Category: meats

Roasted Pepper and Tomato soup

roasted pepper and tomato soup - trust in kim

 

This is a flavourful, somewhat spicy, and quite healthy soup – a perfect storm for me.

I created this soup to use up some chicken stock and red peppers that I had in my fridge, as well as some fresh corn that a friend brought over.  I’ve never made such a big batch of chicken stock, and ran out of room in my tiny freezer – this was a great way to use it up.  It’s got roasted bell and poblano peppers, as well as a dried ancho chile pureed into the tomatoes – I think the anchos are what takes this recipe to the next level, and I will definitely use this strategy of adding flavour into recipes in the future.

This would be great topped with avocado, or cilantro, or some Mexican crumbling cheese. And a wedge of lime to squeeze in.

Just a word about the roasted peppers: I know that some people like to get rid of every trace of the skin by washing the peppers, but I like to keep little bits of the skin on. This way it reminds me of the amazing sauces I ate in Mexico.  You always knew they were homemade and delicious if they had those flecks of black skin in them.

What you need:

  • 1 dried ancho chile
  • 1 – 398mL/14 oz fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 a large sweet onion, diced
  • 1 chicken breast or 2 thighs (omit for vegetarians!)
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 – 425 grams / 15 oz can of pinto beans, drained
  • 2 ears of fresh corn (substitute with peaches and cream canned corn  – I don’t personally like frozen)
  • 4-6 cups chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth)
  • optional:
  • lime
  • avocado
  • Mexican crumbling cheese
  • cilantro
  • hot sauce for those who like it

What you do:

  1. Roast the peppers over a gas stove or barbecue, turning frequently with tongs until all the skin is charred and black.  Place in a container fitted with a lid until it cools a bit, 10-15 minutes.
  2. Roast the dry ancho chile very briefly over the flame, then remove the stem and seeds.  Add this to a blender along with the can of tomatoes.  Puree until smooth.
  3. In a large pot over a medium flame drizzle in a little olive oil (I use less than 1 tablespoon).  Add the onions and cook, stirring from time to time, for a few minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another few minutes, but don’t let the garlic brown.
  4. Add the chicken, if you are using it, and let that cook for a few minutes before pouring in the broth and tomato/ancho mixture. Let this simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken and chop it up, then add it back to the soup.
  5. Meanwhile, remove the blackened skin from the peppers, then remove the stem and seeds.   Chop the peppers, then add them to the soup.
  6. Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the soup.  Cut the corn off the cobs and add that to the soup.  Let this simmer for a few minutes, then season with salt and a little pepper to taste.
  7. Garnish with toppings of your choice.

Green Chile Chicken Soft Tacos

green chile chicken soft tacos - trust in kim

Last weekend I got together with some friends and made an amazing Mexican meal.  We made our own soft corn tortillas with various salsa toppings, and this awesome chicken filling.   We also had some homemade refried beans and a nice light jicama salad. And of course some beer – Negro Modelo is my favourite Mexican beer because it is a little darker than most.

This is another Rick Bayless recipe, from his Mexican Everyday cookbook.  So far every recipe of his that I’ve tried has been so delicious, and the meals I had at his restaurant Xoco in Chicago were out of this world.

You can buy the tortillas if you don’t want to make them; just warm them up before serving. The homemade ones were the best, but a lot of work. If you get everyone involved and have a bit of an assembly line going it could be fun (well, I think so, but other people seemed to disagree that this this might be an option for next time).

This recipe serves about 4 people.

I like for people to be able to dress up their tacos to their liking, so it’s great to have a variety of toppings.  Here’s a list of possibilities (you don’t have to do them all!); I would choose at least two salsas and a few other items.

What you need for the chicken filling:

  • 2 large poblano peppers
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
  • 1 large white onion, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
  • salt
  • about 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • jalapeno or other hot pepper slices

What you do:

  1. Roast the poblano peppers over a gas stove or a barbecue, turning often with tongs.  The skin should become all black.  Place the peppers in a sealable container and leave for about 15 minutes to cool and let the skins soften.
  2. Turn your oven on very low.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until they are golden but still have a bit of crunch to them. Place these in a heatproof container and put in the oven to keep warm.
  4. Rub most of the blackened skin off the peppers and remove the stem and seeds.  Cut into 1/4 inch strips and add to the onions. Season with salt and return to the oven.
  5. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place the skillet on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Lay the chicken in the pan when the oil is hot. Brown on one side for about 5 minutes, then the other for about 4 minutes. When the meat has cooked add the lime juice and garlic to the skillet. Cook for about a minute, turning the chicken to coat in the lime juice, until the lime had formed a glaze over the chicken. (We didn’t cook the chicken all the way through in the pan – we added the garlic and lime and let it glaze the chicken, and we threw the chicken on the grill before slicing it – this gave it that nice smoky flavour).
  6. Cut the chicken into 1/4  inch strips and toss with the onions and poblano peppers. Taste and see if you need to add more salt.
  7. Serve in fresh warm tortillas with a choice toppings.

homemade tacos - trust in kim

Panfried Garlic Trout with Zucchini

panfried garlic trout - trust in kim

Although I didn’t fish this summer I was lucky enough to be gifted some rainbow trout: two from my dad and one big one from my Uncle Peter and niece Courtney.

For this recipe I tried to recreate a fish dish I had in Mexico once, which had a lot of garlic and olive oil on it.  This turned out a little different, partly because I don’t know how to fillet and served the fish whole, but it was its own kind of awesome.  The sauce was great on the fish, and also made this my new favourite way to serve zucchini.  Good thing there’s so much coming up in my garden right now!

What you need:

  • 1 large trout for 2 people (or course you can try this with other fish)
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth (or vegetable if you prefer)
  • 2 small zucchini or one larger one

What you do:

  1. Chop all except two cloves of the garlic to a medium-small size.  Chopping is preferable to using a garlic press because the press makes it mushy, and you want to have some pieces of garlic for this recipe.
  2. Heat a large frying pan (large enough to fit the fish) to medium and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  When it is hot add the chopped garlic and cook, stirring, until it is lightly browned.  Pour  the garlic and oil into a bowl and add the chicken broth and salt to it.  If your broth was salty you won’t need to add much or any salt.
  3. Start the grill.  Of course you don’t need to use a grill because you’re going to cook in a frying pan, but I don’t like my home to smell like fish so I chose to cook it outside. I cooked the garlic inside, but this can also be done on the grill.
  4. Cut the zucchini on a diagonal about 2 cm thick.
  5. Season the fish with salt and pepper, inside the cavity of the fish if you’ve got a whole one, or just on top if you have fillets.
  6. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, let it heat, then add the 2 cloves of garlic which you have cut in half.  Let this cook until the garlic has begun to brown.
  7. When the grill is hot put the frying on it and place the fish in it, keeping the olive oil and large garlic pieces in the pan, and put the lid down.  Cook on each side for 7-8 minutes, depending on the size of the fish.  When it is done remove the fish from the pan to a serving plate and cover to keep warm.
  8. Place the zucchini slices in the frying pan and cook for about 3 minutes per side, so it is still firm in the inside.  Add half of the garlic and chicken broth sauce and stir to coat the zucchini. Let the sauce heat up for a minute or so.
  9. Spoon some garlic sauce into the cavity of the fish, then arrange the zucchini around the fish on the platter.

Bon appetit!

 

Stuffed Flank Steak Pinwheels – guest post with Jeremy Anderson

stuffed flank steak pinwheels - trust in kim

I recently returned from a visit with my friends Julie and Jeremy in Paris.  I was fortunate enough to be able to eat quite a few meals that Jeremy prepared, and one night he made his famous stuffed flank steak.  In France they don’t have a flank cut of meat, so he had to use a bavette instead, but I don’t think it makes a difference.  There is so much flavour here, with the pesto, prosciutto and smoked cheese.  We ate it with a lovely tomato and bocconcini salad. The recipe calls for grilling this, but I agree with Jeremy that you don’t want to lose the oozing cheese to the grill, so he just put it under the broiler instead.

What you need:

  • 1  flank steak, 2 to 2 1/2 pounds, trimmed of excess fat
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup pesto (make a double batch of this recipe or another favourite)
  • 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
  • 4 ounces thinly sliced smoked Leederhammer cheese or another smoked cheese
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • kitchen twine
  • long toothpicks

What you  do:

  1. Butterfly the steak using this method, then salt and pepper it.
  2. Layer the cheese and prosciutto over the steak.
  3. Roll the steak, tightening as you go, and leave it seam-side down.  Tie kitchen twine around the roll every 1 & 1/2 inches.  Poke a toothpick through each piece of twine in order to hold the pinwheels together once they are cut.
  4. Slice the roll halfway between the pieces of twine and place the rolls onto a baking sheet.  Salt and pepper them and drizzle with a little olive oil if  you wish.
  5. Put the broiler on, and when it is hot place the baking pan in the middle of the over and broil  each side for about 5 minutes.  You can alter this time if it seems to be cooking quickly.
  6. Remind your guests to remove the toothpicks before they enjoy your masterpiece, and serve with pesto on top, or without.
jeremy anderson
Chef Jeremy Anderson

flank steak pinwheels - trust in kim

Open Kibbeh

kibbeh - trust in kim

Here  is another Yotam Ottolenghi recipe from his Jerusalem cookbook.  It is not a traditional kibbeh recipe; this one is layered with a bulgur crust on the bottom, meat and onion, then the tahini on top.  It takes a bit of time to get this together, but there’s nothing really difficult about it.  I might make a little more of the tahini sauce next time, because I didn’t have enough to get to the edges of my kibbeh, and the meat got a little crunchy because of that.  Yet still yummy!

Serve this with fattoush or tabbouleh salad or even just a nice green salad.

What you need:

  • scant 1 cup/125 grams fine bulgur wheat
  • 200 mL water
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil/ 90 mL
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 1 green chile, finely chopped
  • 12 oz / 350 grams ground lamb (substitute beef if you wish)
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup/ 60 grams pine nuts
  • 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons self-rising flour (I just added a pinch each of salt and baking powder to regular flour)
  • 3 & 1/2 tablespoons light tahini paste
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon sumac
  • salt and pepper

What you do:

  1. Line the sides an 8-inch/ 20 cm springform pan with wax or parchment paper.
  2. Place the bulgur in a large bowl and cover it with water.  Let it sit for 30 minutes.
  3. Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the garlic, onion and chile until they are soft. Remove the onion mixture from the pan.
  4. Cook the lamb in the large frying pan for about 5 minutes, stirring, until browned.  Add the onion mixture and add the spices, cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon salt, some freshly ground pepper, most of the pine nuts and parsley, leaving some aside for the top. Cook this for a few minutes, then return from the heat and adjust seasonings.
  5.  Preheat the oven to 400F.
  6. Check to see if all the water has been absorbed into the bulgur; drain any remaining water.  Add the flour, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper.  Work this mixture with your hands until it holds together.  Add a little more flour if it is too sticky.  Press firmly into the bottom of the springform pan so that it is compact and level.
  7. Add the lamb mixture and press it down a little.
  8. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the meat is very dark brown.
  9. While the kibbeh is in the oven whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, 3 & 1/2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt.
  10. Remove the kibbeh from the oven and spread the tahini over the top (closer to the edges than in my picture!), sprinkle with the nuts and parsley and return to the oven for 10-12 minutes, until the tahini sauce has a little colour and the pine nuts are golden.
  11. Remove the kibbeh from the oven and let it cool until it is warm or room temperature.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sumac.  Remove the springform pan sides and parchment paper and cut into wedges to serve.

Flame-Grilled Porterhouse Steak

porterhouse steak - trust in kim

All you really need for this recipe is some awesome steaks, a nice fire, and some friends to share it with.  Salt and pepper are pretty important too.

I didn’t actually have much to do with the making of this meal, except making a basil salad dressing.  Maureen got the steaks ready, and Rudy took care of the fire.  I helped eat them.

You just need to salt and pepper the steaks (other seasonings as you wish), then make a fire and let it burn down to coals.  Throw the steaks on for a few minutes each side, but not too long.  Best done medium rare!

grilled porterhouse steaks - trust in kim

Mexican Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Mexican Soup - trust in kim

Last weekend I was planning to have friends over for dinner, and I wanted to make a pot of soup and a loaf of bread, so I made up my own version of a Mexican soup. It’s got some chicken, beans, and lots of vegetables including a few kinds of peppers.  I served it with Mexican farm cheese, some cilantro, and a squirt of lime on top.  Hot sauce optional.  I also made a vegetarian version.  This was a great recipe to make for a bunch of people, and it was enjoyed by both adults and children.

I roasted the peppers and tomatillos on my gas stove but you could do this on the barbecue, or under the broiler.

What you need:

  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 2 poblano peppers
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 6 tomatillos
  • olive oil
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 serrano pepper, minced
  • 1 dried guajillo pepper
  • 2 cans pinto beans, drained
  • 1 can peaches and cream corn
  • 4 limes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • cilantro
  • Mexican farm cheese

What you do:

  1. Roast the poblano and bell peppers over a flame, turning often, until the skin is blackened all over.  Put the peppers into a container with a lid on it, and let them sit for about 20 minutes.  Continue with the other preparations, then go back to the peppers and remove their skin and seeds.  It’s okay if there are pieces of blackened skin remaining; those flecks will add character to the soup.
  2. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and roast them until they are lightly blackened and only a little softened. Set them aside.
  3. In a large pot heat a little olive oil and add the diced onions.  Cook for a few minutes, until they are becoming translucent, then add the garlic and cook for about a minute, stirring a bit.
  4. Add the chicken thighs and cook for a few minutes on each side.
  5. Add the chicken stock, minced serrano, and the whole guajillo pepper.
  6. Let this cook for about 20 minutes, then add the drained pinto beans.  Chop the roasted peppers and tomatillos and add them to the pot.  Let this cook for about 20-30 minutes.
  7. Take the chicken out and cut it into large chunks, then pull it with a fork so you’ve got stringy bits of chicken instead of cubes.
  8. Add the corn before serving and heat through, along with the juice of two limes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Serve with some chopped cilantro on top, a sprinkling of the farm cheese.  Set out some hot sauce so people can add as much heat as they like.

roasting poblano peppers - trust in kim

 

roasting tomatillos - trust in kim

Mexican Caesar Salad

 

chicken caesar salad - trust in kim

Here’s an interesting twist on the usual Caesar – this one has an avocado and yogurt in the dressing, and a few extra veggies, making it a pretty healthy salad.  The recipe comes from Jamie Oliver’s Save with Jamie.

I didn’t actually make this one myself; I’ve injured my shoulder and can’t cook, so my wonderful friend John came over and cooked this for me.

What you need:

  • 2 boneless chicken breasts
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 2 pinches dried oregano
  • olive oil
  • 1 head of romaine lettuce
  • cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • cucumber, sliced into rounds (I like to use the mini cukes, but English works too)
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1.5 oz Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 clove garlic
  • 2 anchovy fillets (I used a bit of anchovy paste)
  • 5 tablespoons plain yogurt
  • juice of 1 lemon + an extra lemon just in case you need it
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 rashers of bacon
  • a small loaf of bread (we made it into garlic toast)

What you do:

  1. Place the chicken on a large sheet of parchment paper and toss it with salt, pepper, cayenne, oregano, and a little olive oil.  Fold the parchment paper over and flatten the chicken to about 3/4 inches thick by basking it with a rolling-pin.  Get  a grill pan or a cast iron frying pan really hot before placing the chicken in the pan.  Grill for 3-4 minutes per side.  It should get nice and browned.  Remove the chicken from the pan
  2. Fry the bacon until crispy, then let it sit on a paper towel to remove the excess fat..
  3. To make the dressing, put the avocado flesh, half the grated Parmesan, garlic, anchovies, yogurt, lemon juice, a few drops of Worcestershire, and the olive oil into a blender (or use an immersion blender as I did). Blend until smooth, then add a little salt and pepper to taste, and possible more lemon juice.
  4. Break pieces of washed and dried lettuce into a large bowl and add about half of the dressing, mixing until it is all coated. Toss in some tomatoes and cucumber rounds. You can either arrange the salad on a platter, or on individual serving plates: arrange the chicken on top, then crumble some bacon on top, along with some Parmesan.
  5. Enjoy with a nice loaf of warm crusty bread or garlic bread.

Fish Cakes in Tomato Sauce

P1030219

I love fish, but I rarely cook it at home.  Not really sure why, it’s just not something I like to do.  Maybe it’s because of the fishy smell in the house after.  This one has no fishy smell or taste, just yum, and good for you.  I’m trying to cook more fish because it’s good for me, and this is a really delicious way to include more fish into your diet.

Yes, I have blogged this recipe before, but the picture was terrible, and the recipe really is amazing.  It’s from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook.  This time I had some mahi mahi in my freezer that I wanted to use up, and worked really well in this dish.  You can use any white fish for this recipe; Ottolenghi suggests cod halibut, hake or pollock.

I brought the leftovers to work, and the people who ate it really enjoyed it.

I made this with whole wheat bulghur, which was good, but I think brown rice was a better match.

What you need for the tomato sauce:

2 & 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 & 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika (I once used smoked – not as successful with this recipe!)

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

1-400 gram/14 oz  can chopped tomatoes (I added some cherry tomatoes I had in the fridge)

1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped coarsely

salt and pepper to taste

What you need for the fish cakes:

3 slices white bread with crusts removed (about 60 grams) (I had no bread so I substituted bread crumbs)

1 & 1/2 lbs cod, tilapia, halibut, hake or pollock

1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

30 grams flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

30 grams cilantro, finely chopped

1 tablespoon cumin

1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 extra-large eggs, beaten

4 tablespoons olive oil (for frying)

What you do:

1. To make the tomato sauce, begin by heating the olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and spices and cook until the onion is soft, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the wine and simmer for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes, chile, garlic, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer for about 15 minutes, then add freshly ground pepper and more salt if you need it. Keep this simmering so it is hot when you add the fish to it. (If you’re making rice, you could start it now)

2. To make the fish cakes, begin by putting the bread in a food processor and making bread crumbs, then place in a bowl.  (or just use bread crumbs) Chop the fish up very finely and add to the bowl along with all of the other ingredients except the olive oil.  Mix it all together with your hands.  Form the mixture into cakes about 8 cm in diameter and 2 cm thick.  You may need to refrigerate them for about 1/2 an hour to firm up a little.

3. To begin cooking the fish cakes, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan, then add half of the fish cakes, searing  for a few minutes, until quite browned. Carefully flip the cakes and brown the other side.  Place the seared fish cakes in the hot tomato sauce and then sear the other half of the fish cakes.

4. Once all the fish cakes have been placed in the tomato sauce, add about a cup of water (or white wine) to cover the cakes partially.  Cover the pan and simmer over very low heat for 15-20 minutes. Remove the lid and turn off the heat about ten minutes before serving to let the cakes settle.

I liked them when they were served hot, but the cookbook says they are good at room temperature too.  Serve over rice or bulghur, or with bread to soak up the sauce, and garnish with a little mint or cilantro.

fish cakes and tomato sauce - trust in kim

coq au vin

coq au vin - trust in kim This delicious recipe is from Bonnie Stern’ Heartsmart Cooking for Family and Friends. A good friend of mine recently told me that he needed to start watching his cholesterol, so a neighbour loaned me this cookbook full of heart-friendly recipes.  Any cookbook with coq au vin is worth giving a second look, especially one that tastes this good.  I served this with a baguette and a spinach and mushroom salad.  This dish made some amazing leftovers!

Sadly, I broke this beautiful blue antique bowl before I could use it again, so this is the first and last recipe I get to use it for.

What you need:

  • 1.5 kg chicken pieces (thighs work very nicely)
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 slices bacon
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • 12 pearl onions or shallots (or 1/2 an onion)
  • 12 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 lb mushrooms – wild if you can get them
  • 2 large carrots sliced diagonally into 2 cm slices
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1 cup homemade chicken or beef stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons fresh tarragon
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley

What you do:

  1. Rinse chicken and pat it dry.  Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish and coat the chicken with this mixture.
  2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet, then remove it from the pan onto a paper towel to absorb the fat.  Cook the chicken in the bacon fat (or olive oil if you choose not to use the bacon.) Sprinkle on the brandy and let it cook for a minute.  Remove the chicken from the pan.
  3. Add the onions, garlic, mushrooms and carrots to the pan and let them brown for about 8 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil.  Add the stock, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary and tarragon.  Add the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil.  Cook on low heat for about 45 minutes, with a lid on the pan.
  4. Discard the bay leaf, then remove the chicken and vegetables from the pan and keep it warm.
  5. Bring the pan juices to a simmer and cook uncovered until thickened.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables and sprinkle with parsley.
  6. Serve over mashed potatoes or with a crusty baguette to soak up the juices.coq au vin in la creuset pot -trust in kim