*Each month we are going to start featuring a cool chef, their cookbook and every week a new recipe from that book. At the end of the month we will give away the book to a client who has ordered a weekly special.

Jamie Oliver’s
Quick Salmon Tikka with Cucumber Yogurt (17 minutes)

Serves 2

2 naan breads or flatbreads
1 fresh red chili
½ of a cucumber
1 lemon
¼ cup of natural plain yogurt
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
a few sprigs of cilantro
2 x 7-ounce salmon fillets, skin on, scaled, & bones removed
1 heaped tablespoon tandoori, or mild curry paste, such as Patak’s
olive oil

Preheat your oven to 225F. Pop your naan breads into the oven to warm through. Halve, seed, and finely chop your chile. Peel and chop you cucumber lengthways, then use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds. Roughly chop the cucumber and put most of it into a bowl. Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice from one halve into the bowl. Add the yogurt, a pinch of salt and pepper, and half the chopped chili. Pick the cilantro leaves and put to one side.

Slice each salmon fillet lengthways into three ½ inch wide slices. Spoon the heaped tablespoon of tandoori paste into a small dish and use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to smear the paste all over each piece (don’t dip your pastry brush or spoon into the jar!). Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Once hot, add a lug of olive oil, put the salmon into the pan, and cook for about 1 ½ minutes on each side, until cooked through.

Place warmed naan bread on each plate. Top each one with a good dollop of cucumber yogurt and 3 pieces of salmon. Scatter over a little of the reserved cucumber, chile, and cilantro leaves and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Yeild: 12

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.
3. Pour batter into cups, 3/4 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick, if the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done.
4. Cool in pan 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Blue Shark Icing

Yield: enough for 12 standard cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter softened
1 pound (3 2/3 cups) confectioners’ sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Blue Food Colouring

Directions

1. Cream butter until smooth.
2. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar; beat until smooth. Beat in milk for a smooth texture. Add 2-4 drops of blue food coulouring (until you get desired colour) – rememember a little goes a long way with food colouring!

6 servings

20 g sponge cake
20 ml Grand Marnier

Butter & cake flour for the souffle molds

40 g butter
40 g cake flour
200 ml milk
Juice and zest from 1 orange
Pinch of salt
75 g egg yolk
100 g egg whites
55g cane sugar

Directions:

1. Cut sponge cake into small cubes and soak in the Grand Marnier.
2. Butter and then flour the souffle molds.
3. Melt the butter and then add the cake flour, stir into a roux then remove from heat
and let cool.
4. Combine the milk with the orange juice, zest and salt in a sauce pan and bring to a
boil. Remove from heat.
5. Stir the milk in with the roux and whisk until smooth.
6. Place back on the heat and stir until the mixture is a smooth paste.
7. Let cool slightly and gradually whisk in egg yolks.
8. Whip egg whites, add sugar. (Whip until the whites make stiff peaks.)
9. Stir a small amount of whipped egg whites into the batter, then carefully fold in the
rest of the egg whites.
10. Pour a small amount of batter into souffle molds, and sprinkle the Grand Marnier
soaked sponge cake into the molds. Pour the remaining batter over sponge cake.
11. Place souffle molds into a water bath (water should be about 3/4 up the mold) and
heat on the stove.
12. Bake at 400 F (without the water bath). Cook time is appox 20 min. Check doneness
with a clean paring knife.

Garnish with whipped cream and fresh fruit of your choice. Most importantly, enjoy!

Foie Gras and Fig Recipe

Simply Elegant’s Foie Gras and Fig Recipe

This French delicacy definitely beats Figgy Pudding when it comes to Christmas treats! Simple and delectable, these morsels will become a treasured part of your holiday tradition.

Foie Gras and Fig Recipe

5 dried figs

2 oz. balsamic glaze, crème, or vinegar

2 oz. foie gras, cut into 10 pieces

1 oz. homemade fruit jelly

To Make:

- Cut figs in half and flatten gently.

- Top with balsamic, foie gras and jelly.

- Makes 10 bite-sized pieces.

Ingredients

• 1 750 ml bottle of dry red wine
• 2 750 ml bottles of dry white wine
• 3 oz sweet vermouth
• 3 oz dry vermouth
• 1 cup applejack
• 1 cup lemon vodka
• 1 cup cranberry juice
• 2 oz simple syrup
• Cubed Ice
• Fresh cranberries, orange slices, lemon slices for garnish

Directions

1. Combine all liquid ingredients into a punch bowl and stir well. Refridgerate for 4-5 hours.
2. Add the ice and fruit garnish right before serving.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1065 ml pitted, chopped plums
• 120 ml water
• 1500 g white sugar
• 3 g butter (optional)
• 49.6 g powdered fruit pectin
• 8 half-pint canning jars with lids and rings

Directions

1. Place the plums and water into a large pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar, and add butter to reduce foaming, if needed. Bring the mixture to a full, rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly, and then mix in the pectin quickly. Return the jam to a full boil, and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and skim off and discard any foam.
2. Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the plum jam into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/8 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
3. Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area. Refrigerate opened jars for up to 3 weeks.

Enjoy on English muffins, crumpets, the list goes on….

Here’s a healthy and delicious chicken pasta recipe for the kids.

Serves 4

2 Grilled Chicken Breasts
4 cups “Rainbow” Bowtie or Corkscrew Pasta (cooked)
¼ cup Broccoli
¼ cup Carrots
¼ cup Yellow Pepper
¼ cup Cherry Tomatoes
Parmesan to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste

Personalize the salad by adding your child’s favourite dressing to the salad whether it’s Caesar, Italian, Ranch or Sun-dried Tomato.  Well you get the idea…

Served hot or cold in a lunch box

Another delicious dish courtesy of Simply Elegant.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

pork tenderloin trimmed 1 lb
granny smith apple 4 each
salt and pepper (seasoning)
all purpose flour (dusting)
canola oil 1.5 oz
unsalted butter 1 oz
brown sugar 1 oz
dry white wine 3 oz
dried cranberries 1 oz
lemon, juice and zest 1 each
Calvados 1 oz

Method:

Cut pork tenderloin into 8 equal pieces. Peel and core apples and cut into even-sized
wedges. Season pork tenderloin with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Saute golden brown on both sides in canola oil. Keep meat warm. Combine butter and brown sugar into pan used for cooking the pork. Heat for approximately 5 minutes. Add white wine, apples, dried cranberries, juice of one lemon and its zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and stew briefly. Add Calvados. Put apples on plate in a circular fashion, serve pork medallions on top.

Enjoy!!

Stuffed Pork Rib Roast (with wild mushrooms and mission fig and a port mushroom glaze)

This sumptuous and simply fabulous pork recipe will not only look great on your elegantly dressed dining room table but the taste is out of this world.

Serves 4 people

Ingredients:

2lb pork rib roast
1 cup dried assorted wild mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
1 large shallot minced
1 cup diced dried mission fig
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp sweet paprika
2 cups tawny port
2 tsp olive oil

Method:

Hydrate dried wild mushrooms in boiling water for approximately 15 minutes. Afterwards strain reserving all the liquids. Add together mushrooms, diced fig and sage. In a sauté pan add olive oil and sweat shallots, garlic and paprika until translucent. Add this to mushroom farce and mix well. With a boning knife make a horizontal slit into one end of the pork rib roast without cutting the sides. If you cannot get all the way through, go half way and then turn to the other end and repeat. Take the mushroom fig farce and gently fill cavity of pork rib roast. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roast pork rib roast until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. While roast is in the oven in a sauce pan add reserved mushroom liquid and port and reduce over moderate heat. When roast has reached 140 degrees F, allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Cut in between each bone and plate. With a spoon add a small amount of port mushroom glaze.

Enjoy!!

Talk about a healthy fish dish that’s delish. Rainbow trout is low in fat and calories and is also a good source of many important nutrients. A 3-ounce serving of cooked rainbow trout contains 22 grams of protein and only 130 calories, 4 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, and 30 milligrams of sodium.

This recipe is easy to prepare and taste fantastic.

 1. One Rainbow Trout with Head on for each person you want to serve.
2. Several Lemons cut into slices
3. Rosemary Sprigs
4. Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Sprinkle each trout inside and out with salt and black pepper.

Line it with rosemary and several slices of lemon. Squeeze lemon all over the rainbow trout.

Tightly seal each rainbow trout inside a tin foil package.

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn tin foil packages over at approximately 20 minutes to cook evenly.

Serve with saffron yellow rice and asparagus.

Enjoy!