Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato
2, 7.5 oz cans low sodium wild salmon, drained
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced green onion
1 tbsp minced dill pickle
1 tbsp minced fresh dill
1 egg
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tbsp olive oil

In microwave, cook sweet potato on high until tender, about 8 minutes. Let cool. In bowl, combine salmon, celery, green onion, pickle, dill and egg. Peel skin from sweet potato. Place in bowl and mash with fork. Gently, stir into salmon mixture with breadcrumbs. Shape into 12 patties (about 1/2-inch thick). In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium high heat. Cook salmon cakes in two batches, until golden, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature. Serve with Yogurt Dip: In bowl, combine 1/2 cup low fat yogurt with 1/2 cup grated cucumber, 1 tsp mint, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp finely chopped dill.

Update: The dinner was a hit. It went well into 2am. We did have a small incidence of smoky oven. But at least we didn’t trigger the smoke detector like our neighours did (close to midnight). Otherwise the food was well done. Turkey is always juicy and tender (thanks to Brandy!), Katherine’s deep fried dumpling was fantastic. I’m glad my butternut squash soup and philo pastries turn out very well.

Thanks everyone for bringing the food!

Group picture

Roasted turkey with brandy

Tonight’s menu:

Entrees
1) Roasted Turkey (with Brandy)
2) Steamed baby carrots and green beans
3) Scallop potato
4) Collard Greens

Appetizers
1) Butternut Squash Soup
2) Flio Pastry (Smoked Salmon, Spanish, Feta Cheese)
3) Olives, artichokes.
4) Warmed Brie with cranberry focassa
5) Homemade deep fried dumplings
6) Special salad

Desserts
1) Croquembouche
2) Francois’ mean mean Chocolate Brownie
3) Carol’s rice cake

Philo pastry with smoked salmon and prosciutto

Rack of Lamb

Ingredients

1/8 C fresh parsley
1/8 C fresh oregano
1/8 C fresh rosemary
1/8 C fresh thyme
1/2 C fresh breadcrumbs
1 1/2 T garlic, minced
1/4 C + 2T olive oil
1 T Dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste
1 rack of lamb (about 2 – 2 1/2 lbs)

Steps:

Pre-heat oven to 450F

In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients, except mustard and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and process until well mixed, but still slightly crumbly. In other words, don’t turn it in mush! Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until just below smoking. Season lamb rack with salt and pepper and quickly brown by cooking for about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove lamb from skillet and place in an oiled roasting pan. Carefully brush mustard over the section just over the top, underside and sides of chops, leaving bones exposed. Gently pat the herb/ breadcrumb mixture over the mustard. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of about 130F. Allow to rest 10 minutes before carving. To serve lamb chops, slice between bones

Prepartion Time
3-4 Hours or 1.25 hours for chicken

Directions

1. Preparation for turkey/ chicken
Clean turkey and pat dry with kitchen paper towel. Take out the package from inside the cavity and set aside. Rub turkey with salt & pepper and brandy. Put it back into the fridge until ready for baking. Marinate the turkey overnight.

Mix 3 table spoons each of salt and pepper together.

2. Vegetables for roasting
2 carrots, 2 small onions, 4 stalks of celery, 4 cloves of garlic (crushed only, no need to chop!!!)
Chop all vegetables into small dice and place at the bottom of the baking pan. Put about 2 cups of water into the pan or enough to cover the vegetables.

3. Baking Process
Preheat oven to 450F for 15 mins. Once turkey is in, lower temperature to 375F.
For the first 15 mins breast downwards, then turn the turkey over and bake for 1.5 hrs.

During the baking period use melted butter to brush on the surface of the turkey (approximately every ½ hour).

4. For sauce
Drain all veggies & juice into a saucepan. Mix the “turkey sauce” (gravy) into the sauce pan, add red wine (approximate ¼ cup) and cook over low heat until the mixture is a little thick. Taste the sauce to see if you need to add more salt. Drain the sauce into a bowl and serve with turkey.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 1/4 pounds)
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, optional
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups chicken broth
1-2 cups water, as needed
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream and parsley for garnish

Cut squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Arrange the halves cut side down in roasting pan that has been sprayed with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Bake squash in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until very tender. Set aside to cool. When the squash is completely cool, scoop the flesh from the skin. While the squash is baking, cook the onion and the ginger in the butter in a saucepan, over moderately low heat, for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened, Add the broth and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, covered. Add the squash pulp to the sauce pan. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, in batches, and puree until smooth. Add enough water to achieve the desired consistency, and salt and pepper to taste. Return the soup to the sauce pan and cook over moderate heat until it is hot. Garnish each portion with the heaping teaspoon of low-fat sour cream.

Ingredients (serves 3):
12 x 2″ crust (get the pre-made Tenderflake crust from Safeway)
1 pack of maple-leaf pre-made bacon (100g)
3 eggs
250ml whipping cream + 100ml 2% slim milk
100g Gruyère cheese, grated
salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Pour the grated Gruyère cheese into a big bowl, then add the milk/cream, and the beaten eggs, and salt and pepper to taste
2. Pour the bacon onto the crust, then add all the ingredients in (1).
3. Bake in the oven at 350 F for 30 mins. Serve the quiche warm.

Can easily change it to use mini tarts for tapas, like the picture above.

Ingredients:
One lbs chicken wings
One can of regular cola (355 mL)
70 ml of soya sauce

Steps:
1. Marinate the chicken wings for 30 minutes with two tbs of soya sauce, two tbs of Chinese cooking wine (can be substituted with Brandy), white pepper, salt and sugar.
2. Sauté chicken wings with two- to three cloves of freshly diced garlic in medium heat. Cook both sides of wings until they turn golden (approx ten minutes).
3. Add cola and soya sauce (the soy to cola ratio must be 1:5). Turn to mid-heat and cook it for 30 minutes. Add sugar/salt to taste.

Katherine and the 3 other sous chiefs spent 4 hours preparing for this. It turned out it’s worth every single minute of it. The rice is juicy and seafood is sweet and tender.

Recipe

Quick Skillet Paella

1 pound extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces chorizo sausage, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 inion, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 can of (8-ounce) of clam juice
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1 dozen clams or mussels, scrubbed
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels, then season with the chili powder and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the shrimp and cook until curled and pink on both sides, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with foil.

Add the remiaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chorizo and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to the bowl with the shrimp, leaving the fat in the skillet.

Add the onion and thyme to the fat in the skillet and return to medium heat. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in the rice and cook until the grains are sizzling and lightly toasted, about 1 minute.

Stir in the clam juice, tomatoes, and saffron, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in the cooked shrimp and chorizo. Arrange the clams over the top and sprinkle with the peas. Cover, return to medium heat and cook until the shellfish have opened, about 7 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with the lemon wedges.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients
3 dried scallops
3 dried mushrooms
1/4 lbs of sweet peas
1/2 lbs skinless shredded chicken breasts
1 serving of rice

Instructions

1. Marinate chicken with 2 tbsps of chinese cooking wine, 2 tbsps of soya sauce, some white pepper, and some sesame oil for 30 mins.
2. Soak dried scallops and mushrooms into hot bowl of water for 30+ mins. Then marinate the mushrooms with 2 teaspoons of soya, sugar, and sesame oil.
3. Add oil onto a saucepan. Sauté the mushrooms, scallops, and sweet peas with garlic for 2 mins. Add in the chicken until it become golden. Set aside.
4. Cook rice.
5. Heat a chinese terra-cotta pot. Put the cooked rice on the bottom of the pot. Then pour the chicken, peas, mushrooms, and scallops on top. Add 1/3 cups of water. Covered and cook for 20 mins.
6. Heat up 2 tbsps of oil and 1 tbsp of soya sauce on a saucepan. Add the sauce onto the rice. To serve.

Homemade Spicy Sausage Penne

Ingreidents:

• Spicy Italian Sausage from Granville Island.
• Fresh Penne also from Granville Island.
• Organic Snow peas in a BC farm.
• Butternut Squash sauce with a hint of curry.

First, boil the penne + snow peas (separately) with a hint of salt and set aside.
Then, pan-fry sausage, set aside. Cook up the butternut squash sauce and add the penne and snow peas and serve with sausage.