Spanish Tapas night!

Long before the lamented Nova 7 recall, I had some friends of mine over for a Spanish Tapas night. I love getting together with this group of friends, however, its often very difficult to coordinate. We had planned over a month in advance, which gave me over a month to decide on the perfect components to a (simple) Spanish Tapas night.

I had picked up two btls. of wine, a btl. of Spanish White from Bishop's Cellar and a btl. of Nova 7. My friend's bf - the gem that he is - also surprised her w/ a btl. of N7 for her night with the girls!

What a feed! Prosciutto (which is Italian, I know...details...) roasted chickpeas, spicy olives, roasted red peppers, almonds (I couldn't find the classic Spanish almonds, Marcona), fresh fruit, a selection of cheeses, and our friend who works at Ristorante Amano brought their house-made hazelnut and pistachio gelato.

It was meant to be - the Nova 7 matched my tulips!

And here is the spread....

Spicy Olive Mix, among others...

Watermelon, peaches and strawberries

Roasted Red Peppers

Prosciutto

Tamari Almonds

Pistaschio & Hazlenut Gellato from Pizzaria-A-Mano

And coming up next? French Supper Club w/ Brie & Bordeaux!

Cheese & Asparagus Tart

Since blogging about my Easter dinner asparagus tart, I've had several people ask me for the recipe. Truth is, it's sort of a mis-mash of recipes' from Martha Stewart and Jamie Oliver, with my own little twist. This tart is fantastic for lunch with soup or salad, alongside eggs for breakfast or as a side dish with a steak dinner.

Cheese and Asparagus Tart

2 c. Mozzarella Cheese

1 c. Gruyere Cheese

¼ c. melted butter

2 bunches asparagus, trimmed

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Method:

Blanch asparagus in boiling water for a minute and transfer to an ice bath to maintain their colour.

Line a large sheet pan with a layer of parchment paper and brush with butter. Layer 10-12 sheets of filo pastry brushing each sheet with butter until desired thickness is achieved.

Remove asparagus from water and dry thoroughly. Sprinkle pastry with cheeses, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until filo is golden brown.

Yuppy Supper Club #8

This was a fairly serendipitous YSC because the bulk of the meal was free! A friend of mine, new to Halifax, and the newest member of YSC is starting his residency at the QEII. A couple of weeks ago, he was working the ER when fisherman from Cape Breton came in with a jigger hooked into his hand. Ewwwwwww! As my friend was removing said obstruction, he mentioned that he was from NL and the fisherman said that he would bring in some fish the next time he was in town....

Well, he was true to his word and brought in at least 6 halibut steaks and 7 haddock fillets! For supper club, these were front and centre, along with some salmon steaks that another friend brought over. I baked the halibut and salmon, simply dressed, while I pan-fried the haddock sprinkled with Cajun seasoning.

True to my bean dip-experimental phase, I made a Romano bean dip, served with w/ cucumber slices and multigrain & flax tortilla chips for company to munch on while I finished supper. It's a pretty cookie-cutter recipe; can of drained beans, 1/2 a lemon, clove of garlic and some S&P, all whirled up in the food processor. This time, I added a few hot chilies as well. By the time I got my camera, they were already well into it!

Halibut steaks and Cajun Haddock fillets

and...Salmon Steaks

Quark-stuffed Roasted Red Peppers

For some veg to go with our seafood buffet, I made some quark-stuffed roasted red peppers. - another simple side. Halve some red peppers and toss in olive oil & S&P and roast for 15-20 minutes until tender. In the meantime, mix a container of Fox Hill's quark (or ricotta, or cream cheese) w/ 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, 1tsp. lemon zest, a dash of salt and plenty of fresh cracked black pepper. Fill the peppers w/ the quark mixture and put them under the broiler -watch them closely- and broil until the cheese is warmed through.

Back in June, I made a batch of applesauce to freeze for a rainy day- or in this case, an impromptu dessert. I defrosted the applesauce and served it over Vanilla Fro Yo w/ a drizzle of pure Nova Scotian maple syrup. An easy dessert to assemble, especially after several bottles of wine have been consumed!

Yuppie Supper Club #7- A tribute to Julia Child!

Just before my recent NY trip, my friend Mela and I decided to go see Julie & Julia. I had read the book itself and was super pumped to see a movie set in NY. Mel, however, an enthusiastic cook and one of the founding members of Yuppie Supper Club, was entering into the world of Julia Child w/out warning, and it was great to watch the results!

After the movie, we decided that our next YSC would be a tribute to Mrs. Julia Child, and that we would make her Boeuf Bourgingnon. I went online and found the recipe (courtesy of Oprah.com) from JC's book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. On Friday, Mel bought some organic beef, wine and some root vegetables and set to work, while I waited with baited breath to get off work at 4:30- womp, womp!

I did, however have time to contribute our appy; a white bean dip w/ crudites...slightly French, though not a JC recipe! I adapted this recipe slightly from Lauren Chattman's Cool Kitchen, a cookbook that's the perfect antidote to cooking in 30 degree weather!

White Bean Dip:

1 can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, minced
S & P to taste.

Method:

Throw it all together in a blender or food processor and puree. That's it. I love simple recipes!

I timed my arrival perfectly, as it allowed for a mere twenty minutes wait until the stew was ready, by which time I was practically begging Mel to let me have some! However, it allowed me the opportunity to take shots of the dish in progress - there are many steps to a Julia Child recipe.

Beef, simmering in a bath of red wine and beef stock...

Then, add in the onions and carrots...

And the meal is complete with tender beef, sweet carrots, caramelized pearl onions and soft potatoes in a rich, flavorful broth.

For dessert, Mel prepared one of her favorites, and mine too; Chocolate Lava Cakes. She switched this dessert up from the last time, swapping the fresh raspberries and raspberry puree for balsamic marinated strawberries. The rich and tangy berries struck an effortless balance with the cake's fudgy texture.

Yuppie Supper Club #5

Last weekend, some friends of mine were in town from NL. I'd told them about our Yuppie Supper Club, and wanted to organize one so that they could participate. Since it was a gorgeous sunny day, I figured that a BBQ was in order. I told everyone to bring their booze and goodies for the grill, and I'd provide the sides...or as my friend referred to them, the "accessories".

One of the things that I love about supper club is that we always have some sort of snack to munch on while the gals prepare dinner. I was flying solo this time, however, as my pal Mel had to work- although that didn't stop her from sending over a homemade apple pie!

Here is my "menu", which came together in no time flat...

Tzatziki: Grate a large cucumber onto a tea towel. Wring out all the moisture- the drier you can get the cucumber, the better. Toss in a cup of good quality, thick Greek yogurt, a clove of minced garlic, and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Season to taste with S&P. For dipping, I cut whole wheat pita into triangles, left half soft, and toasted the other half at 350 for 15 minutes, turning halfway.

Spicy Shrimp: This is the simplest side ever! You can turn a regular BBQ into Surf 'n' Turf in no time with these babies. Simply defrost a shrimp ring, or bulk shrimp, and toss in a hot pan with olive oil, garlic, fresh ginger and hot chili flakes.

Yellow Wax Beans w/ Basil: Trim beans and steam. Toss with a good tbsp. of butter, S&P, and serve sprinkled with fresh basil. The aroma here is intense as the hot beans bring out the lovely scent of the basil.

Spicy Roasted Potatoes: Clean and prick baking potatoes and microwave on high heat for 12 minutes, turning at the halfway mark. Chop the potatoes into small chunks and toss with a mix of olive oil, S&P, smoked paprika and Cayenne pepper. Roast at 450 for about 15-20 minutes, or until crispy.

For dessert, I wanted to serve something easy and fun. Since my recent encounter with The Sweet Spot Chocolate Shop's s'more, I had them on the brain! To create this simple treat without the camping trip aesthetic, we removed the grill from my BBQ and toasted the marshmallows over the flame! 70% dark chocolate made these puppies a far cry from the campfire variety!

As mentioned, Mel's BF, and one of the founding members of YSC brought over the homemade apple pie that she had made the previous day. This girl is seriously adventurous in the kitchen, and created the pie from scratch with a whole wheat and almond flour crust, raisins and tons of spices.

So there it is- the next time you decide to host an impromptu dinner party, these are a couple quick and simple recipes that won't break the bank, but will leave your guests feeling full and satisfied!

Yuppie Supper Club # 4

For Supperclub at Mel's, I always like to add something fresh to the mix, generally in the form of an interesting or trendy salad. This combination of ingredients has been all over various restaurant menus lately, as well as in the pages of several culinary mags, so I thought I'd give it a shot. It's SO simple!

Watermelon, Feta & Tomato Salad

First, I tossed arugula in a balsamic vinaigrette and made a bed of greens. Then, I distributed the watermelon, tomato and feta cheese equally among the plates, sprinkling the salads with a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper.

For the main course, Mel made her first attempt at lasagna and did an AMAZING job! So filled was this dish with ground beef and spinach, fresh and sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, noodles, mozzarella and Parmesan, one piece could easily have weighed 10 pounds! Well, not quite, but your get the idea!

Dessert was fairly simple -actually, I'm surprised that Mel had the time to make dessert at all. She marinated fresh fruit; strawberries, pineapple, grapes and mango in a bit of sugar, and topped them with whipped cream. It was a great, light dessert after such a heavy meal.

After dinner, we watched the fireworks from, quite possibly, the best location in the city; my friend's 6th floor, waterfront apt. at Bishop's Landing. Not a bad end to a wonderful evening of equally exploding flavors; a fresh, funky salad, luxurious lasagna and a medley of sweet fruity flavors to top it off!

Yuppie Supper Club #3

For this installment of YSC, we upd the anti with a little lobstah! My friend Mel informed me that you can pick your lobster AND GET IT COOKED FOR YOU at the grocery store...bonus- no effort, and no smelly apt! The only work that was involved was breaking them apart, but that's the fun part after all, so no worries there.

To contrast the lobster's sweet, succulent meat I made a light salad with bright flavors; tart, ruby-red grapefruit, crunchy fennel and cool, creamy avocado. We piled the salad on a bed of mixed greens and dressed it with a simple mix of olive oil, some reserved grapefruit juice and S & P. Topped with some nutty Parmesan cheese, we had an incredible variety of tastes to hit every bit of the palate.

the "catch"

Mel is one ambitious cook in the kitchen! That girl prepared not only the Lava Cakes, but all the trimmings herself! She blended up some fresh strawberry coulis, and much to my delight, sat down post dinner and proceeded to whip the cream- BY HAND!

I've never had a lava cake before, but I'll definitely try to make them myself! They pretty much have the same texture as a chocolate cake that isn't entirely cooked in the centre. My fork went through the soft cake shell into a warm, fudgy center. Yummers.

Yuppie Supper Club #2

After my incredible feed of Indian food last week, I was inspired to challenge my culinary prowess and try to re-create my meal from the Taj Mahal- but do it better! Yuppie Supper Club this weekend was the perfect opportunity to do so. My friend Mel and I picked up some key ingredients at the market, including the Butter Chicken spice mix from Tandoor Blends, as well as some veg for the Saag.

It was a fairly ambitious plan. I was going to make onion badja- deep fried onion fritters...difficult since I don't own a deep fryer. But, I got to thinkin' that all I needed was a big pot and some oil, so I miked up the batter and dropped the little suckers in one by one.

The recipe for this is simps. I made a tempura batter, which is equal ratios flour and beer w/ a pinch of salt + any flavorings you want to use. This batter actually differed from the real thing 'cause authentic badja uses chickpea flour, but really- who buys chickpea flour?

Recipe:

2 large white onions chopped
1 cup flour
1 cup beer - I used the St. Ambrose Apricot beer for a bit of sweetness
1 tsp. curry powder
pinch of S&P

Canola oil- It's hard to say how much you need as it depends upon the size of your pot, but definitely use enough to fill it up about 3 inches deep. In my case...the whole bottle! Don't try to use olive oil here, as it doesn't heat to a high enough temp. to deep fry.

Method:

Mix all ingredients together. Heat oil to high and drop batter by tbsp. gently into the oil. I only did 10 at a time to keep from overcrowding the pot. Fry until golden brown, remove from oil and drain it on a paper towel.

Step 1: Mix

Step 2: Fry

Step 3: Enjoy!

Wow- Was anyone else just taken back to NKOTB's 'Step by Step', circa 1990? The fritters were so tasty- at the same time crispy, yet slightly chewy and with a touch of sweetness from the Apricot beer. I wanted a good dippy for the fritters, so I also made a pot of Mango Chutney.

Mango Chutney

Recipe:

1 mango, chopped
2 apples, peeled, cored & chopped
1 small onion, minced
2 tsp. oil
1/2 c. vinegar- cider would be best, but I just had the 'ol white, so I substituted!
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. hot pepper jelly
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. curry powder
pinch S&P

Method:

Heat oil on Med. heat and soften the onions until translucent. Add the apples, mangos and vinegar. Once mixture softens, add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer on low until the mixture cooks down and thickens.

Then it was on to the main course...

I wanted one traditional meat dish and a good veg-like sauce as well, so we went with Butter Chicken and Chickpea Saag to serve atop our rice. Clearly, you do not need a rice recipe- at least I hope not!

Butter Chicken

Recipe:

1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. oil
5 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. ginger- use fresh if you have it!
1/3 c. chicken stock
4 chicken breasts, cubed
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. heavy cream

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp. butter and oil on Med. heat and saute onion. Add garlic and ginger and saute until softened. Add chicken and cook for 1-2 mins. Add tomato, chicken stock and simmer until meat is cooked through. Add butter and cream and simmer until thickned.

Chickpea Saag

Recipe:

1 15 oz. can chickpeas rinsed & drained
1 lg bag spinach rinsed & dried
1 15 oz. can diced tomato
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp hot chili flakes
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
S&P

Method:

Heat oil on Med. and saute onions and garlic until translcent. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and spinach & cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer until spinach is wilted. Add spices and S&P to taste.

Note- I encountered a little problem w/ this dish in that it was a little too runny. To solve thate problem, I removed a cup of liquid and mixed w/ 2 tbsp. flour and then added it back to the pot, which thickened it right up!

These tasty, sloppy dishes were served w/ Basmati rice and some warm Naan bread. This was one of my favorite Yuppie Supper Clubs to date as my friend Melanie and I cooked, while the boys sat back and drank their beer. In fact, that's all they ever really have to do is bring the booze. The kitchen is my domain and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Yuppie Supper Club #1

Some friends and I have recently started sharing meals and cooking for each other once a week. I have lovingly bestowed the name "Yuppie Supper Club" on this venture because it ends up being a ridiculous meal that ends in bellies full of delicious ingredients. On this particular occasion, I was the host. I was dealing with two ends of the spectrum- a friend who would eat anything, and one who refused to eat seafood (!) and who didn't enjoy the combination of sweet and savory (!!!!) And ya'll know how I love sweet and savory!

I started the night with little unconventional appy pizzas. Instead of the typical pizza crust, I used naan bread, slathered with creamy goat cheese, topped with meaty sundried tomatoes and generously drizzled with olive oil, cracked black pepper and hot chili flakes. Then, I put the ZAs under the broiler until the cheese was just slightly melted and even creamier.

I also made a potato pave of thinly sliced potatoes, tossed in melted butter, S&P and layered in a well-greased pan and baked at 350 until golden, about 25 minutes.

The main event contained the potato, steamed asparagus and chicken breasts on the bone - the only way to make them in my opinion - with a creamy oyster and portabello mushroom sauce.


The basics are pretty self explanatory; steam veg, rost chicken.

For the sauce:
1 lb mixed mushrooms; chanterelles, portobellos and porcinis
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. heavy cream

Saute mushrooms in butter until tender over medium heat. Add cream and reduce to low until thickened, and pour over chicken. See? Simps!