A Life, Lived

Grilled Pork Chops with Pineapple

In the Weber 'Time to Grill' cookbook this recipe is called 'Simple Pork Chops with Grilled Pineapple'. I normally stay away from recipes like this as simple can have some negative connotations. In this case it just means super easy to make and while the preparation is a breeze the end result is impressive. You can have these on the table in 30 minutes making them perfect for a weeknight meal but the result is impressive enough that you'd could easily serve it to guests who will be impressed that you have worked so hard  . . . only you need to know. :-)

I'd make some extra pineapple as the grilling process produces a fabulous flavour. We like to cut up grilled pineapple and serve over vanilla ice cream.

Grilled Pork Chops with Pineapple

For the rub:
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 tsp granulated onion
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

4 bone-in loin pork chops, each about 8 ounces and 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat Extra-virgin olive oil

4 slices fresh pineapple, each about 1/2 inch thick

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium hear (350 - 400 degrees)

In a small bowl combine the rub ingredients. Lightly coat each side of the pork chops with olive oil. Sprinkle with the rub. Allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.

Brush the grill grates clean. Grill the chops over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until they are slightly pink in the centre - about 8 - 1- minutes, turning once or twice. At the same time, grill the pineapple until well marked on both sides, 4 - 6 minutes, turning once. Remove the pineapple and chops from the grill. Allow the chops to rest 5 - 10 minutes before serving. Cut the pineapple slices into quarters and serve with the chops.

Lemon Asparagus Risotto

Asparagus season is in full swing here in Ontario. I am doing my best to eat it a few times a week. . . supporting local farmers and all of that . . . plus it tastes AMAZING!

I made this risotto a week ago. It was quick and delicious.

The only change made to the recipe was I set the pressure for 5 minutes and not 6 - we prefer our risotto to be on the al dente side and I was worried 6 minutes would yield mushy rice. 5 was OK but I wonder if 4 might work too.

Grab some asparagus, set up your Instant Pot and enjoy!

Lemon Asparagus Risotto

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups asparagus trimmed, cut into 1.5-inch pieces
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large shallot diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup Arborio rice
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

Select SAUTÉ, HIGH. Select START.

Add olive oil to the inner pot. Once oil is hot, add chopped asparagus and cook for about 5 minutes, until slightly tender.

Remove asparagus and place into a bowl. Set it aside.

Add unsalted butter to inner pot. Once butter has melted, add diced shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, until slightly tender, until fragrant.

Add rice to inner pot and occasionally stir for 2 minutes until each grain is coated with butter. Select CANCEL to turn off SAUTÉ.

Pour in the vegetable broth. Add lemon juice and lemon zest, then stir.

Secure the lid for pressure cooking.

Select PRESSURE COOK, HIGH. Set time to 6 minutes (00:06). Select START.

Once program ends, allow for a 5-minute Natural Release. Then, Quick Release remaining pressure. Select CANCEL.

Remove lid. Add grated parmesan and cooked asparagus.

Stir risotto until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Salt and pepper to taste.

Soy Ginger Salmon

We tend to grill salmon weekly now that grilling season is upon us. One of the secrets to success we've discovered is to use a grill mat. It allows the fish to cook without sticking to the grill. You still end up with grill marks but don't loose half of your fish when it falls apart on the grill. This is particularly important with a recipe like this that includes honey. Honey will caramelize and fuse to the grill leading to a sticking disaster.

Since our friend first sent us a grill mat we've never had a sticking disaster. They are reusable but eventually wear out. We are one grill mat # 5! LOL

This recipe was originally to be cooked on a cast iron skillet on the stove. I thought it would lend itself nicely to the grill and I was right.

From start to finish it takes about 20 minutes - plus it tastes amazing. Win, win.

Enjoy!

Soy Ginger Salmon

3 tablespoonslow-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 cloves< garlic minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon garlic-chili paste (sriracha), or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound< skin-on salmon fillet at room temperature, cut into 3–4 portions
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Chopped green onions for serving
Toasted sesame seeds for serving

Heat your grill to 375 degrees.

In a small saucepan, stir together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Bring to a simmer over medium high, then remove from heat and stir in the honey and chili paste. Remove a few spoonfuls of the cooked glaze in a separate bowl for serving.

Drizzle the salmon with the olive oil and brush so that it is evenly coated. Place the salmon skin-side up on the hot grill. Let cook for about 3 minutes, flip. Brush with glaze. Close the BBQ lid and cooking until done (we cooked it another 4 minutes but the time will depend upon the thickness of the salmon fillet).

Remove from the BBQ when done. Tent with foil and allow the salmon to rest for 5 minutes.

Serve topped with the reserved glaze, green onions, and toasted sesame seeds.

Grilled Turkey Breast

I had a half turkey breast (bone in) sitting in the freezer and decided to toss it on the grill.

The recipe I selected had a brine and a rub that had an intriguing mix of sweet and savoury.

The result was an incredibly moist turkey breast. The rub added a great hit of flavour - which is something that turkey needs. Yes, I am firmly in 'that' camp..

Brining a turkey breast is a great way to ensure a moist finished product but also a super way to add in some flavour. This is a fairly standard turkey brine of 2 quarts of water and ¼ cup of salt with some added flavors with the garlic, brown sugar, and bay leaf. You can use the brine to introduce other favours that you want. Add some apple cider, perhaps a quartered orange. Go wild. But the most important thing is the salt to fluid ratio stay approximately the same. It is not an exact science, so just keep it close.

I don't always remember to brine poultry and yet when i do I am amazed at the difference it makes.

When it comes time to grill you will brown the skin some, flip the skin up and turn off half the grill and point the thicker side to the heat. You want about 350° (oven roasting temperature).

Cook until internal temp of 165° (about 1 ¾ to 2 hours). Time will vary by the weight and thickness of the turkey breast and by your grill. DO NOT COOK BY TIME. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Grilled Turkey Breast

Brine

2 qts water
1/4 cup table salt
/4 cup brown sugar optional
2-3 cloves crushed garlic optional<
2-3 bay leaves optional

Rub

2 tablespoons brown sugar
teaspoon kosher salt only if not brining and not injected
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons oil

If your turkey breast is not injected or previously brined, brining is an excellent idea. Start with a brine: 2 qt. of water and add ¼ cup each of salt and brown sugar. Crush 2-3 cloves of garlic and add 2-3 bay leaves are optional.

Trim and clean a 3 ½ to 5-pound turkey breast. Add the turkey to the brine and refrigerate for 3-6 hours.

Preheat grill to a grill surface temperature of 350° to 400°. Mix a rub of 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon each oregano, and cumin. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt if you did not brine and if you are sure the breast was not injected.

Rinse the breast carefully, pat dry then brush with a little oil. Apply the rub.

Grill skin-side down for about 5-8 minutes to get some browning of the skin then flip and turn off the direct heat on that side of the grill with the meat. Place the thick side of the breast towards the heat. Keep the temp of the grill 350° to 375° in the area between the direct and indirect sides. Keep the lid closed and your hands off as much as possible.

Cook until an internal temp of 165° in the thickest part and several other locations. This will vary by the weight and thickness of the turkey breast and your grill. Generally about 1 ¾ to 2 hours). DO NOT COOK BY TIME ALONE. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Fonda

Years ago when I was a kid my mom's aunt came to stay for a bit. She offered to cook dinner one night and placed a mouthwatering chicken meal on the table. It was so loved that mom asked her for the recipe and it was soon a regular on the DeQuetteville table. Over the years it was lost but it still existed in mouthwatering memories. A few weeks ago I turned to google and a recipe popped up.

I have no idea if this was the exact recipe that Aunt Mary made but it sure smelled similar. When I tasted the finished product it was as if I was taken back to a simpler time.

This recipe looks a bit odd - who would think of combining mustard, honey, and curry powder?

Looking at it as an adult I am a bit shocked that we liked it since we were the house that bland loved.

Loved it we did so I encourage you to give it a try.

Of yes, about the name. Apparently the actor Henry Fonda (I had to add in the actor bit because no one under the age of 50 knows who the heck Henry Fonda was) was quite a cook and this was his signature dish.

There you go - two recommendations for this one.

Enjoy!

Chicken Fonda

3 lbs chicken, cut in parts ( or your favorite parts)
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt

Mix milk, melted butter, mustard, honey, curry powder and salt in bowl until you get a thorough blend.

Roll chicken parts in this mixture, making sure each piece is well coated.

Place coated pieces in roasting pan and put in preheated 350 degrees oven.

During cooking, baste chicken several times with mixture from roasting pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until pieces are golden brown and juices run clear

Swedish Meatballs with Red Currant Pan Sauce

Lately I've been trying to use up the bottles and jars in the fridge. There are a lot of them and they have been threatening to take over. LOL

This recipe was selected because it would help me use up a jar of my red currant jelly than had been taking up real estate for far longer than I wanted to think about.

Even though I didn't pick this recipe because I thought it would be amazing (such is the choice you make when the focus is getting rid of jars of stuff) it turns out it made for a really tasty dinner. I've made lots of Swedish meatball recipes before this this one yielded a sweet and savoury sauce that was delicious. The sauce would also be great with pork chops or grilled chicken.

Enjoy.

Swedish Meatballs with Red Currant Pan Sauce

6 ounces egg noodles
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
¼ cup grated red onion
¼ cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup 2% reduced-fat milk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
1 pound 90% lean ground sirloin
Cooking spray
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted beef stock
2 tablespoons red currant or lingonberry jelly
2 tablespoons sour cream

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; toss with butter, cover, and set aside.

Combine grated onion, panko, milk, dill, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, allspice, and nutmeg in a large bowl; stir to moisten panko. Add beef; stir with your hands until combined. Gently form beef mixture into 20 balls (about 1 tablespoon each).

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add meatballs to pan; cook 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or just until cooked through (thermometer inserted into center of a meatball should register 160°). Transfer meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate; leave browned bits in pan.

Place flour in a medium bowl; gradually whisk in stock. Return pan to medium heat; add stock mixture and jelly to pan. Cook 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove pan from heat; whisk in sour cream, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Serve meatballs and sauce with noodles.

Thai Cucumber Salad

Lately we've been receiving a large English cucumber in our CSA shipment every week. While we love cucumber we haven't been able to eat them all up so they were taking over the fridge. I decided to make this salad to try and put a dint in the supply.

I'm going to confess that this salad surprised me. It was bloody amazing. It blew my expectations out of the water. We both loved the flavours and textures - funny how simple ingredients when combined properly can make your taste buds tingle (in a good way).

Even better, it was quick and easy to make. Win, win!

Enjoy.

Thai Cucumber Salad

½ red onion, very thinly sliced
2 large English cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced crosswise ¼-inch thick
⅓ cup packed chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup salted peanuts
1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (or use 1-2 Thai chiles for more heat)
¼ teaspoon salt (optional - we did not add this)
¼ cup fresh lime juice, from 2-3 limes
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1½ tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 garlic clove, minced

In a large bowl, combine the drained red onions, cucumbers, cilantro, peanuts and jalapeño pepper. Set aside.

Make the dressing: combine the lime juice, oil, fish sauce, sugar and garlic in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and add salt if necessary. Serve the salad within 30 minutes.

Spanakopita Pie

Traditional spanakopita, a Greek feta and spinach pie, is either baked in a large pan and cut into slices or folded into triangles or rectangles or spirals. This version is less fussy, and can be on the table in less time. It relies, in part, on a rustic, open-face approach and breadcrumbs, which help absorb the liquid from freshly cooked spinach and add a fluffy texture to the filling. If you’d prefer to use frozen spinach, make sure it’s fully defrosted and very well drained — wring it in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess liquid.

This makes a nice brunch dish or main course, perhaps with a grain salad, sliced tomatoes and red onions in a simple vinaigrette or roasted white fish on the side.

Enjoy!

Spanakopita Pie

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 bunch (about 4 ounces) scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
10 ounces (8 to 10 cups) baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces phyllo dough, about half a box, defrosted
1 bunch fresh dill or parsley leaves and tender stems, chopped
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
5 ounces feta, crumbled
1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
3 large eggs, whisked well

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Add the scallions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 1 minute. Add the spinach and salt, and cook until the spinach wilts, releases its liquid and dries out, about 5 minutes. Scrape the spinach into a large bowl and let it cool while you prepare the crust.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Brush a 9-inch pie plate with olive oil.

Unravel the phyllo dough onto a clean, dry work surface. Working quickly, gently brush the top sheet of phyllo with some of the oil. There’s no need to oil every spot; the oil will spread as you work. Pick up the first three or four sheets of phyllo in a stack and lay them, oil side up, in the pan, allowing one narrow end to cover the bottom of the pan and the other end to climb up the side of the pie plate and hang over the edge.

Repeat, brushing the top of the remaining stack of phyllo sheets, and placing the next three or four sheets into the pan, oil side up. Continue oiling and fitting the oiled phyllo into the pie plate, rotating the pan so that the bottom is covered and a roughly even amount of phyllo is hanging over the circumference of the pie plate. This will not look perfect; if the phyllo tears, patch it and keep going. Set the pie plate aside.

Add the dill or parsley, breadcrumbs, feta and black pepper to the cooled spinach, stirring to combine. Then add the eggs, mixing well to combine. Pour the filling into the phyllo-lined pie plate and, using your fingers, crinkle the phyllo overhang partially over the top of the pie, leaving a 5- to 6-inch diameter in the center exposed. The more crinkled the top is, the nicer it will look once baked, so don’t worry about making this look neat. Lightly oil any dry spots of phyllo before baking.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the filling is set and the phyllo is deep brown in places, like the color of an almond skin. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Corned Beef Three Ways

Hmm, that almost sounds a bit dirty.

Mind out of the gutter people!

I cured my own corned beef again this year. I used a five pound piece of brisket. One of the downsides of corned beef is that it shrinks so much during the cooking process but I figured I'd have enough for some of my favourites with a piece that size.

The brisket had a big piece of fat running through it so I cut it in half through the fat and trimmed the fat off leaving me with two pieces.

The first I cooked for our St. Patrick's Day dinner. We bake it in the oven with a delicious glaze.

This piece of the corned beef provided six meals.

Then the other piece is used for other recipes.

Last Friday I made Reuben sandwiches.

Then on Sunday we had corned beef hash.

Lots of good eating from that one piece of beef!

Huge Yorkshire Puddings

A few months ago one of the grocery stores featured sirloin tip roast for $5.99 a pound ($9.00 off the regular price). I bought three and stuck in the freezer.

We don't make roasts very often which is odd because we had roast beef every week when I was a child. However, from time to time I get a craving.

Last Sunday I went all out. Roast, gravy, roasted potatoes, veg, and of course, Yorkshire puddings. I was dreaming of the Yorkshire puddings we had at the Jamie Oliver restaurant we went to when we were in London.

They were amazing. I didn't want any old Yorkshire puddings i wanted HUGE ones.

I googled 'huge Yorkshire puddings' and this recipe came up. Happily it was buy Jamie Oliver.

The recipe is easy to follow. I didn't use as much oil as he suggested because I was worried about the oil overflowing. They didn't turn out as crispy as the ones I remember from London but they were good nonetheless.

I think that there are two secrets here - a hot oven and making sure your batter sits on the counter to rest. This actually gives it some time for the natural yeasts to start to work helping you to achieve Yorkshire pudding hugeness.

Enjoy!

Huge Yorkshire Puddings

1/2 pint (285 milliliters) milk
4 ounces (115 grams) all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
3 eggs
Vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Mix the batter ingredients together. Let rest for 10 minutes

Preheat a Yorkshire pudding tray or muffin tin with 1/2-inch (1 centimeter) of oil in each section. After the 10 minutes divide the batter into the tray. Cook for around 15 to 20 minutes until crisp and puffy, don't open the oven door before then or they won't rise.