Summer Pavlova with Strawberries & Blueberries

Sweet, crunchy and meltingly soft, no one knows who first created the Pavlova, an elegant dessert with a fluffy meringue that's filled with whipped cream and fresh fruit, but the name and recipes first began appearing soon after the Russian prima ballerina, Anna Pavlova, toured both Australia and New Zealand in 1926. Considered to be the greatest ballerina of her time, it was said "She doesn't dance, she soars as though on wings." A summer cloud of fruit, cream and meringue, it's no coincidence that the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, is said to have been both ethereal and delicate, just like her namesake dessert.

Russian dancers Anna Pavlova and Nijinsky

It's thought that a chef at a hotel in Wellington, New Zealand created the dish when Pavlova visited there on her world tour. So inspired by her tutu draped in green silk cabbage roses, that the chef created the Pavlova dessert: the shape of the tutu was provided by a meringue case, while the froth of the skirt's net was suggested by whipped cream. To achieve the effect of the green roses the enterprising chef used slices of kiwifruit. While it's been suggested that this dessert was created in New Zealand, it's also recognized as a popular Australian dish, so for sake of staying neutral, we'll say both country's can take the credit for the sumptuous Pavlova, an edible translation of sugar turned into cumulous clouds. As the crisp meringue shell crumbles as you cut through the layers, a burst of berries followed by sweet cream will make you want to get up on your toes and pirouette across the room. Whether you hail from Australia, New Zealand or elsewhere, this is a sumptuous dessert any time of year.

The fresh cold egg whites and icing sugar frothed up beautifully on my second attempt!

Baked for an hour at 300°F and allowed to rest in the over for 2 hours

Strawberry & Blueberry Pavlova
Serves 6

For the Meringue:
4 large fresh egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine or icing sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp white-wine vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Pavlova:
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, whipped
Mixed berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp Cointreau or Triple Sec


Preheat oven to 350°F. Using an 8-inch bowl as a guide, trace the perimeter of the bowl onto a sheet of parchment paper. Transfer parchment paper, pencil side down, to a baking sheet and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt together until glossy peaks form. With mixer running, add sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Sprinkle in the cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla, gently folding to combine.

Mound the meringue in the center of the 8-inch circle, and using a spatula, evenly spread meringue out towards the edges. Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 300°F. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash, trim and quarter the strawberries, then place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with white sugar and toss to combine. Stir in a dash of Cointreau, then cover the berries and set aside. Wash and clean any other berries and set aside.

Turn off the oven and let meringue cool completely in oven, for about 2 hours. When the meringue is cool and completely dry, top with a mound of whipped cream and all the mixed berries, and a sprig or two of fresh mint.

Moroccan Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas

Light, crunchy and slightly sweet with the addition of honey and dried cranberries in the broth as the quinoa cooks, this colourful Moroccan Quinoa Salad is the perfect side dish for a hot summer lunch or outdoor dinner. Tossed with a medley of diced vegetables, dried fruits, fresh herbs and exotic mixture of fragrant spices, the salad is entirely gluten-free for a low carb contribution to a healthy and delicious summer meal.



Moroccan Quinoa Salad 
Serves 6

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed in cold water
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup each finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup grated carrots 
1/2 cup seeded and diced English cucumber 
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of one lemon
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper


Combine the quinoa, chicken broth, raisins, curry, cumin, coriander, honey and salt in a medium pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid. Remove from the heat and let stand covered for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and allow to cool completely. After the quinoa has cooled, combine with all of the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

Moroccan Grilled Lamb & Beef Kefta with Tahini Sauce

Kefta is traditionally a meat mixture, often of beef or lamb, mixed with savoury spices like cumin, paprika, and even a bit of cinnamon for some warmth. There are hundreds of varieties of meatballs – kofta in Arabic and ktsitsot in Hebrew – each with its own unique heritage and specific preparation technique. You can form them into round meatballs, flat patties, thin fingers or more commonly, into torpedo-shaped kebabs that are perfect for wrapping up inside of a pita or serving with any kind of warm flatbread. In this Moroccan-inspired version, the ground beef and lamb are seasoned with a combination of spices, finely chopped onion and fresh herbs. Although some recipes suggest adding breadcrumbs or eggs to bind the mixture, it's not wholly traditional. Chilled for an hour or so before cooking, the kefta are grilled for 10-15 minutes over medium heat until just they're cooked through and beautifully golden brown. Served with flatbread or with quinoa, couscous or crunchy cucumber and tomato salad and a heaping bowl of tzatziki, Kefta are healthy, delicious and bursting with flavour.

Ground lamb and beef is combined with fresh cilantro, fragrant spices, minced garlic, 

chopped onion, Harissa and pine nuts

The ingredients are mixed together using your hands until it's all well combined

The kefta are formed into 3-inch long torpedo-shaped kebabs, 

then covered and chilled for a few hours

Kefta grilled on the BBQ with melted ghee brushed overtop 

Moroccan Grilled Lamb & Beef Kefta with Tahini Sauce & Pomegranate
Serves 6

2 lb ground minced lamb and beef
1 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp salt
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp Harissa paste
1/3 cup pine nuts

Tahini Sauce:
2/3 cup light tahini paste
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 medium clove of garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp salt

Garnish:
2 tbsp unsalted butter or ghee, melted- optional
1 cup pomegranate seeds 
1 tbsp each of cilantro and pine nuts


Put all the kofta ingredients in a bowl and using your hands, mix everything together well. Shape into long, torpedo-like fingers, about 3-inches long and about 2 1/4 oz each, making sure to press the mixture together to ensure the kofta are tight and keep their shape. Arrange on a plate, cover with cling film and chill until you're ready to cook them, up to one day ahead.

For the sauce, whisk together the tahini paste, lemon juice, minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 cup of water in a medium sized bowl. The sauce should be a bit runnier than honey, so add one or two tablespoons of extra water if needed, then cover and set aside.

To barbecue outdoors, preheat the grill to medium and cook the kefta for about 12-15 minutes, or until nicely browned all over but still lovely and juicy on the inside. If you like your meat more well done, continue cooking on the grill until your preferred level of doneness. 

To cook indoors, preheat oven to 425°F. Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a large non stick frying-pan and sear the kefta in batches over high heat, making sure they're not bunched together. Sear them on all sides until golden brown, about 6-10 minutes for each batch for medium-rare. For medium or well-done, place the kefta on a baking tray and cook in the oven for another 2-4 minutes.

To finish, melt the ghee in a small saucepan and allow to brown a little, taking care that it doesn’t burn. Spoon the butter over the kofta as soon as they come out of the oven, or baste on the grill as the kefta are cooking. 

To serve, arrange the kefta on warmed platter and drizzle with some of the Tahini Sauce, a sprinkle of fresh pomegranate seeds and garnish with extra cilantro and pine nuts. Serve at once with any remaining sauce on the side.

Grilled Calamari with Smoked Paprika & Lime Lentils

Lightly smokey and sinfully succulent, this Grilled Calamari with Smoked Paprika and Lime Lentils is a healthy and delicious choice for a light lunch or heart smart summer dinner. Nestled on a bed of tangy green lentils infused with fresh squeezed lime juice, minced shallots and olive oil, the smoked paprika rubbed calamari is quickly grilled on an outdoor barbecue over medium-high heat, until it becomes lightly charred and warmed through. Served with a handful of sautéed cherry tomatoes and garnished with a tumble of baby arugula, this nutritional fibre-rich dish is ideal for svelte summer dining — it fills you up, not out.




Grilled Calamari with Smoked Paprika & Lime Lentils 
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy of Chef Nigel Didcock

8 whole calamari, tubes and tentacles
2 tbsp smoked paprika
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup French green du puy lentils
1 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 shallot, minced 
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
12 grape tomatoes
1 bunch baby arugula or mâche, for garnish
Salt & pepper to taste


Place the lentils into a strainer and rinse under cool running water. Bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan, then add the lentils. Reduce the heat to simmer and cover, stirring occasionally, for about 18-20 minutes or until tender. Once cooked, drain and cool the lentils, then, finish with freshly squeezed lime juice, minced shallot, olive oil, salt and pepper, and set aside.

Place the cherry tomatoes in a small sauté pan and cover with olive oil. Add a clove of garlic and three basil leaves. Bring the oil to a simmer, then remove the pot from the stove, cool, strain and set aside.

To clean the calamari, pull the tentacles away from the body of the squid, removing the ink sac, beak and cartilage. Cut the tentacles off at the end of the beak, reserving the tentacles and discarding the hard beak. Using your fingers, pull the clear cartilage out of each tube, tear the purple skin from the tubes and remove the wings, rinsing the tubes very well, to ensure the insides are clean.

To create an accordian-style look, place the handle end of a wooden spoon into each tube. Ensure the dowel is at the top length of the tube, then slice the squid to create an accordion appearance — the portion of the squid where the dowel has been inserted will keep the squid intact. Rinse the calamari body and tentacles under cold water and dry with paper towels, then marinate in the smoked paprika for 45 minutes. To cook the calamari, place the bodies and tentacles on a preheated outdoor grill over medium high heat until tender and lightly charred. Be careful bot too overcook them as the meat will become tough and rubbery — less in more!

To serve, spoon a portion of lentils into the middle of each plate and top with 2 calamari and tentacles. Garnish the dish with a handful of watercress, a drizzle of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil and finish with three marinated tomatoes around the edge of each plate.

Chilled Summer Pea & Mint Soup with Buttermilk

This rich, creamy and vibrant Chilled Summer Soup is like summertime in a bowl. Peas and fresh mint come together as a perfect marriage that bursts with fabulous flavour, and the addition of tart buttermilk makes this light and delicious soup a refreshing starter to any meal. Wonderfully silky and smooth, it is also unbelievably quick and easy to make — you'll be in and out of the kitchen within half an hour! The soup also transports easily. I often make it ahead of time when invited for a cottage weekend and simply store it in a plastic jug for the drive up north. When it's time to be served, I simply retrieve my jug from the refrigerator and discreetly pour the chilled soup into the bowls, and garnish with a little cream and fresh chives. 

Chopped onions are sautéed in 2 tablespoons of butter for 3 minutes until the onions are soft

The peas, mint and broth are added and brought to a boil, 

then simmered for another 3 minutes until the peas are cooked

The mixture should be allowed to cool a little bit before puréeing in a blender

The puréed soup can be made silky smooth by straining it through a fine sieve

A cup of buttermilk is added to the soup before chilling in the fridge before serving

Chilled Summer Green Pea & Mint Soup with Buttermilk

Serves 4

2 tbsp butter

1 cup chopped onion

3 cups chicken stock

3 cups frozen peas

3 tbsp chopped mint, plus more for garnish

1 cup buttermilk

salt and white pepper to taste

1/4 cup English cucumber, diced for garnish

Heat butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add chicken stock, peas, mint and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes or until the peas are tender. Allow the mixture to cool down for about 10-15 minutes, then pour into a blender and purée until smooth. To make the soup velvety smooth, strain the soup through a fine sieve, then stir in the buttermilk and season with salt and white pepper. Chill well before serving. To serve, garnish with a sprig of mint, a spoonful of diced cucumber and a swirl of buttermilk if you like. 

Piri-Piri Chicken with Pan-Fried Parmesan Polenta

Piri-Piri Chicken is traditionally made from PiriPiri peppers which originated in South Africa. Today, most hot sauces from Portugal are referred to as Piri-Piri, which is the Swahili word for the incendiary red peppers of Africa, primarily those of Angola and Mozambique, former Portuguese colonies. Because of the seafaring nature of the Portuguese, it didn't take long for these 'bite-size pods of fire' to make their way to Lisbon aboard spice ships returning from the East. Mainlanders wasted no time in turning the torrid chiles into a versatile sauce, with cooks using it as a marinade, a basting liquid and a condiment. The perfect partner with shrimp, chicken and fish, this delicious recipe for Piri-Piri Chicken with Pan-Fried Parmesan Polenta was kindly given to me by a talented Toronto chef of a private club in Toronto, after we ordered this dish from his new menu. The unanimous verdict: sensational. 

Piri Piri Sauce with Portuguese Chicken marinade

Chicken pieces in the marinade are covered with cling film and chilled for a few hours

The chicken is grilled on the BBQ over medium high for about 15-20 minutes, 

until the chicken pieces are cooked through

The plated dish by Chef Fisher from The Donalda Club, Toronto

Piri-Piri Chicken
Serves 4

Glaze:
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp piri-piri sauce or other hot pepper sauce
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Chicken:
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
1 large shallot, peeled, quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup piri-piri sauce or other hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 3 1/2 to 4 lb chicken, backbone removed, opened flat


For the glaze, melt butter in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cilantro and garlic and cook until the garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add piri-piri sauce and lemon juice, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 2 minutes. The glaze can be made up to 1 day ahead. Just cover, chill and rewarm before using.

For the chicken, finely chop the cilantro, ginger, shallot, and garlic in processor. Add piri-piri sauce, 1/4 cup oil, lemon juice, coarse salt, pepper and process the marinade to blend.

Place the chicken, skin side up, on work surface. Using palm of hand, press on breastbone to flatten chicken, tucking the wing tips underneath. Pour half of marinade into a large glass baking dish. Spatchcock the chicken by opening it like book and place it skin side down in single layer in the dish. Pour the remaining marinade overtop, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning the chicken occasionally.

Remove the top rack from barbecue. Preheat the barbecue to medium. If using 2-burner gas grill, light 1 burner. If using 3-burner gas grill, do not light centre burner. If using charcoal grill, light briquettes in chimney and pour onto 1 side of lower grill rack. Place a large disposable aluminum baking pan on the unlit part of grill. Place upper grill rack on barbecue and brush with oil.

Remove the chicken from marinade and arrange skin side up on the grill rack above the drip pan. Cover the barbecue and grill the chicken until the skin is browned, turning often, about 40 minutes, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F. Transfer to a platter. Pour warm glaze over and serve with a portion of pan fried Parmesan Polenta, some stir-fried broccolini and garnish with a wedge of lemon and micro greens for the full Donalda Club effect!


Pan-Fried Polenta
Serves 4

1/2 cup butter, divided 
3/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion 
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
7 1/4 cups chicken broth 
2 cups plain yellow cornmeal
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 


Melt 1/4 cup butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic, and sauté 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Add the broth, and bring to a boil. Gradually stir in the cornmeal and the next 3 ingredients. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring often for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Cover and chill for 3 to 12 hours, or until firm. 

Cut the polenta into 12 triangles or rectangles. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 polenta triangles, and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer to a serving dish and keep warm. Repeat the procedure with remaining polenta and butter. Serve with the Piri-Piri Chicken.

Mixed Tomato Salad with Cucumber & Olives

A bright and colourful cornucopia of mixed summer vine ripened and cherry tomatoes, this vibrant Mixed Tomato Salad with Cucumber and Olives is delicious as it spectacular. Tossed with diced English or Persian cucumber, tangy Kalamata olives, crunchy red onion, a handful of fresh herbs and dressed with a simple oil and vinegar or homemade vinaigrette, this light and refreshing Mediterranean-style salad celebrates the richness of summer's bounty. Garnish with fresh feta, crumbled goat cheese, creamy Buffalo mozzarella or large curls of shaved pecorino for an extra blast of flavour and texture.

Fresh tomatoes from our garden made a wonderful addition to the salad

Mixed Tomato Salad with Cucumber & Olives
Serves 8-10

4 red hot house tomatoes
4 yellow hot house tomatoes
2 cups red, yellow and orange cherry tomatoes, halved
1 english cucumber, quartered and sliced 
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup pitted, sliced Kalamata olives
1/4 cup mixed herbs, such as cilantro, chives and basil
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp dried Greek oregano
Maldon salt and fresh ground black pepper


In a large bowl toss to combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, olives and herbs and drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Arrange the dressed salad on a large platter and garnish with Greek oregano, Maldon salt and black pepper to taste.