Grilled Rosemary Chicken Thighs

This recipe is from one of my favourite magazines... "Fine Cooking" Sept 2007 edition...my variation. I prepare this chicken in advance and freeze it until the day I need it. I have even frozen the thighs on the skewers!

Clean and trim 14 chicken thighs. Cut them in half, as evenly as possible for the skewers. Use a zip lock freezer bag and add 2 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tsp kosher salt, 2 tsp dark brown sugar, 1tbsp minced rosemary, 1 tsp freshly grated black pepper and 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes. Add the thighs and mix evenly. You can marinate them for a few hours or freeze and thaw when you're ready to use. Thread the thighs on wooden skewers when you are ready to use them and grill on medium heat for ~15-20 minutes. Move thighs to a platter and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with sweet and sour dipping sauce.
Heat 1 cup orange marmalade, 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar and 1 tsp of minced rosemary. Sweet and sour dipping sauce should be heated and served in individual bowls. I like to drizzle a little sauce on the skewers first before serving.

Informal barbecue dinner

Saturday we're having friends for a boat ride and an informal barbecued dinner. We're hoping the weather cooperates... oh well, my motto is, you make your plans and the weather comes along for the ride! It's now Thursday and it's time to get some advance prep done. I still believe summer is not over and have planned cold hor's doeuvres.

The menu is as follows:

Hummus on cucumber slices topped with yogurt
Smoked salmon on kettle chips
Crab bites (frozen and leftover from the last get together)

Shrimp salad

Rosemary barbecued chicken thighs
Fall off the bone ribs
Grill roasted vegies
Mexican rice

Peach pie and ice cream

Hummus
I like my hummus very lemony and not as "tahiniy".
In a food processor mince 1-19 ounce can of drained chick peas (reserve a couple of Tbsp of the liquid), 4 garlic cloves, zest of 1 lemon, juice of 1 and 1/2 lemons, 1 tsp of cumin, 2 Tbsp of tahini, 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the reserved chick pea liquid if mixture is too thick. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice cucumbers thick enough that it will hold the hummus. Use a melon baller and put a dollop on each slice, top with a little yogurt and a tiny piece of dill. I serve mine on a bed of fresh chives (the herb garden plays a role again)!

Smoked salmon on kettle chips

This recipe is on the cover of "Food and Drink" Summer 2009 issue. It's simple and very tasty! The sauce can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until serving on the chips.

-1/2 cup softened cream cheese
-1 Tbsp horseradish
-1 Tbsp minced shallots
-2 tsp minced capers
-1 tsp lemon rind
-1 small minced clove of garlic
-1 bag of kettle chips
-1 small package of smoked salmon
-2 tbsp chopped chives

Mix first 6 ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate until serving.
When ready to serve, top each kettle chip with a dollop of cream cheese mixture. Slice salmon and place decoratively on the cream cheese and sprinkle with chives.

Shrimp salad

I used 2 leaves of romaine lettuce to try create a "boat" and filled it with chopped romaine, a few slices of cucumber and small pieces of chopped seeded tomato. The dressing is 3 tbsp of rice vinegar, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, 4 tsp of fish sauce and 5 tsp of sugar. Dissolve in the microwave, cool and add a small minced clove of garlic and 1/4 tsp of Dijon mustard. You can assemble the "shrimp boats" ahead of time, wrap with saran and refrigerate. Drizzle the sauce over the salad just before serving. The pictures I take are pretty bad... I have to assure you, the product looks much better in real life!

Back ribs for dinner

These fall off the bone ribs can be prepared in advance and "sauced" on the barbecue just before serving. I usually prepare 2 racks at a time, one for the freezer one to be sauced and eaten at a later date.

Cut each rack of ribs in half and place meaty side up on a double layer of tin foil.

Chop an onion and distribute between the 2 racks. Sprinkle with chili powder, a couple of tbsp of brown sugar per rack, a drizzle of red wine vinegar and a generous shake of Worcestershire sauce. Seal in foil and place on indirect heat on the barbecue at 350 degrees F . Bake undisturbed for 2 hours .

In the mean time prepare the glaze... The cheater sauce is as follows: I use a chicken and rib sauce and a spicy piquant prepared sauce, equal parts of each (half a cup of each works)! Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and 1 quarter cup of maple syrup and a quarter tsp of hot pepper sauce. After 2 hours remove ribs from foil and place on hot side of barbecue. Glaze each side a few times with cheater sauce. Frank says the messier the barbecue , the taster the meat!!

I serve this dish with a Canadian version of fried rice.

And now the rice:

• microwave 3 quarters cup of long grain white rice and 1 and 1 half cups of water in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and set asidec


• slice4 slices of bacon in quarter inch pieces
  


• dice 2 stalks of celery
  


• dice 1 small onion (4 green onions I just ran out)
  


• dice a small piece of cauliflower and broccoli
  


• chop fresh asparagus into half inch pieces
  


• dice 1 carrot
  


• dark soya sauce to taste and colour

In a large frying pan, cook bacon on medium high heat until almost crisp (my sister Marcie would argue that the bacon has to be crisp)! Add all the vegies and stir fry for a minute. Add a little bit of water, cover with a lid for a minute. Add rice mix and sprinkle with dark soya sauce (I prefer the mushroom soy). The bacon and the soya sauce are salty so no need to add any. Heat through and serve.

Because there are so many vegies in this dish, I only serve the ribs and rice with a tossed salad.

Peach Pie.. 'tis the season

Every year at this time, I tend to go a little overboard making peach pies for the freezer! As a matter of fact I was teased so much about the 13 pies I usually made that for the last 2 years I haven't made any... that is until today!


Here is my peach pie for the freezer recipe:


One basket of peaches made 2 pies. I like to freeze them uncooked and cook them the morning I plan to serve.


The pie crust is a recipe my friend Margot gave to me many years ago. I used to be intimidated making pie crust until this recipe came along.

Crust for 1 -8 inch pie (can be doubled)

• 1 cup flour


• 1/3 plus 1 tbsp of shortening


• ice water

Use a pastry blender to mix flour and shortening until the size of small peas. Add the water a few tbsp at a time and mix with a fork. Don't handle the dough excessively or it will become tough. As soon as you have just enough water to hold the crust together form into a ball with your hands and split into 2. Roll thinly and line your pie plate. Roll second ball for the top and cover with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out.

Pie filling

• Blanch 6-7 peaches in hot water for ~60 seconds, peel and slice into 1/2 inch slices, set aside in a medium bowl


• In a 2 cup measuring cup add 1/4 cup of flour, 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 tsp Cinnamon and a few grinds of freshly grated nutmeg. Use a fork to combine


• Add mixture to peaches and mix with a spoon


• Squeeze 1/2 a lemon over mixture and pour mixture into the pie shell


• Dot lightly with ~a tbsp of butter and add top of pie shell


• Crimp and mark with a "P" vent the rest of the pie, wrap well and freeze


• To cook frozen pie, brush with and egg yolk, sprinkle with sugar and bake at 425 F for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and continue baking for ~40 minutes or until golden brown


• To cook immediately, follow same instructions and bake for 15 minutes in a 435 oven, reduce heat to 350 and continue to cook fro ~35 minutes or until nicely browned and peach juice bubbles through the top


• Serve with ice cream... delicious

Barbecued pork chop for 2 with -leftover cream sauce

You may remember the cream sauce I served with the beef tenderloin for Barbara's birthday? Well, there was a lot of sauce left over and I didn't want to waste it, so I decided to season the pork chops similarly to the beef marinade and use the tasty sauce as a gravy... It was awesome!

Fresh corn on the cob, red bliss potatoes and green beans made the dinner complete.

I seasoned 2-1/2 inch chops with 2 cloves of minced garlic and a tsp. of minced ginger and salt and pepper.

I made the nightly trip to the herb garden for some lemon thyme...lots of it! In a foil lined pie plate add fresh red bliss potatoes cut into ~ 1 inch peices and season with the lemon thyme, a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of Montreal steak spice and salt and pepper to taste.

Fresh corn on the cob was husked and seasoned with oil and chopped oregano from the herb garden (I added the bits of left over lemon thyme) and salt and pepper.

Freshly picked beans (not from my garden, I grow herbs, they're like weeds you know!), wrapped in foil seasoned with a little butter, salt and pepper...(when finished squeeze with juice of a lime).

Frank's turn now to the barbecue...

Start the potatoes on a medium high barbecue... fresh potatoes take much longer to cook even though they are cut up. ..Be sure to turn them frequently. After 40 minutes add the corn, beans and the chops to the grill . Turn the corn frequently as it caramelizes. The rest of the dinner should take~ 15 minutes on a medium high heat. The meal comes off the grill at the same time! Roll the corn in the left over herb mix before you serve... Heat the leftover creamy parsley "whiskied" sauce in the microwave and sauce the chops. Sueeze a fresh lime over the green beans and serve with a tossed salad with Italian dressing... hmm hmmm good!

Sausage Tortellini

This is a great dinner which you can prepare in advance and makes full use of my herb garden! My sister Marcie passed this one on to me quite some time ago. I think it has a little variation since I first tried it.


Sausage Tortellini

• 1 small package of 3 cheese tortellini


• 2 medium zuchinis, 1 green, 1 yellow


• 1 chopped onion


• 2 cloves minced garlic


• 4 browned hot (or mild) Italian sauage cut in 1 inch pieces


• a handful of freshly chopped oregano leaves


• a handful of freshly choppedItalian parsley


• 3 tbsp chopped basil


• 1 -28 oz can of diced tomatoes


• 1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese


• salt and pepper and a dash of hot chili peppers

In a skillet on medium heat, saute onions, garlic and zuchini and until soft. Add herbs, salt, pepper and hot chilis. Cook a couple of minutes for flavours to blend. Add tomatoes with sauce and 1/4 cup of water. Spread the uncooked tortellini in the bottom of a pyrex dish 8 by 11 by 2 inches, distribute the sausage amongst the pasta. add the tomato sauce, cover with grated cheese and cover tightly with aluminum foil which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes and serve hot with a salad and garlic bread.

The house shrimp!

It seems to me I spoke about the house shrimp when I entered my very first posting. The dish is simple to prepare, very tasty and can be partially prepared in advance for those of you who don't like hanging around the kitchen when everyone else is having a good time!
Typically I only serve 6 per person but this night was and exception.

The House Shrimp

-1-1/2 pounds tail on large frozen uncooked shrimp (I use Costco's 20-25 per bag, peeled, tail on)
-1 small finely chopped shallot
-1 minced clove of garlic
-1/4 cup butter
-1 Tbsp lemon juice
-1 oz hot cognac (it's easier to flame when it's hot)!
-1/2 cup white wine
-1/2 cup whipping cream

Thaw shrimp in cold water, remove tails and pat dry with paper towel.
Saute the shallots in the butter on a medium high heat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1 more minute. Add shrimp and cook for 1 minute only. Remove from heat, heat cognac and light. Add to shrimp toss shrimp in flames. Shrimp must be undercooked at this point!!
Remove shrimp from pan and set aside. Return skillet to medium high heat, add wine, lemon juice and cream. Reduce to 1/3 quantity. Add shrimp and heat through (~ 2 minutes). Serve immediately garnish with dill or parsley zest of a lemon or anything you have which will add some colour.

If you prepare this dish in advance. After you toss the shrimp in the cognac and remove them from the pan, refrigerate the shrimp. You can reduce the sauce and refrigerate the reduced sauce until serving time. Bring the shrimp to room temperature, reheat sauce and add shrimp to hot sauce for 2 minutes and serve!