Zarzuela

In Regina, I have to settle for  Pacific Fresh Fish which,
considering that they are about 7700 km from 
Barcelona, is pretty good.

I do like Spanish food. I make a mean Paella and a couple of other Spanish dishes but what I need to do now is to go to Spain, do some research even if I do put on a few pounds doing it.
I made this the other night and it was great.
Zarzuela takes it's name from the Spanish word for a type of musical theatre or operetta because of the wild variety which makes it up.   
It is sort of Spain's answer to bouillabaisse.
You can use all kinds of seafood so feel free to mix and match. 
It is simple but concise. Outside of the seafood, don't mess with the process too much and it will turn out very well.


Ingredients


A large pinch of saffron threads
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1 bell pepper (red, yellow, orange) seeded then chopped into small pieces
1 500 ml can of chopped tomatoes (I use the ones mixed with garlic and olive oil)
1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
1 1/2 cup fish stock. (In a pinch you could use chicken stock)
1 cup blanched almonds toasted, then finely ground
Salt and pepper
1 dozen mussels
1 dozen clams
1 lb white-fish (cod, haddock or some other) cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 dozen large raw shrimp
3 small squid cut unto small pieces
1 dozen bay scallops
1 loaf of crusty bread (For those in Regina I recommend Orange Boot Bakery)

Put the saffron is a small bowl and add a few Tbsp of boiling water. Let it sit.

Take a large pan with high sides and turn the heat up to medium high. Add a good glug of olive oil the put in the onions and reduce the heat to medium and when they are translucent, careful not to burn them, add the garlic, thyme, peppers and the bay leaves. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Until the red peppers are soft.

Meanwhile which put 3/4 of the tomatoes in a blender and purée them.

Add the tomatoes, the paprika and simmer for 5 minutes or so.

Add the fish stock and the saffron then the almonds to the pot and bring it to a boil stirring often.

Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 or 10 minutes.

Stir in the white-fish then add all the other seafood.

Cover the pot and let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.

Check to make sure the seafood is cooked.

Throw away any of the shellfish that didn't open.

Serve with lots of crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

You could serve a salad or a plate of olives on the side.

Spinach Quiche

Quiche is much and unfairly maligned. Real mean don't eat it etcetera, blah, blah, blah. 
I think I ate quite a bit of bad quiche and I confess I went off it for a while but I had never cooked it so, decided recently to give it another try. 
It turned out to be a case of, "If you want it done right do it yourself."

First, I don't do pastry so I bought pre-made pie crust. You could make the dish right in the pan the crusts come in but, I had a lovely ceramic quiche dish in the cupboard, so I used that.  The pastry stuck so I went out and bought a couple of non stick quiche pans after that.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the empty pie shell for 10 or 15 minutes - just so it starts to brown.

Take it out of the oven

So let's get right to the filling

Ingredients

1 cup grated swiss cheese
3/4 cup of cooked, drained and chopped spinach
6 strips of bacon cooked and crumbled
4 or 5 eggs
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 pinch nutmeg
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Mix up the first three ingredients and spread them evenly onto the pie shell

Mix up the rest of the ingredients and carefully pour them over the filling ingredients.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the centre come out clean.

When it is done take it out and let it stand for 10 minutes before cutting it into serving pieces.

Quiche is as flexible as pizza.  The combinations are endless. Mix and match ingredients and try different cheeses.

Merguez Sausage with Fennel & Couscous

I don't that often see merguez sausage so, when there they were in a cheese store this week, I picked up half a dozen. This couscous dish, while it may not be authentic, is tasty. 
Lots of room to improvise here so be creative.

Ingredients

·        1 or 2 tablespoon olive oil

·        1 teaspoon cumin seeds

·        2 bay leaves

·        2 large diced shallots

·        1 teaspoon dried oregano

·        8½ ounces Merguez sausage, cut into 1-inch-long pieces

·        1 fresh fennel bulb finely chopped (discarding green stalky tops)

·        ½ teaspoon harissa paste, or cayenne pepper or sambal sauce

·        2 cups chicken stock, heated

·        ½ cup yellow raisins

·        ½ cup chopped fresh dill, less if using dried

·        1 cup couscous

Directions

Heat the oil over medium heat.

Add the cumin seeds and bay leaves; stir, and then add the shallots. Stir-fry for 2 minutes and add the oregano. Stir for a minute

Then add the sausage and stir-fry for an additional 5 minutes on medium-high heat, they should be well browned..

Add the fennel and harissa. Stir and fry for an additional 2 minutes, add the stock. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the raisins and chopped dill and stir.

 Pour in the couscous, stir well, and turn off the heat.

Cover the pot immediately and let the dish steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

 Fluff the couscous and serve.

Rabbit with Olives

This is a recipe adapted from one of my brother's.
We had it with some nice red wine on a cold Montreal evening in February.

1 rabbit cut into medium sized pieces (boned if you have the patience)
1 glug of olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
3 or 4 cloves of garlic chopped
about 15 assorted olives sliced
1 cup of carrots sliced into rounds
1 cup mushrooms
sage
thyme
rosemary
oragano
2 bay leaves
salt  &  pepper
1 cup red wine (you can substitute white wine)
1 cup chicken stock

Heat olive oil in a large skillet
Add  onions and olives and cook until the onion is translucent
Add the rabbit, the garlic and the spices
When the rabbit has browned pour in the wine and the stock, you can use a bit more than the recipe calls for depending on the size of the rabbit
Add the carrots and mushrooms
Bring it to a boil then, after about 5 minutes reduce the heat to a simmer,
Simmer it all for 50 minutes or so. A bit longer if you like. Until the meat is very temder
Near the end use a small bit of flour and water to thicken
serve over rice or pasta

*I found that the rabbits in Western Canada tend to be a bit largee that those I saw in Montreal's Atwater Market or in the Byward Market in Ottawa so be flexible.

* A large rabbit will serve six

* if you don't have rabbit, you can substitute chicken

Paella

Photo credit: Shelley Banks

Paella is originally from Valencia, where it is often eaten as a Sunday meal. There are many variations of it with different ingredients.
The name paella is the word for “frying pan” in Valencian. However, the dish has
become so popular in Spain that the word paellera is now usually used for the pan
and paella almost exclusively for the dish.

I love this dish. It is tasty, hearty and easy to make. If you don’t have a paellera try using a wok or a large deep skillet.

I like mine to have a variety of ingredients but, you could easily make it into
seafood dish or leave out the seafood and use chicken or rabbit. Don't go overboard and put too much of a variety in however. It could turn into what has been called " pointless baroque exhibitionism."

The Spanish love the crusty toasted rice buildup from the bottom of the pan
called socarrat so, if you are having a Spaniard for supper, when it is pretty
much done, turn up the heat until you smell the rice beginning to toast. Try very
hard not to burn the bottom.

600 grams chicken thighs or legs
Salt &  pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 red pepper, chopped in small pieces (Morgan would say leave these out)
1/2 tsp saffron threads
6 cups chicken or fish stock
1 tsp oragano
2 tbsp Spanish smoked paprika
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups, short grain rice
2 links of Chorizo Sausage fresh or dried, cut into bite sized pieces
12 to 18 large raw peeled shrimp
12 mussels or 12 clams

a few small squid
1 cup frozen peas

Heat a swirl of oil in the pan and brown the chicken pieces well then remove from the pan and set aside. (If you are using fresh sausage brown it separately and set it aside as well)
Drain off all but a bit of the oil and add the onion and garlic and cook them until they are soft. Stir in the rice and the red pepper and spices, stir well for a minute or so then add the tomatoes.
Meanwhile dissolve the saffron in the stock and add 2 cups to the rice mixture. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium high. Return the chicken to the pan and it is now time to add the sausage, what ever kind you are using. Cook uncovered 20 minutes stirring occasionally adding more stock as it begins to
dissolve. Don’t stir it as you would a risotto. It only needs an occasional mixing.
Stir in the shrimp, peas and shellfish and add the rest of the stock.
If the rice mixture gets too dry during this process you might add a bit more stock or water. You don’t want it to dry out and burn.
Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until most of the moisture is absorbed, the shrimp are opaque and the shellfish have opened. Discard any that have not.

Enjoy

The last time I made this dish I had bought some frozen squid but, they were in a solid block and it became impossible to thaw the few of them I needed. I had to thaw the whole damn block so...I simply cut off and used all the heads and tentacles and threw away the rest. It least one of my guests was a bit put off by the squid tentacles sticking up and out of the rice.

Chicken and Leeks with Penne, for two

I grew leeks for the first time this year and although they were a bit slow to get started they were ready by September for a good meal or two.
This is a very simple dish to make and it turned out very well.

2 chicken legs
2 cups chicken stock
 1 1/2 cups leeks cut into small rounds
1/2 cup pancetta
Penne, enough for two
Salt and pepper to taste

If the legs have the backs attached cut them off and set them aside for the next time you make stock.
Cut the pancetta into 1/4 inch cubes and fry until crispish, and set aside..
Heat the chicken stock.
Put 2/3 of the leeks on the bottom of an oven proof earthenware dish, add the cooked pancetta then place the chicken legs on top. Pour the stock over the chicken until it is not quite covered. Add the rest of the leeks.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cover and put into a 450 degree oven for 35 or 40 minutes.
If the dish doesn't have a cover, just use aluminum foil.
At about the 30 minutes mark, put the penne into boiling salted water,
When it is done drain and toss with butter.
Put the penne in a pasta bowl.
Take the chicken out of the oven and place a leg on top of each bowl of penne. Spoon the leeks over top of the penne and chicken then add a bit of the chicken stock to the penne and serve.
Enjoy.
Simple and scrumptious.

Smoked Picnic Ham with Guinness

It had been some time since we'd cook a ham so I picked up a Smoked Picnic Ham the other day for under $8.00. I thought, for that price how could I go wrong. 
I didn't want to cook it an a very sweet sauce to I improvised. 
It was very good.

1 smoked picnic ham shoulder
1 large onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 can Guinness
2 or 3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp each of Rosemary, thyme and oregano
1 good pinch black pepper
1/2 a cup maple syrup

Heat the oven to 350  F degrees
These hams are often wrapped in Cheesecloth. Don't forget to unwrap that cheesecloth and throw it away. It will make your life easier later on.
Scour the fat on top of the ham with a sharp knife.
In a large dutch oven or other large heavy saute the onion until  translucent, then add the garlic and the herbs
in another minute or so, add the ham
Pour in the Guinness and then the stock
Pour the maple syrup over the ham
Heat the stock on the stove until it almost boils
Cover the pot tightly, use tin foil if the pot's cover won't fit with the ham in there
Put it in the oven for 3 hours turning the ham twice and so the last hour the fat side is up.
After three hours take the pot out and remove the ham. It should be at least 160 F
Place it in a roasting pan, turn the heat up to 450 F and put it back into the oven uncovered.
Take a couple of cups of stock along with the onions etc, add a few more of the herbs and a Tbsp of Dijon mustard then either using a handheld blender or a stand alone blender blend the mixture until it is like a sauce or gravy. Put the sauce back into the pot. Reduce the ham gravy on the stove top and if needed at the end add a small amount of cornstarch to thicken.
If you prefer a sweeter flavour add some more maple syrup but I don't think you need it.
Serve it with potatoes and a vegetable
It is very good

Cassoulet

The first time I ever had this dish Shelley and I were visiting my brother Sandy
and his wife Barbara who were living in the south of France. We drove to see La
Cite de Carcassonne, an amazing walled city which is about 90 km south east of
Toulouse. It poured rain and we got soaked to the skin exploring the castle and
the city. At lunch time we stopped at an old stone built restaurant within the
walls and warmed up with steaming bowls of cassoulet.
This is Sandy and Barbara’s recipe.


Ingredients

5 or 6 bay leaves
3 cups of dried white
beans, (lingots)
Olive Oil
2 Toulouse sausage,
thinly sliced. Choriso
would do in a pinch
1/2 kilo of pork cut into
1 inch pieces
1/2 kilo of any one of
the following cut into 1
inch pieces
- duck
- chicken
- turkey
5 or 6 cloves of garlic
chopped
1 shallot chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
2 tbsp Herbes de Provence
Salt and pepper
A few sprigs of parsley
chopped
1 or 2 hot peppers
chopped
2 tomatoes roughly
chopped
Reserved bean water
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

First, soak the beans overnight. Boil the beans with 3 or 4 bay leaves until the
beans are chewable but not mushy. Set them aside but don’t drain them.
Preheat the oven to 375 and then drizzle olive oil into a large skillet and saute
the meat, garlic, shallot, red pepper, onion, along with the spices until the meat
is lightly browned.
In a large oven proof pot put enough beans to cover the bottom. Put 1/3 of the
meat mixture over the beans and some of the tomatoes, hot peppers, and the remaining
bay leaves. Continue to layer like this until you are out of ingredients.
Add the bean water and chicken stock until the liquid is just below the beans.
Bake the mixture for 2 hours. Let cool for a bit. Top up the pot with bean water
and chicken stock until it is back to its previous level, just below the beans.
Add the breadcrumbs and bake for another 1 1/2 hours or until the breadcrumbs have
browned.
Serve in large shallow bowls and serve with red wine. A Minervois or a Corbiere
would be authentic.

Coconut Risotto with Prawn Korma

Coconut Risotto

4 cups Chicken Stock

1 400 ml can coconut milk

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp chopped Green Onions

¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 ½ cups arborio rice

¼ cup dry white wine

2 Tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

In a pot, combine the chicken stock and the coconut milk. Bring just to a boil, remove from heat and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan on medium, heat olive oil and add green onions and stir until soft. Add the coconut flakes and rice and continue stirring for 1 minute

Pour in wine and stir until almost all is absorbed.

Add stock-coconut milk mixture ½ cup at a time and stir until almost absorbed before adding another. Continue stirring gently and adding broth mixture until it is all gone and rice is tender. This will take about 35 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add butter, salt and pepper and serve.

Prawn Korma

1 Onion finely chopped

1 garlic clove finely chopped

1 Tbsp butter

1 can of Patak’s Korma Curry

½ a cup of water

500 grams of raw prawns peeled

½ a cup of whipping cream

About 10 minutes before you expect the Risotto to be ready

In a frying pan sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent in butter

Add the Curry and the water

Heat until simmering

Add the prawns and stir gently until they are cooked

Stir in the cream and reheat

Serve the risotto in a shallow bowl and distribute the curry evenly on top of each dish.

Serves 4 to 6 people

Paprika Chicken with Garlic

This is my new favorite chicken recipe. Paprika Chicken with Garlic. A Spanish dish.

It is a dish that any restaurant would be more than happy to charge you $25.00 for. 

So why pay through the nose for something which is so simple to make.

Ingredients

6 to 8 chicken thighs

2 cups of flour 

3 Tbsp smoked paprika

1 couple of glugs of olive oil

20 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved

2 cups heated chicken stock

1/3 of a cup of dry white wine

3 bay leaves

2 Tbsp dried thyme

Salt & pepper

Dredge the chicken in flour then in the paprika. If is isn't covering well take some paprika in your hands and rub it into the chicken. Set it aside.

Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a deep frying pan or a dutch oven. Add the garlic and heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Don't let it brown. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and set it aside.

Brown the chicken well on both sides. Don't crowd it. Three at a time is probably the easiest depending on the size of your pan. When all the chicken are well browned place the chicken pieces skin side up in the pan. Hopefully your pan is large enough to have the chicken all on one layer,

Put the garlic back into the pan distributing it evenly and between the pieces of chicken. Add the bay leaves, the thyme and the salt and pepper.

Add the hot stock and wine to the pan and turn up the heat bringing it to a boil.

When it boils, turn the heat to simmer, cover the pan and cook for 25 minutes.

After the chicken is done, take it out and put in in a warming oven.

Take out the bay leaves. 

Bring the stock back to a boil and reduce it to about 1 1/2 cups.

Put the chicken on warmed plates and pour the sauce and the pieces of garlic over the chicken.

I like this with roasted small potatoes with the skins on. Take a couple of handfulls of the small potatoes you can buy packaged in most stores, red or yellow it doesn't matter. Put a bit of olive oil in a cast iron fry pan and on high heat fry them for a few minutes shaking them often. Sprinkle them with some rosemary, salt & pepper and perhaps a little bit of garlic powder. Shake them up one last time.

Put them, pan and all into a 450 degree oven and cook them for about 20 minutes.

Yogurt Pancakes

Looking for a slightly different and somewhat healthy pancake recipe I tried this one.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour all- purpose
2 tbl. sugar
2 teas. baking powder
1 teas. baking soda
2 or 3  eggs
2 cups (16) plain yogurt

 In a small bowl combine the dry ingredients
In another bowl whisk the 3 wet ingredients
Add to the dry ingredients just until moistened
If it looks to dry, add a bit of milk.

Cook up like regular pancakes

Banana Bran Muffins with Dates

I have always found most banana muffins too sweet but these are just right for my taste.


Ingredients


1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dates cut into thirds

Directions
First preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a muffin pan, I really like those soft silicone ones.
 In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Add bananas, milk, vanilla and eggs; mix well. Stir in flour, bran, baking powder, soda and salt; blend just until moistened. Stir in walnuts and dates. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake at 375 degrees F   for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in the cups for 5 minutes, then remove muffins and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Salmon Filets with a Ginger Glaze

I was looking for something a bit different for some salmon filets the other night and came across this recipe which I thought was very tasty.

A great catch from north of Cambell River

Mix up the following

3 TBSP grated Ginger
3 TBSP honey
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
2 TBSP lime juice
(don't add salt, there is more than enough in the hoisin sauce)

toasted Sesame seeds

Heat the oven to 450 degrees

Put the salmon filets in a baking dish, cover the top with a generous portion of the glaze and pop them in the oven

Cook them for about 8 minutes depending on thickness

Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve with some greens and rice

Olive Dip

Kalamata Olives

The last night we were in Vancouver we went to a Greek Restaurant just under the Dees Tunnel, then a bit north.

We went for the Mussels which were reported to be in the “to die for” category. 

They were out of mussels.

What we had instead was not memorable except for the olive dip. It was great. I savoured every bit trying to figure out how they made it.

I tried last night and I think I have it.

I was making Greek food for supper yesterday so I first made hummus. (For those who have my   We Love to Cook With Wine cookbook, it is on page 11) Then I took about ¾ of a cup of pitted kalamata olives,  1 Tbls of olive oil and ¼ cup of the hummus and pureed it all in a blender.

Serve with warm pita. If you like olives, you'll love it.

Tourtiere

I love this traditional Quebec recipe or, perhaps I should say my compilation of several old Quebec recipes. We serve it around Christmas.

Ingredients:

1 pat butter
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup celery leaves chopped
2 large onions finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 kilo of ground pork or mix other ground meat with the pork such as beef or perhaps a bit of chicken
1 cup water
1/2 cup parsley chopped
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 heaping tsp dried savory
Salt & pepper
Pastry for 2 or 3 double crusted 9 inch pies

In a large saucepan, saute the celery, onions and garlic with a good sized pat of butter. When the onion is transparent add the meat and the water and simmer until it begins to brown.
Add the salt, pepper cloves, cinnamon, savory, celery leaves and parsley, then stir.
Simmer for about half an hour adding a bit more water if needed.
Correct the seasoning at this point if necessary.
Pour off the fat and let the mixture cool.
Add the mixture to the pie shells and cover with pastry cutting a few slits into the top crust. I ofter cut in a Christmas tree design.
At this point you can either pop them into a 400 degree oven or freeze them.
If you decide to cook them now they will take about 30 to 40 minutes - a bit longer if they are frozen - in either case cook them until the pastry is browned.
Serve hot or cold.

Chicken with Rosemary, Sherry and Lemon

I tried a new chicken recipe the other day and although it was meant for a roast chicken, and I used a couple of chicken legs it was very good, if not what the original recipe intended.

Ingredients

2, 3 or 4 chicken legs with the backs removed
the juice on 1 lemon
1 lemon thinly sliced
1 medium onion thinly sliced

Marinade

3 Tbsp of Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 Tbsp sherry or port
2 or 3 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary (dried if you can't get fresh)

Sauce

1 1/2 ounces sherry or port
1/4 cup whipping cream

Cooking Instructions

In a small bowl combine all the ingredients for the paste (You could whip it all together with a hand held blender if you have one.)
Rub the marinade into the chicken legs gently pushing some under the skin where you can.
Put it all in a plastic bag and leave in the fridge for at least an hour

Preheat the oven to 350
Take a small roasting pan, put the onion and the lemon slices in the pan and place the chicken on top. Squeeze out any marinade left in the bag and make sure the chicken is evenly covered with it.
Pour the lemon juice over the chicken.
Put it in the oven.

Cook for about 45 minutes or until the chicken seems done.
Take the chicken out of the pan and keep warm.
While the chicken rests, place the roasting pan on the stove and heat the pan juices. add the sherry or port and bring to a boil. Scrape the pan bottom with a wooden spoon loosening the bits.
Turn the heat down and add the whipping cream. Stir until it thickens a bit.

Serve the chicken with some sauce poured over the top.

Yum!

Lamb Shanks with five Heads of Garlic

There already is a lamb shanks recipe here somewhere I think but I tried a new one yesterday and thought I'd share it. I like it because as a lazy cook I am always looking for shortcuts. You have to braise this lamb first, it braises in the oven really, which is fine with me.
The recipe is from the Aragon region of Spain.
If you are not a garlic fan, move on to something else. If you are, this smells great while it is cooking and tastes delicious.

3 or 4 lamb shanks
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large or 2 medium onions cut into wedges
2 carrots peeled and cut into chunks
1 head of garlic separated into cloves and peeled, then lightly smashed
4 heads of garlic with the outer skin removed
Olive oil
3 large rosemary sprig
3/4 cup white wine
About 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock

Pre-heat the oven to 475 F

Brushs the lamb with olive oil then rub the lamb with salt and pepper.

Take out your heavy cast iron pot or dutch oven with a lid (If there is no lid tin foil will do in a pinch) and put the onions, carrots and garlic in the bottom of the pot. Pour in a bit of olive oil and stir them up until they are coated. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Place the shanks on top of the vegtables then tuck in the heads of garlic and the rosemary between the shanks. Brush everything with a bit more olive oil then put the pot into the oven uncovered.

At the 25 minute point check to make sure the vegetables at the bottom of the pot are not starting to burn. If they are add a little water. Bake the shanks for about total of 45 minutes at 475 F.

After 45 minutes take out the pot and turn the heat down to 425. Add the wine and the stock until the cover the shanks and the heads of the garlic about half way. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and pop it all back into the oven.

Bake the lamb shanks for about 2 more hours turning them a couple of times during this period.

Move the shanks, vegetables, garlic heads and all onto a serving platter. The pan juices are ready to go and serve as a delicious gravy. It they are thinner than you like reduce them on the stove top.

Serve with a fresh vegetable and potatoes.

Frittata for Breakfast

A frittata is a kind of quiche on steroids. It is Italian in origin but my guess is this recipe is not really as much authentic as it is delicious. Generally I make frittata with whatever I have in the fridge so the outcome can vary tremendously however, I never cooked a frittata I didn't like.

A few left over boiled potatoes cut into small pieces.
Olive oil as needed
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 red pepper cut into small pieces
2 round slices of pancetta cut into small cubes
5 eggs
¼ cup milk or cream
1 cup cheddar cheese grated
½ cup Parmesan cheese grated.

Turn the oven on to heat at 450 degrees.
First fry up the pancetta until it begins to crisp. Set it aside.
Put a bit of olive oil in a cast iron frying pan a fry up the potatoes. As the potatoes begin to brown add in the onion and garlic and shortly after season with salt and pepper.
When the onions are translucent add the pepper and the pancetta. Mix it all up making sure that nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Beat the eggs with the milk and add them to the pan. The egg mixture should almost cover the potato mixture.
Spread the cheeses on top and put it all into the hot oven.
After 10 minutes or so take the pan out and check for doneness by sticking in a knife or fork. It is is runny ­inside, pop it back into the oven. If not, it is ready to serve.
Make sure the sides will free up easily by running a knife around the outside.
Take a plate and place it over the pan. Turn the pan upside down. The frittata should come out cleanly onto the plate. Place a new plate on top of the frittata and turn it over again.
Serve it cheese side up.
It will easily cut into 4 or 6 servings as needed.
It is good hot or cold.

Note: Feel free to experiment, if you don't have left over potatoes use frozen hash browns, try bacon or sausage instead of pancetta, almost any vegetables will work in this dish, artichoke hearts, zucchini or green onions. You can mix up the cheese as well.

Quick and Easy Chicken Cacciatore

I have a great recipe for Chicken Cacciatore made from scratch but, there are days where I just don't have the time or energy to put it all together. Quick and easy doesn't have to mean bland. This recipe proves that.

There is no need to cut up a whole chicken, buy legs or thighs for this dish. Dredge them with flour and brown them in some olive oil using a deep fry pan.
When they are well browned, take them out and set aside.
Add one finely chopped onion to the pan along with a couple of finely chopped cloves of garlic. Cook then until the onion is translucent being careful not to brown them. Put the chicken back into the pan, stir things around, add one can of Hunt's chopped tomatoes with Olive Oil and Garlic along with a cup or so of chicken stock. Stir.
Bring it all up to a slow boil. Add a tablespoon of oregano and a couple of shakes of red pepper flakes and stir again and turn down the heat.
Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes.
Before it is quite done cook up some of your favorite spaghetti. Drain and put it into a serving bowl. Add your favorite cheese then pour the tomato mixture over the pasta.
Stir and serve.

Mussels a la Plancha

This is my new favorite way of cooking mussels. This is as simple as a recipe gets but it is very good.
I prefer cultivated P.E.I. mussels but chaque un a son gout as they say in Quebec.
A la plancha means on the griddle or skillet.

You will need about a kilo of mussels or less depending on how many you are feeding. Much more and you should do two batches, otherwise it will become unmanageable.

Take a large cast iron or other type of skillet and get it quite hot. Hot enough so that drops of water will dance across the pan when dropped on it.

Put one quick swirl of olive oil in the pan then drop in all the mussel at once. It works best if there is only the one layer of mussels but don't worry if you have a double layer. It will work fine but you might have to stir them up as they cook.

The mussels will cook in their own juices and will open as they cook. A couple of times, shake in a bit of salt and pepper mixing them up each time.

When all the mussels are open, squeeze the juice of a couple of limes all over them and serve them in the pan you cooked them in.

You might want some melted butter to dip the mussels in if you insist but, I don't really think you need it.