When the Atlantic of Gulf hurricanes make their way to our neck of the woods they take the format of a huge rainfall. A couple of weeks ago we were seriously worried about our basement flooding the rain was so bad.
After it had stopped I noticed this out front.
One of the popular social media activities right now is for people to post pics of places that have made them happy. You know the pics, the ones you look at and you get that feeling of calm and happiness inside. I've decided to do that for this week's edition of Travel Tuesdays.
This is the 17th edition from my self isolation.
This is the perfect side dish for the summer - it is ready in about 30 minutes, doesn't heat up and the kitchen, and tastes delicious!
There isn't a whole lot to say about a rice pilaf - rice, noddles, herbs - done. yet when all is said and done this is a powerful addition to your dinner plate.
This recipe if flexible and you could mix up the herbs and spices to suit you.
Instant Pot Rice Pilaf
1/4 c. olive oil or butter
1/3 c. orzo or vermicelli
1 c. white ricev1 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. coarse kosher sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 tbsp. freshly minced parsley OR 1 tsp. dried parsley
Turn Instant Pot on SAUTE mode. Add the olive oil (or butter). Once hot, add the pasta and cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Add the rice and cook until it turns bright white, about 3-4 minutes.
Carefully pour in the broth along with the garlic powder, salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika.
Place the lid on. Make sure valve is switched to sealing. Turn SAUTE off and select MANUAL mode (high pressure) for 3 minutes. Once cooked, allow the pressure to come down naturally. This will take anywhere from 12-15 minutes.
Open the lid and stir in the parsley. Let the rice sit for a few minutes before serving.
Yup . . .
One of the popular social media activities right now is for people to post pics of places that have made them happy. You know the pics, the ones you look at and you get that feeling of calm and happiness inside. I've decided to do that for this week's edition of Travel Tuesdays.
This is the 16th edition from my self isolation.
I know for some it isn't really summer until they have enjoyed their first lobster roll of the season. Here we are half way through the summer, the pictures of lobsters my friends on facebook and instagram have been posting had be craving lobster rolls in a huge way.
I bought some frozen lobster meat, top sliced buns at Farmboy, and enjoyed a treat yesterday at lunch.
There are plenty of people out there who will argue about the perfect lobster roll filling. Some want nothing but the lobster and perhaps a kiss of lemon. Others make things more complex. I like a crunch of celery, and some fresh herbs.
This recipe, from the folks at Fine Cooking, fit the bill!
Lobster Rolls
3/4 cup finely chopped celery with leaves
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 lb. (4 cups) cooked lobster meat
6 hot dog rolls, preferably New England-style split-top rolls
In a large bowl, stir the celery, mayonnaise, chives, tarragon, lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Stir in the lobster meat and season to taste with more lemon, salt, and pepper.
Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler to high. Toast both outside surfaces of the rolls under the broiler, about 1 minute per side. Spoon the lobster salad into the rolls, using about 2/3 cup per roll, and serve.
It is a long weekend in Canada which means many people will be firing up the BBQ and tossing on some steaks. One of my favourite accompaniments with steak is horseradish sauce. This creamy horseradish rivals the best I have tried in restaurants.
This horseradish cream sauce is so easy and will impress your dinner guests! It keeps well in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks and only gets better as the flavors meld.
The horseradish taste is not overwhelming at all so 'horseradish phobic' folks (like Paul) will be happy. I would have added more horseradish if it were just for me.
Horseradish Sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp prepared horseradish
2 Tbsp mayo
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp chives
In a small mixing bowl, stir all of the ingredients together. Serve right away or cover and refrigerate for about 2 weeks.
This recipe surprised me.
In a good way . . . although don't let the pic spoil your taste bud fun.
We loved grilled halibut. I've often paired it with lemon and herbs prior to grilling. I've never considered using rosemary. When I first came upon the recipe online I almost clicked past it until I noticed it was from Bobby Flay. Say what you want about Flay - he knows grilling and he knows how to make dishes with an interesting flavour profile.
With that in mind I put this on the menu - it was an easy choice too since we had all of the ingredients.
This dish comes together quickly with only 20 minutes of actual work time (the rest of the time being the hour the fish sits in the marinade prior to grilling). The results are delicious and you'll be glad you gave it a go.
Enjoy!
Lemon Rosemary Marinated Grilled Halibut
3 tablespoons dry white wine
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
Four halibut steaks, (6 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Whisk together the wine, lemon juice, olive oil and rosemary in a small shallow baking dish. Add the halibut and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning once. Preheat grill. Remove fish from marinade and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the steaks for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or to desired doneness.
One of the popular social media activities right now is for people to post pics of places that have made them happy. You know the pics, the ones you look at and you get that feeling of calm and happiness inside. I've decided to do that for this week's edition of Travel Tuesdays.
This is the 15th edition from my self isolation. In case you're wondering about the theme . . . I've not had my breakfast yet and am hungry.
How about another refreshing strawberry cocktail?
This one is unusual because it involves bourbon - most of the drinks I have seen use rum, gin, or vodka. Of course I had to try this version.
The other thing with this drink is that it combines strawberries and basil. You'll find that that is a classic flavour profile.
I had strawberry juice leftover from when I made the Strawberry Tiramisu the other day and I am loath to waste things so this drink just came together.
Cheers!
Strawberry Basil Bourbon Smash
2 ounces strawberry juice (or make a strawberry puree)
3 basil leaves
2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
pinch of ground black pepper
Fill a large rocks glass with ice.
Combine the strawberry juice, basil, and bourbon in a cocktail shaker. Muddle until the basil is crushed and has released its juices.
Add the lemon juice and pepper, and fill the cocktail shaker with ice. Cap and shake.
Strain the contents of the cocktail shaker over top of the ice in the rocks glass.
Garnish with a strawberry slice and a basil crown.