Category: Main Dishes

Turkey, BLT Wraps

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Large flour tortillas

Turkey (or chicken) meat, cooked and chopped

Fresh tomato, diced (seeds removed)

Lettuce, washed and torn

Bacon, cooked

Cheddar cheese, grated

Mayonnaise

  1. Prepare the ingredients as instructed above and place them in separate bowls.
  2. Have each person lay a tortilla on a large plate and top with desired amount of fillings.
  3. Wrap, turning the bottom up about an inch, and then fold each side over to contain all the fillings.
  4. Dip into mayonnaise. (Or if you prefer, you can put the mayonnaise on before all the other fillings.)

Fettuccine Alfredo

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1 pound fettuccini noodles (about ½ of a 900g package)
¼ pound real butter
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup (or less) Parmesan cheese

  1. Boil the noodles until done but still firm. Drain but do not rinse. Leave them in the strainer.
  2. Melt the butter on low heat in the pot you cooked the noodles in. Add the garlic and cook until sautéed. Add the noodles and coat them with the butter.
  3. Mix together the eggs and, cream in a cup. Pour over top of the noodles and toss quickly but thoroughly.
  4. Serve with parmesan, salt and freshly ground pepper.

Suggestion: This recipe tastes much better with fresh pasta and is excellent with chicken, bacon, broccoli, mushrooms, shrimp or other toppings you like.

Salmon Wellington

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Frozen puff pastry (225 g), thawed

Salmon filet (enough for two people)

 

2 cups fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced

¼ cup white wine

1 (10 oz) can mushroom soup

  1. Roll out puff pastry (just unroll, you don’t have to use a rolling pin).
  2. Place the salmon filet on top and wrap pastry around to cover. (I cut the pastry and salmon in four, so you get nice little individual servings.)
  3. Flip the wrapped salmon fillet over and place it on an un-greased cookie sheet or glass pan.
  4. Bake at 425 for about 20-25 minutes (depending on the thickness of the salmon, cut in half to check if it’s done).
  5. While the salmon is baking, fry and drain the mushrooms, add the wine and mushroom soup and heat until warm.
  6. Serve salmon with sauce on top.

Suggestions:
PC sells a 450g package that contains two puff pastries. I just use one of these.

This meal goes well with French fries or rice as a side dish.

Hamburgers

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1 tsp oil for frying
1 small onion, diced small
2 garlic cloves, diced small
1 lb lean ground beef
1 egg
2 tps Dijon mustard
1 tsp Montreal steak spice
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

Fry the onion in the oil over medium heat for a couple minutes until soft. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so.

  1. Mix all the ingredients (onion/garlic, hamburger, egg and spices) together in a bowl.
  2. Using your hands, make sure the mixture is well mixed. Form into four patties about ½ inch thick.
  3. Place patties on a greased grill over medium-high heat. Close lid and cook, turning patties once, for about 10 minutes or until no longer pink inside. (They’ll be less likely to stick to the grill if they’re chilled or frozen first.)

If you’re making these ahead, they can be refrigerated for up to six hours. Or layer them between waxed paper in an airtight contain and freeze. They can be cooked from frozen.

I also sometimes add diced, fried, drained mushrooms to the mix.

Chicken Vindaloo

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Vindaloo

4 Tbsp butter or ghee
4 onions, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp ginger powder
2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp turmeric

4 tsp cumin powder
4 tsp ground mustard
2 tsp cayenne pepper (For medium heat. Add or reduce by ½ tsp if desired.)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt

4 Tbsp white vinegar
4 Tbsp tamarind paste
4 tsp lemon juice

2 cup tomato sauce (or passata)
2 ½ cup water

3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or thighs) cut into bite size chunks
2 Tbsp tandoori masala (optional)

  1. Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook slowly until the it caramelizes to a dark brown, about 15 minutes.
  2. When the onions are almost done, add the garlic and cook for a couple more minutes. Stir in all the spices and saute for another minute.
  3. Transfer onion mixture to a blender. Add everything else, except water, chicken and tandoori masala. Blend until smooth.
  4. Transfer the sauce to a pot. Add the water to the blender and blend to clean it, add to the pot. Simmer for about 45 minutes.
  5. Toss cubed chicken breast with tandoori masala and spread out onto a baking sheet.
  6. Bake chicken at 375 until no longer pink in the center, about 12 minutes.
  7. Once the chicken is cooked, add it to the sauce. (This can be added during the simmering time.)

Sushi

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P1120750

3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups uncooked sushi rice
2 1/3 cups water

5 sheets of sushi nori (seaweed in big squares)

1 large cucumber
2 to 3 avocados
Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Cooked crab meat or imitation crab sticks

Wasabi (Japanese horseradish)
Soy sauce

Preparing the sushi rice (prepare approximately two hours before sushi rolls)

  1. Combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Heat mixture over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves (do not let it boil). Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.
  2. Cook rice according to package directions, and let rest for 15 minutes.
  3. Transfer rice to a large bowl using a rubber spatula.
  4. Sprinkle the cooled rice vinegar mixture over the rice, gently mixing as you sprinkle. Add enough to coat the rice but not make it damp. Let cool.

Preparing the sushi ingredients

  1. Wash, the cucumber. Slice in quarters, lengthwise. Cut the strip containing the seeds off. Then cut into long, slender strips.
  2. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise; remove the pit; cut each section in half again (lengthwise), and carefully remove the peel. Cut the section in long slender strips. Sprinkle the sliced avocado with lemon juice to keep from discoloring.
  3. If you are using imitation crab sticks, remove the plastic wrapping and cut each in half lengthwise.

Rolling and cutting the Sushi

Google “how to roll sushi” for visual examples of how to do this. The more you roll, the better you get at it.

  1. Lay the nori sheet on the counter.
  2. Spread a thin layer (about ¾ cup) of rice over the sheet, leaving approximately one inch uncovered at each end.
  3. Arrange strips of avocado, cucumber and crab along the centre of the rice.
  4. Carefully roll, tucking the end of the nori to start the roll. Roll tightly with firm pressure. At the end, you can use a small amount of water on the edge of the nori to seal the roll. (You can use a bamboo mat, but I don’t.)
  5. Place the roll on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut it in half. Then slice each section in half again, twice (creating 8 pieces total).
  6. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi.

Other ideas for fillings

  • Smoked salmon and cream cheese
  • Tempura shrimp
  • Tobiko (flying fish egg)

On eating raw fish…

You’ve likely heard stories about people eating raw fish and getting sick. If you’re wondering what fish you can use raw in sushi, you may find these resources helpful:

Raw Fish Safety (bacteria and parasite education for sushi lovers)

Slicing fish for sushi, sashimi and crudo

Salmon sashimi from Costco

Butter Chicken

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2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1” cubes
¾ cup plain yogurt
4 Tbsp tandoori masala
2 tsp ginger paste, or minced ginger
2 tsp garlic paste, or crushed garlic
1 Tbsp oil (for frying)

3 Tbsp ghee (or butter if you don’t have ghee)
2 large onions, chopped (will later be pureed)
4 tsp ginger paste, or minced ginger
4 tsp garlic paste, or minced garlic
4 tsp coriander
4 tsp cumin
3 tsp chili powder
1 ½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp turmeric
680 ml jar of passata (or about 3 ¾ cups tomato puree)
1 tsp brown sugar (or to taste)

1 cup heavy (35% whipping) cream

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, yogurt, tandoori masala, ginger and garlic. Allow to marinade for 20 minutes to 24 hours, covered in the refrigerator. (If rushed, you can use non-marinated chicken.)
  2. Melt the ghee in a large pot, over medium heat. Sauté the onions until they turn translucent and begin to sweat, about 5-7 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and let cook for 30 seconds, stirring so it doesn’t burn. Add all the spices and cook for a few more seconds.
  3. Transfer the onion and spice mix to a blender. Add the passata and blend until smooth. (You can add a bit of water if necessary, to help it blend.)
  4. Put the blended sauce back in the the pot and cook over medium-low heat for ten minutes. (If you have time, you simmer it longer for even better flavour.) Taste it and if you’d like it a bit sweeter, add the sugar.
  5. Heat the Tbsp of oil in a frying pan, over medium heat. Add the marinated chicken (discard any extra marinade) and cook for about 5-6 minutes.
  6. Add the chicken to the sauce and heat everything through and allow to simmer for a few more minutes to ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Stir in the cream.
  7. Serve over rice, with naan and oven-roasted broccoli.

Homemade Hamburgers

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1 tsp oil (for frying)
1 small onion, diced small
2 garlic cloves, diced small
1 lb lean ground beef
1 egg
2 tps Dijon mustard
1 tsp Montreal steak spice
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

  1. Fry the onion in the oil over medium heat for a couple minutes until soft. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so.
  2. Mix all the ingredients (onion/garlic, hamburger, egg and spices) together in a bowl.
  3. Using your hands, make sure the mixture is well mixed. Form into four patties about ½ inch thick.
  4. Place patties on a greased grill over medium-high heat. Close lid and cook, turning patties once, for about 10 minutes or until no longer pink inside. (They’ll be less likely to stick to the grill if they’re chilled first.)

If you’re making these ahead, they can be refrigerated for up to six hours. Or layer them between waxed paper in an airtight contain and freeze. They can be cooked from frozen.