A Life, Lived

Hash Brown, Ham and Cheese Waffles

Now these were super yummy.

These aren't your grandmother's waffles. These are essentially potatoes cooked to crispy perfection in a waffle iron. Add in ham, cheese, herbs and you have an amazing treat.

I served them with sour cream to which I had added some green onions.

The recipe makes a lot so today I'll have them with a fried egg on top. Hello!

Enjoy.

Hash Brown, Ham and Cheese Waffles

1 (20-ounce) package refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes
8 ounces black forest ham, diced
1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat a waffle iron to medium-high heat. Lightly oil the top and bottom of the waffle iron or coat with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine hash brown potatoes, ham, cheese, eggs, garlic, parsley, thyme and paprika; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour a scant 1/2 cup of the potato mixture into the waffle iron, close gently and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 4-5 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Mixed Berry Galette

This mixed berry galette is loaded with fresh juicy fruit like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries! Paired with the most delicious crust, this is the perfect easy and delicious dessert!

We are smack dab in the middle of summer right now and while other stone fruits are coming into play (hey peaches, nectarines and plums) the berries are still going strong.

think of a Galette as a de-constructed, less high maintenance pie. It uses pie crust as the foundation, you add berries (thickened with cornstarch) in the middle and then you fold the pie crust around the berries. It’s much easier than a normal pie and it feels like you’ve made something fancy when in reality you saved time. Win win.

Enjoy

Mixed Berry Galette

2 cups fresh strawberries, diced into thirds
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 pre-made pie crust
3 tbsp turbinado sugar, divided
1 tbsp cornstarch
egg wash

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Dice your strawberries into thirds and add them into a bowl with the blackberries and blueberries. To the bowl, add 1 tbsp turbinado sugar and 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Mix very gently until combined!

Slightly roll out your refrigerated pie dough onto a baking sheet. Place the the berries (make sure not to add any berry juice) in the middle of the pie crust, leaving about 1.5-2 inches of pie dough to fold over the fruit. 

Take the pie dough and gently fold it over the fruit, pinching the seams each time you fold to make sure the berries are held inside. Gently beat an egg to make an egg wash. Brush the outside crust gently with egg wash and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of turbinado sugar. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely (about 20-30 minutes). Enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Sauteed Green Beans with Mushrooms

I had a real glut of beans this year and when the garden was in overdrive I searched for interesting ways to use those beans up. This was a delicious and healthy side dish. It is both vegan and gluten free if you care about such things. While it made a great weeknight side dish it would also be a good choice for a holiday meal.

Enjoy.

Sauteed Green Beans with Mushrooms

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced <br.<8 ounces mushrooms, white button or cremini, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste

Prepare an ice bath by placing cold water and ice cubes in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a large skillet, bring 1-2 inches of water to a boil. Add the whole trimmed green beans to the pot. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes until they are bright green. Do not overcook the beans. Immediately transfer the beans to the bowl of ice water, then drain when cool.

Pat the green beans dry with a kitchen towel. Slice the green beans into bite size pieces.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. (You can dry and use the same skillet you used to cook the green beans.) Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Next add the mushrooms to the pan and saute until soft.

Add the sliced green beans to the pan and toss to heat through.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve.

Marinated Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad

Versions of this salad have been in regular rotation this summer. Quick to make and packing a ton of flavour salads like this are best when there is a ready supply of fresh from the garden produce. They are flexible and you can play around with the herbs added. Although this recipe calls for dried herbs you can just as easily use fresh although you'd want to triple the amount.

Enjoy

Marinated Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad

3 medium cucumbers peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick (sliced about 4 cups)
1 medium white onion sliced and separated into thicker rings
3 medium tomatoes largely chopped
½ cup vinegar of your choice
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 teaspoons< salt
½ teaspoon Black Coarse Pepper or to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried parsley

Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Serve with the liquid (I usually drain most of the liquid off) or without, either way, it’ll taste delicious as all the veggies are marinated thoroughly.

Raspberry Ricotta Cake with Almonds

Apparently raspberries respond well to 'surface of the sun' heat and 'Sahara desert' rainfall. They have been coming in tastier than I remember them. Raspberries are one of the few fruit that I can think of that taste better baked than when raw. The other being plums.

Bake them I did.

Raspberry Ricotta Cake with Almonds is moist, fluffy and super easy to make! It’s perfect for dessert in the evening or with coffee in the morning.

NOTE: the recipe calls for frozen berries. I used fresh and it turned out well. If the berries are overripe it could be problematic and them might break apart in the thick batter. It would still taste good but it might look unsightly.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Ricotta Cake with Almonds

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter - melted and cooled (½ cup)
1 heaping cup frozen raspberries - divided
>¼ cup sliced almonds

Place a rack in the lower ⅓ of the oven (NOT right in the center). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch diameter cake pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk together eggs, ricotta and vanilla until smooth in another bowl then stir into dry ingredients.

Fold in the melted butter followed by ¾ cup of the frozen raspberries, being careful to not crush the berries.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Scatter remaining berries over the top followed by the almonds.

Bake 50 minutes or until light golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool at least 20 minutes before unmolding.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream

When I was a wee Jerry I spent a lot of time over the summer holidays at my grandparents. Mom was a teacher and often was taking courses. Dad worked. Having grandparents nearby ensured a spot for us to stay so mom and dad didn't need childcare.

Both grandparents had extensive gardens and fruit trees. Both grandmothers were busy in the summer months with canning, jamming, and freezing to ensure food throughout the colder Canadian months. I suspect it was helping them out in these activities that got them in my blood.

This was in the days before air conditioning. An oscillating fan in the living room was about as much cooling as there was. 

Needless to say that when it came to cooking in the hot summer they kept things pretty simple.

My one grandmother always had a cucumber or tomato salad. When the cucumbers started to come on in the garden I decided to make a cucumber salad. This recipe, with dill and a creamy dressing reminded me of dinners at Grandma DeQuetteville's so i decided to try it out.

It is a quick and simple recipe that tastes GREAT! Memories of those early days came flooding back (well, as much memories as my errant youth and approaching old age allow me to have, LOL)

Enjoy.

Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream

1/2 cup sour cream
teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dill weed (I suspect this means dry dill, I was using fresh so I increased the amount)
4 medium cucumbers, sliced (note, I peeled the cucumbers)

In a large bowl, combine sour cream, sugar, vinegar, salt and dill. Add cucumbers; toss to coat. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Grilled Cesar Salad

If you're a fan of the classic Caesar salad, you will fall in love with this version that's easy enough to make on a busy weeknight and elevated enough to wow guests at a dinner party table.

To make it, grill halved lemons and a head of romaine alongside thick-cut pieces of baguette. The dressing, made with a Dijon mustard base, zippy olive oil and fresh garlic, is creamy. The romaine and lemons get a deeper flavor on the grill.

This salad is a great dish to serve with a grilled steak - which is what we did on Saturday.

Now, before you look at the pics and say 'he didn't follow the recipe with all of that bread . . .' settle down. I was also grilling some bread to use in bruschetta.

Grilled Cesar Salad

3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
lemons, halved, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 hearts romaine lettuce, cut in half lengthwise
Three 3/4-inch slices rustic bread, such as levain or baguette
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.

In a bowl, add the mayonnaise, Worcestershire, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar and garlic and whisk until combined. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add the Parmesan and continue to whisk. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

Drizzle olive oil on the romaine hearts and season with salt and pepper. Place the romaine cut-side down on the grill and cook until nicely marked, 2 to 3 minutes. Brush the bread slices with olive oil and place on the grill. Cook until grill marks appear on both sides and the bread is crispy, about 5 minutes.

Spread the sugar out on a small plate. Dip the cut sides of the lemons into the sugar. Place the lemon halves on the grill and cook until slightly charred and grill marked, 2 to 3 minutes.

Cut the bread into bite-sized pieces. Place the romaine hearts, croutons and lemons on a wooden board and serve with the Caesar dressing.

Huli Huli Chicken

In 1955, Ernest Morgado, a Honolulu businessman, served a group of farmers grilled chicken that had been marinated in his mother’s teriyaki-style sauce. It was such a hit that he decided to market it with the name “huli huli.” Huli means “turn” in Hawaiian and refers to how it’s prepared: grilled between two racks and turned halfway through cooking.

This simplified version calls for chicken pieces and a standard grill.

The original recipe is a trade secret, but you can find many slightly different variations on the internet, typically including ginger, garlic, soy sauce, something sweet (honey, brown sugar or maple syrup) and something acidic (vinegar, white wine, lime juice or pineapple juice). This recipe is adapted from “Aloha Kitchen: Recipes from Hawai‘i” by Alana Kysar (Ten Speed, March 2019).

It also works beautifully with boneless chicken thighs, but adjust your cooking time accordingly.

Enjoy!

Huli Huli Chicken

½ cup ketchup
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
¼ cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
3 ½ to 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
Grapeseed or canola oil, for brushing the grill grate

In a large bowl or a gallon-size resealable plastic bag, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic, and stir or shake until combined. Reserve and refrigerate 1/2 cup of the mixture for basting the chicken later. Add the chicken to the remaining mixture, and stir or shake until evenly coated. If using a bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours, turning the chicken at least once.

When you’re ready to cook, oil your grill grates well. Heat the grill to medium (for charcoal, the grill is ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 5 to 7 seconds). Add the chicken to the grill, cover, and cook 25 to 35 minutes, turning every 5 minutes to keep the chicken from burning, and basting it with the reserved marinade after you turn it, until cooked through. (Cook times will vary depending on sizes and cuts of chicken pieces, so be sure to check for doneness: Meat should not be pink and the juices should run clear.) Serve immediately.

Macaroni Salad

We all need a good classic macaroni salad in our back pocket. One that we can always bring to backyard BBQs and potlucks. Even better if it is one you can also make up to 2 days in advance.

But most importantly, we need it to be creamy. We need it to have tons of veggies. And we need plenty of extra-sharp cheddar cheese. Keyword being plenty.

So that’s what we have here. We have the four very important elements right in this classic macaroni salad (make-ahead, creamy, veggie-loaded, and abundance of cheese).

It’s quick, simple and delicious!

Enjoy.

Macaroni Salad

2 cups elbow macaroni
3/4 cup frozen peas
2 large eggs
2/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup diced red onion
2 celery ribs, diced
3/4 cup diced extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Stir in peas during the last 1 minute of cooking time; drain well and rinse with cold water.

Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Cover eggs with a tight-fitting lid and remove from heat; set aside for 8-10 minutes. Drain well and let cool before peeling and dicing.

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, parsley, vinegar and Dijon. Stir in pasta, peas, eggs, bell pepper, onion, celery and cheese; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

over; place into the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Serve cold

Strawberry Rhubarb Slab Pie

Strawberry-rhubarb slab pie is a summertime crowdpleaser, especially with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream on top! Sweet strawberries combine amazingly with the tart flavor of rhubarb, and your favourite pie crust takes this incredible dessert to a whole new level of goodness.

Strawberry rhubarb is a classic summertime combo that just makes sense, especially since strawberries and rhubarb share the same peak season. Snag fresh stalks of rhubarb at your local farmer’s market (or plant your own if you’re in the right growing region) to enjoy this crisp and tart produce item all summer long!

A slab pie is nothing more than a large pie baked in a rectangular baking dish that is more shallow than a standard pie pan. If you have a baking sheet with a one-inch lip (I used a jelly roll pan), you’re good to go! Since slab pies serve more people than a regular pie dish, slab pie recipes are perfect for feeding a crowd. Think summer barbecues, family gatherings, holiday weekends… If you’ve never made one, a slab pie is definitely in order.

Strawberry Rhubarb Slab Pie

1 double crust pie crust

For the Filling:
3 cups sliced fresh rhubarb
5 cups strawberries, sliced
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch (heaping)

For the Streusel Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter

Roll out dough to 19 by 14 inches and transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Crimp the edges and refrigerate until ready to fill.

For the filling, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Toss until combined.

For the streusel topping, pulse the flower, brown sugar, and butter together in a food processor until it has the consistency of coarse crumbs.

To assemble the pie, spread the filling evenly over the pie crust. Sprinkle evenly with the streusel topping. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the crust is browned and the juices are bubbly. Let cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.