Hummus with Sun-dried Tomatoes & Goat's Cheese

Recipe Title:  Hummus with Sun-dried Tomatoes & Goats Cheese (click here to go directly to my YouTube video of this recipe)

By: Miriam Borys

Ingredients:

Base ingredients:

540 ml chick peas – well rinsed

1 garlic cloves              

1 ½ tsp. cumin

1/4 cup olive oil

Cracked pepper & salt

1 juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp. tahini

¾ to 1 cup vegetable stock depending on desired thickness

Optional but delicious!

¼ cup sun-dried

¼ cup cilantro

¼ cup goats cheese (or more if desired)

2 green onions

1.     Drain chick peas well. Rinse with cold water in a wire mesh sieve and drain well.

2.    Add all ingredients into the processor except vegetable stock.

3.    Process until large pieces are gone. Scrape the sides of the processor bowl down.

4.    Continue to process and add vegetable stock until the hummus is at the desired consistency. This stage is up to you and your personal taste.

5.    Store in the fridge.

Mixed Seafood a-la-king

Recipe Title:  Mixed Seafood a-la-king (click here to godirectly to my YouTube video of this recipe)

By: Miriam Borys

Ingredients:

Velouté sauce

4 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. flour
4 cups stock of choice (vegetarian, chicken, turkey, fish)
Cracked pepper
1 pkg.(12 oz.)  Mixed seafood (octopus, squid, clams, cooked mussels, prawns)
1 cup frozen & thawed baby peas or peas & carrots

1.     In a saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat until it bubbles. Do not burn.

2.    Stir the flour into the melted butter a little bit at a time, until it is fully incorporated, giving you a pale-yellow-colored paste. This paste is called a roux. Cook the roux for 2 minutes until it has turned a light golden blonde color.

3.    Using a whisk add stock to the roux, whisking vigorously to make sure it's free of lumps.

4.    Simmer

5.    The sauce should reduce by about 1/3.

6.    Stir frequently to make sure the sauce doesn't burn

7.    The sauce should be smooth and velvety. If it's too thick, whisk in a bit more hot stock.

8. Rinse the assorted seafood in a wire mess strainer three times to remove sand or grit.

9. When Velouté is reduced add seafood and cook until prawns are pink and seafood is cooked. This takes only three minutes. Do not overcook the seafood.

10. Serve on a bed of rice or in a Vol-au-Vent shell (French name for a puff pastry shell with a lid)

Hazelnut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie

Recipe Title:  Hazelnut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie (click here to go directly to my YouTube video of this recipe)

By: Miriam Borys

Yield:  48 -  1 oz. cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup  oat flakes (not instant)

¼ lb. butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. vanilla

½ cup coconut flakes
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup toasted hazelnuts

½ cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt

Options:
¼ cup milk chocolate chips
½ bar dark chocolate
1 peanut butter bar
raisins
cranraisins

1.     In processor mix ½ cup white flour with 1 cup of toasted hazelnuts. Combine until small chunks.

2.    In a mixer or by hand cream butter, sugars & egg.

3.    Add dry ingredients including flour/hazelnut mixture and mix until it form cookie dough

4.    Add chocolate of choice.

5.    Scoop or roll in parchment paper to freeze for later use.

6.   Or  Bake cookies at 350° for 10-12 minutes.

Oatmeal Chocolate Cookie with Peanut Butter Surprise

Recipe Title:  Oatmeal Chocolate Cookie with Peanut Butter Surprise (click here to go directly to my YouTube video of this recipe)

By: Miriam Borys

Ingredients:

1 cup  oat flakes (not instant) bake for 10 minutes in 350 degree oven first and let cool

¼ lb. butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. vanilla

½ cup coconut flakes
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Options:
¼ cup milk chocolate chips
½ bar dark chocolate
1 peanut butter bar

1.     Cream butter in mixer with sugars & egg

2.    Add dry ingredients and mix until it form cookie dough

3.    Add chocolate of choice

4.    Scoop to bake or roll in parchment paper to freeze for later use.

5.    Bake cookies at 350° for 10-12 minutes.

6 root vegetables roasted for soup

Recipe Title:  roasted root vegetable soup (click here to go directly to my YouTube video of this recipe)

By: Miriam Borys

Ingredients:

1 carrot
½ fennel
1 onion – large
½ small butternut squash
banana squash – about ½ a pound
1 parsnip
4 large cloves of garlic – do not remove skin for roasting
¾ cup olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Spices and herb of choice – Italian or bouquet garni from ‘Red Barn’

For soup:

1 onion diced for sautéing.
2 cloves garlic
all roasted vegetables above½ cup white wine
900 ml vegetable broth

1.     Peel carrots, parsnips, squashes, onion, and chop into large pieces.

2.    In a baking dish add vegetables, oil, salt, pepper and herbs.

3.    Toss and roast in oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

4.     In a soup pot heated with 2 Tbsp. oil add the diced onion and 2 cloves of garlic.

5.    Simmer until onion starts to brown.

6.    Add all roasted vegetables and continue to sauté until toasty.

7.    Add white wine to deglaze.

8.    Add stock and bring up to the boil.

9.    Simmer for 15 minutes.

10.  Puree with immersion blender.

11.   Serve with crackers or ‘Donna’s buttered baguettes’.

Cupcakes with lemon zest

Recipe Title: Cupcakes with lemon zest (click here to go directly to my YouTube video of this recipe)

By: Miriam Borys

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

½ warm milk (not hot)

2 T butter

1 cup flour – sifted

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

1 tbsp. vanilla

Zest of     1 lemon  (optional)

1.     Beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy with a mixer or by hand.

2.    Warm the milk, add the butter so that the butter melts.

3.    Add warm milk mixture to eggs & mix again.

4.    Remove from mixer.

5.    Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into liquid mixture. Add lemon zest.

6.    Stir by hand so you don’t over mix.

7.    Bake at 325 degrees for 10 – 14 minutes.

8.    Cool and ice with frosting of your choice.

Gnocchi with Herb Cream Cheese Flavor Bursts

Gnocchi with Herb Cream Cheese Flavor Bursts (click here to go directly to my YouTube video)

Recipe by:  Miriam Borys

Gnocchi

2        potatoes[i]  - steamed

½ - ¾  cup     flour + extra flour for rolling gnocchi

3 tbsp. herbed cream cheese flavor bursts

1 tsp.  salt

1. Cook potatoes.
2. Rice potatoes into a mixing bowl.
3. Mix in salt, Herb Cream Cheese Flavor Bursts and egg.
4. Mix well.
5. Roll out in a sausage shape on a floured board.
6. Cut into 1 inch length. Coat in flour
7. Drop into a pot of boiling water.
8. Garnish with chopped chives & parsley
9. Serve with herb cream sauce & grape tomatoes.

Cream cheese sauce

1/3 cup                   PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese – original

1/3 cup                   milk

3                            Herb Cream Cheese Flavor Bursts

½ cup                      grape tomatoes sliced in half (hold till last)

1. Put these ingredients in a shallow sauce pan and melt.
2. Just before adding gnocchi, stir in ½ cup grape tomatoes.
3. When gnocchi is cooked, ladle immediately into herbed cream cheese sauce.
4. Stir until well coated.
5. Plate and garnish with fresh parsley & chives cut with kitchen shears.

Herb Cream Cheese Flavor Bursts

1 brick         PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese – original

¼ tub            PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese – Herb & Garlic

1 ½               juice of 1 ½ - 2 lemons

½ c               fresh cilantro – loosely packed

½  cup           parsley fresh – loosely packed

1 tbsp.                    onion – cooking

1                   green onion

¼  cup           fresh chives

¼ cup            red pepper

3                  hot sauce – drops

½ c               grape or cherry tomatoes

                    Salt & pepper to taste

1. Put all ingredients above into the food processor.
2. Blend until mixed well.
3. Stop processor and scrape walls. Blend again.
4. Portion scoop the herb cream cheese into balls and individually quick freeze (IQF).
5. Once frozen, remove from freezer, bag and store in freezer for easy access.

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[i] use a “bakers” potato such as a Russet or an Idaho potato because they contain higher starch levels than moister levels. This will help keep the potato together when boiling for the recipe.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK3TDTqYWZg&list=HL1337245133&feature=mh_lolz

Buffalo Burger with Portabella Mushroom

It's that time of year where we drag the BBQ out and start to enjoy warmer weather and cold beer. It is also time to re-introduce my buffalo burgers that I created last year.  I first tasted buffalo while on a summer road trip with my girlfriend Maggie Dickey. We drove out to Saskatchewan to see her family and I was introduced to 100's of buffalo by her brother Marshal who raises buffalo. This was the first time I tasted buffalo meat and it is so lean and tasty, that I was looking forward to a burger in my own back yard.  Enjoy with a cold beer.

Recipe Title:  Buffalo Burger with Portabella Mushroom (click here to go directly to my YouTube video of this recipe)

By: Miriam Borys

Ingredients:

Servings: 1

1/2 pound(s) of buffalo ground meat
1/4 cup(s) of Sundried Tomato & Basil PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
1/4 cup(s) of Herb & Garlic PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
1/4 cup(s) of mayonnaise
1 tbsp. of grainy mustard
1 'pesto flavor burst' (see recipe below)
1 slice tomato
1 slice white onion
1 slice fresh pineapple
1 Portobello mushroom – stem and spines removed

Cream Cheese Burger sauce: use up leftover little bits of cream cheese
¼ cup sundried tomato PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
¼ cup herb & garlic PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
1 tbsp. grainy mustard
¼ cup mayonnaise
Miriam’s original ‘pesto flavor burst’[i] - 1

Prep:

1. Form buffalo meat into 2 thin patties.
2. Cube 2 tbsp. cream cheese
3. Place cubes of cream cheese into the center of 1 pattie and cover it with a second buffalo pattie.
4. Seal edges to prevent the cream cheese from oozing out.
5. Grill on BBQ on medium heat until internal temperature is over 165 degrees.
6. Meanwhile cut 1 thick (1 inch) slices each of fresh pineapple, beefsteak tomato, and white onion.
7. Brush with oil and grill on BBQ until golden brown.
8. Clean Portobello mushroom, removing stem & gills, coat with oil and grill.
9. When buffalo burger reaches an internal temperature over 165 degrees remove from grill.
10. Assemble as you wish or use a burger bun if desired.
11. Top with grilled vegetables and pineapple and cream cheese burger sauce

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[i] Flavor bursts:
In a process combine the following until smooth:
3 cups of cream cheese - plain
1 pound of basil - fresh, washed & trimmed
4 garlic cloves
Scoop into small scoop size and freeze individually. Store in a sealable bag until needed.