Pancake Day

Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Or as we call it here in Newfoundland, Pancake Day. Today is the day before Christians begin the winter fast and abstinence period of Lent, and around the world people will be eating rich food as they prepare to give up something and think about what it means to be a Christian.

But like so many other Christian events, it has become secularized and is now widely celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike.

Here in Newfoundland and Labrador it is most commonly known as Pancake Day. Growing up, my mom would put things into our pancakes to predict our future, albeit, in a far safer manner than had been commonplace when she was a child. She would usually wrap it in a bit of plastic wrap to avoid one of us choking on a needle, for example. And yes, a needle was a common item found in a pancake on Pancake Day.

But I digress. We are back under lockdown here in Newfoundland, and between having to set-up my home office once again, and having some equipment issues (busted a wire for my mic), I thought it was the perfect time to bust out my very first cooking video.

Apple Cinnamon Brown Sugar sauce

1 apple
2tbsp butter
1/2tsp cinnamon
1/2cup brown sugar

  1. Peal and core apple. Slice apple into small pieces
  2. Add butter to small sauce pan set over medium heat. Add apple pieces on top of butter
  3. Allow apple to cook on medium-low heat to remove some of the water content.
  4. Once apple has softened to your liking, add cinnamon and stir. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes or until cinnamon is very fragrant.
  5. Add sugar and reduce heat to low. Stir until sugar has combined with butter and apples
  6. Allow to simmer until the pancakes have finished cooking.

Pancakes

1/2cup all-purpose flour
1tbsp white sugar
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
1/2cup milk
1 egg
1tbsp vegetable oil

  1. Place skillet over medium heat to pre-heat before making pancake batter.
  2. Add all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Whisk together to ensure that all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
  3. Add egg and oil to the milk in the measuring cup and mix well.
  4. Add liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix only long enough to wet the dry ingredients. The less you mix your batter the better.
  5. Once the pan is pre-heated (you can check by flicking a few drops of water on the surface to see if it sizzles), give a the cooking surface a wipe of oil. Less is better when it comes to the oil.
  6. Pour batter onto the cooking surface. You will know when it is ready to flip once you have seen bubbles breaking the surface and the edges of the pancakes are looking dry. If you are unsure, you can gently lift the edge to see if the bottom is cooked.
  7. Flip pancake and allow to finish cooking.
  8. Place cooked pancakes on your favourite plate and top with apple cinnamon brown sugar sauce.

Chocolate Mousse – the perfect Valentine’s Day Dessert

Chocolate mousse in drinking glasses

Chocolate mousse is one of my favourite desserts and is much easier to make than you might think. Its rich and creamy, while being light and fluffy all at the same time. Its the perfect decadent dessert for any occasion, and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I though it was the perfect time to show how to make this.

And the best part is that there are only 3 ingredients; chocolate, eggs, and whipping cream. It is an easy ratio to remember 1:2:4; 1 egg, 2 ounces of chocolate, and 4 fluid ounces of whipping cream.

In today’s video, I use 2 whole eggs, 4 ounces of semi-sweet bakers chocolate, and 8 fluid ounces of whipping cream.

1. I begin by place a heavy glass bowl into the freezer for at least an hour to ensure that it is well chilled, which will help you get a better whipped cream. If you don’t have a heavy glass bowl, you can use a stainless steel bowl, or at times, I have placed my bowl on top of a bag of frozen veggies to give me a cold surface.
2. Put chocolate in a bowl and create a double-boiler by placing it on top of a small pot with some simmering water. You want to have a bowl that doesn’t stick out over the edge too much and that just fits the pot.
3. While the chocolate is melting, make your whipped cream. Bring it to the firm peak stage, but take care not to overwhip your cream. It should still look shiny and glossy, not dry. Place in the fridge to keep cold while you are working.
4. Separate your eggs, taking great care not to get any yolks into your whites, which will inhibit your ability to get a good meringue. You want to make sure that you have a clean bowl that has no trace of oil or grease for your meringue; glass or stainless steel are best. It is very difficult to get a really good meringue in a plastic bowl.
5. Whip your egg whites into a firm peak meringue. As with the whipped cream, they should still be shiny and glossy looking when you are finished so that you know you have not overwhipped them.
6. Give the egg yolks a keep whisk and blend in your melted chocolate. You will need to work quickly from this point forward to ensure that everything is properly mixed before the chocolate sets firm again.
7. Fold you chocolate-egg mixture into the meringue. Take care with your folding so that you can maintain as much air in the mixture as possible. It is the air in the meringue and the whipped cream that gives the mousse its texture.
8. Once the chocolate mixture has been folded into the meringue, fold this mixture into the whipped cream. Again, take care to fold and not whisk so that you can maintain as much air into the mousse as possible.
9. Once all parts are combined, place into the fridge for several hours, and up to 3 days. You can also take this opportunity to place into the dessert dish of your choice so that it sets up in the dish. I used small clear glasses, but there are countless options.

There are many things that compliment the mousse. You can top with whipped cream, or drizzle a little chocolate sauce over the top. A little grated chocolate looks great, as does a few fresh berries. The sky is really the limit.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe.


Braised chicken with rice, carrots, mushrooms, and tomatoes

Winter is here and we can all use a little comfort food to make us feel warm. I like to think of braised food as the fuzzy warm quilt of the culinary world. Its something that can be as simple or complex as you want, and when done correctly, its something that can make us feel loved.

This week I make a simple braised chicken that is a bit of a one pot wonder. To make this a full meal, I included some carrots, mushrooms, and tomatoes, and some onion and garlic of course. But really, you can use almost any kind of veggie in this dish. Toss in some rice, and cover with some stock or broth and presto, you have a meal that is fantastic.

This dish draws on the pilaf method of cooking the rice. You can check out my video for rice pilaf if you are not familiar with this method.

To make this meal you will need:

Chicken legs and thighs I used 1 of each for each portion, but adjust as you need
Carrots Allow 1 for each person, but will depend on the size
Mushrooms 6-8 average size, more or less depending on tastes
Tomato I used 1 whole tomato for two portions
Onion I used 1.5, but I love onion
Garlic Again, garlic lover, I used 3 cloves, adjust to your taste
Rice 1/3 cup for each person so make sure no-one goes hungry
Stock/broth Use what you will need for the type and amount of rice

1. Begin be preheating your oven to 350F. Best to make sure the oven is fully heated when you need to use it.

2. Begin by placing chicken pieces skin side down in cold pan and turning heat on medium. This will allow you to slowly render out the chicken giving you better colour and flavour. The goal here is get colour and not to fully cook the chicken. Once the chicken is golden brown, turnover and sear the 2nd side. Season with some salt and pepper. Once the second side is finished, remove from pan and set aside.

3. Add onion to pan and lightly sauté. Once onions have cooked for a few moments, add carrots, again, allowing to cook for a few moments. Follow this with the mushrooms. The goal at this stage is to have everything cooked to the same level of doneness, so you must consider how long each item will take to cook, and start with the longest cooking item.

4. Add the garlic last so that there is no chance of burning the garlic. You can also add any dried herbs that you might want to add for extra flavour. Rosemary, thyme, or oregano would be great options.

5. Add rice to the pan and stir coating the rice with the oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the stock/broth and/or water needed for the type and amount of rice that you are cooking. Mix in the diced tomato.

6. Cover and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken has hit 170F internal temperature. Now, if you end up with a bit too much liquid like I did, you can place the pan back into the oven with the lid off to allow so of it to evaporate off.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do.

And if you have not done so yet, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Have a great day!!

Shaksuka, my new favourite breakfast

Every so often you stumble across a dish and wonder where its been your whole life.

Shakshuka is one of those dishes.

And the sad part of it for me is that I have been hearing about it for a few years now, but just never got around to making it and trying it out. Well, that has changed, and with it, breakfast and brunch has gotten a whole lot more exciting.

Shakshuka is a North African/Middle Eastern breakfast that is made by essentially poaching eggs in a tomato sauce. And like so many other great dishes, it has migrated around the world, changing and morphing to meet the tastes of those who are eating it.

In this version, I used:

1/2 can of tomatoes, chopped
diced red onion
diced red and green bell pepper
chopped oyster mushrooms
minced garlic
crushed red chillies
crushed purple basil
2 eggs

I began by sautéing the onions, adding the peppers, and then the mushrooms so that each would be cooked about the same amount by considering how long each item took. I then added the garlic, followed by the chili flakes, and basil. As the aroma was growing, I added the tomatoes, turned the heat low, and allowed the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the sauce to develop and reduce.

With the sauce ready and seasoned to my liking, I created a couple of little divots and added my eggs into each. Top the pan with a lid, and allow the eggs to cook until they are right for you. To finish, I sprinkled a few sliced green onions over the top, and served it with a couple of slices of my beautiful sourdough bread.

Now, there is no need to follow my recipe. Really, the key to it is the tomato sauce and the eggs. Feel free to add as much or as little of any other item that you like. Feel like eating a Mexican style, and you could add some chorizo sausage and top with some cilantro. For more of a Greek style, you could toss in some olives and top with some feta cheese. The sky is really the limit.

Homemade Big Mary with taters

Most people who grew up in Newfoundland loves a feed of Mary Brown’s. There is something amazing about their fried chicken, and the taters are too die for. Take one of the boneless breasts and put it on a bun, and you have one heck of a sandwich. Big Mary Mondays are popular for a reason.

But there are those unfortunate souls that cannot get their feed of Mary’s finest for a variety of reasons. Some have moved out west to the oil fields of Alberta, while others live in one of the many beautiful places on this island that are tucked away from the rest of the world, and its just a little too far to drive to get that greasy goodness.

Well, my latest video is for you folks. This is my take on it, and its pretty spectacular if I do say so myself. To make a Big Mary you will need the following:

Flour Dredge
2cups flour
3tsp black pepper
2.5tsp mustard powder
3tsp ginger
1tsp thyme
1tsp oregano
1tsp basil
1/2tsp sage
1tsp marjoram
1tsp hot smoked paprika or cayenne
1tsp granulated garlic
2tsp onion powder

Egg wash
2 eggs
1cup milk

boneless skinless chicken breast
potatoes (russet or other baking potatoes are your best choice)
lettuce
tomato
hamburger bun(s)

  1. Begin by cutting your potatoes into the wedge size of your choice. Its up to you to decide whether to peel the potatoes or not. Personally, I always leave the skins on.
  2. Place washed wedges into a pot of cold water and bring to a simmer.
  3. Once the wedges are tender, drain and place on a cooling rack to eliminate as much steam as possible. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes (or longer, even a day ahead if you want). This will help to make sure that they are as dry as possible once you deep-fry.
  4. Combine all ingredients for the dredge and blend together thoroughly. If you are like me, and don’t have ground herbs and spices, make sure to grind them first so that you have a powder like consistency. I used a mortar and pestle, but use whatever you have handy.
  5. Combine milk and eggs and mix well.
  6. Turn on your deep-fryer to pre-heat to a temperature of 350F
  7. Lay out your breading station by placing three pans next to each other. Add some of the flour dredge to the first and last pan, with the egg wash in the centre pan.
  8. Pound your chicken breast so that it is an uniform thickness of just less than 1cm or 1/2 inch thick. Trim the breast so that it is the correct size to go onto your bun. Save your trimmings to make a little snack while everything else is cooking.
  9. Dredge your chicken bits in the first pan of flour, shaking off any excess flour and then place into the egg wash. Coat pieces thoroughly and then place into the final dredging pan and coat thoroughly with the flour mixture.
  10. Deep-fry until pieces reach an internal temperature of 175F to ensure that fully cooked and safe.
  11. Repeat the breading procedure with the chicken breast, and then finally with the wedges.
  12. Season all deep-fried items with salt as soon as they come out of the fat.
  13. While the chicken breast is cooking, toast your bun (or don’t, its up to you), shred your lettuce, and slice your tomato. Prep your bun for your sandwich.
  14. Assemble your sandwich, pile the taters on your plate, and enjoy.

One final note, you can use the exact same dredge to do whole pieces of chicken if you prefer to eat it as standard fried chicken instead of Big Mary. I will caution you however that it can be difficult to properly cook a piece of bone-in chicken in a standard deep-frying situation. The fast-food chains all use pressure deep fryers that allow the fat to get to a much higher temperature without burning anything. Make sure to check your internal temperature, and if is not hot enough, place in a 350F oven to finish cooking.

Tomato soup

mmm…good. I don’t know about you, but as a kid, and let’s be honest, even as an adult, there is little more that I enjoy than a nice bowl of tomato soup, especially with a grilled cheese sandwich. Many of us grew up cracking open a can of our favourite soup, adding water, and letting it heat.

But if you are reading this, there is a good chance that like me, you want to be able to make this classic on your own. Its a really simple soup to make, and doesn’t take too much effort, and only a little bit of time.

Now granted, it isn’t as fast as opening a tin, but it is certainly worth the effort, and is the type of soup that freezes extremely well, so you can make a larger batch of it, and freeze it for future meals. To make the soup you will need:

1 medium carrot
1 medium onion
2 stalks of celery
2 oz of salt pork or other fat/oil of your choice
2tbsp/2 oz of flour
4cups/1L of white stock (chicken, turkey, or veggie) preferably homemade
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 sachet (bay leaf, whole cloves, whole peppercorns, dried thyme wrapped in cheese cloth)

  1. If you are using salt pork, begin by rendering out the fat on a medium-low temperature. The goal is to melt the fat so that you can sauté your veggies.
  2. While fat is rendering, dice your carrots, onions, and celery.
  3. Once fat is ready, whether you are using salt pork fat, butter, or anything else, add the veggies and sweat. This means you want to cook them gently without gaining much colour. Your onions should be translucent in appearance once you are completed.
  4. Add the flour and stir to ensure that it is fully incorporated into the oil, Add a small amount of oil if it is looking dry. This will produce a roux that will give the soup a little extra body.
  5. Whisk in your stock making sure to dissolve all of the roux. Add your diced tomato, your sachet, and allow to simmer for about 1 hour.
  6. After your soup has simmered, remove sachet and discard.
  7. Remove the veggies from the pot and carefully puree in a blender. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender and puree in the pot. Make sure that the veggie are fully pureed and smooth. Add back to the pot and stir.
  8. Taste and make any final adjustments to the seasoning of the soup.
  9. Serve as you desire.

This is such a simple soup to make. I hope that you enjoy it.

Fried Rice

Fried rice is certainly a comfort food for me. Now, I can’t say for certain that it would not be destroyed by Uncle Roger but I do think that it is okay.

This is my own variation on it. As a kid growing up in rural Newfoundland, like most Canadian kids really, I ate a great deal of Canadian Chinese food. My hometown had a restaurant called Tops Grill, and the next town over had a whole bunch, a few that have been around for decades. The served the classic North American versions of what was likely the derivative of a traditional Chinese meal. Fried rice was a staple.

As an adult, I’ve been lucky enough to travel throughout South East Asia, and there I had local variations, including a lot of fried rice during my many trips through Vietnam. I’ve also been lucky enough to live in some larger Canadian cities where if you look and ask, you can find actual traditional dishes.

This recipe is my take on all these various forms.

Rice, day old or older
1 Onion, small dice
6-8 Mushrooms, diced
1 stalk Celery, small dice
1 Carrot
1 Red Pepper, small dice
1/2cup Green peas, frozen
1-2cloves Garlic, minced
1tsp Ginger, minced
2 Eggs, beaten
2-3 green onions, sliced
As needed Vegetable oil
As needed Sesame oil
To taste Soya Sauce
To taste Salt and Pepper

Procedure:

  1. Preheat skillet or wok. Using oil as required, sauté vegetables.
  2. After 8-10 minutes, once vegetables are nearly cooked, add rice and sauté until rice is heated through.
  3. Make a well in the centre of the pan by pushing rice and vegetables to the side. Add a small amount of oil and cook egg, making sure to chop the cooked egg to small pieces.
  4. Add soy sauce and mix all ingredients well. Season to taste.

I hope that you enjoy it, and remember, cooking should be fun and create something that you enjoy eating. When you watch my videos, watch what I am doing more than what I am using. The techniques are what are most important.

Chicken Stir-fry

I’d like to start by thanking Samm and Nikki for the suggestion for this video. Its nice to get feedback, and its even better when others come up for the idea, so I don’t have to think about it.

This week’s video shows you how to make a chicken stir-fry. This is a pretty easy and quick meal that is very versatile. Here is the recipe.

Chicken Stir-fry

1 tbsp. Vegetable oil
1 tbsp. Sesame oil
1 med boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ½ inch pieces (4-5oz)
1 cup broccoli florets
2 oz. mushrooms
½ cup carrots, thinly sliced
½ cup red bell pepper, sliced
½ cup onions, sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. Soy sauce
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp. Cornstarch

Procedure: 

  1. In a large sauté pan, or wok, heat the oils over high heat. Add the chicken and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until lightly browned.
  2. Add broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, pepper and onions and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Once vegetables are cooked add the minced ginger.
  4. In a small bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Add to chicken mixture and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  5. Reduce heat to medium to medium-low, and simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
  6. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Give it a shot, and don’t be afraid to experiment with it. As I point out in the video, there really isn’t any rules about what must and must not be there. Do what will make you happy when it comes to cooking your food.

making risotto

As I pointed out in my last post, this is the time of the year that the work load gets a lot heavier. The biggest issue for me is getting through the woodpile. As I said in the last video, much of the new content has been buried underneath a pile of wood.

The pile of junks is growing.

I managed to get to the bottom of one of the piles and found a video buried underneath. After a long day of cutting wood out through an early winter day, I wanted some comfort food, something that would fill me up and warm me up at the same time. Risotto fits the bill perfectly.

My bowl of freshly made mushroom risotto.

Risotto is a classic Italian dish that is both a technique and a dish. It is made with Arborio, which is a medium grain rice that is extra starchy, and results in a dish that is rich and creamy. When properly made, it produces a porridge like consistency.

I start by sautéing some finely diced shallots, followed with the addition of some mushroom pieces. Once my vegies were cooked, the rice was added to the pan, and the rice was fully coated with the oil, and allowed to cook for a few moments. The next step is to add the liquid, but it is not added all at once, but rather in stages. As the liquid is absorbed, you add more, stirring constantly. Once the grains are fully cooked, finish with a small amount of butter and parmesan cheese.

Rice pilaf

How is everyone doing? Its been a while since I have posted anything, but like I note in the video, sometimes life just gets in the way. It started with me making a rookie mistake a few weeks back and losing a whole lot of video footage. Then I got sick, with the start of winter sneaking up on us.

I actually had a message from a friend of mine the other day wondering why there had been no recent content. I happened to be working on my woodpile at the time, and told her that all the content was buried under the wood.

This winter’s wood is not going to junk and split itself.

But it did get me thinking, so I thought it was time to get back at the videos. My last video was all about rice, and today’s video demonstrates the pilaf method of cooking rice. Its one of my favourite ways to cook rice. Lots of flavour and nearly fool-proof. Here’s the recipe.

1cuprice
2cupsstock
1onion, medium diced
1 tbsp oil
to tastesalt and pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Begin by sautéing the diced onion in the oil until translucent.
  3. Add rice and ensure that are pieces are coated in oil.
  4. Add the stock.
  5. Add salt, but consider the stock that you are using. If you have an unseasoned stock, you will want 1 tsp of salt, but you can omit the salt if your stock already has it.
  6. Cover pan and place in oven for 20 minutes.

This is a great technique that is nearly fool-proof. And its a great way to free up some space on top of the stove while you are cooking the rest of your meal.