WORTH SHARING A MILLION TIMES: MISO AND MAPLE SYRUP GLAZE

I think of this blog pretty much every day but I’m a terrible friend to it. I neglect it and don’t really take care of it. But today is a day I decide to make an effort to make it happy… to make it smile!

Be prepared, this terribly simple recipe is super delectable and your entire family will love it, including kids and babies… I’ve tried it and it works. You want a nice fast and healthy dinner? This is the best recipe you’ll have tried in months!! I made mine with nice jasmine rice and garlic spinach. The fish took 12 minutes to make (4 to prepare, 8 to cook), which is less than the rice, which took 20! Try to beat that Jamie Oliver with your 30 minutes meal!!!

Picture taken for Ricardo's website... I didn't have time to take a picture myself!

MISO AND MAPLE SYRUP GLAZE

Makes 2 large fillets or 4 fish steaks

(Good for salmon, trout, pork and chicken)

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup maple syrup

2 tbsp miso paste

2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or olive oil)

2 green onions or 1 shallot, finely chopped

1 tbsp sambal olek (or an asian hot sauce)

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns, crushed

PREPARATION

Sauce

Blend together all of the ingredients.

Cooking the fish

Place 4 fish steaks or 2 large fillets of your choice on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (the sauce will caramelized once cooked) and generously brush with the miso and maple syrup glaze. Bake in the center of the oven, under the broiler, for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the type of fish, or until cooked (be careful not to overcook your fish). Serve hot with rice and a nice green vegetable!!

‘Tis The Season For Fiddlehead Fern… But Hurry Up It’s Almost Over!

Fiddlehead Fern is a vegetable I simply loooove. If your main language is English, you might be thinking ‘what is that?’. If you speak French, you might know this vegetable under the name of Crosse de Fougère or Tête de violon. Basically, it’s the head of the fern that you cultivate before it grows out… which mean it’s only available in spring, before the plant becomes too big. Mid-April to June is the best time to buy this amazingly tasty vegetable.

If you’ve never prepared Fiddlehead Ferns, don’t be grossed out by their appearance. They can indeed put some people off. Instead, take the time to wash them out a few times in cold water, trying to clean out the dirt as much as possible. After that, prepare two small separate pots filled with salted water. Bring the water to a boil, throw the ferns in the first pot, and cook them for 3 minutes. Take them out and quickly throw them in the second pot. Cook for another 2 minutes. Once they’re done, rinse them out in cold water to stop the cooking.

Once the cleaning and cooking is done, you’re ready to eat these little gems (they can be quite expensive at the beginning of the season). I love them pan seared with butter, garlic and salt. Otherwise you can prepare a great vinaigrette and prepare the Fiddlehead Ferns as a salad. This is the recipe I’m suggesting to you… 

Pre cooked Fiddlehead Ferns

Twice cooked Fiddlehead Ferns

FIDDLEHEAD FERN SALAD

Makes 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

Salad

A nice bunch of cooked Fiddlehead Ferns

4 radish, finely sliced

2 lebanese cucumbers, finely sliced

A little bit of fresh baby arugula

Salad Dressing

1 tbsp Dijon Mustard

¼ cup Apple cider vinegar

¼ cup White balsamic vinegar

1 cup olive oil

1 garlic clove, pressed

Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

Salad Dressing

In a small bowl or jar, mix all the ingredients. Adjust seasoning.

Salad

In a bowl, mix all the vegetables and add the salad dressing. Mix well. Adjust seasoning.

This version of a salad is really simple but you can let your imagination go where you want it to go. You could add cheese, tomatoes, olives, etc. Go wild!!

STAYING ALIVE, STILL ALIVE!

Ok, so I’ve totally been neglecting this super blog. Have you forgotten about me? I sure haven’t forgotten about you! I just needed a little time off. After all, I'm still on maternity leave. And I have to admit I felt writing on this blog had become an obligation, like a job… I just wasn’t having as much fun with it as I used to. But I still cook and I still love doing it. So now I have to start sharing the goods again just maybe, a little differently this time.

I think I’m going to start adding a few things. If you agree with me, I’d love to start talking about restaurants, interesting articles I come about, things like that. And of course, I’m going to keep on feeding you some great recipes! How does that sound? That way I get to diversify myself but I’ll still be showing great recipes added to where I get my ideas, inspiration and what really make me flip as a foodie!!

I hope this will satisfy you (I think it’ll satisfy me!) and that you’ll keep on reading and supporting this little thing I do. I just love the idea of food so much, I can’t let it go! 


Lets keep going! 

This Will Make Your Weekend: Sausage Wrapped Poached Eggs

It’s snowing outside and I just found out I have a bronchitis. Nice way to start the year. On top of it, I’ve been procrastinating writing on this blog, for no particular reason. Actually, maybe there is a reason. The holidays were so hectic around here; this week feels like I’m on vacation! But I’ve been itching to write again and share my 2012 recipes. I don’t know how much I’ll be able to keep up with my writing though… I should be going back to work soon… as long as I find myself a job!

Besides that, I tried this amazing recipe last weekend while some friends were over for breakfast. I didn’t invent this recipe; I found it in a magazine while I was sitting by the pool someplace hot in the South! Yeah I know… deciding to make some crazy good-looking recipe while tanning is not a good idea. This is decadent. It looked good under the sun and it was even better back here, in the winter cold! And don’t get fooled by the look of it, it’s quite simple to make and could even make a great activity for you and your kids!

SAUSAGE WRAPPED POACHED EGGS

Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

10 large eggs

16 small breakfast sausage

1 ½ cups flour

2 cups Corn Flakes

Salt & pepper

Vegetable oil

PREPARATION

Put 8 of the uncooked eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Put over high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 3 minutes.

Carefully drain. Then fill the saucepan with cold water to cool the eggs. Gently crack the shells under cold running water. Set aside.

Take the sausage out of its casing. Make 8 equal portions and make them into thin patties over the length of your palm. Lay 1 soft-boiled egg on top of the sausage and delicately wrap it around the egg. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

Place the flour in a wide shallow bowl and crushed corn flakes in another one. Whisk the remaining 2 eggs in a bowl.

Working gently with 1 sausage-wrapped egg, dip it in the flour, then coat in the egg wash. Finish by rolling it in the crushed corn flakes.

Attach a deep fry thermometer to the side of a heavy pot. Pour in some oil to a depth of about 2” and heat over medium heat to 350˚F. Fry the eggs, turning occasionally and maintaining oil temperature at 350˚F until the sausage is cooked through and the breading is golden brown and crisp. This should take about 5-6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Lightly season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Note: You can boil your eggs and make the sausage wrap a day in advance.