Cold Soba Noodle Salad

A cold noodle salad is one of the perfect side dishes for the summertime. Light, cool and refreshing, this delicious recipe for Cold Soba Noodles absorbs all the flavour of the Asian-style marinade made with sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, lime zest, brown sugar, minced garlic, a touch of hot sauce and a squeeze of orange. I usually make this noodle salad when I get a craving for some fresh Ahi tuna grilled on the barbecue — seared just enough to brown the edges, leaving the centre cool. This Cold Soba Noodle Salad is equally delicious with Grilled Salmon, Black Cod or Asian Five-Spice Chicken.


Cold Soba Noodle Salad
Serves 2


2 bundles (3.5oz) of soba noodles (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
3/4 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 lime, zest and juice
1/4 orange, juiced
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp sriracha chili paste or similar, to taste
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds


Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook soba noodles for 5-7 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool. Add all of the ingredients together in a medium size bowl and stir to combine. Add the cold noodles, cover and refrigerate one hour. The flavours will meld and the noodles will absorb the flavourful liquid. Serve with an extra scattering of chopped scallions and sesame seeds.

Chlodnik: Chilled Polish Beet Soup

Wonderfully light and refreshing, Chlodnik is the ultimate Polish summer soup. Pronounced who-wad-neek, the key ingredients in this fabulous fuchsia coloured soup is fresh young beets. Chlodnik is typically made with a selection of crunchy raw chopped vegetables such as cucumbers and spring onions, and flavoured with some chopped dill. The soup's brilliant magenta colour can vary depending on how much dairy is used, so for a crazy crimson Chlodnik, use a little less buttermilk. Smacznego! Bon appetit.

Lovely and crunchy chunky-style Chlodnik

Chlodnik (Chilled Beet Soup)

Makes 6 cups - Serves 4-6

1 bunch fresh beets

1 English cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 bunch of dill

1 bunch of spring onions

1 cup Greek yogurt

3 cups buttermilk 

salt and pepper

Wash the beets, then wrap them individually in foil and roast at 450°F for 1 hour. Cool completely, then peel and dice the beets — use plastic gloves if you don't want crimson hands! Or take a shortcut and use canned beets.

Finely dice the cucumbers and spring onion, then chop the dill. Combine the vegetables and beets in a large pot and mix gently. Add the yogurt and buttermilk and mix again, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Chill the soup for minimum 2 hours, but it tastes much better if left in the fridge overnight as it allows the flavours to meld and become more intense.

The soup can be served as is, a little chunky, or can be processed in a blender for a finer consistency. Serve cold with a dollop of sour cream a sprig of dill, and even some chopped hard boiled eggs for a traditional Polish Chlodnik.

Summer Berry-licious Gelato

I know. Another gelato recipe. Two in one week. It's just that it's so gratifying to make homemade gelato with all the fresh fruit in the market these days. This recipe takes advantage of fresh strawberries and blackberries and the results are spectacular! Brilliant fuschia in colour and bursting with berry goodness, this gelato recipe is one of my favourites, and makes a cool end to any hot summer evening. 


Blackberry-Strawberry Gelato
Makes 1 quart; Serves 6-8


1 lb strawberries, washed, hulled and halved
1/2 lb blackberries
1/2 cup sugar + 2 tbsp
2 tbsp Framboise
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
equipment: Lello Gelato Machine


In a small saucepan over med-high heat, cook the blackberries with 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of Framboise and 1/2 cup water, until the fruit is softened, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Place the berry mixture into a food processor and blend until combined. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing with a rubber spatula to push through. Discard seeds and rinse the food processor bowl for the next step.


Place the strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar into the cleaned food processor and blend until the berries are well combined. Then add the blackberry juice and the cream and process until well blended, about 2-3 minutes.


Pour the mixture into the bowl of the Lello Gelato machine and freeze 35-40 minutes. The gelato can be stored for 2-3 days in the freezer.

Seafood Salad with Celeriac Remoulade

A lovely light salad to make during the warm summer months is an easy poached seafood salad made with large shrimp, scallops, squid and a few tiny salad shrimp for good luck. The large shrimp are shelled and deveined; the squid are cut into rings; and the scallops are cut in half. They are all then poached for a few minutes in a shallow pan of simmering water until just done, then left to cool about 10 minutes. The mixed seafood is then tossed in a light lemon dill sauce and served with a wedge of fresh lemon. I served this seafood salad over a small bed of homemade celeriac remoulade for a light crunchy surprise at the bottom. Wonderfully light and delicate, this mixed seafood salad makes a lovely appetizer or a delicious entrée with a warm baguette and a 'wodge' of Chaume cheese, for an al fresco dinner in the garden.




Mixed Seafood Salad with Celeriac Remoulade
Serves 2

10 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 large scallops
2 cleaned squid with tentacles
1 cup small salad shrimp
2 tbsp capers
Lemon dill sauce (see below)
1 lemon, for garnish


Remoulade:
1 celeriac root
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
salt and white pepper to taste


Slice squid into rings and cut tentacles in half. Slice the scallops in half. Set a medium size pan of water over med-high heat and once a few bubbles start to appear, lightly poach the shrimp, scallops and squid, one type at a time and set in a colander once done. Let cool for a few minutes then toss with 1/2 cup of lemon dill sauce and some capers.

For the remoulade: Using a vegetable peeler, pare away the outer skin of the celeriac root, then slice into thin matchsticks using a mandolin or a sharp knife. Half of the celeriac root should make about 1 cup of remoulade. Toss the 'matchsticks' in a small bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice to preserve the colour and prevent it from going brown. Then add some mayonnaise and toss to combine. Season with a few caraway seeds and some salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, spoon some of the celeriac remoulade in the bottom of each serving bowl and top with some of the mixed seafood salad, and garnish with a lemon wedge. Easy and delicious!


Lemon Dill Cream Sauce
Makes 1 cup

1 cup sour cream
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp salt

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

COOK'S NOTE: A great Lemon Dill Sauce is available at Mike's Seafood at The St. Lawrence Market in Toronto. They also do a fabulous Chipotle Mayonnaise!

Grilled Asian Five-Spice Chicken

These Asian-inspired chicken thighs grill up wonderfully tender and flavorful, and take only minutes to prepare. Chinese five-spice powder is an aromatic blend of spices that have the five different flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty. For this recipe, the five-spice, brown sugar, minced garlic and salt are turned into a rub for the chicken. After grilling, the chicken thighs are tossed with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, fresh ginger and crushed red pepper, then sprinkled with freshly chopped cilantro. Full flavoured and delightfully robust, the five-spice marinade gives the chicken a real kick without being too hot. Absolutely delicious, Grilled Five-Spice Chicken presents beautifully too! To round out the meal, you could serve the grilled chicken with some steamed jasmine rice, a crunchy Asian slaw or Manita's Quinoa with citrus vinaigrette.


Grilled Five-Spice Chicken Thighs with Soy-Ginger Sauce & Cilantro
Inspired by a recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine
Serves four to six

2 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp Asian sesame oil
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, trimmed of excess fat
2 tbsp vegetable oil; more for the grill
3 tbsp chopped cilantro

Mix the five-spice powder, 1 tbsp of the sugar, garlic and the salt in a small bowl. In another bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes and remaining 1 tsp sugar.

Put the chicken in a shallow pan, or a plastic baggie, drizzle with the vegetable oil, and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the chicken; toss and rub to coat thoroughly. The chicken can be made ahead up this point and refrigerated until needed.

Once you're ready, grill the chicken on the BBQ until one side has dark grill marks, about 4-6 minutes. Turn and continue to grill until well marked on the other sides and cooked through.

Move the thighs to a serving dish. Drizzle with about half of the soy mixture, sprinkle with the cilantro, and toss to coat. Let rest 4 to 5 minutes, tossing once or twice. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with the remaining soy mixture passed at the table.

Homemade Black Cherry Gelato

One of my favourite purchases this year is my Lello Gelato Machine. Not only does it make fabulous italian-style gelato, it can also make rich ice cream, silky sorbets, fresh frozen yoghurts, sherbets and frozen cocktails such as Banana Daiquiris or Pina Coladas! With all the wonderful sweet black cherries in the market at the moment, I couldn't resist making my first Black Cherry Gelato. The process couldn't be easier — pit the cherries then purée with some cream, sugar and almond extract in a food processor. The mixture is then tossed into the bowl of the gelato machine and half an hour later — homemade Cherry Gelato!


Black Cherry Gelato
Serves 4


3 cups black cherries, pitted
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups half and half cream
1 1/2 tbsp almond extract


Pit the cherries and coarsely chop. Purée the cherries, sugar, cream and almond extract in a food processor until smooth. Pour the mixture into the bowl of the Lello Gelato machine and freeze 25-30 minutes.

Boozy Baked Brioche French Toast

A rich, buttery baked delight, this easy recipe for Boozy Brioche French Toast is sublime served with some warm maple syrup and a hot steaming bowl of café au lait. The perfect beginning to any Sunday, the best part is that it's prepared the night before and simply popped into the oven the following morning! Baked in a well buttered baking dish with a spiked eggy-milk custard flavoured with your favourite liqueur, some citrus zest, dried fruits or nuts, the brioche is simply baked for 20 minutes and comes out sweet and sumptuous — cooked to crispy golden perfection. More bread pudding than classic french toast, this boozy brioche recipe is sinfully delicious and perfect for lazy Sunday mornings.

Boozy Baked Brioche French Toast
Serves 6

2 tbsp butter, softened
12  3/4" thick slices of brioche or challah bread
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp of Bailey's, Cointreau, Frangelico or your favourite liqueur
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 cups maple syrup, warmed

Thickly spread softened butter over a large rimmed baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar, maple syrup, Bailey's (or whatever you like!), vanilla extract and salt. Add milk and continue whisking until well combined. Arrange the bread slices in the baking dish. Pour milk mixture evenly over the bread slices. Turn each slice, coating both sides. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

The next morning, preheat oven to 400°F. Bake the Brioche French Toast for approximately 10 minutes or so then flip each slice of bread. Bake another 5-10 minutes, flipping again if necessary until both sides are golden brown and perfectly crispy. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with some sautéed bananas, macerated strawberries or mixed nuts, and of course a healthy dollop of warm maple syrup.