The Recipe: Chicken Chili

2 Tbsp Olive Oil (enough to coat the vegetables when they are sautéed)
1 Large Carrot chopped in small pieces
2 stalks of celery chopped in small pieces
1 Chilli Pepper finely chopped (reduce or as add more as desired for heat)
3 large shallots diced (can replace with onion if not available)
5 cloves of garlic diced
5 ounces sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped in olive oil (use food processor if available)
3 teaspoons of crushed cumin
3 teaspoon of chilli powder
½ pound of ground chicken
8 good-sized mushrooms quartered
1 can of chicken stock
1 can of tomato paste
28 oz of diced tomatoes
14 oz kidney beans (add more if desired)
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large stockpot add the celery and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes over medium heat with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Add chilli pepper, shallots, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes- continue sautéing for another 5 minutes ensuring the vegetables do not brown, stir frequently to ensure they don’t burn and they cook evenly. Add the cumin and chilli powder, continue to sauté for another couple of minutes (turn down heat if vegetable are browning). Add ground chicken and cook (on medium-high heat) until all the chicken is cooked through, ensuring to stir to ensure all the chicken is cooked. Once chicken is cooked through, add the mushroom, stock, paste and tomatoes, bring to boil over high heat. Once boiling turn down to low heat and let simmer for about two hours, stirring every half hour. Add beans approximately 30 minutes before you are ready eat. This can also be made a day or two ahead, letting it sit in the fridge for a day will let the flavours come together even more.
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The Recipe: Energizer Fruit Smoothie

1 Banana
1/2 cup frozen Blueberries
8 Strawberries
1/3 cup Pineapple
1/2 cup Vanilla Yogurt
2 cups Orange Juice

You can add in any protein powder, bee pollen and / or vitamins you desire. Mix the above agreements together in a blender until smooth. You may want to save 1 cup of orange juice and add slowly to the blended until you get the desired consistency.

Great energy drink to start the day. Makes enough for 2 pints!
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The Recipe: All Purpose Tomato and Beef Sauce

Note the sauce can be made with the ground beef, ground chicken or turkey. This sauce also includes a jalapeno pepper. I often use a jalapeno or Tabasco in cooking to give the flavours a little pop. If the Jalapeno is sautéed down and cooks for a period the heat will not be overwhelming.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Shallots (diced)
6 cloves of Garlic (minced)
1 normal sized Carrots (diced)
2 Stalks Celery (diced)
1 Jalapeno Pepper (seeds removed, diced)
500 grams of Ground Beef (Chicken)
2 Tablespoons Worchester Sauce
10-15 average sized Cremini or Button Mushrooms (sliced or quartered depending on your mood)
1 ½ Full Bodied Red Wine (I Use a Big Aussie)
Salt
Pepper
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
28 oz Can of diced tomatoes (you can peel and remove the seeds and guts of your own vine tomatoes, but no need)
1 Can of chicken or beef stock
1 Can of tomato paste
Basil
Oregano
Parsley

1. Using a stockpot with a lid, sauté diced carrots, celery and Jalapeno over medium-high heat for about 5 mintues, stirring frequently (do not let the any of the ingredients blacken or a bitter taste will come out in the finished product).
2. Add diced shallots and season with salt sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring frequiently.
3. Add chopped garlic (try to add garlic on top of other vegetables to ensure you do not crisp the garlic, try to bring up temperature on garlic slowly). Sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add in mushrooms, Worchester and ground beef (I use a lean ground beef and do not drain it, if you wish to drain the fat off the beef you should brown it in a separate pan then add to rest, however this will detract from the flavour of the meat and the sauce). Brown the beef, about 7 minutes (until cooked through).
5. Once the meat is browned add the red wine and let it is absorb into the meat and veggies. After about 1 minutes add the balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, canned tomatoes and chicken stock.
6. Bring contents to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let if gently bubble for 1-4 hours so flavours can mix (the longer you let it go the more the flavours will blend).
7. With about 15 to 30 minutes left add selection of fresh herbs including basil, oregano and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste (if using dried herbs add about half way through the simmer).
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The Recipe: Nana's Rhubarb Pie

Filling:
3 - 4 cups Rhubarb
1 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Flour

Use a little more sugar if rhubarb is fresh. You can add orange peel or pineapple. If you freeze fresh rhubarb in 3 - 4 cup portions, let thaw to get rid of excess water or increase flour so that the filling won't be too runny.

Nana's Pastry:
6 cups Flour
2/3 cup Shortening for each 2 cups of flour (approx 1 lb)
2 tsp Salt

Blend well with pastry blender. You can store this in a plastic bag or container in the fridge. This will make 4 small double crust pies.

To make one double crust pie:
Put 2 cups of the above dough mixture in a bowl. Add 5 Tbsp ice water (to ensure dough is cold enough).
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The Recipe: Roasted Butternut Garlic & Apple Soup

1 Medium Sized Butternut Squash
1 Full Garlic
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion
1 Large carrot
1 Granny Smith Apple
4 Cups of Chicken Stock
3/4 Cup of Riesling
½ tsp of Cinnamon
½ tsp of Nutmeg
½ tsp of Cloves
½ tsp of Allspice
1 Cup of 2% or Skim Milk
Salt
Pepper

Start by cutting squash into cubes, drizzle with 1 ½ tbsp of olive oil and coat. Roast cubes for 30-45 minutes @ 350F until tender on a cookie sheet, ensuring the edges do not burn or crisp. Cut the top off of garlic so the top of the cloves are exposed, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper, wrap in tin foil and roast with the squash.

In a stock pot on the stovetop, dice carrots and onion and sautee on medium heat with rest of olive oil, careful not to brown the onions (requires frequent stirring). After about 7 minutes add peeled and cubed apple piece to pot. Once apples, carrots and onions are soft, approx 12-15 minutes, add stock, wine, roasted squash, garlic (let garlic cool and gently squeeze cloves out of there skins) and spices. Bring contents to a boil and cook for a couple minutes to ensure alcohol burned off and reduce to low heat.

Use a hand blender to puree contents of pot, ensuring all lumps are removed. If you do not have a hand blender, you can use a traditional blender (be careful as hot liquid in a blender will create pressure and could pop the lid off, blend small quantities at a time). When ready to serve stir in the milk and salt and pepper to taste, leave on stove top just long enough to bring milk up to heat.
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The Recipe: Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

The Recipe: Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins 4 large bananas 3/4 cup white sugar 1 egg 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups spelt flour* 1/3 cup softened butter 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Mash bananas. Add sugar, vanilla, egg, and butter. Blend wet ingredients together. In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients and add in chocolate chips. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients being careful not to over mix.

For a convection oven, bake at 360F for approx 18 min (or until toothpick comes out dry). For regular ovens, bake at 375F for approx 20 min.

* can substitute in 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
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Our Kitchen Island

So this is the first post... the biggest question is: why do a blog?

I guess the simplest answer is that I love cooking and people seem to love my cooking. I am told I have a gift and when you have a gift it is always best to share this gift with as many as you can. I also believe that if you do what you love you will be successful, hence with my passion for food and my background in online, it is only natural for me and my wife to combine these efforts and see where they take us. You have to start somewhere....

In addition, it is great way for me to keep track of my recipes and ideas. So this is where it starts.

The plan for the Blog is to post videos of the actual meals I am making for the family (which consists of my wife, Benny almost 3 and Jack almost 1), and add a blog talks about my general thoughts on foods, and cooking and life accordingly.

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