Almond, Snow Pea & Sweet Pepper Noodle Salad

Ingredients:

• 8 oz rice stick noodles
  
• 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
  
• 1 garlic
  
• 1 cup snow peas
  
• 100 g shelled almonds
  
• 1 orange bell pepper
  
• cilantro
  
• olive oil for frying

Directions:

Soak noodles in boiling water for 5-7 minutes.
Strain noodles. Toss with Hoisin sauce.
Mince garlic and stir fry in oil 1-2 minutes.
Slice peas on the diagonal.
Add peas to pan with garlic and stir fry 1-2 minutes.
Add almonds. Continue stir-frying another minute.
Slice pepper thinly & cut slices into thirds.
Add pepper to stir fry. Cook one minute longer.
Toss vegetable/almond mixture with noodles.
Garnish with cilantro.
Serve at room temperature.

Sesame Ginger Chicken Stir Fry

Sesame and ginger compliment one another perfectly in this simple chicken stir fry.



Ingredients:

• 2 lbs fresh or 1 lb dry rice noodles*
  
• 1 garlic, minced
  
• 2 inches ginger root, minced
  
• 1 lb chicken breasts, cut into strips
  
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
  
• 1 bok choy, shredded
  
• 2 tablespoons soya sauce
  
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  
• 1/4 cup sweet chili pepper sauce**
  
• cilantro
  
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
  
• olive oil for frying
  
• sliced spring onions for garnish

Notes:

* I use fresh udon noodles when I can get them. If not available, a dry rice stick noodle is an acceptable substitute.

** Amount of chili pepper sauce can be adjusted depending on the heat level of your sauce and your personal taste. I use President's Choice "Memories of Thailand" Fiery Chili Pepper Sauce in my dish.

Directions:

If using dry noodles, place them in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. (Fresh noodles do not require pre-soaking.)
Allow noodles to soak 5-7 minutes (or as directed on package for preparing noodles for stir fry).
Drain noodles and set aside.
Heat olive oil in large skillet or wok.
Add garlic and ginger and stir fry 1-2 minutes.
Coat chicken strips in corn starch.
Add chicken to pan and fry until heated through (5-6 minutes).
Add shredded bok choy and continue stir frying, 1-2 minutes until cabbage has wilted.
Add soya, sesame oil, chili pepper sauce, cilantro and 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and mix well.
Stir in noodles and heat through.
Serve immediately, garnished with spring onions and reserved sesame seeds.

Gazpacho

This cold tomato soup is the perfect dish for a hot summer day. Full of flavour and fresh-from-the-garden goodness.



Ingredients:

• 5 large tomatoes
  
• 1 red bell pepper
  
• 1 green bell pepper
  
• 1 red onion
  
• 1 garlic
  
• cilantro
  
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  
• hot sauce such as Susie's Calypso
  
• 2 cups cold vegetable stock
  
• seasoned croutons for garnish

Directions:

Dice tomatoes, peppers and onion.
Mince garlic and cilantro, reserving some cilantro leaves whole for garnish.
Toss vegetables and minced cilantro together.
Pour oil and vinegar over vegetables and mix well.
Fire it up as desired with hot sauce.
Mix in cold vegetable stock.
Cover and refrigerate 2 hours to allow flavours to blend.
Serve cold, garnished with croutons and whole cilantro leaves.

Lemon Pepper Vodka Ice

Finally: a popsicle for grown-ups! Delightfully refreshing and not too sweet, enjoy this cool treat to take the edge off summer's heat.



Ingredients:

• freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
  
• 1 shot vodka
  
• 13 twists freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 cups ice water
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Pour into popsicle moulds or other suitable freezable containers.
Chill until frozen.
Enjoy Lemon Pepper Vodka Ice frozen solid on a popsicle stick or thaw to a slush and eat with a spoon.

Gourmet Cheese, Tomato & Carmelized Onion Panini

Cheese & tomato sandwiches, grilled cheese, and cheese & onion just about anything are traditional common grub in my native land. In the best tradition of my adopted country; however, I've combined these flavours with some local specialties and a cooking technique from yet a third country (the Italian pressed & grilled sandwich or "panino") to create this delicious sandwich. Simple food with gourmet taste.



Ingredients:

• hearty whole grain, multi-grain bread
  
• onion, thinly sliced
  
• tomato, sliced
  
• chèvre
  
• aged Canadian cheddar, sliced
  
• extra virgin olive oil
  
• olive oil for frying

Notes:

Panini are traditionally made in a ridged sandwich press which toasts both slices of bread while heating the sandwich through and fusing the fillings together. The ridges give the panino its characteristic stripes. If you don't have such a press; however, you can still enjoy this delicious sandwich by cooking it in a skillet and pressing down the top of the sandwich with a second heavy skillet or other weight, then flipping the sandwich halfway through the cooking time to toast the opposite side of the bread. You won't have the stripes using this second method, but you'll still get all of the flavour!

Directions:

Stir fry onion in olive oil over medium heat until onions are caramelized (soft and caramel in colour).
Spread chèvre on one side of each slice of bread.
Place tomato slices on one slice of bread for each sandwhich.
Top tomato with slices of Canadian cheddar. (I've had great results making this sandwich with Balderson's 2 Year Old Royal Canadian Cheddar.)
Spread carmelized onions over top of cheddar.

Top sandwiches with second slice of bread (cheese side inside).
Brush outside of sandwiches lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
Cook in a hot sandwich press or skillet with top weight until both sides of the sandwhich are toasted and the cheeses have melted, fusing the fillings together.
Enjoy hot off the grill.

Mango Citrus Salad

A delightful and refreshing summer salad. Enjoy it with a tall cool glass of Mint Lemondade.



Ingredients:

• mixed salad greens
  
• spring onions, sliced
  
• fresh mint leaves, torn into small pieces
  
• fresh cilantro leaves, torn into small pieces
  
• chives, chopped
  
• grapefruit, peeled, seeded and divided into segments
  
• mango, peeled and sliced
  
• freshly squeezed lemon juice
  
• liquid honey

Directions:

Line plates or bowls with mixed greens.
Sprinkle onions, mint, cilantro and chives over the greens.
Arrange grapefruit segments and mango slices on top.
Pour lemon juice and honey into a glass jar with a tightly fitting lid (or a similar, non-reactive vessel which can be used as a shaker).
Seal lid onto jar/shaker and shake vigorously.
Drizzle dressing over top of salad.
Serve immediately.

Seafood Linguine

A truly decadent seafood linguine, simmered in a sun-dried tomato pesto and white wine cream sauce.



Ingredients:

• 4 servings whole grain linguine
  
• 1 pound live mussels
  
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
  
• 1 cup shucked scallops
  
• olive oil for frying
  
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
  
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomato pesto
  
• 1 cup cooked lobster meat, broken into small pieces
  
• 1 cup shrimp
  
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Cook linguine until al dente.
Scrub and rinse mussels.
Place mussels and wine in a large saucepan with a tightly fitting lid.
Steam mussels over high heat until they open. (Approximately 5 minutes.)
Strain wine off mussels and reserve.
Remove cooked mussels from their shells, discarding any that have failed to open.
If using large sea scallops, chop into 1/2 inch cubes.
Stir fry scallops in olive oil over medium heat until they turn opaque (2-3 minutes).
Add cream and wine to scallops and bring to a boil.
Simmer until sauce thickens slightly. (Approximately 5 minutes.)
Add pesto and mix in well.
Add lobster, mussels and shrimp.
Continue cooking another 5-6 minutes, until everything is heated through.
Serve seafood mixture over linguine, garnished with Parmesan and black pepper.