The world is definitely a super busy place these days and it never seems like there is enough time to accomplish the things we want to get done. After all there are only so many hours in a day, right? There are a million jobs out there that people work crazy long hours at and trust me as a chef I can very readily sympathize with those of you putting in 80+ hour weeks.
Maybe that’s part of the reason we eat so much on the fly. I’ve definitely got no issues making a few phone calls and ordering in some great eats when I’m crushed for time and let’s face it as a chef in a circle of great local chefs I have no trouble eating terrifically amazing local food on any given day. There are soooo many great food joints in our region pushing our culinary notoriety to heights we’ve never experienced before.
That said it is really great to decompress in the kitchen at home with some great tunes, a glass of dad made cab sauv and family in the next room. But when you aren’t on a day off and your average day is 12 or 14 hours how do you pull off a meal that doesn’t come out of box or a can? Well as a chef I’ve learned to do a little cheating over the years when it comes to cooking on the home front.
By utilizing some of your local market, store, neighbourhood eatery contacts you can create some serious Tastitude in a half hour or less. Having a few upper echelon ingredients on hand like some gourmet mushrooms, cherry, preserves, hand crafted sauces, pastas, coffee, some cheeses, a little fresh veg and even some great oils can make preparing something smashmouth pretty effortless and make you look like a home kitchen savant to your friends and family.
You could very easily take a local shelf sauce and add it to a little sautéed mushroom and caramelized onion and finish it with a touch of cream from the dairy and a healthy shaving of some handpicked cheese from your artisanal cheese supplier and add some fresh pasta and a crust of warmed local bakery bread. Suddenly you have a meal that would rival Mario Batali’s dinner special at Po.
Alternatively you could get to know the guy who owns and operate your favourite pizza place and charm him into selling you some of his hand crafted dough to take home so you can adulterate it with all kinds of tastiness. A drizzle of high end oil and a splash of that flavoured balsamic vinegar you got last week, some fresh herb, some pulled or sliced meat leftovers from last night’s dinner finished with some smoked local cheese and gourmet mini pizzas are keeping mouths everywhere happy inside a half hour.
Just remember the next time you’re feeling the pressure and a little under the gun when it comes time to ring the dinner bell at your house you don’t have to settle for mediocrity to make your dinner schedule balance with your life schedule. With a little imagination and a little cheating you can certainly enjoy the good life at home and keep the troops in awe of your culinary prowess.
– Chef House
Chef House’s Flatbread on the Fly
1 small dough ball from your favourite pizza joint 1 sweet onion such as Vidalia, sliced 2 cups sliced and lightly sautéed gourmet mushrooms 2 cup fresh spinach or greens lightly wilted 2 tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced 1 tbsp olive flavoured olive oil ½ tbsp fine ground coffee ½ cup smoked gouda (optional) ½ cup of leftover meat (optional) salt and pepper, to taste
Pre-heat oven to 425F
Flour surface and roll out your dough to a suitable size, thin or thick crust. Use a docking roller or a fork to put holes in the dough. Par bake the dough for 6 minutes and remove from oven.
Brush crust with flavoured oil and top with onion, mushroom, wilted greens, coffee and the optional ingredients should you so choose.
Return the flatbread to the oven and bake for a further 8 – 10 minutes or until crusted is golden and toppings are hot.
Remove from the oven and finish with salt and pepper and fresh basil.
The flavours of fall are definitely in full swing and it’s no secret that the Tastitude of this particular season are some of my favourite tastes of the year. Often hearty, earthy, a little fatty and always rich and satisfying it’s just the type of food you crave as the weather turns colder.
Inside of the broad range of foods that make up fall eats is a fun and delicious category of food that might not be so glaringly obvious to most but due to the time of year and the types of food you find on these weekend warrior type menus they are for sure a pertinent part of autumn’s deliciousness.
Otherwise known as “Gameday Grub” we prepare and share these foods with our friends and family as we gather to watch our favourite fall and winter sports like football and hockey. They are very much a part of the fall food family. Sometimes regarded as little more than snacks or appetizers they can be under rated but when you think about it they most certainly fit with what we perceive as cold weather fare.
Dishes like thick chilies and crispy fried wings, hearty sandwiches and rich dips along with many combinations of meats and potatoes are standard culinary offerings as we sit to share our favourite sports.
They taste great, stick to your ribs, are easy to prepare and quite often require no utensils (maybe a few toothpicks and napkins). Just like any great eats quality ingredients are coupled with tongue inspiring seasonings and cooked in a variety of ways to produce irresistible flavour combinations that keep hungry fans satiated as the televised battles unfold on the big screen.
One of the best ways keep your game day food fanatics happy is to first know your fans. Once you have a good idea of what types of food might best please your armchair quarterbacks you can begin to map out all the plays you’re going the make from kitchen to table. You can elevate your game further by implementing some unexpected strategies.
By taking standard go to dishes and giving them some unique twists of your own design you can keep the opposition guessing.
Maybe you’ll make a curry chili, nachos made with smoked local cheese, charred wings with a little bourbon and sour cherry infused BBQ sauce or even a dip that goes way beyond artichokes and cream cheese.
No matter how you get your game on this weekend take some time to make your picks early so you can get a head start on formulating your culinary battle plans and use some of fall’s great flavours to feed some serious game day sized appetites. Here’s a recipe that will help you meet the trade deadline, keep you under the salary cap and be sure to give you a win this weekend. Game on!
– Chef House
Chef House’s Fried Chicken and Waffle Sliders
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 3″ pieces 1 cup AP flour 2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp paprika 1 cup buttermilk 1 egg lightly beaten 1 cup panko Vegetable oil, for frying 12 small homemade waffles made with a ¼ pour of batter Maple syrup, for drizzling 2 tbsp melted butter
In a medium bowl, combine flour and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and buttermilk. Pour panko into a third bowl. Working in batches, dredge chicken tenders in the flour mixture then dip in buttermilk mixture. Finally, toss in panko for the final dredge.
Meanwhile, pour about 2” vegetable oil into a large, deep skillet. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches about 350F. Cook the chicken in two batches, flipping the chicken once during cooking, approximately 3 -4 minutes per side. Place the fried chicken tenders on a cooling rack lined with paper towels. Lightly season with salt directly out of the fryer.
Brush toasted waffles with melted butter. Top the half of the waffles with fried chicken and drizzle with maple syrup. Top with the remaining waffles and lightly drizzle again.
***Top your sliders with anything from your favourite cheese and apple slices to more traditional toppings like lettuce, tomato and mayo.***
The flavours of fall are definitely in full swing and it’s no secret that the Tastitude of this particular season are some of my favourite tastes of the year. Often hearty, earthy, a little fatty and always rich and satisfying it’s just the type of food you crave as the weather turns colder.
Inside of the broad range of foods that make up fall eats is a fun and delicious category of food that might not be so glaringly obvious to most but due to the time of year and the types of food you find on these weekend warrior type menus they are for sure a pertinent part of autumn’s deliciousness.
Otherwise known as “Gameday Grub” we prepare and share these foods with our friends and family as we gather to watch our favourite fall and winter sports like football and hockey. They are very much a part of the fall food family. Sometimes regarded as little more than snacks or appetizers they can be under rated but when you think about it they most certainly fit with what we perceive as cold weather fare.
Dishes like thick chilies and crispy fried wings, hearty sandwiches and rich dips along with many combinations of meats and potatoes are standard culinary offerings as we sit to share our favourite sports.
They taste great, stick to your ribs, are easy to prepare and quite often require no utensils (maybe a few toothpicks and napkins). Just like any great eats quality ingredients are coupled with tongue inspiring seasonings and cooked in a variety of ways to produce irresistible flavour combinations that keep hungry fans satiated as the televised battles unfold on the big screen.
One of the best ways keep your game day food fanatics happy is to first know your fans. Once you have a good idea of what types of food might best please your armchair quarterbacks you can begin to map out all the plays you’re going the make from kitchen to table. You can elevate your game further by implementing some unexpected strategies.
By taking standard go to dishes and giving them some unique twists of your own design you can keep the opposition guessing.
Maybe you’ll make a curry chili, nachos made with smoked local cheese, charred wings with a little bourbon and sour cherry infused BBQ sauce or even a dip that goes way beyond artichokes and cream cheese.
No matter how you get your game on this weekend take some time to make your picks early so you can get a head start on formulating your culinary battle plans and use some of fall’s great flavours to feed some serious game day sized appetites. Here’s a recipe that will help you meet the trade deadline, keep you under the salary cap and be sure to give you a win this weekend. Game on!
– Chef House
Chef House’s Fried Chicken and Waffle Sliders
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 3″ pieces 1 cup AP flour 2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp paprika 1 cup buttermilk 1 egg lightly beaten 1 cup panko Vegetable oil, for frying 12 small homemade waffles made with a ¼ pour of batter Maple syrup, for drizzling 2 tbsp melted butter
In a medium bowl, combine flour and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and buttermilk. Pour panko into a third bowl. Working in batches, dredge chicken tenders in the flour mixture then dip in buttermilk mixture. Finally, toss in panko for the final dredge.
Meanwhile, pour about 2” vegetable oil into a large, deep skillet. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches about 350F. Cook the chicken in two batches, flipping the chicken once during cooking, approximately 3 -4 minutes per side. Place the fried chicken tenders on a cooling rack lined with paper towels. Lightly season with salt directly out of the fryer.
Brush toasted waffles with melted butter. Top the half of the waffles with fried chicken and drizzle with maple syrup. Top with the remaining waffles and lightly drizzle again.
***Top your sliders with anything from your favourite cheese and apple slices to more traditional toppings like lettuce, tomato and mayo.***
Well folks we have officially entered into fall and it almost seems like Mother Nature was waiting for the calendar date to make some big changes. It was as if the calendar flipped to the twenty first and the leaves started to vacate their posts but on the bright side the last week of weather leading up to this mass leaf exodus was truly a summerlike experience. Now that the weather is cooling off again it’s almost inevitable that food begins to make its seasonal shift into fall flavours.
Fall flavours to me are deep, rich, earthy and hearty. They are represented by ingredients and recipes that are dense, filling and have that classic stick to your ribs appeal. One of the most recognizable types of food that we associate with fall flavours are of course root vegetables. Root vegetables are typically in season and ready to make some amazing dishes this time of year and fit perfectly with fall Tastitude.
Of course there are so many delicious and irresistible root vegetables to choose from. Potatoes, carrots, celery, turnips. rutabagas, celeriac, beets, parsnip, celery root, onions, jicama and yams are just a few of the amazing root vegetables that we can choose from this time of year but one of my personal favourites is the iconic sweet potato.
Although the sweet potato isn’t really a potato at all we associate this distant cousin of the potato as such because of its potato like shape. Some people also mistakenly call the sweet potato a yam but they are separate vegetables entirely and you might be surprised to learn that there is so much confusion over yams and sweet potatoes that in the USA labellers must put “sweet potato” on “yam” labels because they are so commonly misidentified.
You might be even more surprised to learn that most of us have never tasted an actual yam! Yams are tuberous vegetables and while they share a vaguely similar shape and can have similar flesh colours the similarities pretty much stop there. A yam has a higher sugar content but typically only grow in very tropical areas. They have a much darker and rougher skin that can have a hair like texture on the outside and can grow up to seven feet long. Yams are also actually toxic and must be cooked to neutralize the toxins and make them safe to eat.
Sweet potatoes are what we typically see when in grocery stores and at farmers markets. Sweet potatoes can be pale, orange, dark coloured or even purple. Flavours and sweetness can vary a little with the orange fleshed sweet potatoes tending to be the sweetest but all sweet potatoes can be identified by the tapered shape at both ends.
While most of us have had a sweet potato fry or heard of a sweet potato pie the sweet potato is a truly versatile ingredient and its natural sweetness, savoury notes and soft texture make it perfect for soups, stews, as an accompaniment for any fall meal or even in a dessert. So this week take another look at the sweet potato and check out some new ways to enjoy how sweet it is.
-Chef House
Chef House’s Citrus Sweet Potato Waffles
1 ½ cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes (boiled until tender) 2 cups flour 1 tbsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 6 egg whites 1 cup milk ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup butter, melted 1 tsp grated orange zest 1 tsp grated lime zest 1 tsp lime juice Vegetable spray, for waffle iron
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
In another bowl combine the sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, butter, orange and lime zest and lime juice. Stir the sweet potato mixture into the flour mixture and thoroughly combine.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold egg whites into batter.
Scoop batter onto a hot oiled waffle iron, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Well parents everywhere are settling back into the school routine and the kids groans of agony as they dutifully march back to classes in the mornings will have begun to fade away as the first couple days of the new school year have come and gone. Of course back to school always has its challenges. The long shopping lines as parents get their young academics all clothed and stocked up with supplies followed by a small mountain of paperwork containing rules, policies, information and permission forms and of course then there is snacks and lunch.
Sometimes back to school can have your kids excited and sometimes not so much of course it depends on your kid(s) and their perception of school. My man is into grade 8 this year and is one of those guys who is kind of on the fence about school. There are so many things he likes and is excited about returning to and certain aspects of the education experience that he’d be more than happy to skip. He is particularly excited about his new head start program where he attends Hammarskjold twice a week to take a HOME EC class where they will be doing lots of cooking and earn an advance standing credit while they are at it.
Whether or not your kid(s) are pumped or deflated about the end of summer vacation or somewhere in the middle like my guy, one way to make the days go easier for your studious little school goer is to pack them snacks and a good lunch that they’ll actually like eating. Of course good eats for school lunches seems pretty obvious but it can be difficult to get straight A’s all the time when it comes to what’s in the lunch kit. Kids these days are pretty food savvy and not only are their tastes often way beyond where we were at that age but they are far more educated in eats than we were too. Finding a variety of cool foods that won’t get traded, given away or hidden in the lunch room trash can might be a bit of a challenge but with a little insight and some imagination is very achievable.
A great place to start is to ask your kids for their input, their opinions and perhaps a list of ingredients and foods they like to eat and you will be sure to get some great ideas that came directly from the mouths that you’re trying to feed.
If you use this info to build a weekly game plan and write out a weekly lunch menu for your child you can shop more easily, prep in advance and even get the nod of approval from your little one giving you much better odds of opening an empty lunch bag after school. Not only does having a game plan save you time in the long run but will also allow you to avoid too many repeat lunches and is a good way to keep lunch interesting and ideas fresh.
By getting little hands involved in making snacks and lunches with you is also a great opportunity to earn extra credit with your kids. Not only will many kids get a kick out of cooking and learning something new that is tasty and fun but it’s something else you can do together and very often kids who participate in making food are much more likely to eat it as they had a hand in creating it. When they help to choose the ingredients and the dish and they help to make it many kids will get a sense of pride through the creation of their lunch time eats and feel some ownership of the food that’s in their lunchbox making them far more likely to eat what they’re bringing to the lunchroom.
Don’t be a total health nut. While good nutrition is truly important and educating your kids on healthy food is a task for all parents, going too hard core on the healthy eats is a sure fire way to turn most kids off of their lunches.
While it’s always advisable to get a good serving of fruits and vegetables etc if you’re packing nothing but kelp, kale, tofu, sprouts, nutritional yeast and goji berries it’s likely to go to waste. Instead find that balance that keeps everyone happy. A youngster who has things that they like to eat is far more likely to finish their meal than one that dreads what’s in their lunchbox
Let your kids have a cheat day. Everyone needs a break from making the healthy and wise food choices they usually do, your kids included. Some schools offer a hot lunch once a week that is quite often a treat like pizza, or pasta and meatballs. Make sure your kid gets a “break” day so they have something to look forward to every week that is in the realm of kid delicious.
By remembering what it was like to be a kid and what your lunchtime favourites were you can get into a routine of keeping your kid’s lunches and snacks fun and flavourful, packed full of delicious stuff that they will want to eat and by doing a little planning and letting your prodigy have a hand in making their academic eats you’ll be less likely to be emptying a lunch bag into the garbage after school.
Here’s a great lunch idea to get your lunchbox repertoire started on a positive note and earn you your first A+ of the year.
– Chef House
Chef House Lunch Box Taco Bar
By using small containers to store each ingredient and keeping things separate you can easily turn taco night into an amazing lunch surprise that is sure to earn you an A+
2 fresh soft or hard taco shells 1 cup of prepared taco beef (cooked hamburger with taco seasoning) ½ cup julienne lettuce ½ cup Pico De Gallo ½ cup shredded aged cheddar ¼ cup sour cream
Set up this lunchbox taco bar so your child can easily heat the taco beef in its own container and build hot fresh and tasty tacos for lunch! This will be a lunch that’s sure to return with empty containers after school.
Fresh and Easy Pico De Gallo
1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes, finely diced ½ large red onion, finely diced 1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves 1 tablespoon lime juice from 1 lime plus zest Salt and pepper to taste
Season tomatoes with 1 teaspoon salt and toss to combine. Transfer to a fine mesh strainer or colander set in a bowl and allow to drain for 20 to 30 minutes. Discard liquid.
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Toss to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper.
It seems like I’ve always got a story to tell about some ingredient that I’ve gotten iņ or a fresh and vibrant donation from someone’s garden that is just screaming to be turned into something delicious. Maybe it’s a fresh bit of game dropped off at my house or even a photo, a recipe suggestion or foodie idea sent in from a friend.
Whatever the inspiration is, the thing I marvel at most is how many of my gastronomic creations are seeded by family and friends. It really could be anything that sparks the next dish of deliciousness but I’ve certainly come to appreciate the fact that so many of my culinary creations start so close to home.
This week it all began with a simple photo that my step dad Jon snapped of my mom Janet holding an amazing lake trout that she caught on Lake Nipigon. This gorgeous fresh water monster immediately started me thinking about fresh lake trout recipes that I have made in the past and thoughts of new flavours for lake trout yet to be thought of. (Of course the knowledge that a little of this giant might end up in my fridge doesn’t stymie the creative process either…wink, wink.)
Lake trout is a delicious fish that carries a lot of flavour. The big cold water trout have a tendency to carry more fat and while some people dislike this I see it as nothing but a positive.
From a chef’s perspective the deep water monsters have more fat and fat is flavour. When you cook a fillet like this the fat also renders during the cooking process and bastes the meat keeping it moist and delicious. With traits like these what’s not to like about lake trout? They are definitely a foundation to building a meal with some serious Tastitude.
Fish like this loves big bright bold flavours that your spice cabinet might have. Spices like chipotle, paprika and even curries work well. Don’t however, be afraid to try any spice that strikes you as a possibility as there is no right and wrong here. Citrus and fresh herb are also great with lake trout. Don’t limit yourself to lemon either. Oranges, limes, blood oranges, key limes and grapefruit work especially well as flavour boosters for this beautiful catch and for some texture don’t exclude the possibility of using things like nuts and seeds or even panko bread crumbs.
So the next time you happen to haul in a big lake trout or happen to get your hands on a few fillets let it inspire your culinary creativity. Get your cook on and explore your flavour options. Here’s a recipe that might help to get you started and inspire your next flavour adventure.
– Chef House
Chef House’s Pan Seared Trout with Grilled Grapefruit, Toasted Sunflower Seed and Fresh Thyme
2 10 oz fillets lake trout (scaled with skin on) 2 tablespoons melted butter 1 teaspoon chipotle spice ½ cup toasted sunflower seeds 4 thick slices grapefruit 3 tablespoons olive oil Salt and Pepper to taste 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Preheat grill on high.
Lightly pulse the toasted sunflower seeds in a food processor and set aside.
Drizzle the butter over the lake trout fillets and sprinkle with chipotle spice and salt and pepper to taste. Press the ground sunflower seeds onto the top of the fillets.
Place a heavy cast iron skillet on the grill to heat.
Grill the grapefruit slices to get a little char on both sides while the pan heats.
When the pan is hot drizzle the olive oil in and place the fish in skin side down. Lay the grilled grapefruit slices on the trout.
Turn off the heat on one side of the grill and move the cast iron pan to the cool side of the grill and close the lid.
Let the fish bake until opaque in the middle about 20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.
Remove the pan and sprinkle each with some fresh thyme. Serve hot.
This week it all began with a simple photo that my step dad Jon snapped of my mom Janet holding an amazing lake trout that she caught on Lake Nipigon. This gorgeous fresh water monster immediately started me thinking about fresh lake trout recipes that I have made in the past and thoughts of new flavours for lake trout yet to be thought of. (Of course the knowledge that a little of this giant might end up in my fridge doesn’t stymie the creative process either…wink, wink.)
