Recipes, tips and reviews
These recipes are developed, tested and re-tested until perfect. Try one at home tonight.
I used the Japanese Kuri squash which is a fiery red colour. It roasts well. You can use any drier variety of squash for this curry.
The best Scottish shortbread handed down through my family. Crumbly, sweet and buttery.
This dish has a salty, savoury sauce with a little bit of a kick. If you don't want the spice of the jalapenos, leave it out, and finely diced onion can be used instead of the shallots.
This is the one hors d’oeuvre that I keep being asked for time and time again. It’s crunchy, creamy, spicy and hits all the high spots.
Mushrooms and squash have a real affinity and this soup proves it. I like to use oyster mushrooms, but chanterelles, which I found at the supermarket this week, provide the best flavour.
The fifth taste, umami, has much to do with glutamate, an amino acid found in such foods as prosciutto, soy sauce and a number of cheeses. Umami can show up in your glass, too (fermentation is glutamate’s old friend).
When this recipe originally ran in The Globe and Mail, I received a lovely note from reader Barbara Zuchowicz. This dish reminded her of a wonderful meal she had in Italy: "It brought back joyful memories of a trip to Italy my late husband, an exceptional cook, and I took a number of years ago.
I like to use chicken thighs with the bone in for maximum flavour. However I do remove the skin to make sure that the spices are infused in the chicken meat. You can use boneless thighs as well but cook 10 minutes less time. For people who prefer breast meat, cut each breast into 4 pieces and again cook 10 minutes less time.
Flattened chicken cooks quicker than a whole chicken without losing that great roasted flavour. It is readily available at butcher shops or you can butterfly your own by removing the back and breast bones yourself. I saw this technique for roasting chicken under a weight in California and the juicy crispy product is a superb taste. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and green beans with walnuts. Smaller chickens bake best. You can use the hot smoked paprika if desired.
Read MoreA classic French dish updated for simplicity that's packed with fresh flavours. Serve with roasted red potatoes and green beans.
Read MoreI am learning not to overdo marinades. Always make sure there is oil and nothing sugar-based. This is also excellent oven-baked at 425 F for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Make sure the butcher takes off the backbone and the breast bone, too. Place some plastic wrap over the chicken and give it a big whack to flatten it. This will ensure it cooks more evenly.
Read MoreUse a medium curry paste, as it best balances the sweetness of the hoisin sauce.
Read MoreDuring Passover, chicken soup plays a starring role in the festivities. It is usually served with matzo balls, but last year I served this unusual version, which is my friend Marilyn Mandel's family recipe and has its roots in Russia. The taste of the garlic completely mellows in cooking and the soup ultimately has a sharp, sweet quality.
Read MoreFor the best stock, use chicken backs and necks and add a few wings for extra flavour. (Remember to save and freeze any uncooked necks or bones from other chicken recipes; they will keep in the freezer for up to six months.) You can also throw in stalks from any kind of mushroom, which enriches the flavour. To keep your stock light in colour, use uncooked chicken on the bone; stock made from cooked chicken (such as a roasted chicken carcass) will be deeper in colour.
Read MoreThis is a great family appetizer as you can all sit around the table and make your own. Iceberg lettuce leaves make perfect little cups for finger food and I buy a barbecued chicken to make this. Leftovers can be mixed together and served as a chicken salad. You can roll the mixture in leaf lettuce if desired.
This pesto freezes well, so I make lots and have it for the next couple of months. If Meyer lemons are not available, use tangerines (remove the seeds) with a spritz of lemon juice. If you can't find all the fresh herbs for the rub, cut the quantities by a third and substitute dried.
You could use chicken breasts for this salad, but thighs make a much juicier sandwich. It would also work well with leftover chicken.
Read MoreThe meat mixture in this recipe will be soft and juicy but will hold together if you turn it carefully on the grill. Serve on a whole wheat bun topped with remaining salsa. The salsa also works well with grilled chicken or fish.
Read MoreMiso, Japanese soybean paste, is healthy and low in fat. It gives a succulent taste to the chicken breasts, but use a light or white miso, as the darker ones are too salty for chicken.
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When I have a lot mint in the garden, I have dried some of it. I dry it by hanging it up in a bunch in the furnace room and leave it for three or four days. You can also try microwaving fresh mint to dry it. Serve the chicken with couscous and zucchini.
Although this chicken dish is a simple one, the sauce is made rich by the apples. Roasting chicken in a pot changes the texture slightly, but cooking it with the apples gives it a sensuality.
Read MoreI developed this recipe by mistake when I mistook ginger for garlic and only noticed when I tasted the pâté. The liver was less livery with the hint of ginger as a background note. I also added a teaspoon of curry paste to give the pâté a goose of flavour. If you don't like fruit in pâté, just omit the port and cherries. Serve on apple slices or toasted challah.
My son-in-law's friend made a version of this soup for us on our first night in the chalet. If you serve it without a pasta course following, add noodles to the soup to make it a meal in one.
Read MoreDespite its name, my version of this dish doesn't contain any seaweed. Instead, I use kale, which becomes crisp and seaweed-like when fried. Winter kale is at its best right now. Use Tuscan or black kale if you can find it; it has the most flavour and gets crispy easily.
Read MoreCape gooseberries have many names, including physalis and ground cherries. They are grown in South America (although were originally grown in South Africa) and are available here all year. I tend to buy them in the winter, when there is not so much choice of fruit for sauces. They make a pretty garnish with their papery brown cloak and they cook very well too. If you can't find cape gooseberries, you can substitute one small mandarin orange, thinly sliced with its peel. Add to the pan along with the onions. Serve with quinoa and sautéed dandelion greens.
Read MoreUse a medium curry paste for this recipe as it best balances the sweetness of the hoisin sauce. Mix the steamed bok choy into the dish or surround the dish with it.
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© 2018, Lucy Waverman.
