Fast and Easy Dishes

Savoury Blenditarian Brunch Pork with Vegetables & Fine Herbs

BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

Prelude: Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge that incorporates their Blenditarian approach into interesting and fun dishes. To clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.” This approach stretches ground meat by adding finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. The theme for the month of June is all about incorporating“The Blend”(mushrooms + meat) into brunch dishes. For this reason, I have developed a recipe for Savoury Blenditarian Brunch Pork (or Turkey) with Vegetables & Fine Herbs.

A Thai dish called ‘larb’, which is one of the most popular street foods in Thailand, has inspired this Savoury Brunch Blenditarian Pork (or Turkey) with Vegetables & Fine Herbs dish. The addition of many types of vegetables just adds to the appeal. I enjoy having vegetables cooked in creative ways to produce different textures. I also like the idea that the dish can be served warm, cold or at room temperature.

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Cream of Cabbage Soup with Crispy Bacon Bits & Petite Crunchy Croutons

By Denise Pare-Watson

Cabbage is not commonly associated with cream soups. In this post, I will teach you how to transform this cruciferous vegetable into a silky, tasty bisque-like soup. When you try this recipe for Cream of Cabbage Soup with Crispy Bacon & Petite Croutons, you will find yourself serving it for special occasions. The gluten-free soup base is thickened with potato rather than a roux, which makes it a quick and easy dish that is ready in approximately 30 minutes.

Cream of Cabbage Soup with Crispy Bacon Bits and Petite Crunchy Croutons

Nutritionally, the lowly cabbage is a superfood that is low in calories and packs a powerhouse of nutrition and health benefits. Cruciferous vegetables tend to be high in Vitamin A (plays an important role in bone growth and maintaining the immune system), Vitamin C (which we all know protects our immune system, and benefits eye and skin health) and Vitamin K (regulates normal blood clotting, helpful for bone health by assisting the transport of calcium through the body), as well as being high in dietary fibre, linked to improved heart health, increased weight loss and a reduction in inflammation. After understanding all of the nutritional benefits of cabbage, you need to try this easy-to-make and flavourful soup. You will not be disappointed!

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Pan Roasted Duck Breasts with Orange Vanilla Glaze

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Inspiration of Urb’n’Spice Series

The concept for this recipe originated from a preserve that I have been making for many years. Orange Vanilla Bean Confiture (a cross between a jam and marmalade) was developed at my work because we needed garnishes for a new menu item. The confiture was to accompany a caramelized rice crispy garnish, which was a topping on a classic baked rice pudding. The dessert was very delicious and extremely popular. The confiture became a favourite amongst the other chefs in the kitchen and made its way into a number of other dishes. One of my favourite ways that they used my preserve was on a glazed Duck Breast. The duck breast was served beautifully displayed with seasonal vegetables and puree of celeriac or other similar items. My approach for this Pan Roasted Duck Breasts with Orange Vanilla Glaze is more casual and the dish is served family style on a board or large platter. It is an easy-to-make dish that can be prepared in just a few minutes. In this post, you will learn how to cook a duck breast to perfection, and additionally, I will guide you through how to make the Orange Vanilla Glaze.

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“To begin cooking duck at one in the morning
is one of the finest acts of madness that can be undertaken by a human being who is not mad.”

― Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, La Soledad Del Manager

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Silky Strawberry Balsamic Soup with Yogurt Drizzle

By Denise Pare-Watson

One of my most popular culinary teaching classes has consistently been my “Soups, Simplified” course. The students always indicated in their feedback that they were blown away by how much they learned in this class. As well, they pledged that they would never, ever dispose of vegetable scraps or peelings again after completing the course. The class always included several treats for the students. For example, this Silky Strawberry Balsamic Soup with Yogurt Drizzle was a hit! It was served at the beginning of the program as an amuse-bouche prior to starting the class discussion. I thought I would share it this easy-to-make recipe with my readers since it is also very popular for Valentine’s Day, as well as luncheons or bridal and baby showers. This elegant gluten-free soup is served chilled and can be made in minutes with fresh or frozen strawberries.

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Easy to Make Game Day Savoury Potato Wedges

By Denise Pare-Watson

It is almost Super Bowl weekend! That means snacks – lots of snacks. It also means we will need a snack that can be easily and neatly munched on in front of the big screen without taking our eyes off the action. We have made these Game Day Savoury Potato Wedges for just about every occasion from birthdays to barbeques. Our favourite way to enjoy them is on a large wooden platter served family style with Dressed Up Sour Cream and of course, ketchup.

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Potlatch Salmon

By Denise Pare-Watson

CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge

Prelude: I am definitely a proud Canadian so when the Culinary Historians of Canada invited food bloggers to participate in a Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge – well, that is something I just have to do! What a great way to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday by honouring our country with a different Canadian dish every month. The first topic is fish and seafood, so I am sharing my recipe for Potlatch Salmon with you, plus a wee bit of background about the history of potlatch.

Potlatch Salmon – have you heard of it? Potlatch Salmon is one of our family’s favourite ways to serve fish. It has turned many folks from being fish dislikers to fish lovers – it is all about the glaze. First, though, we should take a look at the term Potlatch and understand the source. Potlatch is a term derived from Canada’s Northwest Coast aboriginal groups that symbolized an abundant feast, typically held in winter often using indigenous food that had been dried and preserved throughout the year. The feast was held for life events such as weddings, funerals or births. Roughly translated, it means a feast of ‘giving’. Tables at the Potlatch feast overflowed with food, generally far more than could be consumed with the idea that it would be shared amongst the guests to take home.

While Potlatch feasts are not as common today, traditional dishes that were once served at these events, of course, are still enjoyed by one and all. One of our favourites is Potlatch Salmon. What is Potlatch Salmon, exactly? Typically, it is an entire filet of salmon (skin on), spread with a simple, yet unique dry rub and cooked over an open flame or barbecue. The dry rub turns magically into a luscious sauce which can also be used as a glaze. For the purposes of this post, I will explain the method and technique of making Potlatch Salmon three different ways using slightly altered techniques that you can enjoy as an appetizer, lunch, dinner or at your own family feast. Try it with bannock, another traditional dish. I show you how to make bannock in this post.

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Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramelized Pear Soup

By Denise Pare-Watson

I am excited to share this recipe with you for Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramelized Pear Soup. I love this soup! It has just a few lovely ingredients that pair together in a magnificent way. It is fancy enough to serve to company. It is delicate in taste and silky in texture and is excellent served either hot or room temperature, which also makes this an excellent make-ahead soup.

Butternut Squash soup is the choice that my students ask for each time I set up a soup class. I ask my prospective students if there is any soup in particular that they would like to cover in my class. Butternut Squash Soup is always on top of their list. That makes me happy because it is one of my favourite soups.

But, first things first. Do you know how to cut and peel a butternut squash? It can be quite intimidating tackling such a roly-poly vegetable.

If you are not sure how to cut a Butternut Squash, I cover it step by step using photos in this post. Then, come back here and learn how to make this delicious soup. Roasting the diced butternut squash and pear really does amazing things to the flavour of these ingredients. Let’s do this!

Roasted Butternut Squash & Caramelized Pear Soup

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Patio Delights by Urb’n’Spice

By Denise Pare-Watson

It is that time of year when everyone seems to be spending more time on the patio or deck enjoying a glass of wine and dining alfresco or what we like to call “Patio Delights.” It certainly is a past time that we enjoy very much. It is also a wonderful opportunity to share appetizers with friends and family.

I had the pleasure of teaching a course at Vom Fas Oils, Vinegars and Spices in Kelowna using their wonderful products. My teaching challenge was to create recipes using whatever Vom Fas Oils, Vinegars and Spices that I wanted – creating a menu for my Patio Delights course was fun!

It went something like this:

Patio Delights: Fig Prosciutto appetizer | urbnspice.com

Fig and Prosciutto Appetizer

“Patio Delights by Urb’n’Spice”

Denise Paré-Watson – Urb’n’Spice Chef/Pastry Chef

Ginger Mint Lemon Iced Tea

Raspberry-Pomegranate Mint Spritzer

Fig, Arugula and Prosciutto Appetizer

“Baked” Herbed Feta (served with garlic-kissed crostini)

Spicy Star Apple Balsamic Chicken Bites and dipping sauce

Quince Balsamic Vanilla Bean Sabayon with Seasonal Fruit and Berries
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A Frilly Frittata – An Italian Omelette

By Denise Pare-Watson

Do you love eggs? Do you love them for breakfast, brunch or dinner? Me, too! How about a recipe that can be used for all three meals? I think you are going to like this one. It is a delicious take on a frittata, which in essence is an Italian omelette. What it really could be described as is an easy way to make an omelette for a crowd. I have a trick up my sleeve to share with you that makes it easy to do.

I have made this Frittata for Mother’s Day Brunch, Father’s Day Breakfast, as well as when we have a houseful of guests for the weekend. You will find that the art of making a frittata is a very good skill to master.

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Orange Glazed Roasted Salmon with Orange Fennel Salad

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Confident Kitchen Series

DOUBLE DUTY RECIPES

This post will focus on a double duty recipe called Orange Glazed Roasted Salmon with Orange Fennel Salad that is quick to prepare, flavourful and refreshing. Fennel and citrus pair very well with fish.The recipes feature oranges beautifully. As an additional bonus, these recipes are gluten free, grain free, dairy free and refined sugar-free.

Orange Glazed Roasted Salmon

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