recipe: Greek Style Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

I’ll never forget the first time I prepared a meal for my now-husband David.  It was the fall of 2001 and I was excited to prepare something special for him.  As a true-to-form bachelor, he survived on:  cereal, roast beef sandwiches, eggs & toast, pasta, beans and rice and take-out slices of pizza.

I spent quite a bit of time debating what to make for him, and because we hadn’t been dating for long, I wasn’t aware of any of his food preferences or aversions for that matter.  I settled on spiced pumpkin soup with crème fraiche and chicken masala with rice.  I guess the old adage “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” is valid because we’re still together eleven years later.

Thank goodness I didn’t stick to my original plan, which was to prepare Greek style shrimp with tomatoes and feta cheese. I found out later that he’s not a fan of shellfish or feta! (but being such a sweetheart, I know he would have “choked it back” and not said a word).

My husband may not like this dish but I love it – it’s delicious, super quick and full of flavour.  Serve it with warm pita bread and spiced olives – or over pasta (or rice for that matter) if you prefer.

Greek-style Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

ingredients

·        ¼ (one-quarter) cup good quality extra virgin olive oil

·        1 (one) large sweet onion, finely chopped
·        2-3 (two to three) cloves garlic, minced
·        1 (one) 28 oz. can plum tomatoes, drained and chopped, juices reserved
·        ½ (one-half) teaspoon dried oregano
·        1 (one) bell pepper, chopped into ¾ (three-quarter) inch pieces
·        1½ (one-and-one-half) pounds medium-large shrimp, peeled and de-    
       veined
·        ½ (one-half) pound feta cheese (try the Greek feta cheese available at
       Vincenzo’s – it’s amazing!)
·        2 (two) tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
·        2 (two) tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
·        freshly ground pepper to taste (salt is not necessary as the feta cheese is
       salty)
·        warm pita bread and olives, for serving

method

1.      Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and 
       garlic and cook until soft but not browned.  Add the tomatoes, bell pepper
       and oregano.  Cook until thickened, about 8 minutes.  If the mixture
       seems too thick, add some of the reserved juices.

2.      Add shrimp to the sauce and cook 2-3 minutes until just pink.

3.      Pour mixture into a shallow casserole dish.  Sprinkle with the feta.  Bake   

       in a preheated 425 F oven for 12-15 minutes or until cheese melts.   

       Season to taste with cracked black pepper.  Sprinkle fresh herbs overtop.  

       Serve with warm pita bread and olives (or over rice or pasta if preferred).

eblast - may long weekend update

The first long weekend of the summer is almost here! We will be offering the following items in our fresh fridge from Thursday, May 17th through Saturday, May 19th (please note that we are closed on Sunday, May 20th and on Monday, May 21st) beef burgers with rosemary and brown butter $8.98/2 veggie bean burgers - $6.98/2 "barrie's" local asparagus soup $10.98/L "barrie's" local asparagus quesadilla with shallots, ham & swiss cheese - 10.98 each various sweet and savoury scones - $8.98 for 8 small scones or 3 packages for $25 (yields 24 small scones) lots of fresh dips, and of course, our famous cheese tortes!

Lastly, on Wednesday, June 20th, we are celebrating the one year anniversary of our extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar tasting bar. For one day only, we are offering 20% OFF ALL OLIVE OILS, BALSAMIC VINEGARS AND SPECIALTY OILS. Chefs Mark & Emily will also be be preparing complementary samples of bite sized items for our customers to enjoy. More info to come in the June newsletter. Enjoy your long weekend! Dana and the DSG team

recipe: Stuffed French Toast with Cream Cheese & Strawberries

What’s the quintessential Mother’s Day gift?  Breakfast-in-bed, of course.  I have so many happy memories of my brother and me fixing breakfast for our mom on this special day – although I don’t remember it being anything super-fancy (sorry, Mom).  But as a mother now myself, (to John, 4 years, and baby Michael, 3 weeks!) even an extra half an hour spent relaxing in bed is a surely a gift to be treasured.

Below is a delicious recipe to prepare for your mother (or the mother of your children) this year.  It’s rather easy and even relatively young children can get their hands “dirty” with this one (Dad should fry the French toast though). This recipe comes from a kids’ cooking class that I taught at Dish Cooking Studio in Toronto, ten years ago (has it been that long already?).  It was a hit with the kids during those classes – and hopefully a hit when those kids made it for their moms.

Stuffed French Toast with Cream Cheese & Strawberries

(serves 2)

ingredients

·        4 (four) slices of whole wheat or white bread

·        4 (four) tablespoons cream cheese, plain or fruit-flavoured
·        4 (four) large strawberries, hulled and thinly-sliced
·        3 (three) eggs, lightly beaten
·        ¼ (one-quarter) cup milk
·        1-2 (one to two) tablespoons butter for frying pan
·        maple syrup, to taste
·        whipped cream, optional
·        additional sliced strawberries, optional

method

1.      Spread one tablespoon of softened cream cheese onto one side of each slice of bread.  Scatter thinly-sliced strawberries onto two slices of the bread.  Top with the remaining two slices of bread to make two “sandwiches”.

2.      In a small, shallow bowl, lightly beat the eggs.  Add the milk and stir to combine.  Carefully place the sandwich in the bowl, coating with the egg mixture.  Gently turn the sandwich over to coat the other side.  Repeat with the second sandwich.

3.      Heat and melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Ensure that butter has coated the entire surface of the pan.  Carefully add each French toast sandwich to pan.  Cook for approx. 2 minutes, until bottom side of bread is crisp and light brown in colour.  Using a spatula, flip each sandwich over and cook for another 1-2 minutes.  Turn off element.

4.      Remove stuffed French toast from pan and serve with maple syrup and whipped cream and/or additional sliced strawberries, if desired.  Enjoy!

recipe: Jade broccoli with nuts & pancetta

I love broccoli – if I was forced to eat just one vegetable for the rest of time, broccoli would be it!  Good thing my three-year-old son, John also likes it – which is surprising, because he doesn’t like to eat much of anything these days.

At home, the way that I most often prepare broccoli is by roasting it at 425 F (after tossing it in extra virgin olive oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper) if you want the step-by-step instructions, go to:  www.danashortt.ca/recipes.htm.

As much as I enjoy roasted broccoli, I also love the following two recipes.

The first is called “jade broccoli”, a recipe that I adapted from an old edition of Food and Wine magazine.  It’s unusual because it uses broccoli stalks, which are often discarded, rather than the much more popular florets.  It’s visually appealing because you use a vegetable peeler to peel the stalks, which results in long, thin strands.

The second is called “omega 3 broccoli slaw”, a recipe by Dr. Joey Shulman.  I make it a lot – maybe once every two weeks – and trust me, after you make it once or twice, you don’t even need to refer to the recipe.  This warm salad of sorts is delicious, and incredibly easy, because there is no chopping, as it calls for store-bought broccoli slaw (found in bags in the produce section of any supermarket) and a package of sliced mushrooms.

Jade Broccoli with nuts and pancetta  (serves:  4)

ingredients

·        2 (two) tablespoons unsalted butter

·        ¼ (one-quarter) cup chopped nuts (use any kind you like or have on hand – pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, almonds, etc)

·        3 (three) cups broccoli stalks, peeled (I find that a “y-shaped” peeler works best)

·        1/3 (one-third) cup pancetta, proscuitto or regular bacon, cooked and chopped, optional
·        salt and pepper to taste

method

1.      In a medium sized skillet set over medium heat, melt butter.  Once butter is foamy, add the nuts and sauté until lightly golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Add in the cooked pancetta and broccoli strands; stir to combine. Cook for approx. 2-3 minutes, until broccoli is crisp-tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Joey’s Heart-Healthy Omega 3 Broccoli Slaw  (serves:  2-3)

ingredients

·        2 (two) tablespoons sesame oil

·        12 (twelve) ounce bag broccoli slaw
·        1 (one) cup sliced mushrooms
·        ¼ (one-quarter) cup capers
·        3 (three) tablespoons soy sauce
·        4 (four) ounces of herbed goat’s cheese
·        ¼ (one-quarter) cup crushed walnuts, toasted if desired

method

1.      Pour sesame oil into large non stick skillet on medium heat. Sautee broccoli slaw and mushrooms until they become slightly limp, cover if possible.  This should take about 4-5 minutes.

2.      Add in capers and soy sauce and stir.
3.      Remove from heat and top with herbed goat’s cheese and crushed walnuts.

recipe: asparagus cigars with prosciutto & asiago

I recently treated my Mom to high tea at Langdon Hall.  It was a quite an indulgence as we had begun the afternoon with massages.  I’m due to deliver my second child any day now – meaning that I am painfully aware that being away from home for four hours at a stretch isn’t going to be a possibility.  It was wonderful to be able to relax and enjoy uninterrupted conversation and of course, some delicious food.

After we selected our teas (a difficult decision, as there were so many to choose from), we were served two varieties of warm scones accompanied with the most amazing honey butter, devon cream and preserves.

Afterwards, the server appeared with a tiered serving stand for each of us, both containing a slew of sweets and savouries.  I believe there were about ten pieces in total – and they were all delicious. Mom’s favs?  The “Lake Huron trout & orchard apple canapé” and the “brandy snap honey crisp cream”.  I particularly enjoyed the “Forfar Dairy cheddar & Niagara pear phyllo purse” and the “sea buckthorn meringue tartlette” .

I rarely cook with phyllo pastry at home.  However, I’m not entirely sure why, as its delicious and easy to use (once you’ve had the experience of working with it a few times).  I love these crispy asparagus straws, which appeared on our catering menu for years. These would be delicious served with afternoon tea, or at your next cocktail party.

Asparagus Cigars with Prosciutto & Asiago

(recipe adapted from Martha Stewart)

ingredients

·        24 (twenty-four) asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed

·        6 (six) sheets phyllo pastry
·        ¼ (one-quarter) cup butter, melted
·        12 (twelve) slices prosciutto, cut in half crosswise
·        4 (four) ounces asiago cheese (or parmesan cheese)

method

1.      Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes until just al dente and bright green.  Drain in a colander and run cold water over the asparagus.

2.      Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3.      Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a dry surface.  Keep the remaining sheets covered with a clean, slightly damp towel.  Brush lightly with melted butter and cut into 4 rectangular pieces, each 5 x 7 inches.
4.      Place 1 piece of prosciutto on the phyllo, lining it up along 1 short edge of the rectangle.  Arrange an asparagus spear on top of the prosciutto along the same short edge of the rectangle, letting the tip lay exposed beyond the top edge of the dough by ¾ inch or so.  Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of asiago.  Roll up and secure the edge of the dough with additional butter, if necessary.  Repeat with the remaining ingredients, transferring the straws onto the prepared baking sheet.  The straws may be made 1 to 2 hours ahead up to this point, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated.
5.      To bake preheat the oven to 450°F.  Sprinkle the top of the straws with the remaining cheese.  Cover the asparagus tips with foil to protect them from the heat.  Bake until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes.  Serve warm, either whole or sliced into bite-size pieces.

recipe: whole grain lemon blueberry cornmeal muffins

My Mom, a.k.a. “Grandma”, has recently taught my three-year-old son John, a very valuable phrase. While I appreciate the lesson in manners, “it’s not to my taste” seems to be the only thing we hear lately - especially around 6 p.m.

John is definitely going through a picky phase (sigh).  No casseroles, stews or stir-fry’s for this kid.  All food must be separate and without sauce – even ketchup!  At least he still eats a wide variety of fruits and vegetables…

One thing John never has a problem eating is dessert – big surprise. So I’m doing my best to make sure that any sweets he eats contain at least a wee bit of nutritional value.  

Here is a recipe for whole grain lemon blueberry cornmeal muffins.  The recipe comes from corporate chef, Rachel Bradley, who develops some of the recipes for the amazing line of olive oils & balsamic vinegars that we carry in the shop.  Rachael says “these muffins may look sinful but they’re not thanks to the addition of whole wheat flour, lemon extra virgin olive oil, honey, yogurt, and fresh berries”.  These lightly sweetened muffins are divine served with butter and jam for breakfast or drizzled with honey and served with afternoon tea.

Whole Grain Lemon Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins

ingredients

·        2 (two) cups whole wheat flour or all purpose flour

·        2 (two) cups ground whole grain corn meal
·        1 (one) tablespoon baking powder
·        1 (one) teaspoon salt
·        1 (one) cup whole milk
·        2 (two) large eggs
·        ½ (one-half) cup whole milk yogurt (I used vanilla-flavoured Greek yogurt)
·        ½ (one-half) cup honey
·        ½ (one-half) cup lemon extra virgin olive oil
(you can substitute regular olive oil but the cake won’t be as lemony)
·        fresh grated zest from one lemon
·        2 (two) cups fresh or frozen blueberries

method

·        Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

·        Grease or line muffin cups or an 8” by 8” brownie pan (when I tested the recipe, I poured the batter into an 8” by 8” pan to make a “cake” and I had enough left over batter to make 8 small muffins as well).
·        In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
·        In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients and lemon zest.
·        In two separate additions, add the wet ingredients to the dry, scraping down the bowl.  Gently fold in the berries.  Fill the muffin cups about half way with batter.
·        Bake in the center of oven for 20-25 (twenty to twenty five) minutes until a tester inserted in to the middle comes out clean. 
(Note: an 8” by 8” cake will take closer to 40 minutes in the oven).  
·        Makes 18-20 standard size muffins or one 8” by 8” cake and 8 small muffins.

Ricotta Cake (Italian-style cheesecake)

My husband David’s birthday is this month.  I always look forward to making him a special dessert to celebrate the occasion.  Like my Dad, he’s a hard guy to buy a gift for, but he will gladly accept a homemade dessert in lieu of a gift!

Last summer, we visited David’s family in Thunder Bay.  Before we left, my father-in-law gave me some of his old cookbooks.  I left with several great titles but two stood out.  The first is entitled “The Modern Priscilla Cookbook”, published in 1929.  It first belonged to David’s grandmother.  As you can imagine, it’s held together with an elastic band, but that’s part of its charm – and proof of its value.  The other is “A Guide to Good Cooking with Five Roses Flour”, published in 1962.

The second cookbook, however, has an added bonus – David’s mother’s hand-written recipes, included at the back.  Many of them are written in Italian but I was pleased to see that the cheesecake recipe (“ricotta cake”) was in English.  I suppose I should say that the “ingredients” were in English, because there was actually no method listed!  It took me a few tries to get it right, but David assured me that my final creation tasted just like his Mom’s.  This is a European-style cheesecake, made with fresh ricotta cheese, so it is not nearly as sweet as North American-style cheesecakes.  To balance out the slight sweetness of the cake, David insists on drinking it with a cup of strong black coffee, no sugar.  He’ll also gladly, and without any guilt or apology, eat a big slab of it for breakfast… five days in a row!

Ricotta Cake (Italian-style cheesecake)

ingredients for crust

·         1¼ (one-and-one-quarter) cups graham cracker crumbs

·         ½ (one-half) cup brown sugar
·         1/3 (one-third) cup unsalted butter, melted
·         1 (one) teaspoon cinnamon

ingredients for filling

·         2 (two) pounds ricotta cheese (I used extra smooth)

·         2/3 (two-thirds) cup white sugar
·         1/3 (one-third) cup all-purpose flour
·         6 (six) eggs
·         ½ (one-half) teaspoon ground cinnamon
·         zest of half a lemon
·         2 (two) teaspoons pure vanilla extract
·         ¼ (one-quarter) teaspoon salt

method

1.       Preheat oven to 350 F.

2.       Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.  Wrap double layer of heavy-duty foil around outside of 10” spring form pan.  Combine graham crackers, sugar, and cinnamon in large bowl, stir well. Drizzle melted butter over and stir to combine until ingredients are moistened.  Press crumbs onto bottom (not sides) of springform pan.  Bake until crust is slightly golden, about 15 minutes.  Transfer to rack and cool while preparing filling.  Reduce oven temperature to 300 F.  
3.       Place the ricotta in a large bowl, stir it as smooth as possible with a rubber spatula.  Add in the sugar and flour to the ricotta, stir well.  Stir in the eggs 2 at a time.  Add in the cinnamon, lemon zest, vanilla and salt.  Pour the ricotta mixture into the prepared pan.
4.       Bake for 1 ¾  - 2  hours until light golden in colour, or until the point of a sharp knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Cool (it will sink slightly).  Cover, and chill until serving.  

Flautas De Pollo con Guacamole – “Chicken Flutes with Guacamole”

I love this recipe.  I don’t often make it because it’s (by no means) the healthiest of entrees.  In my next life, I pray that shallow frying is the caloric equivalent to spraying with PAM…  

Anyway, this is a great dish that always gets my husband pacing back and forth with anticipation in the kitchen – I love him dearly, but this habit of his drives me bonkers.  I first learned to make chicken flutes with Magdalena Cortes, a talented Mexican-born chef who taught cooking classes at “Upstairs at Loblaws” in Toronto, where I worked to help support myself through chef school.  In a nutshell, it’s a dish that consists of a small rolled up tortilla and some type of filling (usually beef or chicken) which is fried until crisp.  Flautas are also referred to as Taquitos, but the main difference is that flautas are most often prepared with flour tortillas while Taquitos are prepared with corn tortillas.

 

I love the contrast of the juicy chicken, hot crispy tortilla and creamy avocado against the cool sour cream.  I’ve also made flautas with breaded (fried) fish, vinaigrette-based coleslaw and guacamole, and they were delicious too.

 

If you’re like me and you can’t get away down south this winter, try your hand at making these instead!

Makes 40 small flautas which serves about 10 people – recipe halves well.

 

ingredients for flautas

·         3 (three) tablespoons olive oil

·         1 (one) large sweet onion, minced
·         4 (four) large cloves garlic, minced
·         4 (four) large boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped into very small pieces
·         3 (three) round ripened hot house tomatoes, chopped (use 5 if using plum tomatoes)
·         1 (one) cup salsa (I used our spicy pineapple-chipotle salsa from the shop)
·         40 (forty) flour tortillas (medium size, 6-7 inches approx).
·         salt and pepper to taste
·         vegetable oil, for shallow frying
·         toothpicks
·         sour cream, for serving
·         additional salsa, for serving
·         guacamole (see below recipe), for serving

method for flautas

1.       In a skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat until translucent, add garlic and tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes or so.
2.       Stir in the cooked, chopped chicken and salsa. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
3.       Fill each tortilla with approx. ¼ (one-quarter) cup of the filling and then roll each one “burrito style”, securing each end with a toothpick (so that the filling doesn’t fall out). Tip – the tortilla’s are even easier to roll up if they are slightly warm (nuke a batch of 10 for about 30 seconds in the microwave).
4.       In a large skillet, heat about one cup of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.  Once hot, fry the flautas in batches (about 8 at a time if using a 10-12” skillet) until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes, turning once.  
(Note: the oil needs to be at the right temperature – around 350 F.  If the oil is too cool, the flautas will be greasy. If the oil is too hot, the flatuas will burn).
5.       Drain on paper towels, discard toothpicks.
6.       Serve immediately, topping the flutes with sour cream, guacamole and additional salsa.

ingredients for guacamole

·         2 (two) ripened avocados
·         Zest and juice of one lime
·         1 (one) tablespoon white onion, minced
·         1/3 (one-third) cup fresh cilantro, chopped (feel free to omit if you don’t care for cilantro)
·         1 (one) teaspoon jalapeno pepper, minced
·         ½ clove garlic, minced
·         1-2 (one to two) tablespoons sour cream
·         salt and pepper to taste

method for guacamole

1.       Cut avocados in half and take the pit out with the edge of a knife.
2.       Spoon the avocado flesh out and place it in a bowl.  Mash well with a fork.
3.       Add lime zest and juice, onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, garlic and mix well.  Stir in sour cream to achieve a creamy consistency (I use about 2 tablespoons). Season to taste with salt and pepper.