Veal with Olives and Grape Tomatoes

At this time of the year, I get an abundance of small grape tomatoes. They are delicious as a snack but I get so many, I have to think of dishes to prepare with them. (The larger tomatoes don’t ripen till late in August here). This is one I hadn’t tried before and since we…

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Honey roasted Rhubarb, Walnut, rocket and Feta Salad

When fresh Rhubarb arrives, my cooking brain insists that I make something. Since I’m not much of a dessert eater (I know, hard to believe from a cook), I look for side plates, appetizers, cocktail accompaniments, etc. This one is a true marvel since the honey, thyme and feta offset the sharp tangy taste of…

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Nicoise Salade

Top chefs everywhere argue what constitutes an “official Nicoise” salad. Lyonnaise Chefs insist it is only fresh ingredients with no fish or vegetables. Chefs from other French regions, as well as Western afficionado’s, beg to differ, saying that potatoes and haricots verts (green beans) are integral to the original recipe. Others say there must be…

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Caponata

I love discovering new Italian dishes that I’m told are basic, traditional masterpieces that everyone knows. Unfortunately, I wasn’t born an Italian, so it’s all news to me. This is yet another dish with only one name. And it is amazing. The fusion of flavours makes perfect sense once you make it. But I would…

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Grilled tenderloin Nicoise with Lemon Dill Olive Bernaise

Much to the chagrin of white tablecloth restaurants, great steak is not always about the steak, it’s about the rest of the dish. In this presentation, the steak sits on a bed of sauteed vegetables and is topped with a custom bernaise-style sauce mixed with chopped black olives.  I added a few leftover hash browns…

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Bistro Halloumi and Warm Olives

This is one of our favourite mid-summer simple suppers but since Spring has started early this year, I thought I’d pull it out and, Wow! what a treat to start the warm season off with. Halloumi doesn’t melt quickly so you can grill, saute, bake, etc. and it holds its shape reasonably well. When combined…

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Veal Scallopini Fettuccine

Sometimes you just visualize something that you haven’t seen before and based on your knowledge of what does and should go together, you create something special. This dish is one such experiment and it was amazing! INGREDIENTS 2 fillets of veal scallopini, cut into long, 1/4 strips long shaved strips of carrot fettuccine cooked al…

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Caramelized Scallops with Fresh Green Pea Vinaigrette

I’m always on the lookout for a new way to cook and present scallops. This one was definitely different. The olive oil-soaked peas and crystallized scallops were a perfect combination. All we had with it was crusty bread and a complementary dip. Delicious. INGREDIENTS Pea Vinaigrette: 1 cup fresh peas kosher or large sea salt…

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