Homemade Fish and Chips

I had a craving for a good meal of fish & chips.  I’ve been out and had this in a couple of restaurants/pubs recently.  Most of the time I was disappointed.  The fish was processed, or the batter was thick and heavy, or the chips were soggy.  It’s safe to say that I’ve been generally disappointed.  So what’s the solution for that?  Make your own of course.

Ingredients

• Two fillets of fish (I used snapper)
• Two potatoes (Yukon Golds are good)
• Self-rising flour
• White wine
• Mayonnaise
• Green relish
• Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch strips and pat dry
2. Put small batches of the potatoes in the deep fryer at 325 F for 4-5 minutes
3. Set the cooked potatoes to the side
4. Mix about 1/2 a cup of the self-rising flour into a bowl and mix with wine until it reaches a creamy consistency.  You should be able to dip your finger into it and have the excess drip off while a coating stays on it.
5. Dredge the fish in the batter and add to the deep fryer (preheated to 375 F).  Place the bottom of the fillet into the oil and let it fall away from you to avoid splash from the hot oil.  Cook for about 5 minutes and remove.  Sprinkle the fish with salt and place the cooked fish into a covered dish to keep it from cooling too much.
6. Put batches of the french fries into the oil at 375 F for 1-2 minutes to make them crisp.  Remove and sprinkle with salt for seasoning.
7. Mix the mayonnaise and relish (1:1 ratio) and Worcestershire to taste to create your tartar sauce.

Serves 2.

Vindaloo

Well, I haven’t posted here much lately.  This weekend is a “be-nice-to-me-weekend”.  As a result I’m cooking up an old favourite of myself and some of my geeky friends.  The original recipe for this version of vindaloo was done on the Canadian Living Cooks show that used to appear on FoodTV in Canada.  I’ve tweaked it to my liking and here it is.

Ingredients
3 lbs (1.5 kgs) meat.  Beef, pork and chicken all work wonderfully.
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp ground coriander
3 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 large onion (approximately 3-4 inches in diameter) chopped
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 thumbs minced gingerroot
4 small hot peppers, chopped
2 tbsp grainy mustard
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves

Directions
Cut the meat into cubes abut 1 inch in size. Mix flour, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, pepper and cloves in a plastic bag. Add the meat to the bag in small portions and shake until coated. Remove the meat and set to the side. Reserve the remaining spice mixture for later use.

Brown the meat in a large saucepan, heated at medium-high, with a small amount of vegetable or olive oil.  It’s easiest to do this in small portions that just about cover the bottom of the pot.  Remove the meat and place on a plate.

Reduce the saucepan to medium heat and add the onion, garlic, ginger, mustard, hot peppers and half of the vinegar.  Stir while scraping the leftover browned meat from the bottom of the pot.  Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and remaining vinegar, and bring to a boil.  Return the meat and any juices to the saucepan and add the bay leaves.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and let simmer (stirring occasionally) for 30 minutes.  Uncover and let simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.  Discard the bay leaves and serve with a fragrant rice.

Serves 4-8 people

Beef Buffad

I’m an Indian food junkie.  For a few years I lived in a town that had no quality ethnic food.  Instead of sitting in my apartment pining away for a good butter chicken or beef vindaloo I bought an Indian cookbook.  I haven’t been using it much in the last little while (two Indian restaurants within 6 blocks makes it far too easy to avoid cooking) but last night I decided to fire up the electric element and cook something that smelled good.  I tweaked the recipe as I made it and it turned out fantastic.  Too bad I was too lazy to make naan.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 fresh green chiles, chopped (I used jalapenos and they worked just fine)
1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger root, chopped
1 1/2 pounds round steak, cubed
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
800 ml coconut milk
5/8 cup vinegar salt to taste

Directions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onions, cooking until they are just beginning to caramelize. Add the garlic, chili peppers, and ginger. Cook for 1 minute and then add the beef and the dry spices. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the coconut milk. If it doesn’t cover the meat, add some water until the liquid is just covering all the meat. Add salt to taste. Bring the pot to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Stir in the vinegar and continue to cook at a simmer for another 30 minutes.

Serve with basmati rice to 4-6 people.

Postback Bruschetta

I was out in the mountains visiting some friends this past weekend and part of the visit included me providing an appy for their company’s Christmas party.  I figured that I would whip off a quick batch of bruschetta the night before I left town.  The response from the party-goers said this was a hit.

Ingredients
1 tomato
2 cloves of garlic
4 shallots
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
grated parmesan cheese
baguette

Directions
Cut the tomato into 1/4″ square cubes, removing the gel and seeds.  Chop the garlic and shallots as finely as possible.  Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and let sit overnight in the fridge. Serve with slices of the baguette and a side dish of parmesan.

DHCP Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

When you have that need to call home and see if mom does delivery, give this one a try.

Ingredients
Calabrese Bread
Butter Cheese
Shaved Pastrami
Roasted Red Peppers
Butter

Instructions
Cut the bread about 3/4″ to 1″ thick and at an angle so that it has a large surface area for grilling. Spread butter on one side of each piece. Place the bread, butter side down, in a frying pan pre-heated to a medium high heat. Add the cheese to the top of the bread and add the pastrami to the remaining surfaces of the frying pan. If you are using pre-made roasted red peppers, add those to the frying pan too. Cover the ingredients and leave them until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted. Place the pastrami and red pepper on the sandwich and enjoy!

Serves 1. Best enjoyed with a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

Pasta from scratch

As I eluded to in my last post, I make pasta from scratch….and I love it! When I first started thinking about making pasta I thought it would be hard. I was actually quite scared to begin with, but I took the leap and bought my first pasta roller from Golda (awesome for us Canadians). After some playing around I realized it’s actually not that difficult to make good plain pasta. Once you get some practice it will take you about the same amount of time as it takes to boil water and cook the dried stuff, but it’s sooooooo much better.

Ingredients
2 cups of all purpose flour
3 large eggs

Instructions
Using the flour, create a well on the counter top. Crack the eggs into the middle of the well. Slowly, using a fork at first, start mixing the eggs with the flour from the outer parts of the flour well. As the egg-flour mix begins to thicken, stop using the fork and begin kneading and mixing the dough with your hands. Depending on the humidity where you are living you may need to add small amounts of water until you get a nice doughy consistency.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a single sheet that is approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut the rolled dough into 4 inch by 4 inch pieces. Take each piece and run it through the pasta machine, using the flat rollers, and work your way down from the widest setting to the thinnest. After running all the dough through the flat rollers you are ready to make your pasta dough into the style of your choosing. Most pasta machines come with a couple of attachments that allow for spaghetti, fettuccini, linguini and other basic pastas to be made quickly. You could also use two of the flat sheets and some filling to make tortellini and ravioli at this point.
Regardless of what type of pasta you make, you will need to cook it in boiling, salted water. Unlike dried pasta, cooking this pasta will take approximately 2-4 minutes. Be ready with your pasta sauce at this point because this is best eaten immediately after draining.

Serves 4 to 6

SQL Server Sauce

I’m out in the mountains this Canadian Thanksgiving visiting friends and cooking up a storm.  Friday night when I got here the first meal that we cooked was pasta from scratch with what will be for ever known as SQL Server Sauce (don’t ask, it’s a long story).  The sauce is best for a hot summer day, but it was late and it’s extremely quick to make so we ran with it.

Ingredients
2 cups of cherry/grape tomatoes cut in halves or quarters
1/2 cup of Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
4 tbsp of capers, coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 cup basil, coarsely chopped
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
125 grams prosciutto, coarsely chopped
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
Place all ingredients, except the parmesan cheese, into a bowl, stir and let sit for 30 minutes. Cook pasta, drain, add the sauce and mix.

Serves 8

Moroccan Stew

The season is changing here in the north and there is definitely a bite in the air.  This makes for a great excuse to make some comfort food.  I’ve made this stew a couple of different times, always with beef, but lamb would be great too.

Ingredients
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 lbs of meat (beef or lamb)
1/2 cup flour
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup chopped dried dates
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
zest and juice of one orange
olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). In a Dutch oven, add approximately 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add onions and saute until softened (about 5 minutes). Add carrots and cook until slightly softened (about 3 more minutes). Remove onions and carrots from pot and set aside.
Mix flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Add the meat in batches and coat with the flour mix.
Add the meat to the pot in batches, along with some olive oil, and brown the meat on all sides. When each batch is browned, set it aside.
Put the onions, carrots, any juices and browned meat into the pot. Add the garlic, cumin, saffron and ginger. Stir until the meat is coated with the spices. Add the tomatoes, dates, orange zest and orange juice. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Often I find that you will need to add additional stock to ensure that all the meat and vegetables are covered in liquid. If this happens to you, add more stock until all the ingredients are covered.
Cover the pot and put it into the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve with parsley to garnish.

Serves 6-8 people

Drunk Man’s Lime Margaritas

You know how it is when you’ve got a couple bottles of wine in you and you’ve decided that it’s time to switch over to something different and you don’t want it to be too difficult to make?  Well here’s the simplest recipe for Margaritas that I’ve ever found.

Ingredients
1 can of frozen limeade concentrate
1 bag of ice
10 oz of tequila
salt for rimming glasses

Instructions
Fill large food processor (using cutting blade) with ice. Run the limeade concetrate can under hot water to loose it from the sides of the can. Open the can and add the contents to the food processor. The limeade may still be in one block which is fine. Add the tequila to personal taste. For me, this is about 1/3 to 1/2 of a 26 oz bottle. Run the food processor until the ice, tequila and limeade has mixed and the ice is at the desired consistancy. Rim glasses and fill with margarita. Store the excess margarita in the freezer. The more tequila you add, the less likely the margarita will be frozen when you go back for refills.

Serves 6 to 8 people….or one person for an afternoon.

Homemade Salsa

About 8 years ago I did some consulting work for a Mexican foods manufacturing company.  One of the side perks was that I got a wholesale discount on their freshly made products.  One of the things that I regularly bought was their salsa.  One day, my roommate and I decided that we would attempt to make our own salsa based on the ingredient list on the label from this company.  The recipe we came up with has evolved, but I’ve been using this version for the last 4 or 5 years and it has gotten rave reviews.

Ingredients
2 – 796 mL (28 fl oz) cans of whole tomatoes
1 lemon
2 cups of coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (substitute with 3 tbsp of dried cilantro if fresh isn’t available)
1 large yellow onion cut in medium wedges
Jalapeno peppers, cut in quarters length-wise (6 for hot, 3 for medium and 1 for mild)
salt

Instructions
Setup your food processor with the metal chopping blade. Drain all juice from the canned tomatoes and place the tomatoes in the food processor. Place onion wedges, jalapeno quarters and chopped cilantro into the food processor. Add juice from the lemon. Turn on the food processor and run until desired texture is reached. Add salt to taste.

Makes approximately 6-8 cups of salsa