Grilled Swordfish & Asparagus with Pesto Sauce

Moist, meaty and wonderfully succulent, Grilled Swordfish is one my favourite fish to 'throw on the barbie' — it's absolutely made for the grill. Usually sold as thick steaks, all swordfish needs is a simple marinade of fresh lemon juice, a little olive oil, salt, pepper and a few herbs for the natural flavours to sing on the tongue. Cook swordfish like you would a rare steak — use high heat to sear the outside, and let it stay a little rare in the centre. Generally I allow 8 to 10 minutes per inch, rotating the fish 90° every 2-3 minutes, which produces lovely sear marks and ensures the swordfish is perfectly cooked. Low calorie and nutrient rich, Swordfish is a heart-smart choice, and makes a delicious addition to your summertime grilling repertoire.




Grilled Swordfish & Asparagus with Pesto Sauce
Serves 4

4 1-inch thick swordfish steaks
1 lemon, zested, plus more for garnish
1 tbsp Ponzu sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 handful chopped cilantro, plus whole leaves for garnish
1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed

Basil Pesto Cream Sauce: - Makes 3 cups
1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/3 cup pine nuts
4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
2/3 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
4 tbsp butter
1 cup low fat greek yogurt, optional


Place the basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor to blend. While the machine is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and continue mixing until well combined. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and butter over medium-low heat. Once warm, add the pesto and stir to combine. For a lower calorie option, substitute Greek yogurt instead of the cream and butter. It's as delicious and better on the waistline!

Stir together the lemon zest, ponzu sauce, sesame oil and cilantro in a shallow dish. Add the swordfish, turning to coat, and marinate at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. Place the asparagus in a large bowl and drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat an outdoor barbecue to medium-high. Place the swordfish on the grill and cook for two minutes, then turn 90 degrees. Cook two more minutes more, flip the fish, and repeat. Midway, add the asparagus and grill about 5 minutes, turning frequently.

Transfer and arrange the asparagus on four warm dinner plates, top with the grilled swordfish and garnish with a generous spoonful of basil pesto cream sauce. Finish with lemon zest and fresh cilantro and serve immediately.

Pot de Crème au Chocolat with Grand Marnier

Although this marvelous dessert looks very sophisticated, don’t be fooled by the posh name. It’s nothing more than a custard really, and one of the easiest desserts you can make. Start with small, heatproof cups and good-quality European bittersweet chocolate such as Callebaut, Valrhona or Lindt. Then whisk eggs and sugar to warmed cream, melted chocolate, and Grand Marnier, and strain to get rid of any lumps. Baking the filled pots in a water bath provides the gentle, moist heat that the custards need to thicken properly. Luscious, creamy and intensely rich, this sexy chocolate baked custard makes the perfect little decadent dessert. Served in my mother's Royal Worcester Evesham pot de creme cups that she gave me a few years ago, they were the final elegant touch to classic French Pot de Crème au Chocolat.




Pot de Crème au Chocolat à Grand Marnier
Serves 6

3 egg yolks
2 tbsp extra fine fruit sugar
1 1/4 cup light cream
3 oz Lindt Intense Dark 85% Cacao chocolate, chopped
3 oz Lindt Intense Orange chocolate, chopped
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp Grand Marnier


Preheat oven to 325°F. Using a standing mixer, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together until the yolks are pale and thick.

In a small saucepan, simmer the cream over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, whisking until melted and well blended. Very slowly add the chocolate to the egg mixture, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Mix in the Grand Marnier. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup with a spout — straining the liquid will remove any lumpy impurities. Blot foam from the top of the chocolate with a paper towel or skim with a spoon.

Place six pot de crème pots with lids or ramekins in a baking pan. Pour the chocolate mixture into the small cups, dividing it evenly, then add boiling water into the baking pan so the cups are half immersed. Cover the pots with their lids or the ramekins with a single sheet of aluminum foil. Bake until the custards are just set at the edges but still a little wobbly in the centre, about 15 to 20 minutes. They'll firm up as they chill.

Once they're cooked, remove the baking pan from the oven and place the cups on a wire rack, removing the lids or aluminum foil to let cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days before serving. Serve with whipped cream garnished with orange peel, shaved chocolate or simply sprinkled with some fleur de sel.

Tuna Salad with Onion Sprouts, Avocado & Tomato

Low calorie, low carb and a great source of Omega-3, this simple, light and delicious Tuna Salad recipe makes an easy weekday dinner paired with sliced avocado, hard boiled eggs and some fresh tomatoes. Topped with a mound of flavourful onion sprouts and dressed with a tangy vinaigrette, summertime dining doesn't get any easier, healthier or more satisfying.



Tuna Salad with Onion Sprouts, Avocado, Tomato & Eggs
Serves 2

10 oz canned tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 cup diced English cucumber
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 oz mixed greens
2 large eggs, hard boiled, peeled and halved
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
6 grape tomatoes, halved
1 package onion sprouts, for garnish
Maldon salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Vinaigrette:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced
Fresh cracked black pepper and salt, to taste


Add the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon and minced garlic together in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Season with fresh cracked black pepper and salt to taste. Combine tuna, diced cucumber, green onions, lemon juice, zest, dill, mayonnaise, salt and pepper in a large bowl and stir well. Toss the mixed greens with some vinaigrette to taste, then arrange on 2 plates and top with a generous scoop of the tuna mixture. Top with a handful of onion sprouts and garnish with sliced avocado, tomatoes and hard boiled eggs. Season with Maldon salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste and drizzle with more vinaigrette if need.

Chlodnik: Polish Chilled Beet Soup

Wonderfully light and refreshing, Chlodnik is the ultimate Polish summer soup. Pronounced 'who-wad-neek', the key ingredients in this fabulous fuchsia soup are 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.



Chlodnik (Chilled Beet Soup)
Serves 4-6

1 bunch fresh red 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.

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.

Decadent Caramel Pecan Squares

One of the most irresistible of all desserts, nothing beats a sweet and delicious Pecan Pie. This classic recipe is an updated bite-size version of the traditional Southern family favourite. With a buttery shortbread crust and rich nutty caramel pecan topping, they're the perfect gift to bring up to a cottage or a family picnic. Be warned — these mouth wateringly decadent Caramel Pecan Squares are absolutely divine and completely addictive.



Caramel Pecan Squares
Makes 1 pan

3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
2/3 cup powdered sugar 
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
1/2 cup honey 
2/3 cup butter 
3 tablespoons whipping cream


Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13"x9" pan with foil, leaving some hanging over the sides, to help remove them from the pan once they're baked.

Arrange the pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until they're lightly toasted, then set aside and let cool about 15 minutes.

Mix the flour, powdered sugar, and 3/4 cup butter in a food processor 5 to 6 times or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Using your hands, press the crumb mixture evenly on bottom and 3/4 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned, then allow to cool on a wire rack 15 minutes.

While waiting for the bottom to cool, bring the brown sugar, honey, 2/3 cup butter, and whipping cream in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. 

Remove from heat and stir in the toasted pecans. Carefully spoon the hot filling into the prepared crust. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Allow to cool on a wire rack before removing the bars from the pan and transferring to a cutting board to cut into squares.

Guy's Nine-Bean Soup with Tomato & Swiss Chard

My husband has a number of recipes which he loves to make, but his favourite and mine is his famous Bean Soup. He used to make it as a bachelor because the ingredients were relatively inexpensive, was easy to make and tasted great. Although the selection of beans change every time he makes this soup, the onions, garlic, tomatoes and swiss chard remain consistent, as well as his secret ingredient — Patak's curry paste. In fact, for the first few years we were married, he would't even let me in the kitchen when he made his Bean Soup, for fear I'd discover the recipe's elusive flavour and would be able to make the soup without him. No fear of that — this is his 'baby' and I always look forward to him making a big batch to stock our freezer for months to come.

Diced onions, garlic and curry paste are sautéed in oil until translucent

Patak's Curry Paste — my husband's secret ingredient!

One can of Italian plum tomatoes are added

All the beans are added to the mixture

Then 12 cups of homemade chicken stock is added...

...along with a bunch of coarsely chopped swiss chard is added, and simmered for 20-30 minutes

Guy's Nine-Bean & Tomato Soup with Swiss Chard

Serves 10-12

1 large Spanish onion, finely diced

3 tbsp olive oil

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp Patak's curry paste

1/4 tsp chili flakes

1 28 oz can Italian plum tomatoes

2 19 oz can six bean mix, drained

1 19 oz can black beans, drained

1 19 oz can green broad beans, drained

1 19 oz can lentils, drained

12 cups homemade or purchased chicken stock

1 bunch swiss chard, trimmed, stalks removed and chopped

In a large pot, sauté the diced onion, garlic, curry paste and chili flakes in olive oil over medium-high until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes with the juice, and stir to combine with the onion mixture. Cook for 15 minutes, then add all of the beans followed by the chicken stock and swiss chard.  Increase the heat to high until the stock just starts to bubble, then turn it down to low and cover for 20 minutes. "Done...easy-peasy," Guy says. This soup freezes beautifully, and with the quantity it makes, you'll have lovely soup for weeks to come.

Salt Grass Point Oysters with Muscadet & Peonies

A perfect summer aperitif: fresh shucked oysters on ice with lemon, horseradish and mignonette sauce served with ice cold Muscadet and vase of fresh picked peonies — beautiful. A weekend tradition, we're always keen on trying any new oysters from Diana's Seafood, like these lovely Salt Grass Point oysters from Malpeque Bay in Prince Edward Island: salty up front with a very clean, crisp finish. If there’s one food that pairs impressively with French Muscadet, it’s oysters — they go together like Bogie and Bacall. Light-bodied and mineral-edged, made with the white Melon de Bourgogne grape from in the western Loire Valley near the city of Nantes, next to the sea, the Atlantic climate influences Muscadet. The wines acidity, minerality, and briny quality complement the same flavours in the oysters, and not only holds up to the intensity of flavour of the mollusk, but matches it sip for sip. A marriage made in heaven.

Oysters with Mignonette Sauce
Serves 2

6 oysters, shucked
1 lemon, sliced for garnish
2-inch piece fresh horseradish, grated
Crushed ice

Mignonette Sauce:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp minced shallot


Stir the vinegar and shallots in a small bowl and set aside. Set the shucked oysters over a bed of crushed ice and place an empty oyster shell top in the middle garnished with a tablespoon of grated horseradish. Arrange some sliced lemon around the oysters and serve with a small bowl of mignonette sauce.