Trout Cakes with Caper and Parsley Sauce

I just finished some of the best fish cakes i've ever had. My husband took the last of the trout we had in the freezer that a friend of ours' father caught and put together the most amazing dish. I've always loved fish cakes, they're one of my favorite foods (I know, I have a lot). But even after getting the worst food poisoning ever on fish cakes in NYC, they still remain one of my top foods. (I did take a break for a while after that happened). To add a stronger fishy taste to them, my husband added sardines to the mixture. Once complete, he topped the cakes with a tangy caper and parsley sauce that complemented them beautifully and served them alongside leftover risotto and beets. Yummy!

What you’ll need
Trout (or halibut or other fish)
Garlic
Parsley
Onions
Green onions
Flour
3 sardines
Lemon peel
Egg
Bread crumbs

Caper and parsley sauce:
Capers
Parsley
Olive oil
Garlic

What to do
Cook the trout then flake it up in a bowl. Add all the other ingredients and make into patties.


Coat with more bread crumbs and fry. Set the cakes on a bed of greens.

In a blender, blend the ingredients for the sauce. Pour it over the trout cakes and garnish with caviar and parsley.

Total time, approximately 1 hour.

Beef Stir Fry with Fire Roasted Red Peppers and Bok Choy

My husband really knows how to make a statement with his ingredients. Tonight's dish was flavorsome and hearty. I could seriously curl up and go to sleep in front of a warm fire. But we don't have a fireplace so i'm writing my blog instead. I seriously don't know what i'd do without my husband, he's the best cook ever!

What you’ll need
Beef (flank steak)
Bok Choy
Fire roasted red peppers (we have a gas stove so my husband chars them over the flame)
Sprouts
Wild Rice

For the marinade:
Soya sauce
Rice vinegar
Ginger
Garlic
Chilies

What to do:
Mix together the marinade ingredients above and allow the beef to marinate for at least a couple of hours. The longer the better.

Cook the veggies first in a wok with the marinade then remove. Cook the beef and then add the veggies back in. Stir together. Serve over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Total time, approximately 2.5 hours including the marinating.

Shrimp and Quinoa Salad

If you want a delicious healthy lunch, here it is. My husband made this salad for our lunches this week and it is so freakin’ good I just want to eat the entire week's worth like now. I had it today for lunch and the best part was that it was actually filling enough that I didn't feel like eating my regular afternoon snack. This salad has a wonderful list of ingredients sure to please, like shrimp, quinoa, corn, green onion, tarragon, feta, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and juice from one lemon. This kind of food just makes you feel awesome after you've eaten it. The quinoa alone is high in protein, is a great source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. It's also gluten-free, which makes it easy to digest. I love it.

Jak’s Kitchen

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Jak's Kitchen is a quaint little restaurant on the corner of Bronson and McLeod. It used to be the old Stoneface Dolly's a while back. I was afraid when they first opened that their breakfast wouldn't be as good, but it is. As was the old restaurant, you have to show up early for breakfast or you'll be waiting a while for a seat. But the wait is well worth it. They even serve you coffee outside in the meantime. This morning I ordered the Popeye Benedictine, poached eggs on a buttermilk biscuit, baby spinach, roasted red peppers and diablo sauce. It comes with homefries and choice of fresh fruit or kitchen greens. I went with the greens. Their coffee and juices are also very good. They even have peach or blueberry mamosas. With some of the other breakfast dishes, you get your choice of bread, and all are amazing - Molasses-oat, Rye Bread, Sourdough, Buttermilk Biscuit or Sesame Bagel. Not that my benedictine on the biscuit wasn't enough, but I just had to order a side of sourdough toast so that I could enjoy the homemade jam on the table. So as usual, I left very full. Their breakfasts range from $6 to $11 and the service is very efficient and friendly. I've never been for dinner but i'm sure it's equally good. Definitely a regular.

Jak’s Kitchen

David Eyre’s Pancake and Smoked Bacon

I believe my husband got this recipe from the New York Times last year. It's always a big hit for breakfast with company. It's simple to make, yet very impressive as it rises to a puffed state when you remove it from the oven. It can be served with any of the following toppings, fruit, whipped cream, cinnamon, or the way my husband made it today, with lemon, icing sugar and maple syrup.

What you’ll need
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1 cup of flour
Lemon
Icing sugar
Butter
Maple syrup
Smoked bacon

What to do
Preheat oven to 350. Crack the eggs in a bowl and add the milk and flour. Beat lightly and keep it slightly lumpy. Heat butter in a cast iron pan and grease the bottom. Pour in the mixture and then put it in the oven for 15 minutes. It will look like a big puff when it comes out.


Squeeze some lemon juice and sprinkle some icing sugar on top. Bring to the table before it deflates. Serve with maple syrup and bacon.

Beet and Goat Cheese Tartelettes and Veal Chops with Risotto

Despite an evening of unfortunate events (getting stuck behind an accident for 30 minutes on his way to get a missing ingredient from a store 5 minutes away, to the alarm going off and the dog freaking out, to the microwave blowing up part way through the meal prep), my husband still managed to pull together one of his best meals yet. Friends of ours were down from Mont Tremblant (you may recall our weekent at Zoya's). And this was our chance to thank them. I still can't stop thinking about how exquisite and mouthwatering this meal was. Unfortunately I didn't get the recipe from him as I didn't want to disturb him while he was cooking. We started off with a warm, melt in your mouth beet and goat cheese tartelette with a balsamic glaze and chives (I would seriously eat 100 of these). Then for our main, he served veal chops in an ambrosial cream, cognac, thyme, shallot and chive sauce with morel and king eryngii mushrooms and an amazing, rich tasting risotto. Served with a dry, medium-bodied Masi Campofiorin (thanks Zoya!) this meal was fine dining at it's best.

Coconut Curry Chicken on Basmati Rice

Tonight's dinner was fabulous and with not too much effort. Although anything that requires more than the microwave is an effort to me. Before getting the details on cooking this dish, I would have thought even more time and effort would have been required. Or maybe my husband just makes it look easy. God he's great! This dish has tons of flavour and is topped with my favorite herb, cilantro!

What you’ll need
Chicken
Chopped onions
3/4 can of tomato paste
1 can of coconut milk
3-4 tbs of curry paste
Chopped cilantro
Basmati rice

What to do
Cook the chicken in a frying pan or cast iron pan. Once cooked, add the onions and fry. Remove the chicken and cut into smaller pieces. Dump the tomato paste, coconut milk and curry paste into the pan with the onions, mix together and heat. Add the chicken back in. Serve on top of the rice and top with cilantro.