Sicilian eggplant stew – spread May 27, 2009

Italians call this a specific southern Italian dish. Of course, in other parts of the world, it is thought to be specific to other places, like in the Balkans. Wherever you have eggplants, you’re bound to have a variation of this food considered ‘traditional’. While it’s not that easy to prepare, you can keep it in the fridge (or in a den, in a sealed jar) for a long time. It also helps with your daily veggie portion, and it goes wonderfully with crackers, biscuits, or just bread.

You’ll need: 2 eggplants, 2 bell pepper (red, yellow or orange), 4-5 roma tomatoes, 1 onion, 4-5 garlic cloves, 2 celery sticks, salt, pepper, oil. Optional: 1-2 carrots.

Instructions:

1. You can choose to roast the eggplants and the bell pepper, or not. If you choose to do so, it will take less time to cook the stew. To roast, put in the oven (on a baking sheet or something similar) for 30-40 minutes (350F) or until the skin cracks. Take them out and peel them, then cut into pieces and set aside.
2. If you do not roast – cut the eggplant and remove the skin. Cut the peppers.
3. Peel the Roma tomatoes (sink in boiling water for 2-3 minutes) – or use the canned diced tomatoes.
4. In a big pan, fry for 1-2 minutes the chopped onion and garlic. Add the peppers, the eggplants, the tomatoes and the celery. If you want extra taste, grate the carrots and add them – in the Italian version, you can also add green olives and capers. Add salt and pepper.
5. Let boil for some 30-40 minutes (more if you didn’t roast the eggplants) or until all the veggies are fully cooked and can be easily mashed. I like to mash everything, so that all the veggies blend into each other, then eat it with crackers or with mustard and paprika bites.

Bison Restaurant and Lounge Banff May 24, 2009

I recently ate at the Bison Restaurant and Lounge in Banff and found it quite disappointing. We first checked the menu listed outside the place: easy choice, I always go for the smoked salmon (by the way, if you ever want to try really good smoked salmon and pay only $7 for it, then go to IKEA). And, since the weather was lovely, I wanted to enjoy the sun on the patio.

Bison Restaurant and Lounge has however two separate levels: downstairs looks very much like a shop with a few tables, nothing tempting. Upstairs, they had another menu – the cheaper smoked salmon dish that I wanted was not available upstairs… But there was a brunch menu available til about 2pm, so we stayed. Prices were pretty high: from $12 to $17 for the brunches, to $17 for the signature bison burger. For two mountain breakfasts ($11 each), a tea and a coffee, we ended up paying around $30 (with the tip).

But my main disappointed was the patio… Now, the patio might be sun-drenched, but just because you put some tables and uncomfy benches on a wooden floor that doesn’t make it a patio… Yes, the view is nice, but why is it so hard to design a decent patio? Throw a few cushions on those benches, get some huge flower pots and scater them around, put a flower or two on each table, hang out some garden decorations… just don’t leave us sitting in a wooden box with a view and call it a patio…

Mustard and Paprika Bites May 23, 2009

These little bread-like biscuits work well with soup or with spreads like veggie spreads, humus, eggplant salad or sicilian eggplants. They’re fairly easy to make, and you can keep them in the fridge for a few days. You’ll need: 2 cups of flour, 1-2 tsp yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp dry mustard, 2 tbsp margarine, 4-5 sundried tomatoes, basil, parsley, salt, pepper and some milk.

Instructions:

1. In a very large bowl (has to be large enough so that you can knead the dough in it), put the flour and add the paprika, the dry mustard and the margarine. Using your hands, mix the margarine with the flour.
2. In a small cup, put the yeast with the sugar and add a bit of hot water. Let stand for at least 5 minutes.
3. In another small cup, put the sundried tomatoes with hot water. Let stand for 10 minutes, then discard water and cut into small pieces.
4. Add all remaining spices, the sundried tomatoes and the yeast mixture to the flour mix. Gradually pour milk, and mix with your hands until the mixture becomes a dough. Sprinkle some flour and knead for 1-2 minutes.
5. Roll the dough into a cylinder, then using your hands press it into a flat oval shape. Using a knife, cut three strips lengthwise, then divide them into equal squares.
6. Put the squares on a baking sheet, brush them with milk (or with a beaten egg) and sprinkle with paprika.
7. Put in the oven (375F) for 15 minutes or until done.

Stuffed Peppers and Tomatoes May 22, 2009

Three pepper by chefranden

Stuffed peppers and tomatoes are more easier to make than it may sound. You’ll need: 3 bell peppers, 3 large tomatoes, 3 Roma tomatoes, 1 onion, 2-3 garlic cloves, 300-400 gr. ground meat (I prefer a mixture of pork and beef, but it works well with any meat or, if vegetarian, with rice and mushrooms), basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, oil and chicken/ vegetable stock (if you don’t have stock, just dissolve 1 maggie cube in water or use vegeta).

Instructions:

1. Prepare the bell peppers and the large tomatoes: remove tops, then discard seeds (with the tomatoes, use a teaspoon and spoon out the contents). Put aside.
2. Prepare the meat: finely cut onion and fry it for 1-2 minutes in a large pan with a bit of oil. Add the garlic, finely chopped or crushed, then add the meat and stir for 2-3 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and put in a large bowl. Add all the spices (basil, oregano, thyme, parsley) and salt and pepper and mix well.
4. Spoon meat mixture into hollow peppers and tomatoes (if using a mixture of rice and mushrooms, follow exactly the same steps, but do not fill your peppers and tomatoes completely, because rice will expand a bit). Place them in a cooking pot.
5. Remove skin from the remaining Roma tomatoes (put them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes), then cut and add to the pot.
6. Add stock to cover the peppers.
7. Cook on stove for 30 minutes, medium heat. After it has boiled, move to oven (350F) for some 30 minutes.
8. Serve hot with sour cream on top.

Rosemary Pork with Mushrooms and Rice May 12, 2009

This dish works wonderfully with beef as well. Get the meat already cut into small cubes or strips, and marinate it over night. You’ll need: 300-400 gr meat, 7-10 white (or a combination of white, wild and portabella) mushrooms, 3-4 minced garlic cloves, olive oil, 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, 1 tbsp fresh thyme, 1 tsp parsley, salt, pepper, cooking wine, 1 minced onion, 1/2 cup rice, 3-4 sundried tomatoes.

Instructions:

1. For the marinade: in a cup, mix thoroughly some 2 tbsp olive oil with 1 tbsp cooking wine, the minced garlic cloves, the fresh rosemary and thyme (make sure you chop them to release the flavor), the parsley,  salt and pepper. Pour over meat and let stand in the fridge for 3 -24 hrs.
2. Heat a bit of olive oil into a big frying pan, then fry the meat (make sure you pour all the marinade) for 5 minutes. Remove from stove, and remove the meat.
3. Add into the remaining juices the mushrooms, cut into pieces. Return to stove, and add cooking wine. Lower the heat (under medium) and put a lid on to get the juices from the mushrooms out. Mix every 2-3 minutes.
4. When there’s plenty of juice in the pan, pour everything into a pot, add the meat and cook until everything is tender (for some 10-20 minutes).
5. In a small cup, soak 3-4 sundried tomatoes in hot water for 5 minutes.
6. In a separate pot, heat a bit of olive oil and fry the finely chopped onion for 2 minutes or until translucent. Add 1/2 cup of rice and a bit of cooking wine.  Stir and leave for a few seconds, then add 2 cups of water (or stock if you have any). Add the soaked tomatoes.
7. When the rice is soft, put it in the same pot with the meat and the mushrooms and let on the stove for 5 more minutes. If there’s not enough liquid, add some cooking wine and some water/ stock. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Eating out under 50: Heidelberg Haus May 10, 2009

Heidelberg Haus is a restaurant and a banquet facility specialized in German cuisine. It is located in NE, somewhere around Barlow Trail and 32 Ave (the exact address is 2625-23 St. NE, Calgary, T2E 8L2). From Monday to Friday, there’s a lunch buffet from 11 to 2pm for $12.95. For this price, you get a fairly good selection of salads, side dishes, meats and desserts. Drinks are extra – you must try the German beer. On Saturday afternoon (5pm – 9pm) the place is open for a dinner buffet and the cost is $19.95, drinks extra. The place itself is very clean, spacious and nicely decorated. While I wouldn’t go there for dinner, it’s worth trying it out for lunch during the week, as the food is very tasty.