightly browned.



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Baked Shrimp Scampi

Oh hello there Shrimp Scampi, my new favorite best friend forever. Yes, I know my BFF quotient is rather fleeting and changes at an extremely rapid rate but for now, this dish has me weak in the knees and looking for cover. It's garlicky, buttery, cheesy, herby (is that a word?) goodness. I'm so happy with this dish I feel like breaking into a verse of killing me softly.




Shrimp Marinade:
2 lbs shrimp, shells removed but leave the tails on, cleaned and deveined.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon each salt, pepper and red pepper flakes

Directions:
whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Place the shrimp in the marinade and stir to combine. Allow the shrimp to marinade at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.

Scampi Recipe:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in the microwave. Remove, add the minced garlic to the butter and set aside to cool.
3. mix the breadcrumbs with the rosemary, parsley, lemon zest, parmesan cheese and egg yolk. Add the cooled butter mixture to the breadcrumbs and stir everything together.
4. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and place the shrimp in a single layer in a large casserole dish. Drizzle the shrimp with the remaining marinade. Spoon the breadcrumb mixture over the shrimp. Place the shrimp in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve with fresh lemon wedges.

Mom's Shepherd's Pie

Well, I've had this cold/flu/demon-spawn virus thing on and off for the last 30 days and I've basically eaten a banana, some soup and a cracker in that time. Thankfully I'm starting to feel better and two things that I needed were comfort food and meat.

My Mom always made shepherd's pie for us as kids and it was and is one of my favorite meals. My parents are both from Scotland so before the battle of the Brits begin here, let me stress that this is how my Mom made it. You see, sometimes it's made with lamb and sometimes with beef. The vegetables involved are also up for discussion. Some people will even argue that this is not technically called Shepherd's pie. All I know is that it's my mama's recipe and I'm in no position to question her. I also know that it totally hit the spot and was exactly what I needed. Thanks Mom!

Recipe:
1 lb lean ground beef
4 large yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1" dice
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup corn niblets
1 cup diced carrots
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beef stock
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
salt and pepper to taste
butter

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Once the water comes to a boil add the diced potatoes. Boil the potatoes about 20 minutes or until they are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until there are no more lumps. Set the potatoes aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet until it's no longer pink. Add the onions, carrots and garlic and continue to cook another 10 minutes. Add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. Stir to combine. Simmer the mixture for 15 minutes or until the stock has reduced into a gravy-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the peas and corn.
4. Spoon the meat mixture into a casserole dish. Top the meat mixture with the mashed potatoes. Spread the potatoes over the meat making sure to cover the entire surface of the meat with the potatoes. Place dots of butter on top of the potatoes. Place in the oven and bake until the potatoes become nice and golden brown on the top.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa and Andouille Sausage

I can't get enough of all of the fabulously beautiful varieties of squash that are available right now. They are so unique in appearance and flavour, I continuously marvel at the beauty of them all. And as such, I've made some type of squash dish almost every day for weeks. This happens to be one of my favorites. The wonderful nutty flavour of quinoa is a perfect combination with squash and the andouille sausage adds a rich, spicy, smoky flavour. This was a super satisfying meal that I'll be making regularly. Oh how I love the offerings of Fall...

Recipe:
1 acorn squash
2 andouille sausages (can substitute chorizo)
1 cup cooked quinoa (can use rice if quinoa is unavailable)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup hazelnuts, very finely chopped
2 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Rub the flesh of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the squash flesh side up on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa according to package directions. Cut the sausage into 1/4" dice. Cook the sausage in a saute pan and lightly cook for 7-8 minutes. Mix the quinoa in with the sausage along with the parmesan cheese, rosemary and parsley and hazelnuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed.
3. Stuff the cavity of each side of the squash halves and sprinkle the top with extra parmesan cheese. Return the stuffed squash to the oven and bake another 20 minutes.

Beet Ravioli Stuffed with Ricotta and Goat Cheese

There are few flavour companions that I adore more than beets and goat cheese. The combination of the two makes me swoon. So when I came across Martha Stewart's recipe for this beet ravioli I was smitten from the start. First of all, that colour alone could make me cry tears of joy. We could easily stop right there but the happiness I experineced when I tasted this wonderful concoction is one I won't soon forget. By far one of my new favorites, this dish will be making a repeat performance on a regular basis in this house.


Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart:

For the Pasta:
2 medium beets
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap the beets in foil and place on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast about 1 hour or until the beets are fork tender. Remove from oven and allow the beets to cool enough to handle. Remove the skins, place in a food processor and puree the beets (you should have 1/2 cup puree).
2. Add eggs to the food processor and pulse until combined. Add flour and salt and process until dough just comes together, about 20 seconds.
3. Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic about 5 to 10 minutes, adding more flour if the dough is sticky. Cover and let rest for 1 to 2 hours.
4. Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Roll out each piece to form a thin layer (about 1/8") of dough. Place 1 teaspoon of filling onto one sheet of dough 1/2" from the edge. Continue to place spoonfuls of filling along the dough 1" from each other.
5. Place one of the other pieces of rolled out dough on top of the piece with the filling on it. Pinch the dough around the filling to form the ravioli. Use a sharp knife to cut out the ravioli into individual squares. Pinch the edges of each ravioli with the tines of a fork. Set aside each ravioli in a single layer on a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour.
6. When you are ready to cook the ravioli, add them to boiling water. Stir until the water returns to a boil. When the ravioli float on their own, about 3-5 minutes, they are finished cooking. Place each portion on individual plates. Drizzle with the brown butter and extra parmesan cheese.

For the Filling:
3/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese, drained 30 minutes
3/4 cup fresh goat cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (for sauce, see below)

Directions:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine chopped parsley, mint, ricotta, goat cheese, parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Set aside.

For the Brown Butter:
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a saute pan. Cook over medium heat until the butter becomes golden brown. Add lemon juice, remove from heat. Serve over pasta.

Serves 4.

Roasted Buttercup Squash Seeds

So all this time I've been under the impression that the only squash seeds worth roasting were pumpkin. Man was I wrong. I think about all of those seeds I've thrown out in my lifetime that could have been crunchy, salty, spicy goodness and it makes me want to weep. My revelation came via Twitter when one of my peeps posted a photo of her own roasted buttercup seeds. They looked so good I knew I had to make them. I. Love. These. Period. Sometimes it's the little things that make me so happy. Most often it's the little things. These make me very happy. And after the craziness of the last 2 weeks around here, I'm happy to be happy.

Recipe (which is not really a recipe at all. Adapt it to your mood, personal taste etc.):
Seeds from 2 buttercup squash
almond oil
cinnamon
nutmeg
salt
black pepper

Directions:
1. Rinse the seeds ensuring that all of the flesh of the squash are removed. Pat the seeds dry. Preheat the oven to 250. Place the seeds on on a baking sheet. Drizzle the seeds with almond oil, making sure all of the seeds are coated. Sprinkle the seeds with cinnamon and nutmeg, a good sprinkling of salt and a light sprinkling of black pepper. Toss the seeds completely with the seasonings and oil. Place the seeds in the oven and roast for about 1 hour, checking every 20 minutes, stirring the seeds around each time.

Thanksgiving Meal Ideas

It's Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend which is one of my favorite holidays. However, this year is rather bittersweet given our recent loss of Ome. We just returned from her funeral and after a whirlwind 72 hours that included 26 hours of driving in 2 days, I am beat. But I can't even imagine how much trouble I would be in if Ome knew I didn't feel like preparing a feast this year so I'm going to channel my inner Ome, put on a smile and start cooking up a storm. Some years I make ham but this year i'm going with a traditional turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce so whether you're going with ham or turkey, I figured I would share a list of my favorite tried and true recipes:

Roast Turkey from Simply Recipes
Maple Glazed Ham
Stuffing from Simply Recipes
Creamy Mashed Potatoes from The Pioneer Woman
Cranberry Sauce from The Unreserved
Rich Turkey Gravy from Epicurious.com
Roasted Brussel Sprouts from My Husband Cooks
Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
Pumpkin Pie from Smitten Kitchen

Cheers to Ome

I have spoken of my husband's Ome, who was essentially my own, many times and this evening Ome passed away. Naturally we're all in a world of grief. I will always be indebted to her for taking me under her wing and teaching me all of her tricks and tips. I will be forever grateful for her beautiful love, laughter and wisdom. Once I actually process the whole thing, be prepared to be be bombarded with perogies, borscht and cherry soup. Rest in Peace Ome.

This is from 2007:
My boyfriend's Grandmother whom everyone calls Ome is the true inspiration behind my love of cooking. Her name is Meta and not only is she absolutely amazing, her cooking is legendary. Before I met Ome I had heard many stories about the cellar she kept full of fruits and vegetables, that she grew in the garden and then canned for winter every year. Everything Ome has ever served has been homemade and she serves the best food I have ever eaten. The first time I met her we went to her house for dinner. I didn't know what to expect because I had heard so many stories of what you can only imagine to be Superwoman! She was 80ish at that time, surely one has to slow down at some time, right? Was I ever naive.....I remember that dinner like it was yesterday and I'll never forget the aroma that wafted out the door upon our arrival.

The spread that night was: cabbage rolls, roast chicken, saurkraut, borscht, blueberry perogies and potato dumplings, all from scratch and it was without a doubt the best dinner I've ever had. Keep in mind, this is just normal for Ome, she does this all the time, flawlessly. Before I met Ome I never cooked, I was the take-out queen but I came away from that dinner with a whole new appreciation for food. It's safe to say that meeting Ome changed my life, I didn't know I had a passion for cooking inside of me before that night. That dinner unleashed a fire from within me, one that has made everyday since totally fulfilling and content. If only everyone had the luxury of meeting this lovely, strong and truly inspiring woman. Every meal I make I strive to be like her and on behalf of myself and every one of my dinner guests in the future, I thank you Ome for your "magic hands" and your beautiful spirit.

Pear, Parsnip and Celery Root Soup

Does that title not scream Fall or what? Some of my favourite flavours are happening right now. All of you hotsummer loving folks are not going to like what I'm about to tell you but I'm so happy it's Fall! Do you hate me yet? Let me explain; I can't stand the heat. I'm sure you hate me now. I know, it sounds crazy but I just can't stand being hot. Chalk it up to growing up in the North if you will but here's another factor; Let's face it, I write about food so suffice it to say that's it's in everyone's best interest that I not prance around in a bikini and daisy dukes all summer long. That is just one reason why Spring and Fall are my favorite seasons, layers. Plus I get to bust out all of my cute jackets. Another is because I love to cook good old comfort food like slow cooked roasts, soups and stews which are all an impossibility in hot, hot heat. So with the temperatures cooling off I was finally able to get my soup on. And let me tell you, this one rocked my world. A little sweet, a little savoury and utilizing some of the best the season has to offer, this fabulously luxurious soup is already a favorite in our household.

Recipe:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 med onion, diced
1 large parsnip, peeled & diced
1 cup celery root, peeled & diced (about 2 medium sized)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 large pears, peeled, cored & diced
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup apple juice
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:
1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large soup pot over low-medium heat. Add the onions and saute about 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, parsnips and celery root and saute another 5 minutes.
2. Add the wine and increase heat to bring the wine to a simmer. Simmer the wine for 6-7 minutes or until the wine has reduced by half. Add the chicken stock, apple juice and pears. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, partially cover the pot and simmer slowly for about 1 hour.
3. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, add the nutmeg and remove from heat. Allow the soup to cool, transfer to a blender and puree the soup. Note that it's very important to allow the soup to cool before blending and you may have to blend in batches depending on the size of your blender. A hand immersion blender would work well here too.