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I invented this recipe many years ago, while experimenting with pate recipes, but haven't cooked it for ages until today, and it's till as good as it ever was.
Ingredients:
Olive oil
Butter (or bacon grease)
Onion, grated
Mushrooms, chopped very fine (optional)
Salt port or bacon (optional)
1 lb. Chicken livers
1 tsp. ginger, ground (or 2 inches of fresh grated)
1/2 nutmeg, grated
Thyme or summer savory, dried
Freshly ground pepper
Pistachio nuts (optional)
2 oz. brandy, rum, or liqueur
Instructions:
Heat a large deep saute pan on medium until the edge is hot to the touch.
Then, add olive oil and butter.
Meanwhile, grate onion, and chop mushrooms if used.
Saute onion, mushrooms and salt pork, if used, for a few minutes.
Add livers and saute for a few minutes.
Add spices, herbs, nuts if used, pepper, and brandy.
Turn the heat down, and simmer until the livers are soft and disintegrating. Add water if necessary.
Serve with a green vegetable and boiled potatoes.
Back in Manitoba, everything tastes better, even the potatoes.
Onions bear some discussion. The type, and how you cut them up.
Red onions are mild and great raw in salads, also good for colour in stir fries, and roasted vegetable medleys.
Walla Walla or Vidalia are super sweet, very flat shaped, almost like a space ship. They are yellow, very moist and sweet, so they get moldy fast. They are shipped out from either Georgia (Vidalia) or Washington (Walla Walla) to the stores once a year in fall. Expensive. So check through them to make sure they are not rotting, the chain grocery stores are too greedy to cull them.
White onions are stronger flavoured so the best for flavour.
Yellow onions are in between.
http://www.foodsubs.com/Onionsdry.html
To cut up an onion, cut off both ends, then cut in half. Use a very sharp knife. I use my santuko chef's knife. Then slice and chop. Do it fast, and rinse the knife in between if it bothers your eyes.
Potatoes
I've talked about these before. I love local German yellow potatoes or Island Ambers, Yukon Golds in a pinch. These potatoes are waxy (firm when cooked) and so delicious. Round white potatoes are also great. There is quite a difference in flavour too.
Store potoatoes in a cool, dark, dry, well-ventilated place. Don't refrigerate them--doing so converts some of the potato's starch to sugar. And don't expose them to direct sunlight, which turns them green and makes them bitter. Scrape away any sprouts or green spots, since they might contain a mildly toxic compound called solanine.
Potatoes with a high starch content, like russets, bake well and yield light and fluffy mashed potatoes. Those with a low starch content, like red-skinned potatoes, hold their shape after cooking, and are great for making potato salads and scalloped potatoes. Medium starch potatoes are called all-purpose potatoes, and they'll work in most potato dishes.
Best for baking: russet potato
Best for potato salads, gratins, and scalloped potatoes: Yellow Finn potato, new potato, red-skinned potato, white round potato, and purple potato
Best for mashing: russet potato, Yukon gold potato, Caribe potato, and purple potato
Best for soups and chowders: Yukon gold potato, Yellow Finn potato, red-skinned potato, white round potato, and purple potato
Best for pan-frying: red-skinned potatoes, white round potatoes, new potatoes, and fingerling potatoes
Best for French fries: russet potato, purple potato, Bintje potato
Best for purees: fingerling potatoes
Best for roasting: new potatoes, Bintje potatoes
Best for steaming: new potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes
Best for potato pancakes: russet potato, Yukon Gold potato
Bintje potato
This is a creamy, yellow-fleshed potato that's especially good for roasting and making fries. Pronunciation: BEN-jee Substitutes: Yukon Gold OR Yellow Finn
boiling potato = waxy potato = low-starch potato
Potatoes in this category hold their shape after cooking, so they're great for making potato salads and scalloped potatoes. They're not good for mashing, baking, or making fries. Types of boiling potatoes are new potatoes, fingerling potatoes, round white potatoes, and round red potatoes.
Caribe potato
These large, starchy potatoes have purple skins and white flesh. They're great mashed, but they don't hold their shape well, so they shouldn't be used in potato salads or scalloped potatoes. Substitutes: Yukon Gold potato
fingerling potato
There are many varieties of these small, finger-shaped potatoes, but they all tend to be low in starch, and great for roasting or making potato salads. Substitutes: new potatoes
long white potato
These oblong potatoes have a medium starch content, and are valued for their versatility. They're good to keep in the pantry as an all-purpose potato.
new potatoes = creamers = baby potatoes = chats = potato nuggets = earlies:
The term "new potatoes" is sometimes used to describe all small waxy potatoes, but technically it refers just to immature potatoes harvested in the spring and early summer. You can tell if a potato is truly new by its skin; immature potatoes have flimsy, parchment-like skins that you can peel off with your fingers. New potatoes are prized for their high moisture content and creamy texture, and because they can be cooked whole. They're especially good steamed or roasted. They're more perishable than other potatoes, so use them within a few days after buying them. Substitutes: Larger boiling potatoes, cut into smaller cubes
purple potato = purple Peruvian potato = blue potato = black potato
These purple-fleshed potatoes have a medium starch content, so they're good all-purpose potatoes. They lend an interesting color to mashed potatoes or potato salads, but they're not as flavorful as other varieties. They tend to get mushy if they're over-cooked. Substitutes: Yukon Gold OR Yellow Finn
red-skinned potato = red potato = red round potato
These waxy potatoes hold their shape after they're cooked, so they're great for making potato salads and scalloped potatoes. Don't mash them--you'll end up with a sticky, gooey mess. Substitutes: Yellow Finn potato (yellow flesh) OR Yukon Gold potato (yellow flesh) OR white round
russet potato = Idaho potato = baking potato = starchy potato = chef's potato
These potatoes are high in starch and low in moisture, so they bake well and yield light, fluffy mashed potatoes. They don't hold their shape after cooking, so don't use them to make potato salads or scalloped potatoes. Don't wrap them in aluminum foil while baking them; the foil traps moisture and makes the potato mushier. Substitutes: white rose potato (for fries) OR Yukon gold potatoes (for mashing)
white round potato
These low-starch potatoes are great for boiling.
Yellow Finn potato = Yellow Finnish potato = Finnish yellow wax
These are great all-purpose potatoes, known for their yellow flesh, creamy texture, and buttery flavor. Substitutes: Yukon Gold potato (not as sweet as Yellow Finn) OR red-skinned potatoes OR white round potatoes
Yukon Gold potato
These are good all-purpose potatoes that have yellow flesh and a rich flavor. They're great for boiling, but they tend to fall apart if over-cooked. Substitutes: Yellow Finn potatoes (slightly sweeter than Yukon gold) OR red-skinned potato (lacks yellow flesh) OR white round potatoes.
Ingredients:
2 red onions
Round white potatoes, enough to fill the pot
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Whipping cream
Fresh herbs (optional)
Instructions:
Chop the onion very fine.
Wash, trim, and chop the potatoes into chunks, with skin.
Put onion and potatoes into a pot, bring to a boil, turn down to keep at a low boil
When the potatoes are cooked, cook another 15-20 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and put back on the cooling stove element to "steam".
Mash with potato masher, but don't over mash.
Add butter, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper, and little cream.
Chop and add fresh herbs.
I had this salad at Provence on w. 19th a few weeks ago. It was so amazing (better than my own dressing), so I had to ask for the recipe.
Ingredients:
Pistacchios
Grainy mustard
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Lemon
Arugula
Fennel (Optional)
Shrimp (Optional)
Instructions:
Grind the pistacchios into granules
Grind some Parmesan
Whip together pistacchios, grainy mustard, cheese, olive oil
and a bit of lemon juice.
Toss with arugula.
If you have some around, add a couple of slivers of fresh fennel and 4-5 cooked shrimp.
This is a really delicious recipe, created this evening. The mushrooms are really crispy and delicious. A mildly spicy dish is calming and satifying. Drink cold beer or white wine with this meal. Follow with fresh mango or grapefruit. It takes maybe 3 minutes to prepare, so faster than any take-out and way better tasting.Turmeric has a lot of health benefits, and we should eat a lot of it because it:
- is anti-bacterial
- is anti-inflammatory
- shrinks cancer tumors
- prevents breast cancer
- detoxifies the liver
- protects against Alzheimers
- treats psoriasis, myeloma
- counter-acts free radicals
- counter-acts harmful effects of barbecueing food
- helps with burn pain
- regulates blood sugar
- helps alleviate stomach and bowel problems e.g. IBS
I use chicken thighs as they are the tastiest part of the chicken. Be sure to eat the skin and leave the bone in while cooking, to enhance flavours.
Mushroom tips:
Don't leave out the mushrooms in this recipe as they are really the tastiest part.
Buy Crimini (brown) mushrooms, the taste is worth it.
Don't wash the mushrooms, just brush off the dirt with a cloth, paper towel or special mushroom brush.
Cook them whole to retain the juices. (thanks Harry for that tip)
When you get them home from the store, take them out of the wrapping and store them in an open bowl in the frig to prevent them getting slimy. They make special mushroom containers with holes in them, but I just use an open pottery bowl. They will dry out a little, but it does not affect the taste, and if you are making a fried mushrooms, they fry better a little dry.
•
Ingredients:
2 chicken thighs, with skin and bone
2 Yukon gold potatoes, 1 inch chunks, with peel
4 carrots, 1 inch chunks, with peel
6 fresh garlic cloves, unpeeled
Crimini mushrooms
Olive oil
Turmeric
Aniseed, dried
Thyme, dried
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with tin foil.
In a large mixing bowl, put all the chicken and vegetables, mushrooms, and garlic cloves.
In a small dish, mix the spices, salt, and pepper, about 1-2 tsp. of each.
Toss the spices, olive oil, chicken and vegetables, to coat them with oil and spices.
Spread the chicken and vegetables out on the baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until everything is cooked and crispy.
This is Harry's mother borscht recipe. It was my first time cooking oxtail. It has a very distinctive smell and taste --- mmmm.
Ingredients:
2 packages beef short ribs, with bone and fat (about 8 pieces)
1 package oxtail pieces
10 whole pepper corns
2 bay leaves
1 star anise
10 whole allspice
kosher or sea salt
1 small green cabbage
4 yellow waxy potatoes
1/2 yellow onion
1 bunch flat or Italian parsley
1 carrot (optional)
no celery
5 large fresh tomatoes (or frozen)
1 bunch fresh dill
1 cup whipping cream
Instructions:
Brown the meats in a very hot cast iron frying pan in butter and garlic.
Put the spices in the spice ball.
Put the meat and spice ball into a large soup pot, cover with cold water, and simmer for 2 hours. Check and top off the water to make sure the meat is covered.
Remove the meat and set aside.
Cut up the vegetables and add to the water. Add salt. Top up the water (always cold water), and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
Check seasoning and add salt if required.
Add tomatoes, fresh dill and whipping cream, bring to a boil and turn off the heat. If the tomatoes are frozen add them earlier and break up with a wooden spoon.
This is a simple recipe that will impress company. Costco whole chickens work great.
Ingredients:
1-3 Small chicken(s)
1-3 Boursin cheeses (1 for each chicken)
Butter
White wine
Instructions:
Take the butter out of the frig half an hour to an hour in advance.
Rinse and dry the chickens.
Put them into a roasting pan or low casserole just big enough to hold the chicken(s).
Crumble one boursin cheese into the cavity of each chicken.
Rub the outside of each chicken with lots of butter.
Put half a cup of white wine into the pan.
Roast at 250 degrees F. for 3 hours.
Add wine periodically. Don't let the pan go dry.
When the chickens are done, let rest on a board.
Pull or cut into serving size chunks and place on a platter with a little cheese with each piece.
Spoon or pour the pan drippings, with cheese and wine into a small pitcher and serve on the side or drizzle over the platter.
I recently discovered Save-On Meats at 43 Hastings (no connection to Save-On Foods). They have a butcher shop and a 50's style diner, very hip, and fun. All clean and well decorated, you will like it. We had hamburgers (their own ground beef) and slaw and chips.
The prices are very good and they have grass fed beef and lots of great looking sausages. In case you don't know, we need to eat animal products from animals that ate grass and other living green plants so that the fat is healthy for us.
I bought a lovely, very well marbled Save On butchers do not cut off all the lovely healthy fat) grass fed organic prime beef roast. Contrary to what other butchers have told me, this grass fed beef is not lean at all. The butcher told me that it depends on the breed. More investigation and questioning of butchers required.
Patrick cooked it as follows:
Ingredients:
Beef roast
Salt
Pepper
Instructions:
Take the roast out an hour ahead to bring to room temperature.
Season the outside of the roast with salt and pepper.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Put the rack in the middle.
Heat a cast iron frying pan on medium until it's very hot.
Brown the meat on all sides, using large tongs to turn and hold the meat on it's edge.
Put the roast and pan into the oven for about 30 minutes.
To test for medium rare to rare, .....?
Of all the fennel salads I made and tasted, this one is the winner, hands down.
The tricks are using fresh fennel so it's juicy and crisp, and cutting all the vegetables fairly small but not shredding them, and marinating for 2 hours or overnight.
Ingredients:
1/2 fennel bulb
2 carrots
1/4 red onion
Fresh dill
3 Tbsp. Cider vinegar (or wine or plain vinegar)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Pepper
Instructions:
Slice fennel finely but don't shred.
Peel carrots, and cut in small slices.
Slice red onion very fine.
Chop handful of dill finely.
Mix all ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
This is a simple stand-by recipe for a side dish of chick peas. I am always on the look out for simple ways to incorporate legumes into daily life. They help keep your arteries clean and add vital protein to keep muscles, ligament, and other tissues healthy and pain free.
Buy the dried chick peas, not the canned. You will feel much better not eating canned food.
You need to soak the chick peas in fresh cold water for 8-12 hours (overnight). You can also use the quick-soak method.
Two cups of uncooked chick peas will give you about 8 cups of cooked peas. I freeze half for another meal.
There are two versions below -- Indian flavours and French flavours. Either version can be added to a green salad.
Indian Flavours
Ingredients:
2 cups chick peas, dried
Fresh herbs (2 stalks each of rosemary, sage, thyme)
1 t. cumin powder, roasted
Juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Sweet pepper (optional)
Onion, sliced (optional)
Sea salt
Instructions:
Soak the chick peas overnight in a large pot, using about two quarts of fresh cold water.
Drain the chick peas and discard the soaking water.
Put the chick peas back into the pot. Add 2 quarts of fresh cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 1-2 hours or until tender. I infuse the beans by adding fresh herbs to the water (sage, rosemary, thyme).
Drain the chick peas and discard the water. Freeze half for another meal if desired.
Put the cooked chick peas in a bowl.
Add the other ingredients and serve.
To roast the cumin, put it in a hot frying pan for a minute, stirring the whole time.
French Flavours
2 cups chick peas
2 tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 green onions, chopped
Thyme, 1 sprig fresh or 1 tsp. dried
Fresh parsley, chopped
Chives, chopped
Sea salt
Pepper
