Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Grilled sourdough with baby spinach, cheddar cheese and prosciutto.

• two slices of medium thick sourdough bread
• a few slices of cheese (e.g. havarti, cheddar, mozzarella, swiss, etc.)
• a few baby spinach leaves
• 3 to 4 slices prosciutto

Heat a frying pan* on high heat. Place both slices of bread into the pan. When the slices are toasted, turn down the heat to medium and flip one of the slices over. On this flipped slice, place the cheese first, then spinach and prosciutto and then another layer of cheese. (The double layer of cheese will help hold the sandwich together). Place the toasted side of the other slice of bread onto the cheese.

Depending on how thick your sandwich is, you might want to cover it with a lid or plate. I find I usually don’t have to though. After a couple of minutes, carefully flip the sandwich and cook for another two to three minutes or until the cheese has melted. The grilled prosciutto spinach sandwich is now done. Cut in half with a sharp knife and serve immediately.

Feel free to switch it up by replacing the prosciutto with spicy genoa salami or adding thinly sliced tomatoes or using a different type of bread.  I personally love grilled cheese with sourdough because it’s a dense bread and when sourdough is toasted, it becomes incredibly crunchy especially the crust.

*I don’t have a panini press but if you do and you’re making this recipe, this is an ideal time to use it.

Tags: baby spinach, Bread, cheddar cheese, cheese, panini, prosciutto, sandwich, sourdough

Valentine’s Day

Today is Valentine’s Day and over the past while, I have been researching the origins of this lovely day. Here is what I discovered.

Who was Saint Valentine? There are several saints named Valentine who were honoured on February 14 and hence no one definitive saint has been given this distinction. However, a popular candidate is Valentine of Rome who was a priest. The story goes that the ruling emperor at the time outlawed all engagements and marriages in Rome. At the time, the emperor was having trouble recruiting soldiers for his military and suspected it was because the men wanted to stay at home with their lovers.  Valentine married couples in secret and was punished with death (AD 269).

Reference: Curious Events in History by Michael Powell, 2007.

What are the origins of this day? Around the time of St. Valentine’s death (AD 269), packs of wolves were known to attack animal herds. In hopes of keeping their herds safe, shepherds dedicated an annual festival (called Lupecalia) held from February 13 to 15 to Lupercus, who is the Roman god of shepherds. As part of the festival’s rituals, young women’s names were put into a box and then drawn by the young men. These couples were paired off for the rest of the year. In AD 496, Lupecalia was renamed St. Valentine’s Day and February 14 chosen to mark the occasion.

References:  Curious Events in History by Michael Powell, 2007 and Wikipedia.

History behind Valentine’s cards: Valentine’s greetings date back to the Middle Ages when lovers sang or recited their valentines.  Written valentines began to appear around 1400 when they were often replaced with Valentine’s Day gifts.  Some were made of paper while others were made with lace and ribbon. The oldest valentine known to exist dates back to this time and is currently housed at the British Museum.  The production of valentines in factories began in the 1800s. Today, approximately one billion valentines are delivered around the world.

Reference: Greeting Card Museum 

Interesting Facts:

• Venus is the Roman goddess of love. Her son is Cupid.
• The red rose was Venus’ favourite type of flower.
• Giving a Valentine’s gift to a pet is not uncommon.
• Teachers receive the most valentines, followed by children, mothers, wives and sweethearts.
• Hallmark Cards produced its first valentine in 1913.
• Some consider Casanova the world’s greatest lover.
• In the past, physicians advised their patients to eat chocolate in order to soothe their grief for a lost love.
• Valentine’s Day is not an official holiday.

Valentine’s Day Humour: A friend of mine, who knew I was researching Valentine’s Day, sent this clever joke to me.

“Valentine’s Day is cancelled this year. Mathematical proof: 14 – 02 – 12 = 0.”

Happy Valentine’s Day, Everyone!!

Tags: Cupid, Heart, Love, Origins, Rome, Saint Valentine, Valentine's Day, Valentines, Venus

Pan-fried Oriental Style Chicken Patties

Pan-fried oriental-style chicken patties.

• 1lb extra lean ground chicken
• 1 carrot, coarsely grated
• 3 sprigs green onion, chopped
• 5 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in 2 cups water for 3 to 4 hours, once finished soaking, squeeze out liquid in the mushrooms and finely chop
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, mined
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 4 tbsps soy sauce
• 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil.  Mix well. Form chicken mixture into rounds with diameter 2 inches and thickness 1/2 inch.

Heat a pan on high. Add in the oil, then chicken patties. Cook until golden brown on one side  (about 2 minutes), then flip the rounds over. Using the back of a spatula, flatten the patties so that they are about 1/4 inch thick. Flattening the patties will reduce the cooking time.  Turn down heat to medium and cook until done (about 5 minutes).  Serve immediately.

Tags: Ground Chicken, Asian, Oriental, Ginger, Carrots, green onions, Soy Sauce, Pan-fried

Wine Tasting

A wine tasting hosted by Rose.

I went to an introductory wine tasting hosted by wine enthusiast Rose Vogt. The theme of the night was wines of the world.  A total of  12 wines were sampled; each bottle cost less than $20 (CDN) and some were award winning wines. The cost of each wine was guessed and it’s quite surprisingly that a delicious wine does not have to be expensive.  Other topics that were discussed included how to properly taste wine, wine terminology, flavours, food pairing and corking. The evening was lively, brilliant and intimate.  I left with a greater understanding of the wine world and also realized I preferred white wine rather than red.

The following are some basics for wine tasting from Rose. You will need:

• wine to taste (see below for some of the wines sampled at the wine tasting)
• a clean, clear wine glass, preferably stemmed in order to avoid smudge marks on the bowl portion
• a well-lit room
• white background (such as a white tablecloth) to judge the colour of the wine

Taste wine with a focus on sight, smell, taste and finish.

Sight: Look at what you are about to taste. Hold the glass with wine at an angle away from you and look at it against the white background. The wine should be clear and reflect light.  Red wines tend to be more purple when young and change to deeper ruby to garnet to brick red as they mature. White wines vary from clear watery white to pale straw to deep golden yellow.  White wines that have tinges of brown colour may have oxidized and may be bad.

Smell: Use your nose. Smell what you are about to taste. When you pour the wine into the glass the contact with the air releases the aromas in the wine. Gently swirl the wine in the glass to introduce more air to the wine in order to release more aromas.  Hold the glass to your nose and consider the different smells. Use your memory of smells (e.g. sour lemons, sweet chocolate chips, salty cheese, tart green apples, etc.) to describe the aroma. If you smell something similar to vinegar or rotten eggs, the wine may be bad.

Some common tastes in wine such as sour lemons, sugary chocolates, creamy and salty cheeses, crisp tart apples, subtlety sweet pears and cantaloupe ....

Taste: Take one small sip and swish the wine in your mouth to connect with all the areas of the tongue and mouth. This is the preparatory step to tasting. Take a second sip and focus on the aromas and flavours. Gently draw air into your mouth to release more aromas.  Is the taste what you expected from the smell?

Finish: This is the taste after swallowing the wine.  Evaluate the flavour left in your mouth. The flavour should be pleasing, not harsh. The finish should have many of the same flavours and aromas of the wine when you first smelled it. Does the flavour linger? What is the scent of the lingering flavours?

Here are the 12 wines that were sampled (wine name, variety, country of production, year, alcohol content, price):

Generation Seven, $13.95

• Generation Seven, Riesling/Sauvignon Blanc/Gewurztraminer, Canada, 2009, 13%, $13.95
• Trapiche Astica, Sauvignon Blanc/ Semillon, Argentina, 2011, 13%, $7.45
• KWV Contemporary Collection, Chenin Blanc, South Africa, 2011, 12%, $8.00
• Avelda Fonte, Vinho Verde, Portugal, 10%, 2010, $8.95

Jip Jip Rocks, $16.95

• Jip Jip Rocks, Shiraz, Australia, 14.50%, 2009, $16.95

L.A. Cetta $11.95

• L.A. Cetta, Petit Sirah, Mexico, 14.50%, 2009, $11.95
• Amado Sur, Malbec/Bonarda/Syrah, Argentina, 14%, 2009, $15
• Beso de Vino Seleccion, Syrah/Garnacha, Spain, 13.50%, 2009, $10.10
• JUST, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, France, 13%, 2010, $9.95

Gato Negro, $8.95

• Gato Negro, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile, 13.5%, 2011, $8.95
• Appassimento Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Corvina/Corvinone/Rondinella, Italy, 13%,  2009, $15.95
• Inniskillin Late Autumn, Riesling, Canada, 11%, 2010, $12.95

Some additional tips and tidbits I learned from Rose:

1. Purchase wine in bulk in January because after the holidays, wine usually goes on sale.
2. Canada is famous for their ice wine.
3. Smelling and looking at the cork can be a good indicator of the quality of the wine.
4. White wines can be made from red or black grapes (they don’t have to be made only from white and/or green grapes). Red wines need to be from red grapes to get the colour from the skins as the juice ferments.
5. Sweet is the flavour of sugar in wine; dry is the opposite of sweet.

To learn more about wine, Rose suggests browsing: The Wine Doctor and The Wine Aroma Wheel.

A great big thank you to Rose for sharing her wine knowledge and organizing the wine tasting.

Tags: aroma, cabernet sauvignon, Corking, finish, Food Pairing, riesling, sauvignon blanc, shiraz, sight, smell, taste, vinho verde, Wine 101, Wine Tasting

Marinara Sauce with Whole Wheat Penne

Whole wheat penne coated with marinara sauce and garnished with oregano leaves.

• 10oz (or about 275 g) pasta*, cook as instructed
• 4 cups crushed tomatoes* (or tomato sauce)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• fresh oregano, remove leaves from stem, discard stems
• 1/4 cup feta, crumbled
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsps unsalted butter
• 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and pepper

Heat a deep pot on high. Add in butter, oil, onions and garlic. Turn down heat to medium and cook until the onions are soft (about 5 minutes).  Add in the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano leaves and sugar. Combine well. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes so that all the flavours meld together. Add in the pasta and feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper.  Mix well and cook for one or two more minutes such that the marinara sauce is coated to each pasta. Serve immediately.

*I like my pasta heavy on the sauce but feel free to adjust the the quantity of pasta and tomato sauce to your own preferences.

Tags: Crushed Tomatoes, Feta, garlic, Marinara Sauce, Onions, oregano, pasta, Pasta Sauce, Tomato Sauce, Whole Wheat Pasta

Garlic Oregano Dip

Sliced carrots served with a homemade creamy garlic oregano dip.

The following recipe makes approximately one cup of dip.

• 1 oregano sprig, remove leaves from stem, discard stem
• 3/4 cup Balkan style yogurt
• 3 tbsps freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 gloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped
• 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• sea salt

Sprinkle a bit of salt over the garlic. With the flat part of a knife, grind against the salt and garlic. The salt acts as an abrasive and helps release the juices in the garlic and turns the garlic into a paste consistency.  Add the garlic paste and lemon juice into a mixing bowl. Mix well with a whisk or fork. Add in the olive oil and grated parmesan. Whisk well. Add in the yogurt and oregano leaves. Combine well.  Serve immediately with fresh crispy vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, cucumbers and/or zucchini.

Tags: Carrots, dip, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, parmesan, yogurt

Spinach, Egg and Mushroom Salad

The following recipe is inspired by a spinach salad I ate at Pasquale’s in Winnipeg, Manitoba. At Pasquale’s, their insalata spinaci is served with mushrooms, spinach and bacon. I enjoyed the taste and texture of the buttery mushrooms and eggs against the crunchy spinach and crispy bacon. The dressing is light but slightly creamy and is the perfect accompaniment to the flavours and texture in the salad.

A large order of Pasquale's insalata spinaci, $9.95.

Here is my version of Pasquale’s insalata spinaci:

• three handfuls of baby spinach
• two brown tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
• four cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and each chopped into thirds
• one sprig of fresh oregano, remove the leaves from the stem, discard stem
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsps grated parmesan cheese plus a bit more for garnishing
• 2 tbsps lemon juice
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

A bowl of baby spinach, brown tomatoes, eggs, mushrooms, onions and fresh oregano.

In a large bowl, add in the baby spinach. This will be the bed of the salad.  Add to the spinach, the sliced mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, oregano leaves and eggs. Sprinkle a little salt, pepper and a bit of parmesan on top.

A sprinkle of salt, pepper and parmesan cheese a top the salad.

To make the dressing, combine the parmesan cheese, lemon juice, mustard and olive oil.  Add the dressing right before serving.

The dressing consists of grated parmesan cheese, lemon juice, dijon mustard and olive oil.

Try to serve the salad while the eggs are still warm. I really enjoy a hint of warmth against cool veggies.

Tags: baby spinach, brown tomatoes, creminis, eggs, lemon juice, mushrooms, oregano, parmesan, Pasquale's, Winnipeg

VIA Rail Canada

VIA train travelling along northern Ontario.

VIA Rail Canada is a Canadian rail line that travels across the country. Their trains meander through the Rocky Mountains and Jasper National Park, wander Ontario’s boreal forest and western Prairies, explore the icy north where Polar bears can be seen and in the east, travels along next to the St. Lawrence River. There are VIA stations in all the major cities in Canada as well as many of the smaller towns.

I recently took a long distance train trip from Toronto to Winnipeg which is a two nights and one day stay.  I had a cabin for two which includes two beds, a private bathroom, sink with vanity, a large window and every car has a shower. This is the sleeper plus class which includes meals.

My little cabin was cozy, comfy and clean.  The gentle rolling motion of the train put me right to sleep.

The dome car, which hosts most of the entertainment, activities and socializing, has two levels. Upstairs offers a panoramic view of Canada’s breathtaking landscape.

A view from the upstairs portion of the dome car.

The downstairs has two rooms. The first room has tables, banquettes and a tv, and hence is ideal for watching historic VIA videos, movies and/or playing board games. The second room, which has huge sweeping windows and comfy chairs, acts as the palour room.  This room hosts the live music, wine tasting, all day snacks and drinks as well as interesting conversation from people across Canada and around the world.

Willy Blizzard performing in the dome car.

The dining car is a full service restaurant that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu usually has three choices for each meal. There are also options for vegetarians and kids.  The food is classy, simple, healthy and delicious.

The dining car.

At my breakfasts, I had spanish omelettes one morning and the classic bacon, eggs and potatoes the next morning. Don’t sleep in; otherwise you’ll have to settle for a continental breakfast in the dome car.

Two poached eggs, crispy bacon and hash browns.

During lunch I enjoyed a hamburger with potato salad and soup, and chocolate ice cream for dessert.

Angus burger with potato salad.

Chocolate ice cream.

And at dinner I had prime rib with seasonal vegetables, salad and soup with chocolate cake for dessert.

Prime rib with gravy and seasonal vegetables.

A slice of chocolate cake.

My long distance travel on the VIA train was an amazingly fun journey and incredibly relaxing. The service was impeccable, the food scrumptious and the company of the other travellers never dull.

Tags: Angus Burger, Chocolate Cake, Dining Car, Dome Car, Prime Rib, Sleeper Plus Class, Toronto, VIA Rail Canada, Willy Blizzard, Winnipeg

Pickled Vegetables

Now that the holiday dinner meals are over, you might be noticing a surplus of vegetables in your fridge. Pickling is a simple and delicious way to keep your veggies from spoiling and turn them into an instant healthy homemade snack.

A jar of pickled vegetables.

• one eggplant, right before using cut the eggplant into large chunks
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1 cup dried persian shallots, soak in water for about one day until the shallots have re-hydrated, then drain all the liquid
• 1 cup cauliflower cut into bite size pieces
• 1 tsp each of salt, pepper, cinnamon, turmeric and cumin
• 1L red or white vinegar
• one sterilized glass jar (1L) to store pickled vegetables

Of course, other combinations of vegetables are also possible.

Before starting, it is important to use only sterilized (or at the very least, thoroughly cleaned) kitchen supplies.  This provides a longer shelf life for the pickled vegetables.

In a large pot on high heat, add in the carrots, shallots and spices. Mix well. Add enough vinegar to cover the vegetables. Bring the vinegar to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.

Carrots, Persian shallots with spices simmering in vinegar.

Once the carrots have begun to soften (about 5 minutes) add in the eggplant.  Add more vinegar such that the vegetables are completely covered. Cook for another 5 minutes and then add in the cauliflower. Again add more vinegar if needed. Cook for 5 more minutes or until the cauliflower is al-dente (try not to overcook the cauliflower because they taste better a little firm and crisp). Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

After the vegetables have finished cooking, set aside to cool.

Store vegetables and pickling juice in a jar at room temperature.  These pickled vegetables will be good for several months and are great as a quick healthy tangy snack and/or accompanied as a side with rice.

A huge thank you to Golnaz for sharing her family recipe with me.

Tags: Carrots, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Persian Shallots, Pickled Vegetables, Vinegar

Holiday Cards

Supplies needed to make your own card.

This isn’t a post related to food, cooking, eating or food places in anyway but it is about creating something beautiful from unused (and often discarded) items. The art of transforming unused or unwanted objects into something of value is known as upcycling. My upcycling idea is to turn shopping bags into homemade holiday cards. In fact, I appreciate the gesture of a handcrafted card much more than receiving a store bought card. This is also an ideal project for kids and, of course, can be done any time of the year for any event. I have turned many bags into birthday cards, Valentine’s day cards, get-well cards, anniversary cards, thank you cards, etc.

What you will need:

• An assortment of paper bags (e.g. shopping bags from clothing stores, gift bags, etc.)
• Scissors
• Markers
• Glue
• Envelope
• Tape
• Pencil with eraser
• (optional) Coloured paper
• (optional) Any other craft supplies you may want to use on your card such as glitter, stickers, ribbons, etc.

Although there are many variations, the following are step-by-step instructions for a design of a Christmas card.  I was inspired by the red and white paper bags that I had and the upcoming Christmas holidays.

Step 1:  I am using the white bag as the base of the card and the red bag to make a Christmas tree. Remove the string from the bag if necessary. Save the string for later use.

Step 2: Cut out a rectangle that is twice as long as the envelope. There is unwanted writing on the card but this will be fixed in Step 4.

Step 3:  Fold the paper in half and ensure that it fits into the envelope. If not, trim the card accordingly.

Step 4: Since there is writing on the base paper of the card, cut a strip of coloured paper just big enough to cover the words. In this case, I had enough material for a cutout from a blue bag I had previously made a complete card from. I used craft scissors to create the jagged edges around the cutout.

Step 5:  Now cut a big enough patch from the red bag to make a tree.

Step 6: Flip the red paper over and using a pencil, draw the shape of a Christmas tree.  It doesn’t have to be perfect or even symmetric.  Cut out the shape of the tree.

Step 7: I usually like to make a thin border on the front of the card but of course, you don’t have to.  Before glueing, position the blue strip and red tree to preview how the card will appear.  Leave enough room at the top to write a small greeting.

Step 8: Once you are satisfied with the layout of the card, use a pencil to write in the greeting. Trace the words with a black marker.

Step 9: I wanted my card to be cheerful and festive so I coloured in  ”Happy Holidays” in a  variety of bright colours. After the ink has dried, erase any pencil marks.

Step 10: Glue the blue strip first, then the tree. At this point, the card is done if you wish. I wanted to decorate my tree with some ribbon and sparkles.

Step 11: Using a sharp point (in this case, the tip of my math compass worked nicely) poke four small holes along the tree where you think appropriate.   Thread the ribbon through the first hole. Continue threading through all the holes.

Step 12: The ribbon will now be visible on the inside of the card. Tape the two free ends of the ribbon.

Step 13: Using some plain or coloured paper, cut two rectangles just smaller than the actual card.

Step 14: Glue the precut yellow paper to each half of the inside of the card.  Once the glue has dried, you can write your personalized message on the inside.

Step 15: Lastly, I had some rhinestone stickers which I thought would make perfect tree ornaments. Place them however you wish.

Step 16: Mail your card!

Tags: card, holidays, paper bags, personalized card, upcycling