Lemon Tarragon Cream Sauce

This delicate yet flavourful sauce is excellent with seafood.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon butter
  
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh tarragon
  
• 1 cup whipping cream
  
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Chop tarragon into small pieces.
Melt butter in a small saucepan.
Add cream and tarragon.
Heat gently, bringing mixture to a boil.
Simmer until sauce is reduced by half. (Approximately 5 minutes.)
Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
Serve immediately.

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

Okay. This isn't technically a vinaigrette. (It contains no oil or vinegar!) But it tastes good.

Ingredients:

• freshly squeezed lemon juice
  
• liquid honey

Directions:

Pour equal parts 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.
Use immediately, drizzled over your favourite salad, or refrigerate until needed.

Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread is simple to make and wonderfully versatile. Try some of the additions suggested in this recipe for a delicious variety of flavours.

Basic Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  
• 1/4 cup corn starch

Additional Ingredients (choose one combination):

• orange zest & finely grated dark chocolate
  
• lemon zest & minced candied ginger
  
• ground pecans & finely grated dark chocolate
  
• peppermint oil & crushed candy canes

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Stir in flour and corn starch until incorporated fully.
Stir in additional ingredients, if using.
Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick sheet.
Cut into rounds or shapes with cookie cutters.
Arrange cookies on cookie sheets lined with waxed paper.
Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for five minutes.
Then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Store cooled cookies in airtight containers at room temperature.

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.

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.

Dragon Punch

This colourful non-alcoholic punch mixes well with a variety of spirits and liqueurs and is a staple of parties at Rainbow Dragon's Lair. (I prefer to serve a virgin punch and allow responsible adults to spike their own, if desired, so that everyone knows exactly how much alcohol they are consuming.)



Ingredients:

• 50% orange juice
  
• 25% ginger ale
  
• 10% lemon juice
  
• 10% lime juice
  
• 5% grenadine
  
• cocktail cherries & orange slices for garnish

Directions:

Combine juices, ginger ale and grenadine in a punch bowl or juice pitcher and mix well.
Serve chilled in a tall glass, garnished with fruit and a parasol.

Favourite Alcoholic Variations:

Spike with 1.5 oz Strawberrynna liqueur for a Strawberry Dragon.

Spike with 1.5 oz Marie Brizard's Raspberry liqueur for a Raspberry Dragon.

Spike with 1.5 oz gin for a Singapore Sling.

Spike with 1 oz light, 1 oz dark & 1 oz amber rum for a Zombie.

Vampire's Bane Caesar Salad

The very first time I attempted to make a Caesar salad I followed a recipe from a book which called for one clove of garlic. (This was when I was still a child and had not yet developed my basic rules for cooking with garlic.) The recipe said to peel the clove of garlic, fry it in olive oil, cut it in half, take the two halves and rub them around the inside of a wooden salad bowl, then discard the clove!

Rest assured: This is NOT that Caesar salad!



Ingredients:

• 1 egg
  
• 20 grams anchovy paste*
  
• 1 garlic
  
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  
• freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
  
• extra virgin olive oil
  
• romaine lettuce
  
• bacon
  
• red onion
  
• mushrooms
  
• extra secret ingredient**
  
• seasoned croutons
  
• freshly grated Parmesan, Asiago and Romano cheese
  
• freshly ground black pepper

Notes:

* Trust me on this: Don't skip the anchovy! I know there are a lot of people out there who are squeamish about anchovies but, if you like Caesar salad, whether you know it or not, you like anchovy!

The addition of chopped pieces of anchovy on top of the salad reportedly was not included in Caesar Cardini's original recipe, but every Caesar salad worth its salt (including the original) does include anchovy in the sauce! Check the ingredients list on your favourite brand of bottled Caesar salad dressing. Ten to one it includes anchovy paste and/or Worcestershire sauce (which itself includes anchovies).

** flat fillets of anchovies, packed in extra virgin olive oil. In deference to my squeamish friends, I reserve these in the kitchen and serve them only to the appreciative who pass their plates into the kitchen to be finished off in true Polyphagous Dragon style.

Directions:

Cook bacon until crisp.
Squeeze between paper towel to absorb excess fat.
Set aside to cool.

Wash and dry lettuce.
Tear into bite sized pieces.
Chill.

Beat egg.
Beat in anchovy paste.
Peel garlic & remove hard bases from cloves.
Crush or finely grate garlic & beat into egg/anchovy mixture.
Mix in 3/4 cup Parmesan & lemon juice.
Stir in olive oil until desired thickness is reached.
Chill dressing in covered container.

Crumble cooled bacon.
Slice onion thinly.
Chop mushrooms into bite sized pieces.

Shake dressing vigorously, adding additional oil if necessary.
Toss lettuce, mushrooms, onion and bacon bits with dressing.
Top with croutons, freshly grated cheeses, pepper and extra secret ingredient as desired.

Chambord Coulis with Summer Berry Salad

Research into the health benefits of eating berries has been rife with good news for those of us who love these delicious little fruits. Most are naturally sweet and delicious straight up, but for something a little more decadent, try this tasty treat:

Ingredients:
For the coulis:

• 600g raspberries
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 1/4 cup Chambord liquer
  
• juice of one lemon

For the salad:

• 1/2 pint raspberries
  
• 1/2 pint blackberries
  
• 1/2 pint strawberries
  
• 1/2 pint blueberries

Directions:

Press 600g raspberries through a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
Reserve raspberry pulp.
Combine raspberry juice with lemon juice, Chambord and sugar.
Slowly bring coulis to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Simmer coulis gently 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened.
Wash fruit.
Hull strawberries.
Chop strawberries into pieces of similar size to the smaller berries.
Gently toss berries together.
Drizzle a small amount of coulis over berries and enjoy.

Notes:

Fresh berries are best enjoyed, well, fresh! Pick or purchase only the amount you need for today. The coulis has a longer shelf life and leftover sauce can be bottled and stored in the refrigerator.

Don't discard your raspberry pulp! It contains a lot of flavour and goodness and can be put to many a delicious use, especially as a low-sugar alternative to jam. Unlike jam, however, the fresh raspberry pulp doesn't keep well. Refrigerate any unused portions and try to enjoy them within a day or two of pulping. (I enjoy raspberry pulp as a spread on waffles, whole wheat pancakes, muffins or toast. It is also delicious in this little recipe.)

The presentation ideas shown below have drifted a fair distance outside the realm of "healthy" desserts, but if you've decided today is a day for indulgence:


Chambord Coulis and Summer Berry Salad with Waffles and Chocolate Ice Cream



Chambord Coulis and Summer Berry Salad with Cheesecake

Tyrcuill Experiments in Winemaking

My parents have an enormous apple tree in their yard which yields tens of thousands of apples each year. Save for a few eaten by the dog, my mother has been gathering these apples up into plastic bags and putting them all out at the curbside on garbage collection day. (I know, I know! I cringe too. I have tried to convince my mother to at least compost the apples, but she refuses.)

This year, my father and I decided to pursue a new plan for saving some of those delicious apples from the local landfill. My father purchased a 1000 watt Breville "Juice Fountain Elite" and we have been experimenting with making apple wine and cider. I will be chronicling those experiments in this post.



More to come soon!

Lemon Mint Fresh Cheese Tart

The perfect mix of tart and sweet, this pie is a favourite summer dessert. Tonight I was lazy and made it with a graham crumb crust, but it also works well with a short crust pastry.

Makes one 8-9 inch pie or 12 mini-tartlets.



Ingredients:

• one quantity of your favourite pastry or shortbread crust
  
• freshly grated zest of 3 lemons
  
• 2 eggs, separated
  
• 4 tablespoons sugar
  
• 140 g chèvre
  
• 13 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
  
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
  
• freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
  
• whole fresh mint leaves for garnish

Directions:

Mix zest of one lemon into dry ingredients for pastry/shortbread.
Prepare crust recipe as per usual and bake blind.

Cream together egg yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar.
Add chèvre, chopped mint and zest of one lemon. Mix well.


Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form.


Gently fold beaten egg whites into cheese mixture.
Pour filling into baked tart crust.


Bake in pre-heated oven at 325°F for 30 minutes or until filling is set and golden in colour.


Whip cream with lemon juice and 2 tablespoons sugar.
Spread cream mixture over cooled tart.
Garnish with lemon zest and whole mint leaves.

Mint Lemonade

There's nothing quite like this sharp, minted lemonade to quench one's thirst after toiling in summer's cloying heat. I find that unsweetened lemonade is more refreshing, but if you must sugar your drinks, try adding a little locally produced honey to this recipe.

Ingredients:

• freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
  
• 2 cups ice water
  
• sprig of fresh mint

Directions:

Mix juice, water (& sweetener if desired) thoroughly.
Add mint whole.
Chill 1 - 2 hours to allow mint flavour to infuse lemonade.
Enjoy over ice.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

This creation was designed jointly by my friend Sumaya and I and is based upon my green pesto recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 bunches fresh basil
  
• 2 packed cups sun-dried tomatoes *
  
• 1 garlic, peeled (yes, the whole thing!)
  
• 2 handfuls pine nuts
  
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  
• freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
  
• extra virgin olive oil to mix

Ingredient Notes:

* The sun-dried tomatoes should be moist. Sumaya and I have had great success with a variety which is sold vacuum-sealed in plastic with some moisture locked in. Oil-packed tomatoes also work nicely. (Unless the oil is pure extra virgin olive, drain the tomatoes well before use.)

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend, using just enough oil to mix pesto into a thick paste.
Invite your friends over to enjoy the wonderful aroma in your kitchen and sample your flavourful creation.
If there are any leftovers, package them into single portion airtight containers and freeze immediately.

To enjoy leftover pesto:

Thaw enough pesto for one use GENTLY.
(Be careful NOT to cook the pesto!)
Enjoy immediately.

Notes:

Pesto is a wonderful, versatile food, bursting with heart-healthy garlic. I enjoy our sun-dried tomato variety tossed with whole grain pasta and sprinkled with additional freshly grated parmesan.