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:
- 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.
- Remove the trout from the brine, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry.
- Preheat grill for indirect cooking, with one side on High, and the other side off. Sprinkle top of fish with desired spice rub.
- 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.
- Refrigerate unused portions in an airtight container for up to a week.
Filed under: Recipe on April 17th, 2013 | No Comments »
I love Thai food, and making it at home means I know exactly what’s going into the food I’m serving my family. This recipe for Pad Thai is a great example of Asian cuisine you can prepare from the comfort of your own kitchen. I’ve kept this recipe as simple as possible while making sure it’s both quick and delicious. Pad Thai sauce is sweet and garlicky with a slight hint of heat. The fairly bland rice noodles perfectly balance the intense flavour of the sauce. This turned out so great we had it again for dinner the next night!
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Pad Thai Noodles
Serves: 2
Couch to table in: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 package Thai rice noodles, prepared
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup mixed vegetables, chopped (e.g. pepper, broccoli, sugar snap peas)
1 package firm tofu, cubed
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1 green onion, green only, cut into 2 inch strips
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/3 cup Pad Thai sauce
Preparation:
- In a wok heat oil over High heat. Add garlic, tofu, and vegetables. Stir-fry until softened, about 2 minutes. Move aside and stir-fry egg in corner of the wok.
- Add noodles and broth to wok and mix to coat. Add Pad Thai sauce and stir until heated through, about 1 minute.
- Add in bean sprouts and green onions and stir until softened, about 1 minute. Top with peanuts and serve.
Filed under: Recipe on April 3rd, 2013 | No Comments »
Passover means a hankering for floury, baked goodness. With blueberry season around the corner I’m looking forward to making one of my favourite recipes – blueberry buckle. I don’t have a huge sweet-tooth, so this recipe by Alton Brown hits the mark.
A traditional cobbler has fruit on the bottom, topped by dough. Whereas a buckle has the fruit mixed in. Absolutely perfect with a cup of coffee, this buckle balances between sweet and salty, allowing the blueberries to really steal the show.
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Blueberry Buckle
Adapted from Alton Brown
Ingredients:
For the cake:
Nonstick cooking spray
9 ounces cake flour, approximately 2 cups
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
5 1/4 ounces sugar, approximately 3/4 cup
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
15 ounces fresh whole blueberries, approximately 3 cups
For the topping:
3 1/2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/2 cup
1 1/2 ounces cake flour, approximately 1/3 cup
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
Preparation:
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Spray a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 1 minute.
- Add the egg and beat until well incorporated, approximately 30 seconds. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until incorporated and then add 1/3 of the milk and beat until incorporated. Repeat, alternating flour and milk until everything has combined.
- Gently stir in the blueberries and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish
For the topping:
- In a small bowl combine the sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add the butter and work into the dry ingredients using a fork to combine. Continue until the mixture has a crumb-like texture.
- Sprinkle the mixture on top of the cake. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 minutes or until golden in color. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Filed under: Recipe on March 28th, 2013 | No Comments »
