Grilled Lettuce Salad with Buttermilk-Chive Dressing

This Grilled Lettuce with Buttermilk-Chive Dressing is a delicious and elegant salad that can be made in only about 5 minutes. All you need is the freshest butter lettuce available and a few ingredients for the dressing. Grilling the lettuce intensifies its flavour and changes the texture ever so slightly, making each bite have its own character: closer to the edge a bit smokey, a crisper and brighter taste as you indulge deeper. The buttermilk dressing is light, delicate and full of flavour, and would be delicious also with other grilled vegetables such as zucchini, asparagus or even poached salmon. 

Grilled Butter Lettuce Salad with Buttermilk-Chive Dressing
Serves 6

3 butter lettuce, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup crème fraîche, sour cream or Greek yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp thinly sliced chives
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable oil for the grill

Prepare an outdoor grill at medium-high heat. Whisk the buttermilk, crème fraîche and olive oil in a bowl. Add the chives, lemon juice and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Brush the grill with a light coating of vegetable oil, place the lettuce, cut side down and grill for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the grilled lettuce to a serving platter cut side up, and drizzle the dressing over it. Sprinkle with a little more chives, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Cory's Tres Leches Cake with Strawberries

Tres Leches Cake is a classic Mexican sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream. Sweet, moist and delicious, Tres Leches Cake, or Pastel de Tres Leches from Spanish, 'three milk cake', is rather like like a custard due to the rich ingredients that are soaked in its creamy syrup for up to 24-hours. Another version of the cake is Pastel Borracho, or 'Drunken Cake', which is extremely popular throughout Mexico and Central America, and is made by soaking the cake in an alcohol spiked mixture of water, sugar, rum or brandy. In the Caribbean, they also make a version call Bizcocho tres Leches, which is made using rum and cream of coconut, instead of condensed milk, and then topped with whipped cream and shredded coconut.

Cory became our Simcoe Day chef-de-cuisine, whipping up this delicious 

Strawberry-Topped Tres Leches Cake garnished with Muskoka mint

This past Simcoe Day long weekend, we spent four glorious days soaking up the sun, eating fabulous meals and sharing good times at our great friend's C&M's gorgeous Muskoka cottage. One of the most spectacular meals we enjoyed over the long weekend featured Cory's Strawberry-Topped Tres Leches Cake, which he garnished with clouds of whipped cream, sweet juicy summer strawberries and sprigs of fresh Muskoka mint. Inspired by a fabulous recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine, Cory's Tres Leches Cake was luscious, light, moist and creamy — an ethereal end to a truly exceptional weekend.

Strawberry-Topped Tres Leches Cake à la Cory
Serves 12-16

For the cake:
Unsalted butter, softened, for the pan
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the soaking liquid:
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pinch kosher salt

For the topping:
2-1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 cups sliced strawberries 

1 tsp Grand Marnier, optional

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch Pyrex baking dish, or a nonreactive metal pan, and line the bottom with lightly buttered parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a medium bowl and the yolks in a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat the yolks with 3/4 cup of the sugar on medium speed until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the milk and vanilla and beat until combined, 1 minute more.

Clean and dry the beaters and beat the egg whites, gradually increasing the speed to high, until they reach soft peaks, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a stream, continuing to beat on high, until you reach firm but not dry peaks, about 1 to 2 minutes more.

Whisk a third of the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in a third of the egg whites with a rubber spatula. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients and egg whites, alternately, in two more batches each, until fully incorporated. Then pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment, and let cool completely. Return the cake to the baking dish or invert it onto a rimmed platter — note: the cake will soak up more of the liquid if it's returned to the pan it was baked in.

To soak the cake, stir together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan, and mix until the condensed milk is well blended. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring to avoid scorching, until it begins to bubble around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof 4-cup measuring cup.

With a toothpick, prick the cake to the bottom in 1/2-inch intervals. Pour the soaking liquid slowly over the cake, starting at the edges and pausing to let it soak in before adding more. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the cake is well chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

To top the cake, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer on medium speed. When it begins to thicken, slowly add the sugar, vanilla and Grand Marnier liqueur if you like, and continue to beat just until it holds firm peaks, 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to over-beat. Spread the whipped cream all over the top of the cake and decorate with the sliced strawberries and serve.

Note: You can soak the cake in the milk mixture up to a day ahead and top it up to 2 hours ahead.

Chilled Melon & Yogurt Soup with Shrimp

At the peak of summer, nothing conquers the heat like an elegant bowl of chilled fruit soup. It's a summer tradition from Eastern Europe, where abundant crops of sour cherries, plums, and sometimes blueberries led to this culinary curiosity. Fruit soups are a perfect balance of sweet and tart flavours, and are often accented with a touch of wine or splash of rich cream or crème fraîche. They can be cooked or uncooked, thick or thin, smooth or chunky, sweet or savoury, plain or garnished. Most chilled fruit soups are often enjoyed at the start of a meal, but in elaborate dinners they're sometimes served as a palate cleanser between courses, and in various parts of Europe, are eaten for breakfast or even for dessert. Garnished with poached tiger shrimp and diced celery, this refreshing Chilled Melon & Yogurt Soup is an unexpectedly delicious 'no cook' summer soup that can be prepared in minutes, and a simple way to begin or end any summer meal.



Chilled Melon & Yogurt Soup with Shrimp
Serves 4

2 cantaloupe melons
12 tiger shrimp
3 celery stalks
1 tsp curry powder
6 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
fresh whole chives, for garnish


Halve the melons and remove the seeds with a spoon. Chop the melon into large pieces and place in a blender with the yogurt, salt, pepper, curry powder and purée until smooth. Refrigerate until well chilled, preferably overnight.

Shell and devein the shrimp, leaving the shell on the tail intact. Poach gently in some salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon and let cool. Season with salt and olive oil.

Using a potato peeler, pare the outside stalks of the celery to remove any stringy bits, then finely dice and set aside.

To serve, pour the soup into four chilled bowls and garnish with the shrimp, celery, a grind of fresh pepper and a few chives for decoration.

Grilled Baby Octopus with Arugula, Beets & Chickpeas

There are two kinds of people: those that adore Grilled Octopus, and those that quite emphatically do not. I am in the first camp. In fact, Grilled Octopus is one of my favourite dishes, and I'll order it every time I see it on a menu. I love everything about it, especially how tender and succulent it can be, often sweet like lobster or scallops, but with a slightly firmer texture, and ah, those tentacles! Just last week, I ordered the Grilled Octopus at Diana's Oyster Bar & Grill, which recently opened at 2105 Lawrence Ave East, next door to Diana's Seafood in Scarborough. Marinated simply, in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, fresh herbs and served with a warm tomato caper and kalamata olive salsa and garnished with a charred lemon, the octopus was exceptional.

Octopus marinated in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and fresh herbs, served with a warm tomato caper and kalamata olive salsa and charred lemon, from Dana's Seafood

Inspired by the dish, I asked our server Chris, how they managed to get it so 'right'. He told me that rather than simmering it for ages, as many recipes instruct, Diana's steam their octopus for only about 15 minutes, depending on the size of the cephalopod, then toss it with a light vinaigrette and grill it until it's nicely charred and warmed through. Not only is this the way Diana's Oyster Bar & Grill does it, but it's the way Chris' mom does it too. That was enough of an endorsement for me — I marched next door to Diana's Seafood, picked up a 2-pound bag of frozen baby octopus and a large whole one, and put Chris's recipe to the test. The verdict: steaming is definitely the way to go. 

The tenticular splendour of my whole octopus, ready to be steamed, 

marinated and grilled

After allowing the baby octopus to defrost overnight, it only needed about 6 minutes to steam through and become fully cooked through. Added to a simple vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, I poured the mixture into a Ziploc bag and refrigerated it for about 3 hours, to allow the octopus to marinate nicely before serving it chilled over wild arugula, roasted beets, canned chickpeas and crumbled goat cheese. Sweet, mild and wonderfully tender, the octopus can also be briefly grilled on the barbecue, for a simple and delicious warm summer salad.

Grilled Baby Octopus with Arugula, Beets & Chickpea Salad
Serves 6

For the octopus:
2 lb bag frozen & cleaned baby octopus, thawed (Diana's Seafood) 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Juice and zest of 1 large lemon

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

For the salad:
3 small beets, washed & leafy tops removed
3 cups arugula
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained & rinsed
8 oz Goat cheese, crumbled
Maldon sea salt, for garnish
4 tbsp olive oil
Sprigs of fresh dill, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Wrap each of the beets in aluminum foil and bake for at least an hour, or until a knife passes easily through the beets. Allow them to cool then using plastic gloves, peel the skins off. Cut the beets into small wedges and place in a bowl.

Place the thawed baby octopus in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and steam for 5-6 minutes, until the octopus is slightly curled and cooked through. Drain and set aside.

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and add the steamed octopus, tossing to coat. Pour the mixture into a large Ziploc bag and refrigerate for about 2 hours, or let marinate overnight.

To serve, arrange the arugula, beets, goat cheese, chickpeas and fresh dill on a serving dish and drizzle with olive oil and garnish with a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt. Scatter the marinated baby octopus over the salad and serve.


Alternatively, preheat an outdoor barbecue to medium-high and grill the marinated octopus until the edges char slightly and the flesh is warmed through. Add the grilled octopus over the Arugula, Beet & Chickpea Salad and serve.

www.dianasseafood.com

Crab, Cucumber & Cilantro Stuffed Avocado

Light and delicious, this simple stuffed avocado salad is the perfect summer dish. A luscious combination of lump crabmeat, creamy avocado and diced English cucumber tossed with a splash of tangy lime juice, chopped cilantro, red onion and diced tomato, and mounded into avocado halves which have been partially scooped out, diced and added as part of the salad mixture. Other seafood such as Lobster, shrimp or poached salmon can also be used, for healthy and elegant alternatives to this warm weather classic. Served with a chilled bottle of Rosé, a simple chilled soup and a few slices of grilled crostini, this easy and delicious Crab, Cucumber & Cilantro Stuffed Avocado captures the very essence of relaxed summer dining on long lazy weekends.




Crab, Cucumber & Cilantro Stuffed Avocado
Serves 4

1 medium hot house tomato, cut into a small dice
1 small red onion, cut into a small dice
1/2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped
2 ripe avocados
juice from 2 limes
8 oz crab, fresh or premium quality lump crabmeat
Maldon salt
freshly ground pepper

Combine the tomato, red onion, green pepper, cucumber and cilantro in a medium bowl. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Scoop out most of the avocado, leaving a 1/4-inch rim around the inside. Dice the scooped out portion and add it to the bowl with the lime juice, and then gently toss together with the remaining ingredients. Taste and season with salt and pepper. 

Pick through the crab meat to remove any fragments of shell or cartilage, shred coarsely, then fold into the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle a little bit of lime juice into each of the 4 avocado halves, to help keep them from discolouring, and then mound the salad into each of the avocado halves and serve with a light garnish of cilantro.

Moroccan Couscous with Roast Vegetables

An exotic and colourful Moroccan Couscous with chickpeas, roasted red peppers, diced carrots, toasted almonds and plump raisins are tossed in a fragrant dressing of fresh garlic, tangy lemon juice, fruity extra virgin olive oil and an aromatic combination of fragrant seasonings: ground coriander, cumin and cinnamon. Simple and delicious, the dressing really highlights the roasted vegetables, which have already been sweetened and intensified in flavour during cooking. The chickpeas, and excellent source of protein, fibre and vitamins, add their own wonderful flavour and texture to this festive dish.

Another feature of Moroccan Couscous is that it can be varied in endless ways: the carrots and red pepper can easily be replaced by sweet potato, pumpkin or eggplant; pistachios, pine nuts or walnuts can be used in lieu of almonds, and chopped dates, apricots or prunes can easily be replaced by the raisins. Light and delicious served either warm or cold, this colourful Moroccan Couscous salad is excellent paired with grilled lamb, chicken or even a traditional Tagine.

Moroccan Couscous with roasted vegetables, chickpeas & almonds
Serves 4

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, cut into quarters lengthways and thinly sliced
2 red peppers, diced

1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 red onion, cut into wedges and separated
1/2 cup slivered almonds
4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp salt
2 cups couscous
1/2 cup raisins
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, brought to a boil
2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped plus extra for garnish

2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped plus extra for garnish



Preheat the oven to 475°F. Toss the carrot, red pepper, zucchini and red onion in a baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and bake for 15 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, lightly toast the almonds in a frying pan until they're golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and salt, and mix well. 

Five minutes before the vegetables have finished roasting, mix the couscous, turmeric and raisins in a large bowl and pour over the boiling stock. Cover with plastic wrap to seal in the steam, and let sit for five minutes. Then fluff the couscous with a fork to separate the grains and stir through the carrot, red pepper, red onion, almonds, chickpeas, mint and cilantro. Pour over the dressing and toss together until well combined. 

Serve on a large platter, either warm or at room temperature with a garnish of cilantro and chopped mint.

The Banana Daiquiri: A Classic Summer Cocktail

The Rum Daiquiri is a nearly perfect cocktail. Simple, elegant, and refreshing, the original Daiquiri is said to have been invented in Cuba in 1898. The Banana Daiquiri however, was first concocted over 50 years ago in St. Thomas at the Mountaintop Bar in the U.S. Virgin Islands. A fellow by the name of Conrad Graves is purported to have been the first to add the island’s famous bananas to a frozen daiquiri, and the rest is 'hishtory'.

The Banana Daquiri made with fresh banana, rum, banana liqueur and lots of ice

The original recipe also works well lots of other fresh fruit, such as kiwi, strawberries, cantaloupe, peaches, pineapple, mango, papaya, passionfruit, or create your own fresh fruit blend like pineapple-kiwi or strawberry-banana. Best thing is, you can make a Daiquiri in mere minutes with the most basic of bar ingredients, and with the first sip be transported to the warm, white-sand beaches of the Caribbean. Simply start with the original recipe of white rum shaken with lime juice and a pinch of sugar, and modify it by adding the equivalent measure of puréed fresh fruit and 2 oz of related fruit liqueur. Garnish with a lovely piece of fresh fruit, a sprig of fragrant mint and enjoy one of my favourite classic summer cocktails.

The original 1950's Mountain Top Sunken Bar, home of the Banana Daiquiri

Frozen Banana Daiquiri 
Serves 2

6 oz dark rum 

1 tbsp sugar, optional
1/2 lime, juiced
2 oz Crème de Banana liqueur 

2 oz water 

2 very ripe bananas, peeled 
fresh mint, for garnish

Pour the rum, sugar, lime juice, banana liqueur, water, bananas, and plenty of ice into an electric blender, then purée for about 15 seconds until smooth. Adjust to taste, with a little more rum, Crème de Banana liqueur 
or ice, if desired. Pour into two tall chilled glasses and garnish with a sprig of mint.