I needed to use up a chicken breast and some mushrooms, so this was pretty much perfect. It probably ended up with a bit less chicken than called for, but I had a few extra mushrooms, so I think it all worked out in the wash. I also added some peas, just to have something green in there and make it a little more nutritionally complete.

Chicken Tetrazzini with Peas

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion (or 2 shallots), halved and sliced
• 1 tsp. garlic paste (optional)
• 250-300g mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/3 c. flour
• 3 c. chicken stock
• 2 c. frozen peas (optional)
• 300-500g cooked chicken, shredded
• 225-300g dried pasta, cooked
• 3/4 c. grated Parmesan, divided
• 1 c. fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 Tbsp. margerine (or butter)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) and oil a 23x33cm (9x13") baking dish.
2. Heat the oil over medium-low heat.
3. Add the onion and cook until softened (3-5 minutes).
4. Add garlic (if using) and mushrooms, cover, and cook until they release their liquid.
5. Uncover and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed or boiled off.
6. Add butter.
7. Once butter is melted, add flour to make a roux and cook, stirring, until no longer raw-smelling.
8. Slowly stir in chicken stock and cook until thickened.
9. Stir in the peas (if using) and cook until heated through.
10. Mix in chicken, pasta, and 1/2 c. of the Parmesan.
11. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
12. Pour into prepared baking dish and top with breadcrumbs and remaining 1/4 c. of Parmesan.
13. Dot with margerine (or more butter).
14. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes.

This is a very rich stew served in a buttery mustard gravy. The beer in question was meant to be a porter, but I used stout. I also used ~250mL less liquid than the recipe called for. I also used less chicken than called for and a mix of drumsticks and thighs rather than just thighs. I doubled the onions and added a bit of garlic as well.

The resulting stew was excellent! That said, I think it could've used more vegetables. I think I'd put more carrots and potatoes next time and/or add a bit of turnip/swede or something.

Beer-Braised Chicken Stew

Adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tbsp. oil
• 1.2-1.5kg chicken pieces
• salt and pepper
• 6 Tbsp. butter, divided
• 2 onions, halved and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 400-500g carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
• 500-600g potatoes, cut into 4cm pieces
• 1 kumara, peeled and cut into 4cm pieces
• 1 rutabaga/swede, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces (optional)
• 500mL stout
• 500mL chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon or Roman mustard
• 2-3 tsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/3 c. flour
• 1/2 c. hot water

Directions

1. Heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear for a few minutes on each side.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
4. Melt 1 Tbsp. of the butter in the pot.
5. Add the onions and garlic and cook until softened and beginning to brown.
6. Add the bay leaf, carrots, potatoes, kumara, and rutabaga (if using).
7. Add the stout, chicken broth, brown sugar, mustard, tomato paste, and thyme.
8. Return chicken to pot and bring to a boil.
9. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
10. Mash the remaining 5 Tbsp. of butter with the flour to form a paste.
11. Slowly add 2 c. of the cooking liquid to the flour paste while stirring until smooth.
12. Pour gravy back into pot.
13. Rinse out measuring cup the gravy was mixed in with the hot water and pour that into the pot as well.
14. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.
15. Check to make sure chicken is cooked through, season to taste, and serve.

This is meant to be made with raw greens, but I decided that I'd prefer them lightly wilted. We also ended up forgetting to add the dressing to the salad... whoops! It was still delicious, but I definitely think it would've been better with the dressing.

The pork belly that I had was very fatty, so I actually used only ~450g of pork belly and filled in the rest with pieces of pork chops as I felt like this gave a better fat-to-lean ratio. I also swapped out the tamari that the original recipe called for for a mixture of dark and light soy sauce.

Salad of Asian Greens with Soy-Glazed Pork Belly

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

Salad

• 3 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 900g pork belly, skin removed
• 3 heads bok choy, thoroughly washed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 small head cabbage, shredded
• 2-4 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 1-2 green onion tops, sliced (optional)

Dressing

• 2 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar

Directions

1. Combine the dark soy, light soy, honey, and sesame oil and mix well.
2. Add the pork belly, turn to coat, cover, and chill for 4-12 hours.
3. Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, honey, sesame, and vinegar for the dressing and mix well.
4. Heat a pan over medium to medium-high heat.
5. Add the pork belly and sear on all sides, basting as it cooks.
6. Keep cooking, reducing heat if necessary, until meat is cooked through.
7. Transfer to a cutting board and slice.
8. Pour off any fat in the pan.
9. If the pork belly still seems excessively fatty, return the slices to the pan and cook until more of the fat has rendered off. Remove the pork from the pan and set aside.
10. Pour any residual marinade into the pan and cook for a few seconds.
11. Add the bok choy, cabbage, and celery and cook until slightly wilted.
12. Transfer the greens to a bowl and toss with the dressing.
13. Top with the pork belly and green onions (if using) and serve.

I ended up having to modify this one a bit. It was meant to be made with escarole. But I couldn't find any when I went to the grocery store. So I ended up just getting a bunch of green kale instead and used that as the vegetable component of this recipe. I think it would've been a lot better (and more interesting) with escarole, but I didn't have time to run all over town looking for it, so I just went with what I had.

Halibut with Braised Escarole & White Beans

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 6 halibut fillets (~1kg total)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 450g escarole, cored and cut into 4cm pieces
• 1 can (~400g) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 c. (or more) water
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Season the halibut with salt and pepper.
2. In a large pan with a lid, heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil over medium heat.
3. Add halibut fillets and sear on one side until golden-brown (2-3 minutes). Transfer to a plate.
4. Add the remaining 1-2 Tbsp. of oil to the pan and heat over medium heat.
5. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and fry for about a minute.
6. Add as much escarole as will fit in the pan. Continue to add more as the greens in the pan wilt. If the pan seems dry, add a splash of water.
7. Cook until the escarole is slightly wilted.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Add the beans and 1/2 c. of water.
10. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until escarole is very tender (~8 minutes).
11. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
12. Nestle the halibut fillets into the escarole, browned-side-up, cover, and cook until fish is done (~4 more minutes).
13. Serve with lemon wedges.

This is a nice refreshing stir-fry with a generous amount of vegetables in it. The original recipe was somewhat more fiddly about how the vegetables are cut; I've simplified it (here and as cooked) with no ill effects.

Beef & Basil Stir-Fry with Summer Vegetables

From Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan (p. 165)

Ingredients

• ¼ C soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp shaoxing wine
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1+1 Tbsp canola oil
• 500g thinly sliced steak, cut into ~3cm pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp ginger paste
• 2 zucchini or 1 yellow squash, cut into 1cm matchsticks or half-moons
• 2 carrots, cut into 5mm discs
• 125g sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
• ¼ C fresh Thai basil leaves

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, shaoxing wine, honey, and cornstarch. Buffer.
2. Season the beef with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the first tablespoon of oil in a wok over high heat.
4. Add the steak and stir-fry until seared on all sides but still rare inside, ~3 minutes. Remove and buffer.
5. Add the remaining oil, the ginger, and the garlic, and stir-fry until fragrant, 30-60s.
6. Add the zucchini, carrots, and peas and stir-fry for 4 minutes.
7. Add the steak and the sauce and continue stir-frying until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
8. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil leaves.

Lobster tails went on sale last week. $5 each! So, of course, I picked up a few. Then it was just a matter of figuring out what to do with them. I was already leaning toward making this clambake. And then I ended up with an accidental surplus of potatoes and corn. And I already had some extra fennel left over that needed to be used up. So this recipe was pretty much perfect to use up those ingredients.

To do it properly, I really should've gotten live mussels and clams and some jumbo shrimp to throw in the pot. But I was trying to do this as a relatively affordable meal, so instead of getting live shellfish, I got some frozen, pre-cooked, in-shell clams, plus a bag of frozen mixed seafood that included squid, mussel meat, and a few teeny, tiny shrimp. Obviously, this wasn't as nice as doing it properly, but it was still very good. Especially the lobster!

Clambake

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small bulb fennel, chopped and fronds reserved
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
• 1/2 tsp. Old Bay (optional)
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1 1/2 c. white wine
• 3 c. chicken stock
• 450g small potatoes, quartered
• 450g kielbasa, sliced
• 1-2 lobsters (or 4 small lobster tails)
• 2 ears of corn, husked and quartered
• 24 mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
• 24 clams, scrubbed
• 12 large shrimp (preferably in-shell)
• lemon wedges (optional)

Directions

1. Melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, fennel, and garlic and cook until softened (5-8 minutes).
3. Add the thyme, Old Bay (if using), and pepper and cook for another minute or two.
4. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half.
5. Add the chicken stock.
6. Add the potatoes, then layer the kielbasa on top.
7. Place the lobsters/lobster tails on top of everything, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Add the corn, mussels, clams, and shrimp.
9. Cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
10. Scoop out the solids and place in a serving dish.
11. Taste the broth and adjust seasonings as desired.
12. Pour broth into the serving dish with everything else.
13. Garnish with fennel fronds and serve with lemon wedges.

This recipe was really meant to be done with skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces. You're supposed to start with a whole chicken and break it down into serving-sized pieces. And while I'm sure that would've been great, I didn't have a whole chicken to work with. What I did have was some skinless, boneless chicken breast pieces that I got on sale at the grocery store a few weeks back and stuck in the freezer for later use.

The lean, skinless pieces don't have quite as much flavour as you'd get if working with a whole chicken. But they were still very good. The sauce was quite flavourful. And making it with a nice lean, skinless cut does make it a bit healthier, at least.

Braised Chicken with Peppers, Capers, and Olives

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• ~1kg skinless boneless chicken pieces
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 2 Tbsp. schmaltz (or olive oil)
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 red bell peppers, sliced
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 45g pancetta, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 small (~400mL) can diced tomatoes
• 1 c. white wine
• 1/3 c. Kalamata olives
• 2 Tbsp. capers

Directions

1. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Melt the schmaltz over medium heat.
3. Add the rosemary, bell peppers, onion, pancetta, and pepper flakes.
4. Season with salt and pepper and cook until softened (~5 minutes).
5. Add the tomatoes and wine.
6. Add the chicken, olives, and capers.
7. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low.
8. Simmer until chicken is nearly cooked through (~15 minutes).
9. Uncover and simmer for another 5-10 minutes to thicken sauce up slightly.
10. Serve with rice and/or crusty bread.

I've made a lot of different macs & cheeses over the years. This one was particularly nice. Probably not my all-time favourite, but it was quite good. I liked it a lot. And so did the Kidlet.

Truffled Mac & Cheese

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 450g maccaroni or similar short pasta
• 2 tsp. truffle oil¹
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon or Roman mustard
• 2 1/2 c. milk
• 1/2 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 180g gruyère, grated
• 180g Cheddar, grated
• 2 Tbsp. minced chives²
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the pasta and cook until molto al dente (~2 minutes less than you would normally cook it).
3. Drain and toss with the truffle oil. Set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and grease a 23x33cm (9x13") baking dish.
5. Return the empty pot to medium heat and melt the butter.
6. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until a light roux forms (~3 minutes).
7. Stir in the paprika and mustard.
8. Add the milk and cream and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes smooth and thickens slightly (~5 minutes).
9. Stir in ~2/3 of each of the cheeses³ and chives and cook until cheese melted and mixture becomes smooth.
10. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
11. Return the oiled pasta to the pot and stir to combine.
12. Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
13. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses on top.
14. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 20-25 minutes.
15. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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¹ The recipe didn't specify whether to use black or white truffle oil. I had a small bottle of black truffle oil already open though, so I just went with that. It was good, but I'm not sure how much the truffle actually came through in the end. I do think it helped to augment the flavour of the gruyère though. So it wasn't wasted. Just a bit more subtle than I was expecting. ^Back
2 I didn't have any chives, so I stirred a generous tablespoon of dried leeks into my sauce instead. ^Back
3 Whoops! I forgot to hold back any cheese for the topping! I just put it all into the sauce. It was still delicious! No complaints. But it would probably look a little more special with some extra cheese on top. I'll try to remember to do that next time. ^Back

This makes a large batch. I tried to do a half batch and still had to remove some of the broth partway through cooking to make room in my largest pot for all of the other ingredients!

The original recipe did not specify a quantity of liquid. It just said to "fill a large pot" with water. But it did call for 6 Tbsp. of Old Bay seasoning. And I thought that sounded like about enough for 6L of water. So I decided to start with 3L or water and 3 Tbsp. of Old Bay. Unfortunately, it turns out that, by the time I'd put all the other ingredients in, there was only enough room in the pot for 2L of stock, not three.

I also found the finished dish a little light on corn. Next time I think I'd double the corn so that everyone can get a hefty portion.

The broth that this made was excellent. But I did feel like it needed a little more... something. So I decided to add just a bit of creole seasoning to the pot as well. Not a huge amount, but just enough to give it a bit of a boost.

I love the concept of this dinner. The "chuck a bunch of things in a pot with some water and seasonings" approach is quite fun. I do, however, find it a bit messy and tedious to eat. I think I would rather have it as a soup than trying to mop up my fingers after eating broth-covered cobs of corn and trying to shell saucy shrimp at the table. It's one of those things that's a neat idea, but that I find I don't actually enjoy the execution of.

Cajun Shrimp Boil

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 2L water
• 2 Tbsp. Old Bay
• 1/2 Tbsp. creole seasoning (optional)
• 500g new potatoes
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
• 1 lemon, halved
• 2-4 ears of corn, husked and quartered crosswise
• 350g smoked sausage, cut into discs
• 700g shrimp, unpeeled

Directions

1. Combine the water, Old Bay, creole seasoning (if using), potatoes, onion, garlic, and lemon and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the corn and smoked sausage and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. If using fresh shrimp, add them, remove from heat, cover, and allow to sit for 4-5 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through. If using frozen shrimp, add them and simmer until shrimp are cooked through (5-8 minutes).

I'm used to watermelon and mint salad just involving whole mint leaves tossed with watermelon, feta, and maybe a little oil and/or vinegar. I've never seen one that goes to the trouble of making a whole vinaigrette before. It was an interesting approach. And I appreciated how much mint it used up!

Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint Vinaigrette

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 3/4 c. fresh mint, divided
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 fresh mild chile (optional)
• 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 650g watermelon, cubed
• 185g feta, diced

Directions

1. Combine 1/2 c. of the mint with the sugar in a blender or food processor and chop.
2. Add the chile (if using), vinegar, and lime juice and purée.
3. With motor running, drizzle in the olive oil.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Add the watermelon and feta to a bowl and toss with dressing.
6. Top with remaining mint leaves and serve.

This was supposed to be a chickpea and turkey meatball soup. But I got mixed up about what was in the freezer and discovered that while we still had ground beef left, there was no turkey or chicken. So I ended up making it with beef instead. And it was delicious! (Possibly not quite as lean and healthy as it would've been with turkey, but very tasty nonetheless.)

Chickpea and Meatball Soup

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 450g ground turkey or extra lean beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c. panko breadcrumbs
• 2-3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground

Soup

• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 4 c. cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1L chicken stock
• 1 bunch kale or mustard greens, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
2. Combine the mince, garlic, panko, Parmesan, egg, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix well.
3. Using very small amounts of the meat mixture, form tiny meatballs (~1.5cm across).
4. Place the meatballs in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
6. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened and beginning to brown (5-10 minutes).
7. Add the tomato paste and chickpeas and cook for a minute or two.
8. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chicken stock.
9. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
10. Purée half the soup and return it to the pot (or use an immersion blender).
11. Add the meatballs and greens and stir to combine.
12. Cook until greens are wilted and everything is heated through (~5 minutes longer).

Baked Rigatoni with Fennel, Sausage, and Peperonata

This was delicious! But I think it could have used more sausage. (And maybe a bit of spinach.)

Baked Rigatoni with Sausage and Peperonata

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 450g rigatoni
• 1 bulb fennel
• 450g Italian sausage, casings removed
• 3 bell peppers, julienned (preferably all different colours)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar¹
• 1 1/2 c. tomato sauce
• 1 c. heavy (35%) cream²
• 150g baby spinach (optional)
• 250g fontina cheese, grated
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F) and grease a 23x33cm lasagne pan.
2. Cook the rigatoni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. Remove and discard the core and stems from the fennel bulb. Dice the remaining bulb and set aside.
4. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the sausage.
5. Cook for 3-4 minutes, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
6. Add the fennel and cook until softened and beginning to brown (~5 minutes).
7. Add the sausage and fennel to the bowl with the pasta.
8. Add the bell peppers to the now-empty pan. Add a little oil if necessary, but the sausages released sufficient fat that I didn't need any for mine.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.
10. Add the sugar and vinegar and keep cooking until vegetables are glazed.
11. Add the tomato sauce and cream to the peppers and cook until slightly thickened (~5 minutes).
12. Pour the peppers and sauce over the pasta, add the spinach (if using) and the fontina, and toss to combine.
13. Dump the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
14. Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 10-15 minutes.

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¹ The recipe called for granulated sugar and red wine vinegar. I swapped out the white sugar for brown. But I used the red wine vinegar as specified. Having tasted it though, I'd be inclined to try balsamic next time. I think that'd be even better! ^Back
2 The recipe called for 1 c. of tomato sauce and 1 1/2 c. of cream. We had a bit of extra sauce though, so we just tossed it in. I'm not sure if it was a full extra half cup. It might've been more like 1/3 c. But... close enough. Meanwhile, after putting in just 1 c. of cream, the sauce looked both very rich and very pale already. So I opted to omit the extra half cup. If you wanted to make this dish a bit lighter, you could use half-and-half instead. (I normally would've done that. But the cream has been in the fridge for a while and needs to be used up.) ^Back

This is meant to be made with fresh Chinese-style egg noodles. I didn't feel like making a special trip out to the shop though, so we just used dry spaghettini. It worked just fine and was delicious.

I also didn't bother trying to cook the chicken in a grill pan like the recipe called for. I just cooked it in a normal frying pan. No pretty grill marks on it that way. But it seemed just fine otherwise.

For the vegetables... It was meant to use edamame and carrots. I don't particularly like edamame, so I used frozen green peas instead. Honestly, I think it would've been good with even more veg. It was good as-is. But I might be tempted to add some thinly sliced bell pepper next time.

Sesame Noodles with Chicken

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1/4 c. light soy sauce
• 1/4 c. rice vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 1 tsp. Sriracha
• 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• pepper, to taste
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 300g dry spaghettini (or similar)
• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
• 2-3 carrots, grated
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Combine the oils, soy sauce, vinegar, juice, sugar, garlic, and Sriracha and mix well.
2. Season the chicken breasts with pepper and brush with 2 Tbsp. of the sauce.
3. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the chicken. Cook until no longer pink inside (5-6 minutes per side).
4. Remove from pan and slice.
5. Meanwhile, place the frozen peas in a colander.
6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt lightly, and add the pasta, cooking until al dente.
7. Drain the pasta by pouring it into the colander with the peas.
8. Toss the noodles and peas with the bell pepper (if using), carrots, chicken, remaining sauce, and green onions.
9. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

I've spent most of the last few months flying by the seat of my pants when it comes to scheduling and meal planning. Lots of "just-in-time" compiling of food. And lots of emergency takeaway as I realize that I've run out of either time, ingredients, or energy. (Or sometimes all three.) This stir-fry was very much in that vein. I needed something that I could throw together quickly with ingredients on hand. And this happened to fit the bill. And, bonus: It was even pretty tasty!

Spicy Basil and Chicken Stir-Fry

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp. chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cornstarch (cornflour)
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 2 fresh Thai or finger chilies, thinly sliced
• 2-3 coves garlic, minced
• 450g skinless boneless chicken breases, sliced
• 3/4 c. fresh basil chiffonade (preferably Thai basil)
• 3 green onions, chopped
• cooked rice, to serve

Directions

1. Combine the stick, fish sauce, sugar, and cornstarch and mix well. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil over high heat.
3. Add the bell pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute.
4. Add the chiles and garlic and stir-fry for another 20-30 seconds.
5. Add the chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink (2-4 minutes).
6. Add the basil and green onions and stir-fry for one more minute.
7. Stir the sauce and then pour it into the wok.
8. Bring to a boil and cook for 30-60 seconds longer.
9. Remove from heat and serve over rice.

Grilled Chicken and Zucchini

So... I messed this one up a little bit. It was supposed to be grilled chicken and corn. And I even got the corn for it. But then I took a little too long getting to it and the corn had gone off by the time I was making this. Okay, that sucks. But, no worries, I'll just ask TF to run out and get some more. Except apparently no, no I won't. Because she hit up just about every grocery store in town and they were all out of corn. After making five unsuccessful attempts to purchase corn, I told her to just get me any grillable vegetable. So, in the end, we ended up having grilled zucchini, not corn with our chicken. It was still pretty good. But definitely not nearly as good as the corn would have been.

Also, I only belatedly realized that I completely forgot to add the lime zest and thyme after everything was cooked. Whoops!

Grilled Chicken and Zucchini (or Corn)

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds¹, ground
• 3 Tbsp. lime juice
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 4-6 zucchini, halved lengthwise or ears of corn, husked
• 680g skinless boneless chicken breast
• 1 Tbsp. lime zest
• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme

Directions

1. Set up a grill for direct heat cooking and allow to preheat.
2. Combine the paprika and cumin and stir to combine.
3. Mix in the lime juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
4. Brush the vegetables all over with the paprika mixture.
5. Toss the chicken with the remaining paprika mixture.
6. Add the vegetables to the grill and allow to partially cook (5-10) minutes.
7. Add the chicken and grill until cooked through (3-5 minutes per side).
8. Remove from heat and sprinkle everything with lime zest and thyme.

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¹ The recipe called for cumin. And that's what I used this time. But I think it might actually be quite good with dhania-jeera masala either instead or as well. I think I'd be tempted to try using 1/2 Tbsp. of masala + 1/2 Tbsp. of ground cumin next time. ^Back

I don't normally cook with a lot of chard because neither TF nor I are big fans of it. I don't hate it, but I like kale and spinach better. And TF is strongly averse to it, so I usually just swap in kale anywhere that chard is called for.

I'm not cooking for TF right now though. I'm cooking for Reiver. And he has a whole garden full of chard (silverbeet), so I've been taking advantage of the fresh garden vegetables.

He also had some duck breast confit in convenient, ready-to-eat packages. So I figured they would work just as well as legs for this soup and make good use of ingredients on hand.

Lentil & Chard Soup

From Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan (p. 123)

Ingredients

• 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and minced
• 2 cups Puy (French) lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 8-10 c. water
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 1/2 Tbsp. coarse sea salt (or vegetable stock powder/concentrate), divided
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 6 large chard leaves, chopped, including ribs
• 2 duck legs confit
• 8 baguette slices¹, cut on the diagonal

Directions

1. Warm 1 Tbsp. of the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent (~2 minutes).
3. Add the garlic and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Stir in the lentils and water² and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
5. Add the bay leaf, thyme, 1 tsp. salt (or stock powder), and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Add the chard and duck legs and cook until the lentils are almost tender (20–25 minutes).
7. Transfer the duck legs to a cutting board and, when they are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin.
8. Cut off the meat, discarding the bones. Coarsely chop the meat and stir all but about 1⁄4 cup into the soup.
9. Cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy (~10 minutes longer).
10. Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and stir in 1⁄2 tsp. salt.
11. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, warm the 2 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat.
12. Add half of the baguette slices and fry until golden (~3 minutes). Turn and fry until golden on the other side (~2 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.
13. Repeat with the remaining baguette slices.
14. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish each with a fried crouton topped with a bit of the reserved duck meat.

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¹ I just made a bunch of smaller croutons out of some sale bread we had on hand: Cut into cubes, toss with a bit of oil, roast in oven until nicely crispy. ^Back
2 Add more or less water depending on how thick you like your soup. I like mine quite thick and stew-like, so I just used 8 c. of water. Use up to 10 c. for a soupier soup. ^Back

This was meant to be done with lamb shanks, but I found some bone-in "lamb pieces" and shoulder chops on sale, so I opted to use those instead. The shanks would have been lovely (and probably resulted in everyone getting a bit more meat), but these were tasty too. And a lot cheaper!

Citrus-Braised Lamb Shanks

From Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan (p. 123)

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 lamb shanks, about 1 lb (450 g) each
• 2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 3 small sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 c. dry white wine
• 1 c. chicken broth
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
• Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat (preferably in a Dutch oven).
2. Season the shanks with salt and pepper.
3. Working in batches, sear the shanks, turning as needed, until browned on all sides, 6–8 minutes. Set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F).
5. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil to the pot and place over medium-low heat.
6. Add the carrot, onion, and celery and sauté until softened (~5 minutes).
7. Add the thyme, bay leaf, garlic, and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
8. Add the wine, broth, and lemon and lime zests and juices.
9. Return the shanks to the pot and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
10. Cover and cook in the oven, turning the shanks every hour, until the meat is completely tender (2-3 hours).
11. Transfer the shanks to a platter and keep warm in the oven.
12. Pour the juices from the pot into a large, heatproof measuring pitcher and let stand for 1 minute. The fat will rise to the top. Use a bulb baster to transfer the juices underneath the fat to a small saucepan.
13. Simmer to reduce slightly. Stir in the orange zest and juice.
14. Drizzle the reduced juices over the lamb shanks and serve.

I picked up some lamb on sale the other day and wanted a nice vegetable side to go with it. I figured lamb and mint are often combined and zucchini has just come into season here, so this seemed like a natural pairing.

I wasn't able to find any yellow summer squash here, so I ended up using all zucchini, but that's not a huge deal. It mainly makes a difference to the aesthetics more than anything else.

Summer Squash Noodles with Mint Pesto

From Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan (p174)

Ingredients

• 1 c. (~45g) firmly packed fresh mint leaves
• 1/3 c. vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 3 yellow summer squash (~375g)
• 3 zucchini (~375g)
• Olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1/2 Tbsp. dried thyme
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Combine the mint, broth, Parmesan, garlic, and oil in a blender and process until smooth.
2. Using a mandoline or a vegetable peeler, cut the yellow squash and zucchini into long, narrow ribbons.
3. Pour enough oil into a large nonstick frying pan to film the bottom, and warm over medium heat.
4. Add the shallots and sauté until softened (~3 minutes).
5. Add the squash and thyme and season generously with salt and pepper.
6. Sauté until the squash is just tender (4-5 minutes).
7. Stir in the mint pesto and heat for 1 minute.
8. Remove from the heat, garnish with additional Parmesan, and serve.
9. Transfer to a warmed serving dish, sprinkle with additional cheese, and serve.

Mushrooms are on sale again, we had half a rotisserie chicken in the fridge, and there was silverbeet (Swiss chard) ready to harvest in the garden, so this recipe was a natural choice for dinner. Sadly, it didn't work out quite right. For whatever reason, the barley refused to cook. I gave it an extra half an hour of simmering and it was still somewhat al dente and more soupy than creamy. It was delicious anyway, but I was somewhat disappointed with the delays and final appearance, even if the flavour was still excellent.

Barley Risotto with Chicken and Mushrooms

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 6 c. chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 200g mushrooms, sliced
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 c. dry white wine
• 1 c. pearl barley
• 150g Swiss chard (silverbeet), chopped
• 350g cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Bring the stock to a boil, cover, and set aside.
2. Heat oil over medium heat.
3. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened (~5 minutes).
4. Add mushrooms, cover, and cook until they have released their liquid.
5. Season to taste with pepper, add the wine, and cook for another minute or two.
6. Add the barley and 5 c. of the stock and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
8. Add 1/4 c. of the remaining stock and cook, stirring often, until it has been absorbed.
9. Repeat process with remaining stock.
10. Add the chard along with the last portion of stock.
11. Stir in the chicken and Parmesan and cook until heated through (3-5 minutes).
12. Serve topped with additional Parmesan.

They had whole, gutted and gilled salmon available at the grocery store here yesterday. They looked beautiful and fresh. And, notably, were about half the price per unit mass as the salmon fillets. So, given that, I figured I might as well just get a whole salmon and figure out how to cook it for dinner.

I did a mash-up of two different recipes for it. For cooking instructions, I followed a Jamie Oliver recipe that I found online. But I used the seasoning and side veggies from one of the Dish of the Day recipes. That one called for braising salmon fillets in a mixture of white wine and vegetable stock and then serving it with sautéed asparagus, leeks, and peas. For mine, I baked the salmon (and potatoes) as per Jamie Oliver, but stuffed it with leeks and lemon and then more-or-less braised the veggies to serve with it. It worked out quite well and we were all very happy with the results and looking forward to the leftovers tonight!

Roasted Whole Salmon with Potatoes and Spring Vegetables

Adapted from Jamie Oliver and Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1 whole gutted and gilled salmon (~2kg)
• 1-2kg potatoes, sliced ~5mm thick
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 2 leeks, divided
• 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives (or 1 Tbsp. dried), divided
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon (or 1/2 Tbsp. dried), divided
• 2-3 Tbsp. oil, divided
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 500g asparagus, trimmed
• 1/4 c. white wine
• 1/4 c. vegetable stock
• 2 c. fresh or frozen green peas

Directions

1. If the salmon still has its scales, you will want to descale it. This is a messy process. Put down some towels or paper and be prepared for scales to go flying everywhere. Drag the back of a knife from tail to head at a 45° angle. Repeat all over the fish until you've removed as many scales as possible. Rinse the fish and your knife and do another pass or two until it feels like all of the scales have been removed.
2. Rinse the fish again, then dry thoroughly with a towel. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 250°C (475°F) and oil a large roasting pan.
4. Add the potatoes and onion to the pan, drizzle with 1 Tbsp. of the oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Rub the fish all over with the remaining oil and place it on top of the potatoes.
6. Trim the leeks, halve lengthwise, wash very well, and slice.
7. Zest the lemon.
8. Combine the lemon zest with half of the leeks, 4-5 tsp. of the chives, 2 tsp. of the tarragon, and a bit of salt and pepper and toss to combine.
9. Stuff as much of the leek mixture as possible into the salmon. Allow any excess stuffing to spill out onto the potatoes.
10. Slice the lemon and stuff some of the slices into the fish.
11. Make a few gashes in the skin of the fish.
12. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over it, making sure to get some into the gashes.
13. Place any remaining slices of lemon on top of the salmon (preferably over the gashes if possible).
14. Bake at 250°C (475°F) for 15 minutes.
15. Reduce temperature to 180°C (350°F) and bake for another 30 minutes.
16. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat.
17. Add the remaining leeks and sauté until softened (3-5 minutes).
18. Add the asparagus and cook for another minute or so.
19. Add the wine, stock, remaining tarragon, remaining chives, and salt and pepper to taste; cover; and cook for 2-3 minutes.
20. Add the peas and cook until vegetables are heated through and just tender (another 2-3 minutes).
21. Serve the salmon and potatoes with the vegetables on the side.