Food Done My Way

While I was in Vegas at the Catersource conference last month I went to a session put on by a Chef who lives and breaths farm to table and seasonal eating.  He said in order to get the most out of what he grew he started pickling and preserving whatever he could get his hands on.  

This really inspired me to do some pickling of things I haven't pickled before but that I thought would taste great.  I went to the farmers market to see what was available and in search of young garlic stalks which I really wanted to pickle.  

I ended up with golden beets(I usually use red).  With the beets if you want soft pickles then cook them first, I love raw beets so am trying just slicing them thin and leaving them raw.

Garlic Scape's

Garlic shoots

Small young leeks

Radishes

Then I bought some meyer lemons at the little market by my house.

If you want to pickle you do need some supplies, some canning jars, a large pot some rubber ended tongs to grab the jars with.  

You will need vinegar salt and sugar.  You can use different types of vinegar depending on the flavour you are looking for.  I like to use apple cider vinegar for the taste and because its better for you.

You have to boil the jars and lids and any mixing utensils you want to use for 10 minutes to sterilize the jars etc in order to not introduce any bacteria. 

To make the pickling liquid you just need to use 3 cups vinager, one cup water, 1/4 cup each salt and sugar.  You can use all salt or all sugar if you are looking for sweeter or more savoury but I like the mix.  Mix all this together and boil for about 4 mins to melt the salt and sugar.  For the spices you can really use anything you want, I did a combination of the following with different mixes per item.  

Mustard seeds

Pink Peppercorns

Coriander Seeds

Black Peppercorns

Green Peppercorns

White Peppercorns

Cumin

Fresh Thyme

Dried Chili Pepper

Once you stuff the jars with your cut ingredients fill the jars as much as you can leaving 1/2 inch or space to the top of the jar.  

Once your ingredients are in the jar fill with the vinegar mix again leaving 1/2 to the top of the jar.  Put on the sterilized lids and put back in the boiling water for 20 minutes.  Make sure the water is covering the jars.  

Take the jars out and set on a dishtowel to cool, as they cool you will hear them pop which is when the seal takes place.  Once they are completely cool like 24 hours later push the top of each jar and if they push in it means it did not seal.  This really doesn't matter just put them in the fridge and make sure you eat them within a couple of weeks.  

I've been a fan of rabbit for a long time but hardly ever get to enjoy it as one it's hard to find and two it can be expensive(unless you know someone with a farm who hunts them).  But in the end it is well worth both the finding and the cost a great treat.  

The photo quality here isn't the best as I had my camera stolen and these were taken with my phone.  Which luckily is new as my other one was terrible for photos.

I was super excited to see that the rabbit came with the kidneys and the liver as I'm a lover of both but have not had the chance to try rabbit kidney or liver, so I started with those.  

I mean a rabbit only comes with 2 kidneys and a small liver so when you make it there should be a fight as to who gets to eat it :).

Simply dredge the liver and kidney is flour salt and pepper, sauté in butter with fresh thyme and cumin for only three minutes per side then quickly stir in a teaspoon of dijon.  

I had mine with some orange segments and toast and was blown away by how delicious it was.  The picture does not do it justice.

Next onto the rabbit. 

What you will need:

1 Rabbit

3 oranges

2 lemons

1 onion

fresh thyme

2 cloves of garlic

3 cups of sake(or white wine)

pepper

salt

First make the marinade, I like to marinade for at least 3 hours.

Juice the lemons and the oranges add the sake, smashed garlic cloves a few tbsp of pepper and a tsp of salt mix really well then put in the orange and lemon that rinds with 4 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Cut the rabbit into single serving size, I do the four legs, and cut the back in two.  I cut out the ribs and neck to make a stock that I put in the freezer for another time.  Put the pieces in the marinade for 2-6 hours in the fridge.  

When you are ready for dinner you will need about 45 minutes to cook the rabbit so preheat your over to 375.  

Slice an orange into rounds and set aside.

Slice the onion and set aside.

Now dredge your rabbit pieces in the flour salt and pepper mix and brown in a little olive oil on the stove top(make sure you use a pan you can put in the oven).  

Once the pieces are are browned take them out of the pan and put the sliced onions then layer in the orange slices and arrange your rabbit pieces on top.  

Put it in the oven and leave for 30-45 mins depending on the size.  Make sure it is fully cooked through to 160 or if your like me by feel.  

Take the pieces out of the pan toss the oranges and add a little sake to deglaze the pan with about a 1/2 cup of water.  Bring this to a boil while whisking there should be some floury paste in the pan that has come off the bottom of the rabbit so it becomes like gravy.  When it starts to thicken add a tbsp of butter some fresh ground pepper and some fresh thyme.  

I had my rabbit with roasted potatoes and kale from the farmers market.  

For the Kale just quickly sauté it with a little olive oil and garlic once it starts to soften peel and orange and just use your hand to squeeze it into the kale and mix it all together, it goes really well with the citrusy rabbit.  

Only two weeks left of the winter market make sure you get a chance to go.

As I made my english muffin this morning then cut up my banana I realized I was out of Almond Butter and was a little disappointed so I decided that it was time to finally give making nut butter a go.  Fifteen minutes later I couldn't believe I had never done this before, easy, delicious and about a quarter the cost of raw almond butter. 

 I would also say way better for you as when you make it yourself you don't add any oil or sugar, I know a lot of the better ones out there don't add sugar but most do add extra oil even though it may not be listed.  A lot are also made from roasted nuts which are not as good for you as raw ones are. 

Now as most of you know I am not the best at keeping things simple so I decided to try a nice spicy almond butter. 

What you need for straight up Almond butter.

3 cups of almonds and a food processor yup that's all. 

If your food processor is an older one it does take about 15 minutes so it may heat up but you can just turn it off and let it rest a while before finishing.

What it looks like at 1 Minute(scrape the sides down each minute for the first 3)

What it looks like after 6 minutes

What it looks like after 10 minutes

What it looks like after 12 minutes(this is where I added my spices)

For my spices I used

Cinnamon, Nutmeg, cardamom, and 1/2 dried hunan chili pepper

What it looks like after 15 minutes done!!

PS if you do like sweeter Almond butter follow the steps to the end then I would keep it natural and go for agave syrup to sweeten but stir it in by hand or the whole thing may clump together.

I just enjoyed a fantastic four day weekend and decided to have a day of pure relaxation and do some slow cooking.  What I decided on was pulled pork & quickles, for those of you who do not know what quickles are they are just a quick pickle :).

For the pork you will need:

2 lbs of pork shoulder

1 granny smith apple

1 onion

2 carrots

3 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup bourbon

1/4 cup espresso balsamic (if you don't have this you could use regular balsamic) 

1/8 cup molasses

2 tbsp espresso

2 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper

1 tbsp sea salt

1 tbsp chili flakes

1 cup water

1 tbsp veg oil

Crust the pork shoulder with the espresso, pepper, salt and chili flakes and sear each side in a heavy enamel pot.

  Once the pork is nicely browned take it out of the pot and add the onions and green apple, saute until it starts to brown.

  At this point add the carrots and garlic and saute until the carrots start to get soft.  Deglaze the pan with the bourbon then add the balsamic and water.  Add the meat back to the pot and bring the whole mixture to a boil.

Cover the pot and put in a 300 degree oven for 3 hours, at each hour mark take it out and flip the meat over.  You will know its done when it starts to fall apart, at this point take the meat out of the pot and let it sit on the cutting board while you finish the sauce.

To finish the sauce add the molasses then puree until its the consistency of bbq sauce now you should taste it and see if you would like to add salt and pepper.  Bring it back to a boil and now its time to shred the pork, if you use two forks it will pull apart really easily. 

 Once pulled add back into the sauce, turn the heat off, cover and let sit for a 1/2 hour to absorb all the yummyness!

For the Green Apple Quickles you need:

1 cup rice wine vinegar

1 chili pepper

3 tbsp sugar

1 dice Granny Smith Apple

Add the vinegar, sugar and chili to a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil until all the sugar has dissolved.  Turn off the heat and add the apples, let sit for 15 minutes.

Now chill the mix for at least an hour(or you could make this the day before).  Then strain and serve on top of the pork.

I had mine with some avocado and a arugula and carrot salad, yummy!!

Well I finally had the time to try and make Chinese steamed buns and they turned out delicious.  They are a little time consuming to make but well worth the effort, it also gave me the excuse to use the cleaver and specialized rolling pin I got in China.  The only special equipment you will need it steam baskets or a tin steamer.  Make sure you line the steamer with parchment paper so that the buns do not stick, you should also cut holes in the parchment so the steam can move through. (just think making snowflakes from paper)

For the Dough you will need:

To start:

1 tbsp active dry yeast

1 tsp white sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup warm water

Mix all ingredients well and let sit for 1/2 hour to activate the yeast

To Finish

Yeast Mixture

1/2 cup warm water

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tbsp white sugar

1 tbsp veg oil

1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix well and knead for about 15 mins until nice and strechy and smooth looking. Form into a ball and put in a greased bowl, cover with a damp clean cloth and leave for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until it triples in size.

While the dough is rising you can make the filing and let it cool.

For the filling I used:

1 pound ground pork

1/2 onion diced

3 cloves of garlic diced

2 tbsp diced ginger

2 tbsp sesame oil

4 tbsp dark soy sauce

3 tbsp chinese black vinager

2 dried red chilis(mine were the spicy ones I brought from China)

3 tbsp diced green onion

Saute the onion garlic and ginger in the sesame oil until they start to caramelize then add pork and cook until about 3/4 done, add the diced chilis, black vinager and soy and turn down low and let all simmer together until the pork is cooked about 10 mins.  (do not drain the grease from the meat you want it for the moisture and flavour) Once the filling is cooked and cooled stir in the green onion. 

 Sprinkle flour evenly on surface, and knead for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 2 parts,

and place the piece you are not working with in a covered bowl.  Roll out the dough into a log shape.

 Divide each half into 12 parts.

Take each piece of dough and roll it into a ball then flatten with your palm.

Using a rolling pin roll from the center to the edges as you spin the dough, this will leave the center a little thicker which you want.

Place the dough circle in your hand and put a tablespoon of filling in the center.

Now this is the hard part to describe, you want to pinch one side then move around the bun and pinch every cm into the last pinch you can see in the photos. 

Once all the buns are filled set them on parchment paper in the steam baskets and leave for 1/2 hour they should about double in size.  Then stack the baskets and steam over a pot of boiling water for 10 mins. 

Best eaten warm but if you dont finish them all you can resteam them the next day for 6 mins and they are just a tasty.

With the Christmas season wrapping up I find that I once again have the time to cook for the shear pleasure of it.  After all the big meals of the holidays I found myself craving a basic comfort food dinner and opted for an old favorite Meatloaf.  I love it fresh out of the oven or sliced cold in a sandwich the next day(or 2).  I usually stick to a fairly basic pork meatloaf with the usually binder of oats topped with a tomato based sauce but this time I went way outside the box and it turned out delicious I will never use oats again. 

What you need

200 grams of ground pork

200 grams of ground beef

200 grams of ground veal

or any combo of ground meats i'm sure would be fine.

1/2 cup uncooked cous cous

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 eggs

2 tbsp Dijon

1 tbsp cracked black pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 an onion grated

2 apples grated

1 large carrot grated

2 leeks grated

3 cloves of garlic diced.

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup of hemp seeds

Glaze:

4 tbsp of liquid honey

2 tbsp of Dijon

Topping:

1 tbsp cracked pepper

1 tsp sea salt

Mix the cous cous and yogurt and set aside,

grate all veggies and apple then saute until they start to caramelize then deglaze the pan with the vinegar.

 Add this to the cous cous yogurt mixture along with the hemp seeds, eggs and meats.  Mix well now you can either bake the meatloaf in a pan or just free form it on a baking sheet, I prefer this method as then the glaze covers more of the meatloaf. 

After forming cover with 1/2 of the glaze, sea salt and cracked pepper and bake at 375 degrees for 1- 1 1/2hours the baking time will depend on the shape and size you make the meatloaf.  When done it should have an internal temp of 160.  As soon as you take the meatloaf out of the oven cover with the remaining glaze and let sit for at least 10 mins so that it has time to set up. 

Corn Biscuits:

1 cup corn meal

1/2 cup corn flour

1 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup vegetable oil(or coconut oil if you have it that's what I chose)

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp cracked black pepper

1 apple grated

1 medium carrot grated

1/2 onion grated

1 egg.

Mix everything together

 portion into mini muffin tins and bake at 375 for 35 mins until the tops are golden.

Served together with some nice crisp steamed brussel sprouts made for a fantastic meal.

This week I was lucky enough to be given a pheasant and with the lovely liquid sunshine pouring down I thought it would be a perfect day to make a nice roasted dinner. 

At the farmers market there are some great fall veggies out that are perfect for roasting.  And with my love of bacon I thought I would try something I have seen in a lot of magazines lately and it turned out wonderful.

Things you need for this dinner, make enough for 2:

1 pheasant

6 slices of bacon

2 apples(something nice and firm)

1 onion

1 leek

1 head of garlic

brussell sprouts

Carrots

fennel

thyme

cumin

pepper

For the Pheasant, rub it with a mix of fennel, thyme, pepper and cumin then wrap it with 4 slices of bacon in a weaved pattern, yes that's right wrap the whole thing in bacon!!! 

Layer the pan with sliced onions,sliced apple(1) and 3 cloves of garlic then place the pheasant on top.  Bake @375 for 45 mins.

For the veggies, line a pan with parchment paper then dice 2 slices of bacon and put it in the bottom of the pan. Slice the leek, chop the apple and carrots add the brussells, cloves of garlic, to the top of the bacon.  Season with thyme, cummin, pepper and fennel, if you like spice toss in a couple of chilis.  Bake @375 for 30 mins

.

To finish the meal take the pheasant out of the pan drain out the bacon fat and put the pan on the stove get it smoking hot then deglaze the pan with white balsamic vinager and use it on the side for a sauce.

I just came home from a wonderful 3 weeks in China where I was privileged enough to spend the first two in the town of Hengyang with the kids at the orphanage.  I went with the International China Concern organization who are doing amazing work in the lives of the abandoned and disabled children in China.  We ate some amazing food in Hengyang both in restaurants and from the amazing street stalls.  While I haven't figured out how to replicate any recipes yet I did take a bunch of photos I thought I could share. 

In the Restaurants(Hengyang & Beijing)

Spicy Cauliflower with garlic scape's, pork belly and nuts.

Sweet and Sour Fish.

Eggplant with a spicy sauce.

Veggies with Cashews and a fancy salt garnish.

Beef Ribs.

Pickeled Peanuts with pickled spinach and chili peppers.  One of my very favorite dishes

.

Perserved Eggs with garlic ginger soy sauce, I could have eaten the whole plate.

At the Markets(Hengyang & Beijing)

Spicy Red Chilis.

Fresh Dates, they taste nothing like the dried dates we get, they are crunchy and sweet and taste a little like an apple.

Garlic Scapes and Long Beans.

Mandarin Oranges were like candy and so juicy.

Watermelon Radishes the size of a softball!!

Persimmons crunchy and juicy and extremmly sweet.

Duck Eggs and Thousand Year Eggs.

Street Eats(Hengyang & Beijing)

Various Steamed Delights.

Glutinous Rice Balls, Yam cakes and Green onion and pork pancakes(I had these for breakfast a few times slathered in Chili paste so delishious)

Corn with cumin rub

Various meats and tofus from the street BBQ.

Hand Pulled Noodles. Watching him was mezerizing I really need to learn how to do this.

Slurpping the Noodles its the only way to go.

I was not expecting this to be stuffed with a hot dog.

A few of the stranger things I came across in both Hengyang and the Beijing Night Market.

Pickled Chicken Feet YUMMY!

Starfish

Baby Sharks :(

Testies :) - These I did not try

Silk Worms and Crayfish - Yummy

Just snacking on some scorpians - they were deep fried so no taste really just crunchy and you could only taste the seasoning it was a litte disapointing.

Cooking Class(Beijing)

After Hengyang I headed up to Beijing for a week where I took an excellent one day cooking course where I learned to make some great food and cook with some Chinese techniques.

Making Chili Oil

We made spicy Cold Chicken Salad, Enoki Carrot Cucumber Very Spicy Salad, and braised Duck.

Making steamed buns, we made three types, bbq pork, zuchinni & egg, and sesame & peanut.  These were acctually really easy to make and I look forward to making some now that I am home.

Hi,

Sriracha is a spicy chili garlic sauce from Thailand, it's fantastic to use on its own or in soups and sauces.  I added it when I added the stock so it could really enhance the flavour of the meat.

Today I planned to spend the afternoon cleaning and organizing my house.  With knowing I would be home all afternoon I decided to finally cook the ox-tail I got at the Farmers Market a month or so ago, it takes about 3 or 4 hours to cook so it's a good option for a day when you are planning on being home.

  I decided on Beer braised ox-tail with Gem Squash and vegetable puree.

What you need:

Ox-tail

Can of your favorite beer - darker is better

1 head of garlic

1 onion

2 large carrots

2 stalks of celery

2 leaks

2 cups of beef stock

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 table spoons flour

3 tablespoons pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon salt

bay leaf

cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon of sriracha

Gem Squash

Course chop all veggies

mix the flour 1 tablespoon of pepper and salt and dredge the oxtail.

Heat the oil in a heavy bottom enamel pot then sear off all sides of the oxtail.  When you flip to the last side of the meat add the onion to the pot and stir until the get golden. 

Add the can of beer and boil for about 2 mins then toss in all the veggies, the beef stock, bay leaf, spices and cinnamon stick.

Bring the whole thing to a boil then cover and turn down to a simmer.  Let it simmer for 2.5 hours.

Lift the lid and do your best to skim off the fat then cut the gem squash in  1/2, scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on top of the oxtail. Place the lid back on and leave for another hour.

  When the hour is up take out the oxtail and the squash and set to the side.   Bring the braising liquid and veggies to a boil and reduce by 1/2.  Put the oxtail under the broiler for 10 minutes to render out some more of the fat and crisp the meat up a little.   Once the braising liquid has reduced by 1/2 use a stick blender and puree the veggie to make a vegetable puree. 

When serving fill the gem squash with the veggie puree and since the meat is so rich top everything with diced green onion and some plain Greek yogurt.   Enjoy with a nice cold beer.