This comforting soup is perfect on a cold day and it is super simple to make.

Ingredients:

• 3 one-pound bundles of fresh asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 medium Spanish onion, chopped into 1/2 inch dice
• 1/2 tsp. each dried thyme, ground nutmeg, salt and pepper
• 32 ounce container chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces sharp Vermont Cheddar cheese, grated, (like using Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, coat the asparagus with olive oil.  Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until softened.  Set aside for use later.
3. Add the vegetable oil, the onion and the spices to a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.  Cook stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
4. Add the roasted asparagus and the chicken stock to the onion mixture in the pot.  Simmer partially covered for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.  Add the cream and warm for 2 minutes.
5. Working in two batches, add the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute.  ***Be sure to remove the small venting cap from the blender to allow steam to come out and place a kitchen towel to cover the opening.
6. Pour the pureed soup in a clean pot, add the cheese and gently warm over medium-low heat for 2 minutes or until the cheese has fully melted.

Serves 8 as a starter or 6 as a main course.

Note: Dress the soup with a light drizzle of heavy cream for an elegant touch.

Today’s a rainy, gloomy day where I live and weather like this always causes me to crave a warm, hearty soup.  While at the grocery store, I found beautiful center cut beef shanks that screamed to be used to make beef mushroom barley soup.  Here’s the simple recipe for this comforting dish.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 pound beef shanks
• 1 medium Spanish onion, chopped into small dice
• 5 celery ribs, chopped into small dice
• 1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
• 2 32-ounce cartons of beef broth
• 1/4 cup dry Marsala wine or white wine (optional)
• 3/4 cup barley, rinsed in cold water
• 4-inch long piece of Parmesan rind

Directions:

1. Pour the oil in a large, heavy pot over high heat, and heat up for 30 seconds.  Add the beef shanks in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until browned.
2. Add the onion and celery to the beef in the pot, reduce heat to medium-high heat and cook the vegetables for 4 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook and additional 3 minutes.
3. Add the spices, the broth and the wine, if using.  Bring the heat to low and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes.
4. Add the barley and the Parmesan rind, if using, to the pot and simmer partially covered for another 30 minutes over low heat.

Makes 4 servings.

Notes: If you can’t find beef shanks, simply replace with easy-to-find beef bones.

Every summer, I go to Maine for a long weekend.  I’ve done this since the year I was born, and my parents did this with their families growing up.  It’s what we Quebecois do in the summer – drive to the nearest beach, get some sun and eat seafood.

This summer when I drove up to Maine, I had three foodie goals in mind in the spirit of traditions: beach pizza, boardwalk fries and a lobster roll.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to make it to the lobster roll shack and have had this craving ever since.

While at the grocery store Saturday, I saw New England-style hot dog buns with the top split.  In Quebec, where I grew up, all the hot dogs are top split, but after moving to the USA in the late 80s, I quickly discovered that hot dogs are mostly side split with crust on all around.  When I saw the New England-style buns, I just knew I’d be taking advantage of them by filling them with decadent lobster salad.  Here’s how simple and quick it is to make lobster rolls.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup chopped celery
• 4 Tbsps. good quality mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 heavy pinch each, salt and pepper
• 2 small lobster tails, cooked and roughly chopped
• 2 New England-style hot dog buns
• 2 tsps. room-temperature butter

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the celery, mayo, lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Add the lobster meat and gently coat the meat with the mayo mixture using a fork.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  While the skillet is heating up, butter the crustless sides of each hot dog bun.  Add the buns to the hot skillet and grill each buttered side to a deep golden brown.  Remove from the skillet and open up each bun.
3. Divide the lobster salad into two portions.  Scoop each portion into a bun and pack in tightly using the back of the fork.

Makes two lobster rolls.

Notes:  Cooked lobster tails can be found in the seafood section of your local grocery store.  If you can’t find cooked lobster tails and don’t feel like cooking some, you could replace with canned lobster meat or even with lump crab meat.

Those of you who follow my blog have read about the tasting menu dinners I sometimes host at my home.  This weekend, I decided to do a four-course fish and seafood tasting menu dinner for two featuring some fresh produce and herbs from my garden.

Here are the dishes I served:

Lump Crab & Yellow Tomato Coulis Shooter

Course #1:  Yellow Tomato Coulis and Lump Crab Shooter

I have beautiful yellow tomatoes ripening in my yard that I absolutely love.  They are sweet and fresh and simply delicious.  For this easy starter, I pureed a couple medium yellow tomatoes with excellent olive oil, a few basil leaves, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper in a food processor.  I served about ¼ cup of this golden elixir in a shot glass topped with a tablespoon of lump crab meat and a tiny basil leaf.

Scallop Crudo

Course #2:  Scallop Crudo

I love crudo (“raw” in Italian) dishes in the summer.  In essence, crudo dishes feature raw fish or seafood ‘cured’ in citrus juice, olive oil, salt and sometimes vinegar.  For those who are not fans of raw fish or seafood, this preparation allows the seafood or fish to cook in the acidic liquid, so give it a try!

I sliced large scallops thinly then cured the slices in a combination of orange and lime juices, a splash of red wine vinegar, sea salt, top quality olive oil, thinly sliced Thai chilies and fresh cilantro leaves.  Absolutely fabulous!

Lobster Tail Risotto

Course #3:  Lobster Tail Risotto

Risotto is uber popular at my home, so knew I had to prepare it for this special meal.  I grilled a 10-ounce lobster tails for 5 minutes, then removed from the shell and sliced carefully.  I made risotto with tons of butter, olive oil, elephant garlic and yellow onion, and then topped the luscious concoction with the lobster tail slices.  Not a bad dish!

Fish Three Ways

Course #4:  Fish Three Ways

I love the idea of serving three fish dishes on one plate. I opted for cod, salmon and yellow fin tuna – pale white to deep red fish.  The cod was marinated in sesame oil, miso and ponzu then lightly sautéed and served over steam soy beans.  The salmon was Dijon mustard and maple syrup-glazed and grilled on a cedar plank then served over leftover glaze.  The tuna was marinated for a short while in steak sauce then grilled to medium rare and served over Taboule salad.  Great flavor and visual contrasts!

Doing this type of meal for two people or six people isn’t difficult.  One needs to make a list of the dishes and accompaniments to be served, make as many of the dishes in advance (or at least prep the dishes) as possible and know what you’ll plate everything on!

Let me know if you try your own tasting menu dinner – cheers!

Veronique

Not sure what to make for your Memorial Day get-together?  Tired of fixing the same old stand-by dishes?  Mix it up a little by serving these five simple and tasty Memorial Day side dishes:

1. Maple Glazed Parslied Baby Carrots
2. Queso Fresco Grilled Corn on the Cob
3. Quick and Easy Pan Fried Smashed Potatoes
4. Chorizo and Manchego Bites
5. Zesty Guacamole

If you try any of these recipes, please post a comment to let me know how you and your guests liked them.  Enjoy the long weekend while keeping in mind that there’s more to Memorial Day weekend than the food and celebrations.

Happy Memorial Day!

Veronique

This side dish pairs well with just about anything: roast chicken, grilled salmon, BBQ ribs, steaks and more.  It’s simple and delicious.  Tri-color baby carrots make this dish even prettier.

Ingredients:

• One 16-ounce bag baby carrots
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a pot of boiling water, cook the carrots until fork tender, about 5 minutes.  Strain the carrots in a colander and shake to get as much water off the carrots as possible.
2. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat and let brown slightly.  Add the mustard and the maple syrup and stir to combine. Allow the glaze to simmer for a minute, then add the carrots, stirring gently to coat them with the glaze.  Turn the heat to low, cover the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pot from time to time.
3. Uncover, add the parsley, then salt and pepper to taste.  Stir and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Hutspot is a traditional Dutch dish whose meaning, loosely translated, is “mash pot”.  It is a combination of potatoes mashed with other widely available vegetables, onion and bacon.  Some of the traditionally used vegetables are carrots, endive, kale, spinach and turnip greens (this dish made with greens is called Stamppot). This popular side dish is typically paired with meat to create a hearty meal worthy of cool, rainy Dutch Winter days.  Trinetty and Jac, my guys’ Dutch mom and her better half, provided a recipe that I have made some slight tweaks to and I’m thrilled to share it.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into one-inch pieces
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into one-inch pieces
• 4 tbsp butter, separated
• 2 large shallots, finely sliced
• 5 bacon slices, thick cut
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes and carrots with water then boil them until tender, 10-15 minutes.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium frying pan then sauté the shallots over medium heat until softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a large frying pan, cook the bacon for about 10 minutes over medium heat until browned and slightly crispy.  Remove bacon from the pan and drain over paper towels – reserve bacon fat.
4. Place the cooked potatoes and carrots in a large bowl and whip them using a hand mixer over medium speed for about 3 minutes – mixture will still be a bit lumpy.  Add the milk, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the salt and pepper, mixing well to incorporate.
5. Chop the cooked bacon into bite-size pieces.  Add half the bacon to the mashed potato mixture and stir to incorporate.
6. To serve, spoon half the mashed potatoes into a bowl, create a well in the potato mixture, add 1 teaspoon of bacon fat to the well then sprinkle half the remaining bacon pieces over the dish.  Repeat with the second portion.

Makes two generous servings.

Stuffed Poblano Chiles

I love Mexican food and try to fix some type of Mexican dish at least once a month.  On a weekend where I was craving Chile Rellenos, I decided to tweak my recipe a bit and stuff the chiles with slow-cooked pork shoulder I fixed in my slow cooker – boy was it a winning dish and simple to make!

Ingredients:

• 4 large Poblano peppers
• 2 cups Troegs Braised Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder, shredded with two forks
• 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Roast the Poblano peppers over a flame (or under the broiler) until the skin is almost completely blackened.  Place roasted peppers in a glass bowl and cover with shrink wrap for about 15 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the pork, 1 cup of cheese and cilantro.
3. Peel the skin off the peppers, cut a slit down the long side of the peppers then remove the seeds and most of the veins.
4. Divide the stuffing into 4 portions, then stuff peppers with the pork mixture – do not overfill.  Secure the opening of each pepper with 1-2 toothpicks.
5. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs well.  In a separate shallow bowl, add the cornmeal.  Dip each stuffed pepper in the egg mixture then coat with cornmeal.  Place the coated peppers in an oven-proof dish.  Drizzle olive oil over the peppers, sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese then place in the oven to bake for about 20-25 minutes.
6. Serve each pepper over Spanish rice with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Makes 4 servings.

Don’t want to spend time making your own chicken stock?  This is a simple and fast way to make a hearty chicken soup using supermarket shortcuts.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped into small dice
• 4 celery ribs, chopped into small dice
• 3 carrots, chopped into small dice
• 8-ounce package of fresh, sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp each, salt, pepper, dry thyme
• 1 small plain deli chicken, meat pulled off the bones and chopped into bite-size pieces
• 48-ounce can chicken broth
• 1/4 pound dry spaghetti, broken into thirds (2-ounces of pastina works great also)

Direction:

1. Over medium-high heat, in a large, heavy saucepan, heat oil for 30 seconds.  Reduce heat to medium, and add the onion, celery and carrots and cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently.
2. Add the mushrooms and the seasonings and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the chicken pieces to the vegetable mixture and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the broth, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add the pasta to the soup and cook for 15 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Notes:  In step 3, you could replace the deli chicken with boneless and skinless chicken breasts that you’d poach in the broth for 30 minutes.  You’d then simply remove the cooked chicken from the soup and chop into bite-size piece that you’d return to the pot.  A neat variation to this soup is to add a 28-ounce can of chopped tomatoes at Step 3.

Gnocchi with Butternut Squash

Need some inspiration for a romantic meal this Valentine’s Day (or any old day)?  Thought I’d share some of the recipes I’ve made recently that have earned me rave reviews.

5 recipes to treat your Valentine to:

1. Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Bacon in Sage and Danish Blue Cheese Sauce
2. Porcini Mushroom and Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
3. Ragu alla Bolognese (Bolognese Sauce)
4. Grilled Salmon in Grape Leaves
5. Red Velvet Cake with Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Whichever dish you decide to prepare for your loved one(s) this Valentine’s Day, I hope your meal is paired with love.

Veronique