Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Vinaigrette

2 garlic cloves halved
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Salad

Mixed baby greens
1 cup planko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped basil
Salt/pepper
1 log of goat cheese cut into ½ inch slices
2 large egg whites beaten foamy

Vinaigrette

Place ail and garlic in a small glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 30 sec. Mash garlic with fork and add red wine vinegar, mustard and basil to garlic. Wisk and add oil a little at a time. Add Salt/pepper.

Salad

Dip cheese into eggs and then into planko. Let sit for 1 hour in the fridge. Cook each round of cheese 3 min/side in a med hot pan with 2 tbsp of oil.

Mix salad and vinaigrette and top with round of cheese.

Fried Chicken with Bacon/mushroom gravy

Gravy

1/4 cup chopped bacon
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 3/4 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tspn dried thyme
1 tspn dried oregano
4 tbsp flour
1/4 cup red wine
3 cups chicken stock

Chicken

2 cups flour
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 large eggs
12 skinless boneless chicken thighs

For Gravy - cook bacon, add onions, garlic, saute until tender. Add mushrooms and spices and cook for 5 min. Add flour, add wine and stock. Leave on med low heat.

For Chicken - dip in flour (and spices) dip in egg wash, dip in flour.
Fry for 2 min/side in 1/4 inch oil. Place in 400 deg oven for 10 min.
Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Spatzle

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 eggs beaten
1/2 cup milk

Butter
Parmesan cheese

Sift flour, pour eggs and milk and mix
Dough should be soft and stickey
Add to salted boiling water through a sive or spatzle sive
Cook 6-8 min until floats to top

Drain and add to med hot pan of butter and season with nutmeg, salt/pepper
lightly brown and add parmasen cheese.

Serve

Grilled Rack of Lamb

1 small onion
6 garlic cloves
4 plum tomatoes
½ cup fresh parsley and rosemary
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 cup red wine
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 racks of lamb frenched

Combine all ingredients for marinade in blender and blend until mixed. Pour contents along with lamb in a bag and marinate for 4-6 hours.

Remove lamb from bag and cover bones with foil. Grill over medium high heat turning once fro 20-30 minutes until medium rare. Let stand for 5 min.

Serve with potatoes, risotto, cannelloni bean ragu, etc.

Cottage Pie Recipe

Cottage Pie and Shepherd's Pie are very similar. Shepherd's Pie is made from lamb whereas Cottage Pie uses beef. In this version of Cottage Pie we use fresh minced beef.

• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 500 grams / 1 lb of beef mince
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce (ketchup)
• ½ to 1 tablespoon of Worcester sauce (Lee & Perins)
• ½ cup of peas
• ½ cup of corn kernels (optional)
• 1 bouquet garni or a small bunch of herbs chopped finely and one whole bay leaf
• ¾ to 1 cup of beef stock
• 3 to 4 large potatoes
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• salt and pepper

Peel and chop the onion and carrot finely. Heat the oil in a large frypan or saucepan, add the onion and cook until the onion is clear or translucent. Add the minced beef and sauté using a wooden spoon break up the mince so it is nice and fine. When the mince is thoroughly browned stir through the flour and cook for one minute. Add the tomato sauce, Worcester sauce, finely chopped carrot, peas, corn and herbs. Stir thoroughly to combine. Gradually add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cover, simmering for 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. The mixture should be quite thick. Remove and discard the bouquet garni or whole bay leaf and set mixture aside.

Peel the potatoes, chop into quarters and place in a medium saucepan with cold water just covering the potatoes. Add a little salt to the water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. When the potatoes are cooked, drain and place back on the heat for a few seconds to let any extra water evaporate. Mash the potatoes with one tablespoon of butter until the potato is very creamy - add a little milk if necessary. Add salt to taste.

Preheat the oven to 190°C, 375°F or gas mark 5. Spoon the mince mixture into a pie dish, then spoon or pipe the creamy mashed potato over the mince. Sprinkle grated cheese on top if desired and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potato is golden and the pie is heated through.

(Serves 4)

Never Fail Yorkshires (Most of the Time…)

Ingredients

1 ½ - 2 cups of all purpose flour
2 eggs
Milk (1 ½ -2 cups, maybe more, maybe less…)
Tablespoon or so of oil
Pinch or two of salt
Oil/grease/bacon fat/roast drippings for the muffin tin…

Method

• Mix flour and salt in large mixing bowl
• Beat eggs in a separate bowl
• Add the beat up eggs to the flour mix
• Start adding the milk a bit at a time, using a whisk to beat vigorusly
• Add the milk until the mixture is the consistency of, say, thickish white paint or thinnish pancake batter.
• When it pours off a spoon into the mixture, it should leave a mark for a bit. It may take more milk than is called for
• Add the Tablespoon or so of oil.
• Really beat the mixture well, until both arms hurt.
• Put the mixture to cool in the fridge for an hour or two to cool down (or alternately outdoors in winter in Calgary and Ottawa)
• When you want to cook the Yorkshires, pre-heat the oven to 425-450 degrees Farhenheit
• Using a muffin tin, pour some oil/grease/bacon fat/roast drippings into each depression – about 1/5 of the way up each depression, maybe a little less – you don’t want too much, or too little oil (or whatever) in there…
• Pre-heat the oiled muffin tin in the pre-heated oven until the oil just starts to smoke
• Pour some Yorkshire batter into each depression, about ½ way (+/-) filling each – not too much, not too little.
• Cook for approx 25 minutes, or until they start to turn brown and there is still a bit of oil on the top of each pudding…timing may vary depending on the oven, altitude, air pressure and other environmental factors. You can check with the oven light from time to time, or open the door – not too many times though…
• Remove from the oven (use the oven mitt) and enjoy hot with roast beast and gravy, or cold with Lyles Golden Syrup

Makes at least a dozen Yorkshires, maybe a couple more

The author (James F.) makes no guarantee that this recipe will work, but it should…