9/30/10

Fresh Wild Pacific Coho Salmon and Corn Chowder

Recipe courtesy of Nancy Josland Dalsin

1 TBS butter

1 TBS vegetable oil
1 cup of diced celery hearts including the leaves (this is the most tender part of the celery and not stringy, the leaves have lot's of flavour so use them as well)
1 small sweet red bell pepper, diced
1 small sweet yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cobs of corn, corn removed from the cob
1 carrot, peeled and diced
3-4 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups of fish stock (check with your local fish monger for frozen fish stock, I used a fish stock that included smoked salmon, which gave this soup a light smokey flavour)
2 - 236 ml bottles of clam juice
1 cup of heavy cream
1 pound of fresh wild Coho Salmon, skin and pin bones removed, diced
3 TBS fresh chopped dill
2 TBS fresh chopped thyme
1 Tspn fresh chopped tarragon
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
chopped parsley for garnish (optional)


Saute onions, celery, peppers and carrot in butter and olive oil until soft and translucent, do not brown.

Add fish stock, clam juice and potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add corn and simmer for about 10 more minutes until potatoes are tender.

Add salmon and cream and fresh herbs and simmer on low for about 5-7 minutes stirring, until salmon is light and flaky, careful not to overcook the salmon.

Ladle into bowls, garnish with parsley or fresh dill and serve with crusty rolls.

Wild Mushroom Soup

Recipe courtesy of Nancy Josland Dalsin


Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
2 pounds of any mushrooms, sliced, the wilder the better, I used Shitaki, Portabello, Enoki, Bunashineji and Chantrelle
1 large chopped onion
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 cups of chicken, beef or vegetable stock
1 cup cream
salt and pepper
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley

Directions

Melt the butter in a soup pot and add the onions and mushrooms. Sauté for five minutes or so until the mushrooms are wilted and release their moisture.

Add the wine, thyme, bay leaf and flour and reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking for another five minutes or so stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot.

Add the stock and cream and simmer for another 20 minutes or so. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve as is or if your prefer, puree all or part of the soup. Sprinkle each bowl with lots of chopped fresh parsley.

Pad Kee Mao (Spicy Chicken and Rice Noodles) Recipe

Recipe courtesy of Nancy Josland Dalsin


INGREDIENTS

1 (14-ounce) package wide rice noodles
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 limes)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 pound chopped chicken
2 medium red or green bell peppers, thinly sliced
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 medium jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
1 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for about 15 minutes, until loose and pliable but not soft; drain and set aside. Meanwhile, combine oyster sauce, fish sauce, and lime juice in a medium nonreactive bowl, mix well, and set aside.

Heat oil in a large (12-inch) frying pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until softened but not brown. Add chopped chicken and cook until chicken is white and almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add bell peppers and stir-fry just until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Push chicken mixture to one side of the pan and add eggs to the center. Scramble with a spatula until eggs are set and don’t run, about 1 minute. Push eggs to the side and add reserved sauce mixture. Once the sauce is boiling, add the drained noodles and toss to coat. Remove from heat, add jalapeños and basil, and toss to combine; serve immediately

Ciopinno (Fish Stew)

Recipe courtesy of Nancy Josland Dalsin


Italian fishermen developed this Ciopinno recipe in the mid 1800's. There are two versions of where the name "Ciopinno" came from. Most believe it's based on an Italian soup called "ciuppin."


A more colorful version is that the fisherman used to gather after the day's work was done and all throw different pieces of fish and seafood into a communal pot for supper. They would call out to each other in broken English "chip in," "hey you, chip in," and this was the actual root for the word Ciopinno.

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1 rib celery, chopped
* 1 onion, diced
* 1 can crushed tomatoes (28-oz)
* 2 cups clam juice or fish stock
* 2 cups white wine
* 4 cloves crushed garlic
* 1 lemon, juiced
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 teaspoons dried basil
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 Dungeness crab (about 2-lbs), cracked and cleaned, or 1-lb frozen crabmeat thawed
* 2 pounds halibut fillet, cut into 1-in slices
* 24 large prawns, peeled and de-veined
* 12 mussels
* 1/2 bunch Italian parsley, chopped

Preparation:

In a large pot, on medium-low heat, melt the butter with the olive oil and saute the celery and onions until soft, about 10 minutes. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the seafood and fresh parsley. Simmer on low, uncovered, for one hour. Add a splash of water if the sauce gets to thick. Taste for salt and adjust if needed.


Add the crab, shrimp, and halibut, and simmer covered another five minutes. Add the mussels, cover the pot and simmer for 3 minutes more, or until the mussels open. Turn off the heat, and stir in the Italian parsley.

Seafood from Long Liner Seafoods Ltd, Fisherman owned and operated, Granville Island, Vancouver

Shanghai Stir-fried Noodles

Shanghai noodles are thick noodles that are packaged in plastic bags and sold fresh in Asian markets. If Shanghai noodles are unavailable, feel free to substitute Japanese Udon noodles, or a thick Italian spaghetti-style pasta, such as linguini.


serves 2 as a main dish.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes

Ingredients:

8 ounces chicken breast
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper, to taste
Pinch of cornstarch

Other:

1/2 pound Shanghai-style noodles
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, or as needed
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 green onion
6 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons water
Extra soy sauce, salt or sugar for seasoning, as desired

Preparation:


Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes (about 1-inch). Add the marinade ingredients. Marinate the chicken for 20 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the remainder of the ingredients. In a large saucepan, cook the noodles in boiling water, stirring to separate, until they are tender, but still firm. Drain thoroughly. Rinse with cold water, drain again, and toss with the sesame oil.

Wash and finely shred the cabbage. Peel and mince the garlic. Cut the green onion on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces.

In a heavy frying pan or a wok, heat 2 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium-high to high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add the chicken cubes. Stir-fry until they turn white and are nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the cabbage. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Season with a bit of soy sauce and/or sugar while stir-frying if desired. Remove from the wok.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in the wok. When the oil is hot, add the noodles. Stir-fry quickly, stirring to coat the noodles in the oil and make sure they don't stick to the pan. Add the hoisin sauce, again tossing to coat the noodles. Taste and add salt and/or soy sauce as desired. Add the cooked chicken and cabbage. Add the green onion and stir to heat through. Serve hot.

Chi Chi's Old West Oven-Fried Chicken

Recipe courtesy of Nancy Josland Dalsin


1 jar Taco Sauce (8-oz.)
1 Egg
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 cups Crushed Cornflakes
2 teaspoons Chili Powder
2 teaspoons Cumin
1 teaspoon Oregano
Dash ground Cloves
Crushed red pepper to taste (optional)
2 1/2 pounds Chicken Thighs
6 tablespoons Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a shallow dish, whisk together taco sauce, egg and garlic.

In a plastic or paper bag, combine cornflakes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, ground cloves and crushed red pepper if using.

Dip chicken pieces in sauce; toss in cornflakes mixture; place on a greased shallow baking pan.

Drizzle with butter; bake 45 minutes or until golden and tender, and juices run clear.

I made a few changes. Instead of using a jar of Salsa, I saw that Chi Chi's made their own Salsa sauce. I didn't like their recipe so I made an "authentic Mexican salsa." Instead of chicken thighs, I bought chicken drumsticks. I pricked all the pieces with a fork and added them to the authentic salsa in a freezer bag and will let them marinade through the day.

For the crushed cornflakes mixture instead of chili powder I added Chipotle Chili Pepper to give it a "smokey" flavour.See More

Authentic Mexican Tomato Salsa

Recipe courtesy of Nancy Josland Dalsin

2 large, red ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 garlic clove peeled
1 Anaheim green chili, seeded and cut into thirds
3 green onions, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
4 oz canned chopped green chilies
1 to 3 whole jalapeños, deveined and seeded (Optional to taste)
1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup ice water

Char the tomatoes over a gas grill or under the flame of a hot broiler for a few seconds, turning them until the peel blisters. Slip off the peel, and the flesh will still be firm. Remove the green stem core and cut the tomatoes in half vertically. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds.


In the food processor, turn the motor on chop first and drop in the garlic, cilantro, green onions and jalapeños into the bowl of the food processor to chop for just a few seconds.

Turn off the motor and scrap down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula.

Add all the remaining ingredients from the tomato salsa recipe, tomatoes, Anaheim chili, the chopped green chilies, olive oil and lime juice . Process with brief pulses to reach the desired texture, somewhere between a chow-chow relish and a textured puree.

You want to see bits of all the vegetables through out the salsa.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour into a serving bowl and allow to season for approximately one hour.

Just before serving mix in the 1/4 cup of ice water to cool the salsa.

Serve with tortilla chips, enhance your favorite chicken recipes, fish, barbecue beef, or with beans wrapped in a tortilla.

Make this great tomato salsa recipe then blend with mashed Avocado to make a fantastic guacamole

Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe

Recipe courtesy of Nancy Josland Dalsin
Ingredients

A pound of dried fettuccine
A stick of sweet butter
A cup of heavy cream
A cup of Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Boil the fettuccine until it's al dente. Melt the stick of butter in another skillet. After draining the fettuccine, add it to the melted butter in the skillet, along with the cream and cheese. Turn the heat under the skillet, and toss the pasta with the sauce ingredients until the pasta is coated. Add salt and pepper to taste.

9/27/10

Pasta Fagioli (Pasta and Beans)

Ingredients:



1 onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 pinch of oregano and thyme
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 can chicken broth
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
(or 1 can diced tomatoes)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup uncooked pasta
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, with liquid
*optional-crumbled sausage, other fresh vegetables you prefer*

Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook celery, onion, garlic, parsley, seasonings, red pepper, salt and pepper until onion is translucent. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes and tomato sauce, and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add pasta and cook 10 minutes, until pasta is tender.

Add un-drained beans and mix well. Heat through. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Krystle's Chicken and Spinach Pasta Casserole

Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time:
Cook Time: 40 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, chopped and drained
1 pound of Gemelli pasta, or bowties etc...cooked and drained
6 cups shredded chicken, cooked

*optional: sliced mushrooms*
(I used a cooked rotisserie chicken from the supermarket)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of celery)
1 can cream of chicken soup
¼ cup white wine
4 TBS Dijon mustard
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups milk
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
*optional: chopped cooked bacon or shredded cheddar on top*


Directions



Preheat oven to 375 F.

Put the shredded chicken, pasta and spinach into a large bowl.

In another large bowl, combine the soups, sour cream, cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, mustard, salt and pepper, to taste, and wine. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken, pasta and spinach. Mix well.

Place the mixture into an 11 by 7-inch casserole dish sprayed with non-stick cook spray. Combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the top.

*Can also add shredded cheddar or crumbled bacon on top before baking.*

Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes or browned and crisp around the edges.

9/11/10

Quick Baked Cod Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Alaska cod fillets, thawed if necessary
salt and pepper
1 tomato, peeled and chopped
1-1/2 tsp. green onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. each basil and oregano, crushed
1 tsp. butter or margarine
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cut cod into serving-size pieces; place in buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Combine tomato, onion and seasonings; spoon over cod.

Dot with butter. Bake at 450 F 8 to 10 minutes or until cod flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Sprinkle with cheeses; bake until melted

Lemon-Raspberry Muffins

Recipe reprinted by permission of © EatingWell Magazine. All rights reserved.

INGREDIENTS

1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup nonfat buttermilk (see Tip)
1/3 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour (see Shopping Tip)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) raspberries

TIP: No buttermilk? Mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice into 1 cup milk.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Coat 12 large (1/2-cup) muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners.

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemon in long strips. Combine the zest and sugar in a food processor; pulse until the zest is very finely chopped into the sugar. Add buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla and pulse until blended.

Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture and fold until almost blended. Gently fold in raspberries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups.

Bake the muffins until the edges and tops are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm.

Nutrition Information
1 dozen muffins - Facts Per Serving:
Calories: 185 Fat. Total: 7g Carbohydrates, Total: 27g
Cholesterol: 18mg Sodium: 245mg Protein: 4g
Fiber: 2g % Cal. from Fat: 34% Fat, Saturated: 1g

9/6/10

Filet of Sole in Lemon Butter Sauce


Ingredients:

1 lb Filet of Sole
1 TBS Butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 fresh Lemons
Zest of 1 Lemon
Salt and fresh ground Pepper
Parsley for garnish

Directions:

Zest one of the lemons first, juice both and set aside. Sprinkle each filet with salt and Pepper.

Heat ½ TBS EVOO in a cast iron skillet until almost “smoking” hot. Place the filets in the pan, after about 1-2 minutes, turn filets over and remove from heat. Add in the butter and lemon zest, shake the pan a little and let sit another minute.

Drizzle with a little good quality EVOO and squeeze fresh lemon juice over, sprinkle with Parsley for garnish. Serve right away or keep in a warm oven until serving.

9/5/10

Fresh Peach Pie


We took home a huge haul of fresh picked apples and peaches from the farm and made some pies with them!

Ingredients

10 fresh peaches, pitted and sliced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3 TBS melted butter
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie


Directions:

Mix flour, sugar and butter into crumb stage.
Place one crust in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate. Line the shell with some sliced peaches.

 Sprinkle some of the butter mixture on top of the peaches, then put more peaches on top of the crumb mixture.
Continue layering until both the peaches and crumbs are gone.


Top with pie crust. Brush with melted butter. Slice little slivers into crust.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until crust is golden. Allow pie to cool before slicing.