Hen Rockets

I don't like watching cooking shows but there was this Canadian cooking show called Recipe to Riches.  Very inspiring.  It allows amateur cooks to make their favourite food  or appetizer and showcase it to judges.

There was one appetizer that caught me eye and appetite: the chicken grenade. It's essentially chicken  wrapped in bacon. But the way they made it seemed a bit bland for my palette.   So, I took the idea and added some different flavours to complete a beautiful appetizer that I call Hen Rockets. 

Meals for a Week

I have a friend who has a crazy work schedule and doesn't have time to cook a healthy meal each day.  He regularly eats my food when he comes over and always raves about it.  As a joke, I offered to cook his meals for a week.  He took me up on the offer and here's a look at what I delivered:  rice and peas, baked jerk chicken, grilled peppers and broccoli, and a beef roast.  He loved the food and now for a small fee, I deliver a variety of trays of food each week. 

The food can be portioned and frozen to make it last longer.  He found it was just enough for 2 meals a day for a week. 

Mini Cupcakes

Mini cupcakes

I recently started a new job and on my first day a coworker brought around cupcakes his wife baked.  With the first bite, I fell in love.  The flavor, the texture, and the scent gave me pause.  I asked him if she was a professional baker.  He said she has a passion for baking and creates custom cakes and pastries for special occasions. 

I asked her to bake me a few for some of my catering events and she delivered these mini cupcakes that were a delight. 

Spinach Cove

Spinach Cove

I don't like spinach dips I've tried because I find the flavours are usually off.  I decided to make my own spinach dip with a bit of a twist that gave it a better texture.  I got rave reviews from my friends. Then I had this idea of putting it inside a pastry shell since I love puff pastry so much. This created what you see here:  the spinach cove.  

It's a soft flaky exterior with the warm, creamy goodness of spinach.

Dinner Party for 6

Last Saturday I had the honour of catering a private dinner party for a group of six people.  This dinner was the result of a gift donation I made to support charity fundraiser that one of my friends organized.  I decided to help in the best way possible:  offer my services. 

Mango cranberry salad was served as the appetizer.  The main course was glazed short beef ribs on a bed of wild rice with grilled zucchini and carrots on the side. Finally the meal was finished off with my apple turnover pie. 

The dinner received rave reviews.

Mango Salad

Beef short ribs on a bed of rice

Apple turnover pie with ice cream

Apple Turnover Pie

 I recently catered a birthday party and their was a special request for the birthday boy: apple turnovers.  To be different,  I thought, why not make an apple turnover pie. My friends told me it wasn't going to work and it doesn't make sense, but I laughed and did it!

Behold my apple turnover pie.

The pie dough with sections filling

Creating individual pieces

Glazing it with egg wash mix

The finished pie



Split Pea Soup

My wife loves soups because they're a quick and easy meal filled with all the nutrients she needs. I'm going to say my wife loves my soups, not because she's my wife, but because it taste better then any soups she's ever had (there, I said it!).

I regularly make this simple split peas soup which gives her about 4 1-litre jars to freeze for later.  Reheated from frozen or fresh, it taste the same every time.  The key is to soak the split peas ahead of time to soften them (I usually do overnight).  This recipe takes about an hour to make.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic finley diced
• 3 cups dry yellow split peas
• 5 cups water
• 2 stalks green onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 an onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup sweet potato, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup pumpkin, cut into cubes
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 pinch of ginger
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cover 3 cups of dry split peas with water.  Let stand for at least 3 hours (overnight is fine)
2. Drain the split peas.
3. In a large pot (that can hold at least 4 liters),  add olive oil and heat on medium.
4. Once oil is hot, add garlic to the pot. 
5. Once the garlic is golden brown, add the split peas to the pot.  Stir in the water.
6. Add green onions, onions, salt, black peper, brown sugar, thyme, and ginger to the pot.
7. After 5 minutes, add the coconut milk, sweet potato, and pumpkin.
8. Cover the pot and turn the stove down to low and cook for 40 minutes. 
9. Check the pot and stir every ten minutes to avoid letting the peas stick to the bottom. 

Serve with your favourite side like fresh french bread or corn bread.