The concept of ‘loaded cabbage steaks’ is an interesting twist on traditional cabbage dishes and are a tasty alternative to traditional tacos.
Sometimes it’s hard to get excited about cabbage but I think this recipe will change your mind a little bit. Roasting the cabbage provides a subtly sweet flavor. Cabbage is very affordable, mildly flavored and easy to prepare. This recipe involves roasting thick slices of green cabbage with olive oil, salt, and taco seasonings. You can top them with either ground meat or black beans, shredded cheese, diced avocado, sliced cherry tomatoes, and chopped cilantro. Lime crema adds a zesty finish.
It’s time to elevate cabbage from a humble vegetable side dish to the main attraction with these loaded cabbage steaks!
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Loaded Taco Cabbage Steaks
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Instructions
Taco Seasoning
In a small dish, combine all ingredients & mix well.
Lime Crema
Whisk together the ingredients using milk to thin out the sauce to your desired consistency. Set aside.
Cabbage Steaks
Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Keep your cabbage core INTACT, slice your cabbage in half first then into thick slices – ending up with 6-7 slices. Place them on your baking tray & brush both sides of each slice with olive oil. Season with 1/2 of the prepared 'taco seasoning' Roast for 30-35 minutes or until golden.
Ground Meat or Beans
In a large skillet, heat the oil & sauté onion for 2 minutes. Add in the ground meat, using a wooden spoon break everything up until no longer pink & cooked through. Season with remaining taco seasoning. Divide the meat between the roasted cabbage slices then top with the cheese & pop back into the oven until melted – about 5 minutes.
If you're using the beans, simply top the cooked cabbage steaks equally with some beans, covering the cabbage & then top with the shredded cheese. Pop back into the oven until the cheese has melted – 5 minutes.
Remove cabbage steaks from oven & top with tomatoes, avocado & arugula. Drizzle with lime crema & serve hot.
September is the bridge between summer and fall. The beginning of the fall season is just around the corner so it’s time to transition meals between the summer and fall. Turn the oven back on to embrace the changing season. For many, this means baking, but there’s also sautéing and slow roasting, braising and boiling.
It’s National Chicken Month which gives Canadians from coast to coast another reason to celebrate their favorite protein. It’s the time to cook and eat all sorts of chicken dishes in salute of all the hard-working Canadian farm families that raise the chicken we love.
This recipe for skillet chicken with grapes and caramelized onions is an easy recipe that makes a perfect pair for a crisp green salad, quinoa, or fresh bread. Quinoa is still very much a small niche crop in Canada. The search for seed to produce quinoa varieties that can reliably flourish in Canada continues, and it is entrepreneurs as well as research scientists who are leading these efforts. Quinoa is a cool-season crop and is particularly sensitive to heat, which limits the areas of potential commercial production in Canada.
Its popularity skyrocketed in 2006/7 when restaurants began featuring this ancient grain on their menus, and it quickly won over people’s taste buds with its unique flavor and texture profile.
Serving quinoa with this chicken meal really makes it special.
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Skillet Chicken w/ Grapes & Caramelized Onions
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Instructions
Caramelized Onions
Heat butter over medium low heat in a heavy ovenproof skillet. Add the onions cook for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. When the onions are a deep golden color, remove from the pan and set aside.
Chicken Thighs
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Combine the flour, salt, chili powder, thyme, allspice, & black pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.
In the same pan as the onions, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add each piece of chicken & fry for a few minutes until golden brown; flip & cook for a few more minutes. Transfer to a plate (it will not be fully cooked at this point, just browned – it will finish cooking in the oven).
Turn the heat down & let the oil cool off a little bit. Add the wine – this will definitely bubble & sizzle! Add the broth & simmer until the mixture is thickened slightly. Add the onions & chicken to the pan. Bake for about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, add the grapes, baste with the sauce & bake for another 5-10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Recipe Notes
- To make without using wine:
- Use 3/4 cup chicken broth (instead of the 1/3 cup wine & 1/4 cup broth). Add remaining flour (leftover from dredging chicken).
- Make a roux with excess oil in skillet & dredging flour.
- Add chicken broth & cook until a sauce forms.
- Add the onions & chicken to the pan & bake as directed above.
Several years ago, Brion and I came across a deli we had never noticed before. It was called Chachi’s which proved to be a great find. After checking out the menu we decided on what they called a Cran & Brie Sandwich. OMG .. it was so good! Since then, we have had them numerous times so of course I had to see if I could come up with a copycat version.
Chachi’s Deli is a popular chain started in Calgary, Alberta and now has over 20 locations across BC, Alberta & Manitoba. The concept serves sandwiches with local ingredients, in a contemporary style butcher shop environment. They also serve mac ‘n’ cheese as well as other comfort food offerings. Known for sourcing high-quality ingredients from local partners, Chachi’s has built a reputation for delicious fast food and is raising the bar for ‘mall food’ although some find it a bit pricey.
In December 2006, the first Chachi’s opened in TD Square in downtown Calgary. Derek Brock and Jason Cunningham started the company because they felt there was a need in the marketplace for a premium sandwich offering, above what was being offered by the sub giants. The question that they were asking themselves was … what would happen if you made a sandwich with the best local ingredients possible? That’s how the first Chachi’s sandwich was made and that’s how the company started.
Derek Brock and Jason Cunningham first met over 20 years ago while working as managers at Starbucks Coffee. After forming a strong friendship, they partnered to open the first ever Jugo Juice in 1998. The Jugo Juice brand was a pioneer in the smoothie and juice industry and has since grown to a national chain with stores across the country.
Chachi’s Cran & Brie sandwich consists of roast turkey breast, brie, cranberry chutney, mayo, arugula, granny smith apple & rosemary. Here is my copycat version which I’m sure will never quite match the original but …..
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Copycat Chachi's Cran & Brie Sandwich
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Instructions
Ciabatta Rolls
In a small bowl, combine yeast & 1/4 tsp sugar. Add lukewarm water set aside until frothy.
In the bowl of your food processor or mixer (with dough hook), add flour, salt, remaining tablespoon of sugar and rosemary. Pulse once or twice to mix.
When yeast is foamy, with mixer running, pour the liquid into dry ingredients. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, continuing to mix until dough comes together in a ball. Add a little more flour if necessary, but your dough should by very sticky.
Turn dough out onto floured surface & knead until smooth & elastic, about 20 times. Shape into ball & place into oiled bowl. Cover loosely & place in a draft-free, warm area.
When dough has doubled in size, turn onto lightly floured surface & knead just a few times to deflate. Do not over knead. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces & shape into 6-inch long rolls. Place rolls on parchment paper. Press down & outward to flatten them to about 1-inch thickness. Cover loosely with plastic wrap which has been sprayed with cooking oil spray & set in a warm place until doubled in size.
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When rolls have risen & oven is hot, Remove plastic wrap, poke top of rolls with fingers to create slight indentations. Drizzle olive oil lightly & evenly over rolls. Sprinkle with coarse salt & dried rosemary if you wish.
Slide parchment onto baking sheet bake for 20-25 minutes, until light golden brown.
Cranberry Chutney
Place all chutney ingredients into a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer & cook on low heat until cranberries pop & fruit is soft, about 15-20 minutes. Adjust seasonings or sweetness to your taste. Remove from heat & cool slightly.
Place chutney in a food processor & pulse a few times to puree ever so slightly. I like it to still have a nice texture but your not seeing specific chunks of apple.
Assembly
Slice the ciabatta rolls in half lengthwise. On the bottom half of each, spread cranberry chutney & top with deli roast turkey slices. Layer brie cheese over the turkey. Next lay slices of Granny Smith apple. On the top halves of the ciabatta rolls squeeze some mayo.
Place all prepared bottom & top halves of the rolls in a toaster oven to toast slightly & melt the brie cheese. When slightly toasted & brie is nice & melted, remove from toaster oven & top with arugula & bits of fresh rosemary (if you wish).
Recipe Notes
- Brion & I used a 'smoky bacon mayo' on our sandwiches & it was real good!
CELEBRATING LABOR DAY!
It’s hard to believe Labor Day weekend is here already! In our part of the world, it signals the last of those coveted summer days. Celebrated in Canada as a national statuary holiday weekend. Labor Day weekend gives us an opportunity to enjoy family & friends before summer is officially over.
Part of Canada’s appeal is its four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall. We are entering the season of the fall harvest and the leaves on the trees begin their transformation to stunning shades of orange, red and yellow.
When I was giving thought to food for this day, a nice seasonal vegetable strata came to mind. For most families there’s ‘places to be and things to see’ on this day so why not start it with a breakfast dish that can be prepared the day before and baked in the morning.
Unlike quiche and frittata, strata originated in North America. The first known recipe, the cheese strata, dates back to 1902 and contains bread, white sauce and cheese.
A strata is usually a savory egg-bread casserole that’s baked in the oven or microwaved. Strata’s can be made with a variety of fillings including meats, cheese, vegetables or fruits. Usually, the bread and fillings are layered in a casserole dish with the egg mixture poured over top. The dish can be prepared the night before (or at least 2 hours before cooking) to allow time for the bread to soak up some of the egg mixture. What you’re left with is a fluffy, bread-pudding-like meal that’s completely customizable using your favorite ingredients.
Hopefully this strata will be a good choice for your family on this holiday.
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Tomato Zucchini Strata
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Instructions
In an extra-large skillet, melt butter over low heat. Add tomatoes & zucchini. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tomatoes begin to lose their firm round shape; remove from heat.
Place half of the bread cubes in a greased 2-quart baking dish. Top with half of the zucchini mixture & half of the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining bread cubes, zucchini mixture & cheese.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, parsley, basil, chives, garlic salt & pepper. Carefully pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture in dish. Using the back of a spoon, gently press down on layers. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
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Remove casserole from fridge. Bake for 60 minutes or until puffed, golden & set. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
While there’s still time to enjoy summer, it’s definitely prime time for eating some satisfying summer squash.
Zucchini, also known as courgetti, belongs to the same family as pumpkin. The most widely known version is green, though golden varieties exist too, which are yellow or orange.
While zucchini is treated as a vegetable in the culinary sphere, it’s technically the fruit of the zucchini flower (which can also be consumed).
Scallops are buttery, delicious, and easily likeable. This special kind of seafood has won our hearts in the casual and fine dining setting. We continue to ask ourselves how we can enhance the flavor of this seafood treat even more. Since scallops are briny and sweet with a relatively subtle flavor profile, they’ll complement everything from crunchy sweet corn to zippy citrus salads and summer or winter squash.
They’re one of the more sustainably sourced seafood because they are typically harvested from places, they are endemic to. This means that scallops don’t feed off other marine life unnaturally and they’re not placed in areas foreign to them.
I think you will find this scallop and zucchini quiche is nice served as a hot or cold summer entrée.
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Scallop & Zucchini Quiche
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Ingredients
Scallop & Zucchini Filling
Ingredients
Scallop & Zucchini Filling
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Instructions
Pastry
In a small bowl, combine sour cream & ice water; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar & salt. Using a pastry blender or fingertips, cut in butter until mixture resembles both coarse crumbs & small peas. Sprinkle the cold sour cream mixture over dough, 1 Tbsp at a time, tossing with a fork to evenly distribute it.
After you have added all the sour cream mixture, dough should be moist enough to stick together when pressed; if not add additional cold water, 1 tsp at a time. DO NOT overwork dough. Press dough into a disk & wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Filling
In a saucepan, fry bacon until cooked but not real crisp. Remove bacon & place on paper towel to drain. In the same saucepan, sauté onions, zucchini mushrooms & garlic in remaining bacon drippings until tender but not over cooked. Add scallops during the last few minutes of sautéing. Remove from pan & combine with bacon; cool slightly.
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Grate cheese. Whisk together eggs, milk, Old Bay seasoning, salt & pepper. Halve the cherry tomatoes.
Roll out pastry to fit a 9-inche quiche pan. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with uncooked beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven, remove the beans (or rice) & paper. Sprinkle half of the grated cheddar on the quiche shell. Place filling mixture on top; form a ring of tomato halves around the outside edge. Sprinkle with remaining cheese then pour milk mixture over the quiche.
Sprinkle half of the grated cheddar on the quiche shell. Place filling mixture on top; form a ring of tomato halves around the outside edge. Sprinkle with remaining cheese then pour milk mixture over the quiche.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until set.
Cheese might not be the first thing that comes to mind if you’re looking for a satisfying, easy, elegant way to end your meal, but it makes for a fabulous dessert. Europeans have long served dessert cheese, either after the salad or after the main course.
While a sweet cheesecake can be a thing of great joy and incredibly versatile; there are various regional styles, easy no-bake versions for when you don’t want to turn on the oven, and many ways to make it suited to all seasons by switching up the flavor. But there’s a whole other avenue to explore too: savory cheesecakes, a great appetizer option for any party, or even weekday dinner for your family. If it sounds a little weird, think of it like a cheesier, less eggy version of quiche.
As with sweet cheesecakes, there are both baked and no-bake versions of savory cheesecake, some with crusts and some without, but crusted and baked seems to be the most prevalent sort, and the vast majority of those follow a similar formula.
Brion & I have never been much for ‘blue cheese’ but when it comes to Gorgonzola, that’s a whole different story. Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese produced in Northern Italy. It’s creamy and crumbly and has streaks of blue mold that give it a strong, piquant flavor. This savory Gorgonzola cheesecake could be served as a cheese or dessert course with fresh fruit to end a nice summer evening meal. A simple recipe with a taste that lingers long in the memory.
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Savory Gorgonzola Cheesecake w/ Peaches & Hemp Heart Granola Crust
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Instructions
Base
Line 2 - 5-inch springform pans with parchment paper. Place granola in a food processor; process until fine crumbs form.
In a bowl, mix crumbs & melted butter until well combined. Divide crumb mixture between the two lined pans; press into the bottom to form the crust. Set aside.
Peach Topping
Add peaches to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; stir in lemon juice, water & cornstarch. Bring mixture to a rolling boil. Stir in sugar. Return to a gentle boil for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until peaches thicken slightly. Remove from heat & cool completely. This can be prepared after you bake the cheesecake if you wish.
Cheesecake
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Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese & Gorgonzola in a bowl until light & fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add sour cream, honey, salt & pepper; beat until blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Divide cheesecake batter, pouring over the granola base in each of the springform pans.
Bake for 1 hour & 20 minutes or until set & lightly browned.
Remove cheesecake from oven & cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Spoon peach topping over cheesecake, slice & serve.
Recipe Notes
- If you wish to make one 9-inch cheesecake, double ingredients but only use 3 large eggs. You should have enough peach topping for a 9-inch without having to double that recipe.
- For this recipe I chose not to prebake the hemp heart base but If you wish to do so there is no problem in with that.
Oysters pair well with garlic, herbs and cheese so they’re ideal for pizza! But the reasons canned oysters were so popular in the 19th century are they’ll last in the cabinet forever, just waiting to save you on that one desperate evening when you haven’t grocery shopped in weeks.
How does one eat canned oysters? Honestly, however you want. Think of them like any other tinned fish, like sardines or clams. Canned oysters go great as a dip (chopped up with chives and cream cheese) or mixed into pasta (with lemon and butter and parsley). Put them on a pizza, or bake them into a savory pie, or fold them into an omelet.
The star of this recipe is the smoked oysters. The smoked oysters added a smoky richness that is hard to duplicate. If you aren’t accustomed to eating smoked oysters, they are delicious and packed full of healthy nutrients. Oysters are shellfish that have vitamin C, zinc, protein, iron, and selenium. (Selenium is great for keeping your brain happy!)
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Cheesy Smoked Oyster Pizza
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Instructions
Chop bacon & fry in a saucepan until cooked but not crisp. Remove from pan & drain on paper towel.
In the same saucepan, place onion in bacon drippings & sprinkle with salt. Sauté until tender then add bacon back to pan & cook a few minutes longer.
Slice drained artichokes in half. Drain smoked oysters & place on paper towel. In a food processor, 'dice' tomatoes for a couple of seconds. Grate cheese.
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Lay out Naan breads for your pizza bases. Sprinkle each with a bit of cheese then top each with some tomato 'sauce'.
Sprinkle minced garlic over tomato sauce then top each with bacon/onion mixture, artichokes & some more cheese. Divide smoked oysters between the pizzas & top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes or until toppings are heated & cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven & top with fresh arugula. Serve.
Italian cuisine is renowned for its delicious and aromatic flavors, and one of the most essential ingredients that contribute to this is a blend of herbs and spices that add a distinct flavor to various dishes.
While these herbs are readily available in Italy, they were not always easy to find in America. As a result, early Italian immigrants needed a way to add their preferred flavors to dishes. ‘Italian seasoning’ provided exactly that. Its origins are a bit mysterious, with some people believing it originated in Italy and others insisting it is an American invention. However, the most common understanding is that the Greeks and Romans developed Italian seasoning somewhere in the Mediterranean during ancient times.
Italian seasoning is a mix of dried herbs with an earthy, piney flavor that’s subtly sweet and peppery. This kitchen staple includes dried basil, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried thyme and dried marjoram, but there are several variations that also feature additions like dried sage, fennel seeds or even spices like garlic powder or crushed red-pepper flakes. Traditionally, though, it is just those five core herbs.
It has become a staple in North American kitchens and can be used to flavor just about anything, but some of our favorite uses are in classic Italian American dishes like meatballs, pizza or chicken Parmesan. It adds extra interest to olive oil for dipping bread or vinaigrette for salads. Or stir it into marinades to infuse your meat with woodsy, herbal flavor.
These chicken cutlets cook quickly and are highlighted with a creamy sauce made with tomatoes, zucchini and Italian seasoning. Nice served with roasted mashed cauliflower, brown or Basmati rice or orzo pasta.
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Creamy Chicken Skillet w/ Italian Seasoning
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Instructions
Chicken
In a small dish, combine all chicken seasonings & sprinkle on both sides of chicken cutlets. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken & cook, turning once, until browned & cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
Sauce
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, zucchini, mushrooms & onions to the pan. Cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the liquid has mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, cream cheese & Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring to melt the cream cheese, for 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat with the sauce. Serve topped with basil or Italian parsley if desired.
Nice to serve with roasted mashed cauliflower, brown rice, orzo or basmati rice.
As popular as it was, I know that Jell-O is not everyone’s ‘cup of tea’. Jell-O was synonymous with most, if not all, of the major holiday’s years ago but not so much anymore. It seems there are certain culinary traditions that accompany each holiday. Some are near universally enjoyed amongst those who celebrate those special days, others are more along the lines of a specific family tradition and some fall squarely into the middle.
When my siblings and I were growing up, a lime Jell-O salad with crushed pineapple, marshmallows and cottage cheese was always made to complement our Christmas dinner. One year, family friends that had been invited to dinner, asked if this salad had something to do with our German heritage because it always appeared on special occasions. To me this salad was like having a little dish of ice cream as it tasted so good.
Jell-O brand powder might seem as commonplace as sliced bread and pasteurized milk nowadays, but when it first emerged on the scene in 1897, it was a truly revolutionary food.
Gelatin itself had been around for many centuries, but the act of making it – a process done by extracting the gelatin protein produced when animal bones, connective tissues and other similar products are boiled and then using that product as a setting agent/ingredient in a sweet or savory dish – was a very labor intensive one and something that many home cooks saved for only the most special of occasions/fanciest dinner parties, if they even bothered at all. The French were the first to use gelatin in cooking.
Jell-O became available in Canada in 1904.The first Canadian Jell-O factory was located in Bridgeburg (now Fort Erie). As part of an advertising campaign, recipe booklets were sent to households across North America. These contained suggestions for how to use Jell-O in desserts, salads and main courses.
Initially jellied salads rose to fame in the 1950s and 60s. This recipe came from a magazine years ago. It is somewhere between a Jell-O salad and a dessert.
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1950's Tart Cherry/Lemon Jell-O Dessert
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Instructions
In a small saucepan, bring cherries with juice & sugar to a boil then add the package of cherry Jell-O powder. Stir to dissolve then pour into serving dishes. Refrigerate until firm. After cherry mixture has had time to start setting up begin the next step.
Rinse saucepan & add 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil then stir in lemon Jell-O powder until it is dissolved. Refrigerate until slightly setting up.
While lemon Jell-O sets up, whip cream until stiff & fluffy. Beat in cream cheese & whip together. Add lemon Jell-O which is just starting to become firm. Whip the mixture to combine.
Pour lemon Jell-O mixture over the cherry Jell-O in the serving dishes. Refrigerate until firm. Serve with a dollop of whip cream if desired.
Recipe Notes
- Its so nice to be able to use cherries from our own tree in the back yard.
