Through my non-culinary career (no, I don’t cook ALL day) I’ve had the fortune of meeting some wonderful people. One of the warmest personalities I have ever met is my friend Dheeraj, from Mumbai, India. He measures in at about six and a half feet tall  and stands out in a crowd wherever he goes. Walking through the conference halls at the trade show we attend together in Las Vegas each year is quite the challenge. Due to his height, you cannot miss him, and due to his warm personality, EVERYBODY knows him. Dheeraj has a big friendly smile and a kind greeting for everyone he meets. He will take the time to ask them about their work, their family, their hobbies – it is mind-blowing. He has the patience of a saint.

In any case, when Dheeraj emailed me to ask me what he could bring me as a gift from India this year (because, yes, he is THAT nice) I simply asked for some of his favourite family recipes for me to try out at home. Dheeraj deferred to his wonderful wife Bhavna who was kind enough to share some of their go-to recipes with me.

Below are two variations on saag - a popular Indian dish with a spinach base. Beyond the spinach it can vary wildly on what else is included. I’ve made some changes to the recipes based on North American ingredients and cooking methods, so I apologize to Bhavna in advance if they do not do her recipes justice. I thought they were absolutely delicious and can be served with a variety of sides such as naan, roti, potatoes, rice, or quinoa. I hope you all enjoy and I look forward to trying more of Bhavna’s recipes soonest!

Saag Paneer - Spinach with cottage cheese
Serves 4

Ingredients :

1 bunch of spinach, chopped
250 grams pressed cottage cheese,cut into cubes
3 medium sized tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 green chili, halved
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 bay leaf
3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoon oil
Salt & pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped spinach, onion, tomatoes, green chili and turmeric. Cover with a tight lid No need to add water, shut the lid and let it whistle just once, then remove it from the burner.
2. Remove the contents into a dish and allow to cool. Once cooled place in a mixer and blend to make a smooth paste.
3. In a pan over medium-high heat add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot add the bay leaf and finely chopped garlic. As soon as it begins to brown reduce the flame to low and put in the spinach mixture.
4. Close the lid and let it simmer for five minutes. If it is too thick add some stock or water to thin.
5. Stir in the the cottage cheese, (Indian paneer would not dissolve the way our cottage cheese does, but the flavour still works just as well and adds a wonderful creaminess).

Mixed Vegetable Saag
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 bunch of spinach, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green chili, halved
1 small potato, peeled and diced
1/2 carrot, chopped
3 teaspoons yellow lentil soaked in water for an hour
1 tablespoon oil
Salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

Preparation:

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the onions and continue to cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
From now on wards, DO NOT STIR.
Toss in the finely chopped spinach, the chopped tomatoes, chopped carrot, chopped potatoes, ginger and green chili. DO NOT STIR.
Drain the water from the lentils and toss in too. Add all the spices and salt to taste. Add a tablespoon of water and put the lid on. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Open pot and using a handheld immersion blender blend until desired smooth. Add water a tablespoon at a time if it’s too thick.

I’m going to share a secret with you all… I have a bit of a cookbook obsession. I happily follow my wife to the book store any time she wants to go searching for a new book and sit myself down in the cookbook section for hours on end. Always on the lookout for new recipes and ideas; constantly being re-inspired on things to make at home. When we visit friends and family I’m pleased as punch to rifle through old food magazines or tired and used cookbooks until it’s time to leave. My love of food plays out in my insatiable appetite to find the next wonderful thing to make that I’ve never made before. I rarely make anything twice.

I was thrilled to see Weber’s New Real Grilling cookbook hit bookshelves as we head into grilling season. With a third of Canadians planning to fire up the grill for Victoria Day long weekend, it couldn’t come at a better time!

This latest offering in the long line of Weber grill cookbooks by Chef Jamie Purviance is a real treat. It starts off with a full introduction to various grilling methods and tips before delving into recipe after delicious recipe. Along the way they look back at some of the recipes Weber has published in the past 60 years and provide some historical context along with a modernized take on it. Such as their 1960s Chicken a la Vermouth recipe remixed into a Rosemary Chicken with Garlic Butter recipe.

With mouth-watering ideas like Horseradish Crusted Strip Steaks and Brisket of Your Dreams this cookbook is a great gift for the griller in your family. Here’s one of my favourite recipes from the new cookbook. Fresh homemade salmon burgers with avocado, tomato and wasabi mayo. Fire up your grill this Victoria Day long weekend and give this one a try:

Open-Faced Salmon Burgers with Wasabi Mayo

Serves: 4
Prep time: 35 minutes
Chilling time: 1–2 hours
Grilling Time: 6–7 minutes

Ingredients:

Patties
1 skinless salmon fillet, about 1½ pounds, pin bones removed, cut into 1-inch chunks
6 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons cottage cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 scallions (white and light green parts only), finely chopped
1 tablespoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
Finely grated zest of 1 large lime
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared wasabi paste
Olive oil cooking spray
2 English muffins, split
1 Hass avocado, cut lengthwise into thin slices
8 slices tomato

Preparation:

1. In a food processor combine the patty ingredients. Pulse until the salmon chunks are evenly chopped, four to six pulses, being careful not to puree the mixture.

2. With wet hands and handling the mixture as little as possible, gently form four patties of equal size, each about ¾ inch thick. Place the patties on a large plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.

3. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450° to 550°F).

4. Whisk the mayonnaise and the wasabi. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. Lightly coat the salmon patties with olive oil spray on both sides. Grill the patties over direct high heat, with the lid closed, for about 4 minutes (do not move the patties during this time or they may fall apart). Using a metal spatula, carefully turn the patties over and continue cooking until they are firm and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more. During the last minute of grilling time, lightly toast the muffins, cut side down, over direct heat. Remove the patties and the muffins from the grill.

6. Place the muffins, cut side up, on a platter. Fan one-quarter of the avocado slices on top of each muffin half, and place a salmon patty on the avocado. Top each patty with two slices of tomato and a dollop of wasabi mayo. Serve immediately.

©2013 Weber-Stephen Products LLC. Recipe from Weber’s New Real Grilling™ by Jamie Purviance. Used with permission.

With the cold of winter finally (hopefully?) behind us, people are getting busy gearing up for warm weather. Many are outside cleaning up the yard, taking out the patio furniture and swapping out their winter tires. The important question many forget to ask: is their grill ready for spring? I’ve always made grill maintenance a top priority. If your grill isn’t cared for you risk flare-ups, uneven cooking, and unnecessary wear and tear on your grill. The good folks at Weber have put together some great maintenance tips to help keep your grill in tip-top shape:

• Wipe the outside of the grill lid with a paper towel and cleaner (glass cleaner for porcelain-coated lids and stainless steel cleaner for stainless steel lids). If your grill is stainless steel, you’ll get the best results by buffing with the grain, not against, using a microfiber towel.
• Clean side tables with a microfiber towel and stainless steel cleaner. Again, make sure to buff with the grain. If your tables are made of theromset plastic, use a mild dish detergent and warm water instead.
• Cleaning a cook box may seem tricky, but it’s actually extremely simple and can have a big impact on the way your grill performs. When your grill is completely cool, carefully remove your cooking grates and Flavorizer bars. Then, using a putty knife, scrape all excess grease and debris from inside the cook box into the bottom tray. From here, it will be easy to discard.
• It’s a good practice to burn off any food residue left on your grill by turning all your burners to high for 15 minutes before grilling. When your grill reaches these high temperatures, food debris will turn to ash, and will then be easy to brush off using a stainless steel bristle brush.
• While cleaning the grill, take stock of any rusted or corroded pieces. Call the manufacturer’s customer service to order and assemble new parts. In addition, help to keep the grill protected from the elements by investing in a durable, weather resistant cover.

Source: Weber-Stephen Products LLC

When my in-laws came into town last summer, my son Josh went fishing with his grandfather and came home with a car-full of trout (it helps when you fish at a stocked fish pond…). In any case, I took this gift of fish-o-plenty as an opportunity to experiment with some different types of smoked fish. The dry salty result was spot on and I really enjoyed the different spice combinations I tried out. Definitely hoping to send them out fishing again this year. Magnifique!

Smoked Trout

Ingredients:
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 quart water
2 pounds trout filets, 3 to 5 ounces each, skin on, pin bones removed
1/2 cup your favourite spice rub – I tried 3 kinds: cajun, cinnamon/sugar and montreal steak spice

Preparation:

1. Combine the salt and water in a large bowl and stir until the salt has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the trout fillets  making sure they are submerged. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Remove the trout from the brine, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry.
3. Preheat grill for indirect cooking, with one side on High, and the other side off. Sprinkle top of fish with desired spice rub.
4. Place the trout onto cool side of grill, skin side down. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the fish has the desired level of doneness.
5. Refrigerate unused portions in an airtight container for up to a week.

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Blueberry Buckle