Tag: recipes

These are Japanese-style pickles, with a well-balanced sweet/sour flavor and a satisfying crunch. One thing to be warned about, though, if you aren’t used to pickled radishes: they may be pretty, but they can have a funky smell to those who are unfamiliar with them.

3/4 cup hot water (not boiling)
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt (iodine-free, if possible)
2 bunches red radishes, rinsed and drained

Combine water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a large jar, cover with a lid and shake it up until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Alternatively, you can stir them in a non-reactive (glass, ceramic, stainless) bowl. Set aside.

Remove the greens from the radishes. Quarter the radishes. Smaller radishes can be halved and larger ones may need to be cut into sixths. You’ll want them to be roughly the same size.

Pack radishes into your non-reactive container of choice, cover with the brine and then the lid, and place in the refrigerator. Let sit at least 3 days before enjoying (although they can be eaten sooner.) They should last for a month in the refrigerator.

1 pound farmers’ market baby carrots
1 cup water, plus more for blanching the carrots
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt (iodine-free, if possible)
2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon mustard seeds, toasted
fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

Trim and peel the carrots and cut them in half lengthwise.

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the carrots and blanch until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Immediately drain and run under cold water. Transfer the carrots to a bowl (or jars if you plan to keep the carrots for longer).

Combine 1 cup of water with the vinegar, salt, honey, bay leaf, coriander, ginger, and mustard seeds in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the salt and honey. Pour over the carrots.

Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate in an airtight container for at least an hour and up to a month.

Recipe Notes
Substituting regular carrots: To use regular-size carrots, cut them into sticks about 3 to 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.
Substituting spices: Feel free to substitute an equal amount of other toasted spices such as cumin seeds, dill seeds, fennel seeds, anise seeds, or celery seeds. Add heat with a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Makes 3 pints
2 pounds Kirby cucumbers
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons kosher salt (iodine-free, if possible)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper per jar (3/4 teaspoons total)
1 teaspoon dill seed per jar (3 teaspoons total)
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns per jar (1 1/2 teaspoons total)

Wash and slice the cucumbers.

In a large saucepot, combine vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a simmer.

Arrange jars on counter and dole out the spices to each. Pack the cucumber slices firmly into the jars. You don’t want to damage the cukes, but you do want them packed tight.

Pour the brine into the jar, leaving approximately 1/2 inch headspace.

Tap jars gently on countertop to dislodge any trapped air bubbles.

Apply lids and let jars cool. When they’ve returned to room temperature, place jars in refrigerator. Let them sit for at least 48 hours before eating.

Ingredients:
500g red jalapeño chiles, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons palm sugar

Directions:
Place all the ingredients except the sugar in large glass bowl, loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight.  This brine helps mellow the heat of the peppers.
Place the mixture and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Blend with an immersion blender (or a food processor/blender) until a smooth, orange-red mixture forms. Run through a strainer and smush out as much juice as possible.
Refrigerate to store.

Notes:
I haven’t tried this yet,  but I want to experiment with adding roasted red peppers,  or fresh ginger and lime juice,  to see how that changes the flavour profile.

Chicken souvlaki

Ingredients
1 red onion, quartered
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 tablespoon yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

Directions
Mix all of the ingredients, place them in a sealed container along with the chicken and let marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to overnight.
Skewer the meat, and grill over medium-high heat until cooked, about 2-4 minutes per side.

Chicken souvlaki pita

Ingredients
4 pitas
1 batch chicken souvlaki, warm
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
1/4 cup tzatziki
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
2 roasted red peppers, sliced (optional)

Directions
Assemble the gyros and enjoy.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
2 slices rye, lightly toasted
1/2 cup swiss cheese, shredded and at room temperature
1-2 slices roast turkey, warm
1/4 cup coleslaw or sauerkraut, squeezed, drained and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon russian dressing or thousand islands dressing

Directions
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.
Butter the outside of each slice of bread, sprinkle half of the cheese on the inside of one slice of bread, top with the turkey, coleslaw or sauerkraut, dressing, the remaining cheese and finally the other slice of bread.
Add the sandwich and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-4 minutes per side.

Notes
You can use either rye or sourdough bread. The bread should be slightly tasted to help absorb moisture.
Try and remove as much moisture from the coleslaw/sauerkraut to avoid a soggy sandwich.
The roast turkey can also be substituted for corned beef, to make a proper Reuben sandwich.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup Guinness
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
2 slices rye, lightly toasted
1/2 cup cheddar, shredded, room temperature
2 ounces cooked corned beef, sliced or shredded, warm

Directions
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Add 1/4 cup Guinness , cover and simmer until the liquid has mostly evaporated, about 15 minutes and repeat three more times.
Remove from heat and mix in grainy mustard.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.
Butter the outside of each slice of bread, sprinkle half of the cheese on the inside of one slice of bread, top with half of the onions, the corned beef, the remaining onions, cheese and finally the other slice of bread.
Add the sandwich to the pan and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-4 minutes per side.

Ingredients
2 strips bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 small onion, diced
1/4 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon mustard
salt and pepper or steak seasoning to taste
2 slices bread
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup lettuce, shredded
1/4 cup tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon pickle, diced

Directions
Cook the bacon in a pan over medium heat, set aside on paper towels to drain reserving 1 teaspoon of grease in the pan and the rest elsewhere.
Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the ground beef and cook draining any grease when done.
Mix in the ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper, simmer to reduce, remove from heat and set aside.
Heat a clean pan over medium heat.
Butter the outside side of each slice of bread, place one slice in a pan buttered side down, sprinkle on half of the cheese, then top with the the bacon, beef, lettuce, tomato and pickle followed by the remaining cheese and slice of bread, buttered side up.
Cook until golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted, about 2-4 minutes per side.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
1/4 cup white wine or broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon truffle oil (optional)
1 cup fontina or gruyere, shredded
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
4 slices bread
2 tablespoon butter

Directions
Melt the butter and heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and thyme and saute until the start to caramelized and turn golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.
Add the wine, deglaze the pan and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2-3 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, add the parsley and remove from heat and let cool a bit.
Mix the cheese into the mushrooms.
Butter one side of each slice of bread and place 2 in the pan buttered side down.
Top each with 1/2 of the mushroom mixture and finally the remaining slices of bread with the buttered side up.
Grill until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per side.