Will's Fish Chowder

We bought a chowder cookbook in Antigonish last summer. Will fell in love with chowder during our visit to Nova Scotia, eating it at every available opportunity. He wanted to try his hand at making it at home. Since then, we have been trying out different recipes and changing them up to come up with our own best family chowder recipe. We think it's ready now so we are sharing it. It's very easy. As long as you have the ingredients in the house, dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Will's Fish Chowder

1 tbsp salted butter

1/2-3/4 c each diced onion, fennel** and unpeeled potato

1 lb mixed fish, cubed (ideally salmon, haddock and cod, but feel free to change it up)

1 c fish stock*

2 c coffee cream (18%)

2 tbsp flour

1-2 tsp each chopped dill and parsley

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, fennel, and potato, and cook stirring occasionally until soft. Add fish and cook until opaque. Add stock, bring to simmer, and stir in coffee cream and flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes until chowder thickens. Season with dill, parsley, salt, and pepper.

* You can use chicken or vegetable stock but it's not quite as nice. Fish stock is easy to make using bones and bits you can get at the fish monger and it freezes well.

** Some prefer celery, so feel free to use that if you'd like, but we think fennel adds a really nice depth of flavour.

Spinach Pasta Alfredo with Pancetta

The Pollan Family Table is a surprising cookbook. I knew of Tracy Pollan - actress, married to Michael J Fox. She co-authored the book with her sisters, and her mother, who worked at New York magazine and Gourmet. The forward to the book is written by her brother, Michael Pollan - The Omnivore's Dilemma, etc. And the book is delightful. Every recipe I have tried has been a keeper. This one included. I've made a few slight variations in the interest of health, by using table cream instead of heavy cream, and reducing the butter. You can find the original recipe in the book - you'll want to pick it up!

Spinach Pasta Alfredo with  Pancetta

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces cubed pancetta
Kosher salt
1 pound fusilli pasta
2 cloves garlic, minced
One 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess liquid
3/4 cup table cream
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook pancetta until brown and crispy, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard fat from skillet. Let the skillet cool slightly, then wipe it out with a paper towel.

Cook pasta in well salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Heat remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add spinach and mix well. Add cream and stir until well heated, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Reduce heat to low and add cooked pasta. Stir in 3 tablespoons reserved pasta water. Add the butter and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, stirring to make a creamy sauce. If the mixture seems dry, add additional pasta water.

Transfer pasta to a serving bowl. Scatter pancetta over the top and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper. (Or, if you have a vegetarian in the house like I do, serve with pancetta on the side.)

Il Buco-ish Kale Salad

Il Buco-ish Kale Salad

Il Buco is one of our favourite restaurants in New York, and we have always enjoyed their kale salad. Thanks to the Garance Dore blog, I was able to get the chef's recipe (found here: http://www.garancedore.com/2015/07/12/il-bucos-kale-salad/). I've made a few small changes to technique to make things a bit easier for the home cook on the run. This recipe is loved by all in our family. Enjoy!

Kale Caesar Salad

One big bunch of curly kale or two bunches of lucinato kale
1/4 lb grated parmesan (freshly grated is always best)
juice of approximately 1/2 lemon
EVOO
salt
chili flakes (optional - to taste)
croutons

Dressing:
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 oz anchovies in oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
3/4 c EVOO
2 eggs

Wash and stem kale. Cut into 1/2 to 1 cm wide slivers (think coleslaw).
Blend dressing ingredients together in magic bullet or small food processor until smooth.
Toss kale and croutons together with a generous sprinkle of salt, lemon juice, some of the dressing, chili flakes, grated parmesan, and a splash of EVOO. Taste and adjust seasoning/dressing as appropriate. Keeps refrigerated well for next day's lunch.

Brined Grilled Chicken in Vinaigrette

This recipe from Ruth Reichl's My Kitchen Year is simply fantastic.  It is easy and has SO MUCH FLAVOUR. It's a unique technique that involves a simple brine and then tossing the grilled chicken in a vinaigrette.  You could easily use any vinaigrette you enjoy, but hers works so well I'm unlikely to change it up.

Brined Grilled Chicken in Vinaigrette

3 lbs chicken pieces (I used mixed boneless skinless breasts and thighs, halving the breasts)
1/4 c kosher salt
1/8 c sugar

1/6 c olive oil
1/8 c lemon juice
1 clove garlic
dash balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper
chili flakes (optional)

Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 quarts hot water in a large bowl and bring to room temperature. Add chicken parts and refrigerate for 4-8 hours.
Grill chicken over moderately high heat until cooked through.  I like it with some grill marks on the outside.
Mix together remaining ingredients. Toss chicken in vinaigrette as soon as it comes off the grill.

Roasted Cauliflower Two Ways

I've run across two fabulous roasted cauliflower recipes lately.  Big taste, little effort. The first comes from Made in India by Meera Sodha, and the second from Thug Kitchen, both of which I received as gifts. The Indian version is a lovely side to a saucy curry and rice, and the Thug version would be a super side dish if it ever made it that far. Often it is devoured while waiting for the mains to hit the table. It is shown in the book with a peanut dipping sauce, but I like it on its own. The large heads of cauliflower to which I am referring weigh in around 2 pounds.  Use two if yours are tending to be smaller/lighter than this. Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin, Turmeric, and Lemon

1 large head cauliflower, broken into smallish evenly sized florets

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

5 tbsp canola oil

1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Bring a pot of water to the boil, and blanch cauliflower for one minute.  Drain completely and let rest for a few minutes.

Grind together (another use for the magic bullet) cumin seeds, salt, chili powder and turmeric.  Add oil.

Toss cauliflower and spiced oil on the oven tray, ensuring cauliflower is fully and evenly coated. 

Roast for approximately 30 minutes, shaking and stirring as necessary, until beginning to brown.

Squeeze lemon over before serving.

Roasted Sriracha Cauliflower

I large head cauliflower, broken into small evenly sized florets

1/2 c flour

1/2 c water

2 tsp oil

1/2-3/4 c sriracha

1/4 rice vinegar

1/2 tsp soy sauce

Preheat oven to 450F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Whisk together flour and water. Toss with cauliflower until coated, spread cauliflower on baking sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes, mixing half way through.

Mix remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until warm but not bubbling.

Toss cauliflower with hot sauce mixture and return to roast for another 5-7 minutes until warm and slightly crispy.

Genius Salt-Crusted Potatoes with Cilantro Mojo

The kids are addicted to these potatoes. I'll admit, I'm addicted to the cilantro mojo, which is a versatile sauce equally at home over chicken or fish as with these tasty tatties.  This recipe too comes from the Food52 Genius Recipes, a book I highly recommend purchasing. Be patient with these potatoes, they'll take 30-45 minutes depending on your pan width and depth, but if you are patient and vigilant during the final few moments when the water boils off, you won't be disappointed.  The original recipe suggests making the mojo with a mortar and pestle.  I'm too lazy.  I use the magic bullet, although an immersion blender or small chopper or blender would work just as well.  NB. Many of the recipes from this cookbook are available online on the Food52 blog:  www.food52.com.

Salt-Crusted Potatoes with Cilantro Mojo

2¼ lbs evenly sized waxy new potatoes, such as fingerling, scrubbed but unpeeled
2 tbsp sea salt flakes

3 large garlic cloves
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded 
Leaves and tender stems from 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tsp freshly ground cumin seeds
Scant ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sea salt flakes

Potatoes: Put potatoes in a shallow pan, ideally where they fit in a single layer. Add sea salt flakes and 1 litre of cold water, bring to a boil, and leave to boil rapidly until the water has evaporated. Turn heat to low and cook for a few more minutes, gently turning the potatoes until they are dry and skins are covered with a layer of salt. (Pan cleanup is a breeze.)

Mojo: Put all remaining ingredients in your magic bullet or blender, and blitz.

Serve potatoes with dipping sauce.

Genius Granola

I make a lot of granola. I like it for breakfast with fresh berries and milk or yogurt, for an afternoon snack, or over ice cream. This recipe is our current favourite, and I suspect it will remain so for some time to come.  It comes from Food52 Genius Recipes. The book is a gem and I highly recommend it. The recipe is adapted from Nekisia Davis' Olive Oil and Maple Granola. What I like best is that it works every time, with little fuss in the making.

Genius Granola

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (not shredded coconut)
1 1/4 cup raw pecan halves, left whole or coarsely chopped
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
Coarse salt
dried cherries, optional

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cover large baking sheet with parchment.
Place ingredients (except cherries) in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Turn out onto baking sheet and bake, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until toasted, about 45 minutes.
Remove from oven, let cool completely, add dried cherries (or other add-ins) if desired, store in sealed container for up to one month.

Best Chicken Stock

David Lebovitz has a wonderful recipe for chicken stock in My Paris Kitchen. The only problem is that it uses a whole chicken, which I'm seldom willing to do. Instead, I tend to keep a ziploc in the freezer for the leftover carcasses from roast chicken dinners. When I have enough on hand, I make a batch of this stock, which is fantastic. (It is also very easy to whip up the night of the roast chicken dinner, when the guests are gone and family is relaxing in from of the TV. Smells wonderful.)
For those times when making stock from scratch is not in the cards, I still recommend Better than Bouillon concentrate, now widely available.

Chicken Stock

2-2 1/2 pounds chicken carcass
3 litres cold water
1 onion, unpeeled and quartered
1 carrot, unpeeled and cut into large pieces
1 rib celery, leaves attached
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs flat leaf parsley
4 sprigs thyme
generous pinch sea salt or kosher salt
10 black peppercorns

Put all ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.  (Add water if necessary so chicken is submerged.)
Strain through a fine mesh strainer.  Freezes well.