Rhubarb, Honey & Orange Oatmeal Morning Muffins

Light, healthy, moist and delicious, these Rhubarb, Honey & Orange Oatmeal Muffins take full advantage of the abundance of rhubarb in the markets these days. Made with buttermilk, oats, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, orange zest and sweetened with honey and brown sugar, these muffins are fabulous fresh out of the oven for breakfast especially when served alongside a heaping bowl of Rhubarb Compote or slathered with sweet Cinnamon-Orange Honey Butter.




Rhubarb, Honey & Orange Oatmeal Muffins 
Makes 12 muffins

1 cup large-flake rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup liquid honey
2 tsp orange zest
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cup rhubarb, diced into 1/4-inch pieces


Line muffin cups with paper liners or grease with some butter or vegetable oil, then set aside. In large bowl, stir together the oats and buttermilk and let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add the honey, oil, orange zest, sugar and egg to the buttermilk mixture, then pour into the flour mixture, stirring just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Then add the rhubarb. Divide the dough among the prepared cups. Bake in centre of 375°F oven until the tops are firm to the touch, about 25-30 minutes depending on the size of the muffins. Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with Cinnamon-Orange Honey Butter or Rhubarb Compote.



Cinnamon-Orange Honey Butter
Makes 3/4 cup

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Serve with the Rhubarb, Honey & Orange Oatmeal Muffins.



Rhubarb Compote
Makes 3 cups

6 cups fresh chopped rhubarb, washed
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup maple sugar or brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer gently until the rhubarb starts to soften, about five minutes. Uncover and continue to cook another five minutes, then remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool.

A Moroccan Mezze: Fava Bean Hummus

Similar to Middle Eastern hummus, Moroccan Byesar uses fava beans, also known as broad beans, instead of chickpeas. Fresh favas, with their faintly sweet, herbal flavour and beautiful pale green color, bring a bright, almost grassy, note to this classic mezze. Light and creamy, the spread is made from a blend of cooked, hulled fava beans mixed with garlic, spices, herbs and olive oil to produce a smooth paste that's typically served with warm pita bread. Just before serving, the purée is traditionally drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with crushed za'atar, a North African spice mixture of ground dried thyme, marjoram and oregano. Rich and varied, Moroccan cuisine has evolved from centuries of foreign influence, from Berber, Spanish, Corsican and Portuguese, to Mediterranean, Turkish, Arabic and African. Healthy, low fat and gluten-free, this delicious Fava Bean Hummus makes an exciting prelude to an exotic evening of Moroccan mezze shared with family and friends.




Moroccan Fava Bean Hummus
Serves 6-8

1 1/2 cup fresh fava beans
2 cloves garlic
1 shallot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tsp kosher or Maldon sea salt
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Fresh mint for garnish


Place the shelled fava beans in a medium pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes, then drain, peel and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer the beans, garlic and shallot to a food processor and blend until ground. Add the lemon juice, salt, cumin, cayenne, olive oil and pepper to taste, and purée until smooth, adding a little more oil or water if you prefer a silkier consistency. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, to allow the flavours to meld. Once chilled, adjust the seasoning and garnish with a mint leaf and chive blossom. Serve with crudités, crackers or toasted pita as part of a mezze or appetizer with cocktails.


NOTE: For a classic Tunisian variation, harissa can be added to the purée and garnished with some cayenne pepper.

Coriander & Fennel Crusted Salmon with Asparagus

An aromatic mixture of toasted coriander and fennel seeds become the fragrant foundation for a wonderfully flavourful dry rub for salmon. Coarsely ground with white peppercorns and seasoned with a little kosher salt, the mixture is pressed into the fish, and grilled over medium-high heat for a delicious light and crispy coating, with scents redolent of Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine. A great source of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids, this Coriander & Fennel Crusted Salmon is sensational served on a bed of grilled asparagus and garnished simply with a slice or orange and drizzle of balsamic fig glaze.



Coriander & Fennel Crusted Salmon with Grilled Asparagus
Serves 2

2 tbsp coriander seed
2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp white peppercorns
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 salmon filets, about 6 oz each
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
Olive oil, for brushing
Fresh thyme, mint and sliced orange, for garnish
Balsamic and fig glaze, for drizzling - I use Kalamata brand


Place the coriander seeds, fennel seeds and white peppercorns in a small pan over medium high heat. Toast the mixture, shaking the pan frequently, until they become fragrant and begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Let the mixture cool a few minutes and then transfer to a spice grinder or small food processor, and coarsley grind. Spread on a small plate with the salt and mix well.

Brush the salmon filets with some olive oil then dip the top side of each filet into the spices, pressing well to adhere. Transfer the fish to a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until required. Place the asparagus in a small dish and drizzle with a little olive oil and toss to coat. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate along with the salmon.

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high. Place the salmon, coriander side down for 3-4 minutes, until a nice brown crust forms. Flip the filets and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes, until the fish flakes easily and the center is almost opaque. Just before the salmon is done, add the asparagus and grill, turning frequently until the asparagus is well grill-marked and cooked to your preference.

To serve, divide the asparagus between two plates and top with the salmon filets and some sprigs of fresh thyme. Drizzle with the balsamic and fig glaze, and garnish with a slice of orange, mint and chive blossom.

Greek-Style Pork Rib Chops with Lemon & Oregano

Pork has an incredible ability to embrace a great variety of marinades and bright flavours, making every recipe a unique culinary experience, whether it's smokey Slow Roasted Pulled Pork Carnitas, comforting Herb & Mustard Marinated Pork Tenderloin, festive Stuffed Roast Pork with Armagnac, Prunes & Apricots, or this Mediterranean-inspired recipe for Greek-Style Pork Rib Chops with Lemon & Oregano. A Macedonian cook once said that good cooking was simple, colourful, wholesome and rich. This sentiment still characterizes Greek cuisine, which is perhaps one of the healthiest in Europe. 

1-inch thick Pork rib chops marinating in olive oil, lemon juice, dried Grek oregano 

and seasoned with a little salt and black pepper

Fresh homemade Tzatziki from the St. Lawrence Market

Low in fat and calories, lean trimmed pork is also a great source of protein, minerals and vitamins, making it a healthy and satisfying dietary choice. This simple and delicious recipe for Greek-Style Pork Rib Chops made with a tangy marinade of fresh lemon juice, dried Greek oregano, red wine vinegar and minced garlic captures the essence and vitality of simple Grecian fare. Grilled outdoors over medium-high until golden and served with a heaping bowl of cold and tangy tzatziki and Guy's Green Greek Salad with Feta & Pine Nuts, you'll be booking a vacation to Athens before you've finished nibbling on the bones.

Greek-Style Pork Rib Chops with Lemon & Oregano
Serves 2

2 bone-in pork chops, at least 1-inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp dried Greek oregano
2 tsp minced garlic
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup tzatziki, to serve with the pork

Fresh thyme and lemon, for garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic and black pepper. Place the pork chops in large resealable plastic bag or flat glass dish. Pour the marinade over the pork chops and marinate in refrigerator for 4-8 hours.

To cook, remove the pork chops from refrigerator and let come to room temperature while you pre-heat an outdoor grill to medium-high. Cut a lemon into thick 1/2-inch slices and brush with some olive oil. For criss-cross grill marks, place the pork chops on a diagonal to the grill grids, rotating 45 degrees when the first set of grill marks start to show, about 4-5 minutes. Rotate the chops and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. In the final minutes, place the lemon slices on the grill until they're lightly browned. Serve the pork chops with some warm sliced lemon, and top with some fresh thyme and tzatziki.

Guy's Green Greek Salad with Feta & Pine Nuts
Serves 4-6

1 head red leaf lettuce, washed and dried
8 oz Greek Feta cheese, crumbled
1 3-inch piece english cucumber, cut into 1/4" dice
2 sprigs fresh mint, leaves only, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Vinaigrette:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup pine nuts
Maldon salt and fresh cracked black pepper, 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 to taste. Stir in the pine nuts and set aside.

In a large salad bowl, tear the lettuces into large bite size pieces. Add the crumbled feta, diced cucumber, chopped fresh mint, dried oregano and dress with the vinaigrette, "so that the leaves all get scrumptious." Season to taste with salt and additional pepper, if desired. 

Magnificent Mykonos with its azure seas and sumptuous cuisine

Grilled Swordfish with Leek, Shiitake & Fava Succotash

There's no other fish quite like swordfish. When marinating this succulent fish, my mantra is usually 'less is more' — a little lemon juice and olive oil, and that's it. However, this intense marinade of soy sauce, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and cumin melt into these meaty kebabs, yielding richly flavoured moist morsels of succulent fish — a robust departure from my normal comfort zone. Served with a lively succotash of sautéed leeks, plump shiitake mushrooms and bright green fava beans with a hint of fresh thyme and chopped mint, makes this dish a delicious and comforting summertime meal.

Fresh flowering chives in my garden supply of instant garnishes

Mint grows like weeds and is perfect in any summertime recipes

Using the freshest possible produce makes any dish look and taste better. One of the pleasures of a summer garden is having fresh fragrant herbs at your fingertip, to add to recipes and or garnish platters of cooked fish or seafood salads. Having been up in Muskoka over the past weekend, I was able to take advantage of the organic produce at Brooklands Farm, like these fresh plump shiitake mushrooms. A beacon for many local chefs and local cooks in the Muskoka region, Ken and Katya's farm has been in the Riley Family since 1876, and uses sustainable farming methods, relying on improving soil health rather than chemicals. Their produce, like them, are beyond compare, and made this Leek, Shiitake & Fava Succotash especially delicious.

Fresh organic shiitakes from Brooklands Farm shiitake grove in Muskoka

Diced red onion and sliced leeks are sautéed in some olive oil

The shiitakes are added with a little chopped chives and parsley

The succotash is cooked until the leeks and mushrooms are lovely and soft

The blanched favas are sautéed in a tablespoon of olive oil until they get a bit crispy

Grilled Swordfish Kebabs with Leek, Shiitake & Fava Succotash
Serves 2

Soy & Dijon Marinade:
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 lb swordfish, cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch chunks for kebabs
1 red onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 bamboo skewers, pre-soaked
Fresh chives and mint for garnish

Leek, Shiitake & Fava Succotash:
1 leek
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 cups fava beans, cooked and peeled
1 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

3 tbsp olive oil
, divided
Kosher salt and black pepper


Combine the olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, mustard, cumin, pepper and salt in a large bowl, and whisk together to make the marinade. Add the pieces of swordfish and toss gently to coat. Cover, or transfer to a resealable plastic bag, and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours.

Trim the leek by removing the root and tough green ends. Cut in half lengthwise then slice into 1/8-inch pieces and soak in cold water for 5-10 minutes, to rinse off any dirt. Drain the leeks using a small sieve and set side.

Preheat and outdoor grill or oven broiler. Make the swordfish kebabs by threading each piece of fish and red onion alternately onto each skewer and baste the kebabs with the remaining marinade. Grill, rotating the kebabs, until the fish is nicely browned and just cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.

While the fish is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, and sauté the leeks until they begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Add the shiitakes and fresh thyme and sauté until tender, about 3 more minutes. In another small saucepan, sauté the cooked fava beans and fresh mint in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat for a few minutes, so that they become slightly caramelized and crispy, then add to the leek and mushroom mixture.

To serve, spoon the leek, mushroom and fava succotash onto 2 warmed plates and arrange a fish kebab on top. Garnish with some green chives, a sprig of fresh mint and a chive blossom.

Chicken, Barley & Zucchini Salad with Orange and Goji

Bursting with fibre-rich barley, this healthy Chicken, Barley & Zucchini Salad with Orange, Mint and Goji Berries helps slow down the absorption of sugar keeping energy levels up. Adapted from 'Supergrains' by Chrissy Freer, the cookbook features twelve different grains including quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, brown rice, chia, millet, oats, spelt, kamut, barley, farro and freekeh and explores the health benefits of these nutrient-packed superfoods. Supergrains provides the nutritional statistics for each grain, and invaluable tips on what they're best used for and how to cook them. Six of the grains are gluten-free and many of them are a complete source of protein in themselves, which means these fresh and flavourful recipes are a great choice for restricted gluten- or wheat-free diets as well as vegetarians and vegans.

Chrisy Freer's 'Supergrains' cookbook features recipes using twelve different grains, 

including quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, brown rice, chia, millet, oats, spelt, 

kamut, barley, farro and freekeh

Known as another of the great superfoods, bright red goji berries have become increasingly popular among the health food crowd because they're packed with antioxidants. The dried berries, which taste similar to dried cranberries, come from the Himalayas and China, where they've been eaten for centuries and used in Chinese medicine to boost life-force or "chi" energy. 

Goji berries

Combined with shredded chicken, ribbons of fresh zucchini and asparagus, green onions, orange segments, pine nuts, raisins, fragrant mint and chopped chives, all dressed in a light vinaigrette, this salad is a delicious and heart-smart way to enjoy many of the fresh veggies that are in the market these days and begin to explore the wonderful world of sensational supergrains.

Chicken, Barley & Zucchini Salad with Orange, Mint and Goji Berries

Serves 4

1 cup pearl barley, briefly rinsed

1 lb skinless chicken breast fillets

2 large green zucchini, trimmed

5 thick spears asparagus

6 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup mint leaves

2 tbsp snipped chives

1 cup orange segments

1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

2 tbsp raisins or currants

1 tbsp goji berries

Maldon sea salt and black pepper

Dressing:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp raspberry vinegar

2 tbsp apple sauce

Cook barley in boiling water for 30 minutes. Refresh under cold running water, then drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Meanwhile, wrap the chicken breasts in aluminum foil and bake in a 425°F oven for 25-30 minutes until cooked though. Set aside to cool, then shred. 

Using a vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini and asparagus into thin ribbons. Add the zucchini, asparagus, chicken, green onions, orange segments, goji berries, mint, chives, pine nuts and currants to the barley and stir to combine.

To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk. Add to the salad and gently toss to combine. Season with Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. 

Crab & Avocado Salad with Mango and Ginger

Light, healthy and delicious, this tantalizing tower of Crab & Avocado Salad with Mango and Ginger makes a stunning first course or light al fresco feast. Luscious layers of diced avocado, neon-pink pickled ginger and sweet dense white crabmeat are set over a decorative round of thinly sliced cucumber and finished with a crown of sweet ripe mango and drizzled with a tangy Balsamic Fig Glaze, for an easy and impressive sensational summer salad.

Kalamata Balsamic & Fig Glaze - only 13 calories per tablespoon and zero fat

I used a 1-lb tub of Phillips Crab Claw from Diana's Seafood

Taking advantage of pre-packaged tubs of premium crabmeat, makes indulging in this sweet and succulent crustacean a quick and easy treat. Combined with nutrition-rich avocado, low calorie zero-fat pickled ginger, and vitamin rich juicy mango, this Crab & Avocado Salad is both healthy and delicious!

Crab & Avocado Salad with Mango and Ginger

Serves 4

1 lb crab meat - I used Phillips Crab Claw

6 tbsp mayonnaise

2 avocado, finely diced

1 ripe mango, diced

1 tbsp pickled ginger

1 english cucumber, finely sliced

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Garnish:

12 sprigs of fresh flowering chive

2 tbsp chives, finely chopped

2 tbsp black and white sesame seeds

Balsamic & Fig Glaze

Combine the crab and mayonnaise in a large bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. To plate the dish, start with a round of sliced cucumber on each serving dish. Using a ramekin lightly brushed with vegetable oil, layer a portion of the crab, followed by a few slices of pickled ginger topped with chopped avocado and press down firmly to compact the mixture. Invert into the middle of the cucumber ring and top with a mound of chopped mango. Garnish with a flurry of finely chopped chives, some sesame seeds and finish with a drizzle of Balsamic Fig glaze. Top with sprigs of flowering chive and serve.