Cajun Shrimp & Sausage Fettuccini

I made this dish for my friend Anne who sent me a less-than-subtle message on Facebook asking for this dish (in fact she sent me the recipe and said "Make this for me")...so I did!  Here is a fantastic dish that I served at a dinner party and disappeared in no time!!!

CAJUN SHRIMP & SAUSAGE FETTUCCINE

Ingredients:

1/2 to 3/4 lb cooked fresh fettuccine

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb peeled, deveined raw large shrimp

1 tbsp plus 2 tsp Essence Seasoning (recipe below)

1 1/2 hot or smoked turkey sausages (I used turkey/chicken ones from Costco), diced into 1/2" pieces

1/2 cup diced green bell peppers

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano or Peccorino Reggiano

 Essence Seasoning:

2 1/2 tbsp Hungarian paprika

2 tbsp salt

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried thyme

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.  Season the shrimp with 2 tsp of the Essence.  Place the shrimp in the pan and saute until almost done.  Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
• Place the remaining oil in the saute pan along with the onion and bell peppers.  Saute, stirring until the onions are translucent (about 3 mintues).  Add the sausage and cook another minute.
•  Add the garlic to the pan and saute, stirring quickly to avoid garlic burning, for another 30 seconds.
• Add the chicken stock to the pan and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the thyme, 1 tbsp of Essence and 1/2 tsp salt and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the heavy cream to the pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
• Return the shrimp and pasta to the pan.  Continue to cook the sauce and pasta, stirring occasionally to combine.  Remove from the heat and add the basil and Parmesan.
• ENJOY!

Grilled Tomatillo and Jalapeno Salsa

The tomatillos are also plentiful over at the farm and since I made Salsa Verde using them last year, and added them to my tomato sauce to thicken it up, I decided to make a batch of salsa using Cooper's jalapenos, garlic, oregano, tomatoes and tomatillos!

GRILLED TOMATILLO & JALAPENO SALSA

Ingredients

2 lbs tomatillos

4 cups chopped, peeled plum tomatoes

1 1 /2 cups chopped onions

1/2 cup finely chopped and seeded jalapeno peppers

2 tbsp finely chopped garlic

2 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tsp kosher salt (or canning/pickling salt)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 cup white vinegar

2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried)

• Peel husks from tomatillos and rinse under running water. Pat dry and broil in oven on a rimmed baking sheet, for approximately 10 minutes (turning halfway through to ensure even charring on all sides of the tomatillos). Remove from oven and let cool. Chop coarsely and measure out 5 cups.
• Meanwhile, prepare jars, lids in canner, as usual.
• In a large pot, combine tomatillos, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin and vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often (because it will stick to the bottom otherwise...trust me grrrr!) Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring often, for approximately 45 minutes or until mixture is thickened and salsa can be mounded on the back of a spoon.
• Stir in oregano.
• Ladle the hot salsa in to hot jars, leaving 1/2" headspace (adjusting headspace once air bubbles are removed). Wipe rim and centre lid on jar. Screw band down until fingertip tight. Place jars in canner and return to a boil. Process jars for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and remove canner lid. Let jars rest in the canner for 5 minutes before removing to a towel-lined surface. Check lids after 24 hours and reprocess any lids that have not sealed.
• ENJOY!!!
  

*As a note ~ my jars are labelled mild because the fresh jalapenos from Cooper's Farm are quite potent and last year my batch of salsa was quite hot! Therefore, I skimped a lot on the jalapenos and the result was more of a mild salsa instead of the desired medium. My next batch will have a little more heat!!!

Springtime Pasta with Asparagus & Spinach

We received fresh spinach, asparagus, herbs, hot house tomatoes and garlic scapes in our 3rd CSA basket! These ingredients, some chopped onions, a can or romano beans and pasta completed this meal!! The best part is that there was no need for a sauce of any kind as the romano beans are soft and creamy once cooked. When tossed with the pasta, they coated all the ingredients like a sauce!

SPRINGTIME PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS & SPINACH

Ingredients:

1 tbsp EVOO

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic scapes finely chopped

6 spears of asparagus snapped into 1" pieces

3 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves

2 chopped fresh tomatoes

1 can of Romano beans, rinsed and drained

2 tsp of dried oregano

250 g of your favourite pasta (I used rotini so the ingredients would hold on to each piece!)

• In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta according to directions.
• Meanwhile, heat EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic scapes, sauteing until soft. Add asparagus, Romano beans, and tomatoes and cook for approx 5 minutes. Add spinach leaves and saute until wilted.
• Drain pasta and add to the vegetables along with dried oregano. Stir well over medium-high heat to combine all ingredients. Remove from heat and serve with freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste!
  

My New Pressure Canner & Beef Barley Soup/Hearty Chili

Well I decided, after looking at my brimming freezer full of Cooper's beef, pork and chicken, that I need to figure out another way to preserve these low acid foods. Although I love my freezer, if left too long, meat gets freezer burnt and unusable. Last year I did a tremendous amount of traditional canning and our family and friends have benefited from the wonderful jams, chutneys, sauces and pickles that I made...so why not figure out a way to preserve whole meals and have the ULTIMATE in convenience foods?

I knew about pressure canners from my Bernardin book, but had never actually seen one (the stores are full of pressure cookers, but don't mistake the two!) Foods that are low in acid, such as homemade soups, sauces, vegetables, meat, fish and seafood require heat processing at higher temperatures than that of boiling water to prevent growth of spoilage organisms that can lead to botulism, which is a deadly form of food poisoning. Low acid heat processing times have been established using pressure canners (large vessels). Pressure cookers differ in design and function from pressure canners and are therefore, not suitable for home canning!!

Finally in Canadian Tire I found my 22qt. weighted gauge pressure canner for $129. I balked a little at the price, but then reasoned that I will now be able to create chilis, stews and a variety of soups and have them shelf stable...and at hand to create a nutritious meal for my family in a moment's notice (and frankly my time is definitely worth the money!!)

The nicest thing about pressure canning is that you use such a high temperature to preserve the food, that there's no need to sterilize your jars and lids ~ what a time saver! I just dish washered them and filled them as with normal canning (putting the lids and rings in hot water, wiping down the rims of the jars and then placing the lids on the jars finger tight). The rest was so easy that I wondered what I was worrying about all this time?!

BEEF BARLEY SOUP

Ingredients:

2 tbsp EVOO

1 lb stewing beef, trimmed and cut into 1" cubes

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp crumbled dried sage

5 cups homemade beef stock (or low sodium)

1/2 cup red wine

1 can (19oz) chopped tomatoes

2 cups water

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/2 cup pearl or pot barley (both are polished and can be used interchangeably)

• In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Toss the beef cubes with the flour and in batches, brown all over. Transfer each batch to a plate and drain any fat from the pot.
• Increase heat to high and saute the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and sage. Stir often for approximately 2 minutes or until the vegetables are softened and light brown.
• Stir stock and wine into pot and cook for 1 minutes, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the beef, tomatoes, water, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 1/2 hrs, or until the beef is tender.
• Add the barley, cover and simmer for 30 minutes more, or until tender.
• ENJOY!

HEARTY CHILI

Ingredients:

4 lbs stewing beef, trimmed and cut into 1/2" cubes

1/4 cup EVOO

3 cups diced onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp each cumin seed and salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp each pepper, ground coriander, crushed red pepper flakes

6 cups undrained and chopped tomatoes

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches and remove to a plate. Drain excess oil from pot.
• Saute onions and garlic in pot until soft (1 to 2 minutes). Add remaining spices and cook for 5 minutes. Add beef, tomatoes and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Boil gently, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• *If canning add the pinto or kidney beans when reheating, otherwise add at this point for 5 to 10 minutes.

If canning jars are warm ensure that the chili or soup is hot, otherwise both are to be room temperature. Place rack in the bottom of the pressure canner and add the recommended amount of hot water for warm jars, or room temperature water for cooler jars, to the bottom of the canner. After wiping the rims of the jars and firmly tightening the lids, place the jars on the rack. If you have enough 500mL jars to be processed, place a second rack on top of the first layer of jars and continue placing the jars in the canner. Tighten the lid and follow the manufacturers instructions for venting (10 minutes without gauge, then add gauge at the appropriate pressure). Process 500mL jars for 75 minutes, or 1L jars for 90 minutes. Once processing is complete, shut off the heat and allow the canner to completely cool ~ DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LOOSEN THE LID BY COOLING THE CANNER OR BANGING ON THE LID! Remove jars without tilting and cool upright and undisturbed for 24 hours. DO NOT RETIGHTEN SCREW BANDS!! After cooling check jar seals (which should be curved downwards, or they need to be processed immediately), remove screw bands and wipe dry. Replace bands if desired, label jars and store in a cool, dark place.

*Note: Canned foods should be used within one year of processing - make sure that you rotate your jars to ensure the oldest dates are in the front of your cupboard!

My First CSA Basket of Summer!!!

We received our first CSA box from "Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze" yesterday (I picked up early not only because I live across the road, but because the first ones who picked up got fingerlings while the others got russets...not that I don't love a good russet potato, but my son Devon LOVES fingerlings!). The wonderfully warm spring that we're experiencing is obvious! Each box (because I'm greedy and get a double share!) had a big head of green and red lettuce, as well as a bunch of asparagus (nothing says spring more than this delectable member of the lily family in my books!), a massive bunch of sage, thyme and oregano! Then I have included a hot house share so I also received some beautiful, plump, red tomatoes and a cucumber!

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know that the main reason we joined this CSA four years ago was because my husband, Greg, is deathly allergic to fungicide. Even organics brought from the USA are bombed with fungicide prior to crossing the border, so he hasn't been able to eat raw vegetables and fruits for close to 13 years (cooking seems to break the chemicals down enough that he can tolerate cooked, thank goodness!). As soon as Greg came home last night and saw all this fresh, gorgeous produce on the counter he said "I hope we're having a HUGE salad tonight...I'm so excited for this!"

Although I didn't manage to use even a third of what we received in our boxes, a huge salad is exactly what we had! It was perfect in its simplicity and ease of preparation. The contents were only lettuce, fresh herbs and their flowers, tomatoes, asparagus (raw), and cucumber. What made this salad truly yummy (so much so that my daughter India even ate it), was the dressing!

HERBED VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients:

2 tbsp EVOO

1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

1 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Soy Seasoning

1 tsp white balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Finely diced fresh oregano and sage (approx. 2 tbsp)

• Whisk all ingredients together and toss with a salad so the leaves are just lightly coated in the dressing (never have so much dressing on your salad that it pools in the bottom of the bowl -- although I have been guilty of this on more than one occasion!)
  

Chicken with Apricots, Olives and Capers!!

Last week I had my Aunt, Uncle and second cousins visit from the UK. As I haven't seen them in 13 years, I wanted to create a meal that I didn't need to tend to, so that I could have a proper visit with them...this meal definitely fits the bill! It's full of flavour, economical for larger groups, and so easy to prepare you'll undoubtedly add it to your weekly repetoire!!

CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS, OLIVES AND CAPERS

Ingredients:

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/4 cup minced garlic

1/4 cup chicken broth (homemade is best, but low sodium is fine too)

1 tbsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp olives

2 tbsp capers with some of the brine they're packed in

3 bay leaves

3 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup dried apricots

• In a large freezer bag, combine the first 9 ingredients. Ensure all ingredients are well combined and the chicken fully coated in the marinade. Seal and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.


• Heat oven to 350F and arrange all ingredients from freezer bag into a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and pour wine around chicken pieces.


• Bake uncovered for one hour, basting often to ensure chicken doesn't dry out.


• After cooking, remove bay leaves and serve!

In order to allow your family or guests to decide how much they want, I like to remove the chicken breasts from the cooking liquid, slice into 1/4" thick slices and then plate with the olives and apricots and a some of the liquid drizzled over top!

Also, I serve this dish with either my couscous recipe (June 2009 ) or the Greek lemon roasted potatoes ( May 2009) as both are fantastic side dishes to this meal and equally as easy to prepare!

Greek Lemon-Roasted Potatoes

Whenever I need a starchy side dish, I must admit that I often seem to be a one-trick pony ... I usually whip up my Greek lemon-roasted potatoes! I invariably serve them with a ricotta and spinach flan or chicken souvlaki, but they are great with any dish that you would serve potatoes beside.
They are super-easy to make, full of flavour, go with almost anything and are great the next day for lunch at room temperature! Try them - they'll soon become a family favourite in your house I bet!

GREEK LEMON ROASTED POTATOES

Ingredients:

4lbs of potatoes (I tend to use Yukon Golds), peeled and cut into 1" dice

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp Kosher salt

1/2 cup EVOO

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 cup water

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Heat the oven to 500F.


• Toss the potatoes with the lemon juice, EVOO, salt, pepper and oregano. Put into a casserole dish.


• Add the water to the casserole dish and place in the oven.


• Bake for 50 minutes, keeping an eye on the potatoes and stirring to ensure even browning.


• ENJOY!