Leek and Potato Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

 

Of all the winter soups, Leek and Potato Soup is both comforting and familiar. A traditional Irish dish, this rich and creamy soup is frugal, filling and full of flavour. It can also be made in little more than half an hour. Leeks and onions are simply sautéed in butter until soft, then added to diced potatoes and chicken stock and simmered for 30 mintes. Puréed with cream and dill until silky smooth then seasoned with salt and white pepper, this hearty, warm and delicious Leek and Potato Soup served with a Grilled Cheese sandwich is the ultimate comfort food.

Leek and Potato Soup with Dill

Serves 6

2 tbsp butter

3 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and pale green parts only

3 cups of yellow onions, finely chopped

3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 cups chicken stock

3 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cream

Cook the bacon then drain on paper towel; crumble and set aside. In a large pot, warm the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and broth, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 25-30 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the dill. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until very smooth. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground white pepper. To serve, ladle the soup into warm bowls, swirl in a dollop of sour cream and garnish with some sprigs of fresh dill and crumbled bacon, for extra panache.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Aged Cheddar

Serves 4

8 slices good quality bread, such as sliced Italian Calabrese 

1 stick Butter, at room temperature

16 oz Aged Cheddar, sliced quite thin

French's Canadian Tomato Ketchup

Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Place 4 of the slices butter side down in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, then place the cheese equally on top of each slice. Set the remaining 4 slices of bread butter side up on top of the cheese, and grill until the bottom slices are golden brown. Using a spatula flip the sandwiches over and grill the other side, until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is lovely and golden brown. Slice the sandwiches in half and serve with French's 100% Canadian Tomato Ketchup.

Salade Niçoise with Seared Ahi Tuna & Anchovies

 

Traditionally made with local olives, oil-cured tuna and plump anchovies, this colourful salad from Provençe has become a staple in brasseries all over France. Inspired by the classic French recipe, this Salade Niçoise features seared sashimi-grade tuna for a modern version of the time honoured classic. Composed with fingerling potatoes, French green beans, anchovies, hard boiled eggs, pitted Niçoise olives, campari tomatoes, avocado and fresh tuna from the St Lawrence Market, along with salad greens, this 'modern' Sashimi-Style Salade Niçoise is a symphony of colour, texture and flavour. Served for lunch with our friends Cory and Richard, this salad brought a splash of colour to a cold winter afternoon. 

Salade Niçoise with Seared Tuna & Anchovies

Serves 2

4 cups mixed salad greens, or alternatively Boston or Gem

6 fingerling potatoes

4 large eggs

1/2 pound haricots verts, stems trimmed

1 lb fresh sushi-grade tuna

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 campari tomatoes, halved

1 avocado, peeled and sliced

12 nicoise olives, pitted

2 spring onions, finely sliced

8 anchovy fillets

Vinaigrette:

2 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

Maldon Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl and whisk vigorously to emulsify, then set aside.

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, add water to cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 12 minutes to give them a head start, and then add the eggs. Place a steamer basket or colander on top of the simmering water. Put the green beans in the steamer and cover with a lid. Steam the beans for 5 minutes until crisp-tender while continuing to cook the potatoes until fork tender. Drain out the water and put the potatoes, eggs, and green beans in a colander; rinse briefly under cold water. Peel the shells off the eggs and cut them in half lengthwise.

Preheat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the tuna and sear for about 10-15 seconds on each side, just enough to sear all the edges. Transfer the tuna to a cutting board and slice against the grain into 1/4-inch thick pieces.

Toss the salad greens in a large bowl with 1/3 of the dressing to coat. Place the green beans, potatoes and tomatoes in another bowl and drizzle with another 1/3 of dressing to lightly coat. To assemble the salad, lay the dressed lettuce on the bottom of a large platter. Arrange the potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, olives and anchovies over the lettuce, arranging the eggs and avocado around the edge. Finish with a layer of seared tuna in the middle of the platter, scatter the sliced spring onions over the whole platter and drizzle with the final 1/3 of vinaigrette. Season with Maldon salt, fresh cracked pepper and serve. 

Cory's Slow Roasted Pork, Baked Beans & Cole Slaw

 

Gathering the family around the dinner table for a satisfying slow roasted feast on a cold Saturday evening, is an act of love. Inspired by a recipe by Ina Garten, our friend Cory and Richard's culinary guru, Cory embarked on the Barefoot Contessa's Slow Roasted Spice Pork in the morning, basted throughout the day, and lovingly withdrew it from the oven seven hours later. The perfect homestyle pairing Cory decided was some homemade Old Fashioned Baked Beans. The cooking time, as with the pork shoulder, was of course seven hours — "in for a penny, in for a pound". Made with Thompson's White Pea Beans from nearby Blenheim, Crosby's Grandma Fancy Molasses from Quebec, and topped with a mound of local thick-cut bacon, Cory watched over the pork and the baked beans throughout the afternoon, basting his little lovelies every hour or so. One more task at hand, Cory wanted to make his Mom's recipe for fluffy Cornbread. Nestled next to the pork and baked until perfectly puffed and golden brown, Cory's sensational Saturday night dinner of Ina's ultra juicy and exquisitely tender Roast Pork, sweet and smoky Baked Beans, fluffy home-made Cornbread and Jacques Pepin's creamy coleslaw, was a feast for the soul, as well as the tummy. 

Cory preparing fresh oregano for his 7-hour Slow Roasted Spiced Pork for dinner this evening

Cory's Cole Slaw from a recipe by Jacques Pepin

7-Hour Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with homemade Baked Beans and Coleslaw

Cory's Homemade Cornbread

Cherry Pie with Vanilla Iced Cream

Slow Roasted Spiced Pork

Serves 8-10

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

7-9 lb bone-in pork butt with a layer of fat on top

6 garlic cloves

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, ribs removed, seeded, and chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves

1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup good olive oil

750 ml dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Score the fat on the pork diagonally with a sharp knife in a crosshatch pattern. With a small paring knife, make a dozen 1/2-inch-deep cuts in the top and sides of the pork to allow the seasonings to permeate the meat.

Place the garlic, onion, jalapeño, and oregano in a food processor and process until the ingredients are finely chopped. Add the cumin, chile powder, 1 tbsp salt, and 1 1/2 tsp pepper and process for 30 seconds to make a paste. Add the vinegar and olive oil and process to incorporate. Rub the mixture all over the pork, including the sides and the bottom, and place the pork in a large roasting pan, fat side up. Pour 2 cups of the wine into the pan and cover the whole roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil. 

Roast for 2 1/2 hours, remove the foil, and roast for another 4 to 4 1/2 hours, until the meat is very, very tender when tested with a carving fork. Every 2 hours, add another cup of wine to keep some liquid in the pan. Remove the pan from the oven, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and allow the meat to rest for 15 to 30 minutes, then slice and serve.

Cory's Old Fashioned Baked Beans

Serves 8

Recipe courtesy of Thompson's Beans of Blenheim Ontario

2 cups Thompson's White Pea Beans

5 cups cold water

1 medium onion, finely sliced

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp prepared mustard

1/4 cup Crosby's/Grandma Fancy Molasses

1/2 cup French's tomato ketchup

1 pinch black pepper

1/4 lb sliced bacon

Sort and rinse the beans, then soak them overnight in cold water. 

The next day, drain the beans. Add 5 cups of cold water, cover, heat to boiling, then simmer 30 minutes or until nearly tender (the beans will not become any softer once placed in the oven). Drain. Place onion slices on the bottom of a flameproof casserole dish. Add the salt, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, molasses, ketchup and black pepper in with the beans, stirring gently to combine, then pour the entire mixture into the casserole dish. Add enough water to cover the mixture, then place the sliced bacon on top. Cover with a lid and bake at 250°F for 7 hours. 

When the beans are tender, remove 1 cup of beans, mash, then stir back into the pot carefully. Cover and continue to bake. Add water as needed to keep the beans covered. One hour before serving, remove cover to darken up the beans, adding a little more salt if desired. Serve hot. 

Jacques Pepin Cole Slaw

Serves 4-6

Recipe courtesy of Jacques Pepin

1 lb white cabbage, coarsely grated (4 cups)

1 large carrot, peeled then coarsely grated

1 tsp white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Tobasco

1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1 tbsp crème fraîche or cream

Add the grated cabbage and carrot to a large bowl. Add the sugar, salt, tobasco, cider vinegar and stir well to combine. Add the mayonnaise plus a little crème fraîche or cream to the mixture, and stir well. Taste for seasoning, adding a little more salt if desired. The coleslaw can be chilled until needed, or serve straight away by transferring the coleslaw to a decorative bowl. Jacques suggests serving it with Lobster Rolls, but its excellent with spare ribs or hamburgers in the summer montes. 

Guy's Five-Alarm Chili: A Super Bowl Tradition

 

Every year around Super Bowl Sunday, we make our annual batch of Five-Alarm Chili. It's a culinary tradition. A one pot wonder, this recipe makes enough for twelve hungry football fans, and any leftovers freeze wonderfully well for easy meals during the cold winter months. My husband is the one who actually takes charge of making this robust, full flavoured Five-Alarm Chili, although it can be tweaked for the faint of heart to a three or four-alarm blaze, if necessary. This hearty and delicious recipe is made with both ground beef and mild Italian sausages, which are sautéed with garlic, cumin, chili powder, mustard, and fresh herbs then simmered with tomato paste, wine, lemon juice, dill, parsley, kidney beans and black olives for about half an hour. Topped with a good dollop of sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, sliced spring onions and finished with fresh cilantro, this is comfort food with a kick. For the final culinary touchdown, we make my friend Charles Kirby's famous Jalapeño Cheese Cornbread. Game on.

Guy's Super Bowl Five-Alarm Chili 
Serves 12

1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 lb yellow onions coarsely chopped
1 pound mild Italian sausages, removed from casings
4 lb ground beef
1 12 oz can tomato paste
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/3 cup ground cumin
4 tbsp chili powder
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
3 28 oz cans Italian plum tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 tbsp chopped fresh dill
4 tbsp chopped parsley
2 16 oz cans red kidney beans, drained
2 5 oz cans pitted black olives, drained

Optional Garnishes:
sour cream
cilantro
grated cheddar cheese
chopped spring onion
guacamole

Heat the olive oil in a very large pot. Add the onions and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the sausage meat and ground beef, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until it's well browned. Spoon off as much excess fat as you can and discard. 

Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, cumin, chili powder, mustard, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, wine, lemon juice, dill, parsley and kidney beans. Stir well and simmer, uncovered, for another 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Just before serving, add the olives and simmer for about 5 minutes more to heat through. 

Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of grated cheddar and spring onions and garnish with fresh cilantro. Warm garlic bread or my friend Charles' fabulous Jalapeño Cheese Corn Bread also goes really well with the chili!

Charles Kirby's Jalapeño & Cheese Cornbread

Serves 6

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup creamed corn

2 large eggs, beaten

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup shortening

1 cup sharp cheddar, grated

1/2 cup canned jalapeño peppers, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Put the shortening in an ovenproof skillet and place in oven until melted. Stir the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Stir the wet ingredients in another bowl, except the jalapeños. Finally, combine the wet and dry ingredients together, adding the jalapeños at the end. Pour the mixture into the heated skillet and bake 30-40 minutes, until puffed and golden.

James Barber's Baked Rice Pudding

 

My favourite Rice Pudding is one that I was served at Heatherton House, a girl's school I attended when our family lived in England in the 1970's. Normally, school food is abysmal, and some of the food combinations at Heatherton House were rather odd, but they did do a few things really well. One being their Rice Pudding, which they baked until it achieved a wonderful golden film on top. The rice was plump and perfect, and the result was rich, buttery, sweet and oh so creamy. I have tried many recipes over the years trying to reproduce the magical pudding that I recalled from my youth, and finally found it with James Barber, The Urban Peasant, who was one of Canada's first home grown and beloved TV Chefs. Sadly he died in 2007, but his recipes and spirit live on. Thank you James.

"Cooking is the simplest way of saying I love you."

- JAMES BARBER 1923-2007 -

James Barber's Baked Rice Pudding

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of James Barber

2/3 cup Arborio Rice

2 cups whole milk, or cream

6 tbsp white sugar

6 tbsp butter

Zest of 2 lemons

1 tsp cinamon

1 tbsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 250°. Mix the rice, milk (or cream), sugar, butter, vanilla and lemon together in a bowl and then pour mixture into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Bake for 2 hours, until golden brown on top. Sprinkle with some cinnamon and serve piping hot!

Croissant Bread Pudding with Rum Butter Sauce

 

Think bread pudding, only so much more luxurious. Arguably brioche and challah are the classic choices for bread pudding, but buttery croissants in a rum soaked custard topped with buttery rum sauce is the secret to this show stopping pudding. It's also a great way to use leftover or stale croissants. 

Croissant Bread Pudding

Serves 4-6

Recipe adapted from Salt & Pepper

1/3 lb croissants, about 3 large croissant (stale croissants work brilliantly)

3 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/8 cups whole milk

2/3 cups sugar

1/3 tsp vanilla extract

Rum Butter Sauce:

1/8 cup butter

1/8 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tbsp Rum

8 tsp heavy cream

Slice the croissants with a sharp serrated knife into 1" cubes, then place onto a parchment lined baking sheet pan in a preheated 225°F oven until dried out, about 30-45 minutes, then cool slightly. Stale croissants can also be used and don't need to be baked, and can simply be cut into 1" cubes.

While the croissants are in the oven, beat the eggs in a large bowl, then whisk in the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla extract until dissolved.

Butter an 8x8” baking dish, then place the cubed croissants in the dish. Pour the custard over the croissants, pushing them down with your hands to fully submerge all of the bread in the eggy custard. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the bread pudding uncovered for about 40 to 50 minutes until the top is puffed up and golden. 

While the the pudding is baking, prepare the rum sauce by combining the butter and brown sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat, and stir until melted and smooth. Add the rum and cook for 30 seconds before adding the cream. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Keep warm and serve spooned over the bread pudding.

Guy's Pappardelle Bolognese: Comfort Food

Spaghetti Bolognese is the traditional Italian ragu from Bologna, a slowly cooked sauce that characteristically includes a soffritto of onion, celery and carrot, minced or finely chopped beef, pancetta and red wine. A small amount of tomato concentrate or tomatoes are added, and the dish is then gently simmered at length to produce a rich thick sauce. Outside of Italy, "Spag-Bol" as my husband calls it, consists of a meat sauce served on a bed of spaghetti topped with a sprinkling of grated Parmigiana cheese — maybe even with a loaf of warm garlic bread. Served using classic Tuscan pappardelle for Sunday Night's Bolognese dinner at Cory and Richards, the pasta was 'molto delizioso', especially with a loaf of Guy's Garlic Ciabatta on the side. 

Pappardelle Bolognese with Beef, Mushrooms and Red Wine

Serves 6

1/2 lb shiitake or cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oli

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef

3 cups homemade tomato sauce, or good quality store-bought

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup red wine

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 lb pappardelle (or spaghetti)

1 cup coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino 

1 bunch parsley, chopped for garnish

In a large frying pan, melt the butter on medium-high heat and when it starts to sizzle, add the mushrooms and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes, then set aside. Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan set on medium-high and add the ground beef, stirring frequently until the meat is no longer pink and is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste, and stir thoroughly to combine. Turn the heat down to low, and add the mushrooms plus their liquid into the bolognese, then pour in the red wine and continue stirring until the mixture is the desired consistency. For a looser sauce, add some water or beef stock as necessary. Cover the sauce and continue cooking on low heat to meld the flavours, about another 30-60 minutes.

Set a large pot of water to boil over high heat, and when it comes to a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook according to the manufacturers instructions. When al dente or to taste, drain in a colander then return to the pot and combine with just enough bolognese sauce just to coat the noodles. To serve, arrange the semi-dressed pasta in warmed dinner bowls and top with a mound of additional sauce, as desired. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top and a garnish of chopped parsley and serve immediately, with additional parmigiana on the side for those who wish a little more.

Guy's Garlic Ciabatta

Serves 6

1 fresh ciabatta 

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, mash up the butter and minced garlic until it's well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the chopped parsley. Cut the ciabatta in half length wise being careful not o cut all the way through — it should open like a book. Liberally spread the garlic butter on the inside of both 'halves', then wrap snuggly in aluminum foil. Place in a preheated oven set to 375°F and bake for 15-20 minutes. Just before serving, open the garlic bread up from the foil and allow to cook open to the heat of the oven for another 5 minutes. To serve, close the bread back to it's original loaf shape and slice into 1-inch pieces. Place in a bread basket or a decorative platter and serve hot with the pasta.

Richard's Tuscan Sausage & Bean Stew with Kale

 

There are times when we're lucky enough to find ourselves in the right place at the right time. This past weekend we were all treated to our friend Richard's heartwarming Tuscan Sausage and Bean Stew for lunch on a blustery winter afternoon. Served with sliced warm baguette, pâté de campagne, a creamy goat cheese and a rich blue, the soup is one of Richard's signature favourites that he loves to make during the cold winter months. 

Richards Tuscan Sausage and Bean Stew

Serves 4

4 hot Italian sausages, casings removed

1 yellow onion, cut in half and finely sliced

2 15 oz cans Cannellini beans, drained

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

In a dutch oven, brown the sausage over medium-high heat, until cooked through. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and once simmering, add the beans and kale, then turn the heat to medium, and cook until the kale has wilted and the beans are warmed through, about 15-20 minutes. Just before serving, add a dollop of red wine vinegar and serve immediately. 

Richard's Savoury Parmesan Shortbread Rounds

 

Richard's savoury Parmesan Shortbreads are incredibly delicious, especially when hot from the oven, which was how they were served with his signature cocktail of the weekend: Manhattans over ice garnished with Luxury cherries. Conveniently, Richard's shortbread recipe can be made ahead of time, frozen until needed, then thawed, sliced and baked whenever he likes. Wonderful, just like Richard. 

Richard's Savoury Parmesan Shortbread Rounds

Makes 24

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, about 2 1/2 oz

1 tsp coarse kosher salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Mix the flour, Parmesan cheese, salt, and cayenne pepper in a food processor. Add the butter and, using on/off turns, process until the dough begins to come together. Gather dough into a ball and divide in half. Roll each half into 12-inch logs, wrap each roll in cling film, and freeze until needed. 

Thaw at room temperature 30 minutes before using. Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut each log into 1/4-inch thick rounds, arrange on the baking sheet and bake about 20 minutes, until the shortbread are lightly golden. To serve, transfer the shortbread rounds to a decorative plate and serve warm from the oven.

NOTE: Richard usually buys 3 or 4 pounds of butter and blocks of parmesan cheese to make these shortbread in vast quantities, so that he's got ready-to-bake appetizers on hand all year.

Cory's Chicken Valencia: A Winter Weekend Lunch

 

Inspired by Mary Berry's Everyday Cookbook, Cory created her delicious Chicken Valencia with creamy mashed potatoes for an over-the-top delicious weekend lunch. "Simple but tasty and with lots of flavoursome sauce, this is a casserole that you will come back to again and again," as Mary writes in her cookbook, and I couldn't agree more. So I thank Cory for making such a memorable dish, and Mary Berry for being his muse. And to our hosts for bringing us all together to celebrate good food, good friends and good times. 

Mary at her home in Buckinghamshire

Mary Berry Everyday cookbook

Chicken Valencia
Serves 4-6
Recipe courtesy of Mary Berry Everyday cookbook

2 tbsp sunflower oil

8 chicken thighs on the bone, skin removed

6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, thinly sliced

2 onions, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1oz plain flour

10 fl oz white wine

1 400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp muscovado sugar

14oz cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, deep ovenproof casserole dish with a lid. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then add to the pan and brown over a high heat for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden all over. Remove, cover with foil and set aside.

Add the bacon and onions to the pan and fry for 3–4 minutes over a high heat until the bacon is crispy. Add the garlic and fry for a further 30 seconds.

Measure the flour into a bowl, then add the wine little by little and whisk into a smooth paste. Add to the pan with the tomatoes and sugar and stir in well. Bring to the boil, then return the chicken and any juices to the pan and bring back up to the boil, stirring. Cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

Shortly before the chicken is ready, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, add the mushrooms and fry for 3–4 minutes until golden and just cooked. Add the mushrooms to the casserole and stir in the thyme. Serve the casserole hot with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable such as kale or spinach.

Cory's Tuscan Beans & Sticky Toffee Pudding Dinner

 

Our dear friends Cory and Richard have enormous hearts and when they entertain they do so with warm generosity, surprising guests with wonderful recipes and signature culinary creations. Never one to do anything in half measures, Cory and Richard spend hours pouring through cookbooks and magazines in search of the most interesting dishes to serve family and friends. Visiting them for a wonderful winter interlude, we were treated to one inspired meal after another, including this sumptuous dinner featuring Jean White's Reuben Spirals as an appetizer with Richard's bottomless Manhattan's, his Uncle Ross's premium T-Bone steaks grilled to perfection by Cory, served with Stanley Tucci's Tuscan Stewed Beans, Richard's lovely green salad, and Cory's outstanding Sticky Toffee Pudding with Rum Butter Sauce by Dame Mary Berry, which was gobsmackingly delicious.

 

We enjoyed Jean's Reuben Spirals as an appetizer with Richard's Manhattans

Cory used dried beans rather than from a can, and cooked them for about 4 hours

A soffritto of onions, carrots, and celery, gently sautéed in olive oil, 

followed with garlic, fresh herbs, tomatoes, wine and broth then simmered

The ultimate rustic Italian comfort food, 

Stanley calls his Stewed Tuscan Beans "a wholesome hug in a bowl"

2 gorgeous T-bones from Corey's Uncle Ross who raises his own cattle

Grilled on the BBQ for a few minutes each side and cooked to perfection

Pink, juicy and gloriously full of flavour

Cory's delicious grilled steak and Tuscan stewed bean dinner with Richards salad,

and outrageous Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert

Cory's Sticky Toffee Pudding just out of the oven was a sight to behold 

Luscious Sticky Toffee Pudding with Rum Butter Sauce topped with a scoop of vanilla Iced Cream

Stanley Tucci's Tuscan Stewed Beans

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Stanley Tucci

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 medium or large carrots, peeled and finely chopped

2 celery ribs, diced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, minced

1 tbsp minced fresh sage

4 1/2 tbsp tomato paste

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, plus more as desired

2 15-oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, and season with a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until golden, stirring occasionally. Add in the carrot, celery, and garlic, with another pinch of salt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, parsley, and sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring almost continuously, for 1 to 2 minutes, until it's a bit darker in colour. Pour the white wine in and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Allow wine to simmer rapidly for 3 minutes, or until mostly evaporated and it no longer smells like wine, stirring often.

Add tomatoes along with their juices, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and several cracks of black pepper. Cook at a rapid simmer, stirring fairly often, until the tomatoes are fully broken down and most of the liquid has evaporated, 12 to 13 minutes.

Add the veggie broth and 2 cans of beans. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and maintain a decent simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once in a while. If you want the stew to be thicker, towards the end of cooking, use the back of a wooden spoon or a spatula to gently smash a small portion of the beans.

Taste, adding a pinch of sugar if needed (if your tomatoes are good-quality, it should not be necessary). Remove the bay leaf. Finish with chopped basil. Season to taste, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Mary Berry's Easy Sticky Toffee Pudding

Serves 6

Recipe courtesy of Mary Berry

3 1/2 oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

6 oz light muscovado sugar

2 large eggs

8 oz self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 tbsp black treacle

9 1/2 fl oz full-fat milk

double cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve

For the sauce:

3 1/2 oz butter

4 1/2 oz light muscovado sugar

1 tbsp black treacle

10 fl oz pouring double cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp Rum (Cory's addition!)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a wide shallow 1.7-litre (3-pint) ovenproof dish.

Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and treacle into a mixing bowl, and beat using an electric handheld whisk for about 30 seconds or until combined. Pour in the milk gradually and whisk again until smooth. Pour into the prepared dish, then bake for 35–40 minutes or until well risen and springy in the centre.

To make the sauce, put all the ingredients into a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Bring to the boil, stirring for a minute. To serve, pour half the sauce over the pudding in the baking dish. Serve with the cream or ice cream.

Jean's Reuben Spirals

Makes 10-12 spirals per roll

Recipe by Jean White, bless her soul

1 package of frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 cup dijon mustard

1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese

16 thinly sliced deli corned beef

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp caraway seeds, as garnish

On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry to a 12"x10" rectangle. Spread 1/2 cup of dijon mustard over the pastry and top with shredded swiss cheese, then top with whole slices of corned beef. Cut the puff pastry crosswise in half, making 2 rectangles. Roll up one rectangle from the short end, jelly roll fashion into a log shape and seal seam with water. Repeat with the other rectangle. 

Freeze by wrapping each roll in cling film, but thaw at room temperature 30 minutes before using. Cut each roll into 1/4-inch slices placed cut side up on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Jean likes them served with a martini! Each roll makes about 10-12 spirals.

Richards Sensational Chicken Pesto Pasta

 

Inspired by his favourite pasta that he used to order every time at Il Fornello on Church Street many moons ago, Richard recreated this sensational Chicken Pesto Pasta which is now one of his signature dishes. The Church Street location in Toronto is no longer around, but Richard's pasta is, and for that we all are eternally grateful, because it's outrageously delicious.

1/2 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes and 1/4 cup pine nuts

2-pounds of chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces and sautéed until cooked through,

then set aside until needed

The pesto warming in a deep non-stick skillet

The sun dried tomatoes are added 

Richard pours the cream to the pesto and sun-dried tomato mixture,

after which the chicken and pine nuts are added followed by handfuls of grated Parmesan

Richard's Chicken Pesto Pasta

Serves 8

Recipe courtesy of Richard Wison

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup pesto

1/2 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 cups 18% cream

Salt and black pepper, to taste

1 cup fresh grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

1 lb penne rigate pasta 

Pat dry the chicken thighs and cut into bite-size pieces. Add the oil to a large 12-inch, 2-inch deep skillet set on medium-high. Add the chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 15 minutes. The cooked chicken can be set aside in a bowl until needed.

In the same pan, add the pesto and warm through on medium heat, for about 10 minutes. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and red pepper flakes, and stir well to combine. Pour in the cream, one cup at a time, stirring frequently until the sauce begins to thicken, about 10-15 minutes. Stir the chicken and pine nuts into the sauce, season with salt and pepper, cover and reduce the heat to a soft simmer.

Meanwhile, add the penne in a pot of boiling water, and cook according to the package directions, until tender. Drain the penne in a colander, add to the sauce, and stir well to coat. Finally, stir in the grated Parmesan and serve the Chicken Pesto Pasta in warm bowls with a bowl of extra cheese on the side for guests to help themselves to more if they desire.