Easy & Delicious Turkey Burgers

Armed once again with ground turkey, I decided to make a batch of turkey burgers to freeze for easy lunches throughout the week. I kept the ingredients simple, but they turned out great–very juicy and with lots of flavour. You can grill the burgers up right away or freeze them raw for cooking off later. I ate mine without a bun, and with a heap of toppings, but you can easily pop them onto a fresh piece of bread or onto a small bun.

Delicious Turkey Burgers
(makes 4 small burgers)

1 lb. ground turkey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well with your hands. Divide evenly into four portions, and roll each into a ball. Gently flatten each ball with your palm to create each patty. Grill on a stovetop grill pan, cast iron skillet or on the barbecue. Resist pressing down on the patties as they cook, to prevent squeezing out the juices. Top with shredded cheese of your choice once half way cooked, and then once finished, with a slice of tomato, mayo, cubed avocado and some fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

Healthy Turkey Meatballs with Ground Almonds and Tomato Pepper Sauce

I went in search of a meatball recipe since I had some ground turkey to use up, but I enjoyed the fresh flavour of this sauce and the light texture of the meatballs so much that I’ll be definitely be making this again and again –especially since it’s such a healthy option for lunch or dinner. At first, I was a little skeptical of using ground almonds in both the meatballs and the sauce and I was seriously considering omitting them from the sauce for fear of too much random crunch. In the end, I left them in and I’m so glad I did for the great texture and unique flavour they add.  You can also freeze the balls once they’re made up, and cook them off later for a great fast meal.

Turkey Meatballs with Ground Almonds and Tomato Pepper Sauce
(Serves 2-4)

Sauce
teaspoon of coconut oil
half of a large yellow onion, roughly chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons toasted almonds, chopped
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Melt coconut oil in a sauce pot over medium to medium-high heat and add onion, pepper and tomato. Cook for about 15 minutes until soft. While cooking, toss the almonds for the sauce and the meatballs into a skillet over high heat to toast for 2-3 minutes. Once toasted, finely chop. Add broth, almonds and bay leaves to the sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened up. Season with salt and pepper.

Meatballs
1 lb. ground turkey
3 slices of multi-grain bread, toasted and cut into small pieces (or bread of your choice)
2 eggs
small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons toasted almonds, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients together and season very well with salt and pepper. Roll into golfballs and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 12-14 minutes. Serve with sauce and garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

 

Spring Fling

To celebrate Easter and the first long weekend of Spring, we had some friends over on Good Friday to share some good food and unwind. I decided on an easy menu to serve smörgåsbord  style that could be prepped almost completely the day before (my favourite). All of the dishes were also equally good served room temperature, as well as warm, so I didnʼt have to worry about keeping things piping hot throughout the day. To decorate the table, I used potted plants such as tulips, daffodils and ranunculus, instead of cut flowers, which added to the Spring-feeling of the party, and also served as take-home gifts.

I had a turkey taking up some space in my freezer, so I roasted it with my usual method, but then served it with the mint and cumin sauce from this Ottolenghi dish, which was ideal for serving the turkey in a more casual style and at room temperature.

I also made my favourite French potato salad, garnished with fresh, fragrant basil, and deviled eggs coloured with beet juice, which have become quite popular lately. Honestly, every time I make deviled eggs for a party or brunch with friends, I vow never to make them again! I try not to over boil them, and then all of the peeling and trying to carefully remove the yolks without destroying the delicate whites is just so labour intensive and time consuming. But, they are delicious, and these just seemed too ideal for the holiday not to include them. If you do want to attempt them, some tips for success include using somewhat stale eggs (the fresher they are, the harder they are to peel). To cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil for a few minutes, add 6-12 eggs, and let boil for about 4 minutes before taking the eggs off the heat and letting sit in the water for about 10 minutes before placing in a bowl of cold water. Try to peel right away (this also makes it easier) and gently crack the very top and bottom of the egg to release the membrane, which helps the rest of the shell come off in bigger pieces. Once peeled, place all of the eggs in a large jar of beet juice (I just used the juice from a store-bought jar of pickled beets), for two hours to create a pink ring around the outside of the eggs. If youʼre storing them overnight, the colour will diffuse into the entire egg white. Once coloured to your liking, slice in half, remove the yolks and mix with your favourite mixture of mayo, whole grain mustard and spices. Pipe back into the egg whites and garnish with chives. I served mine on plates of broccoli sprouts.

For dessert, I picked up a tray of mini doughnuts from Jelly Modern Doughnuts here in Toronto and baked up Ottolenghiʼs Walnut Carrot Cake – more on the latter later!

 

 

Quinoa Salad with Avocado, Cucumber, Peppers and Cilantro

We’ve all heard about the various merits of quinoa– it’s as easy to  make as rice and is an excellent source of fibre and protein. The thing is, I’m not always sure what to do with it, since it’s quite tasteless, and frankly, a little boring. Last summer, however, I started making this salad (which started as one of those ‘we need to use up all of the vegetables in the fridge’ type things) and have recently returned to it as part of an attempt to get back to lighter meals now that I’m slowly  phasing out winter’s comfort foods.

I like to make a big batch at a time, so I can keep it in the fridge for a few days for easy lunches and dinners, when needed. I just wait to add the avocado and cilantro until right before serving, so they don’t get mushy and brown between meals. It’s delicious on its own, with the combination of crunch, citrus, and creaminess, so you can serve it alone, as a sidedish, or with sauteed shrimp or chicken.

Quinoa Salad

2 cups quinoa, rinsed
half a red pepper, diced
half a green pepper, diced
half a cucumber, diced
avocado, diced
handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
juice of one lime
drizzle of olive oil
drizzle of red wine vinegar
sea salt and pepper

Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add quinoa, stir, and place the lid on the pot. Turn down the heat to simmer, and continue to cook until all of the water is completely absorbed. Fluff with a fork and place quinoa in a large bowl and let cool. Once cool, add in remaining ingredients (save for the avocado and cilantro, if you’re not serving right away).

To add shrimp, saute half a pound of deveined shrimp, with tails removed, over medium-high heat with a teaspoon of coconut oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook until pink and opaque. Serve shrimp over the salad and enjoy!

 

Petits Fours

A potted Primrose (which has edible leaves and petals) perks up my living room.

I love making omelettes for breakfast or lunch, and asparagus and feta are one of my favourite combinations.

I hunted down a Périgord truffle as a birthday present for a foodie friend who is close to impossible to buy for. Truffles can be stored in a jar in the fridge for up to a month. Keeping rice in the jar helps to keep it dry and can be used for a deliciously flavoured risotto after the truffle is consumed!

 

Spotted these adorable Easter bunnies already in-stock at one my favourite chocolate shops, Soma Chocolatemaker.

Marinated Turkey Breast with Cumin, Coriander and White Wine

Easter is pretty late this year, but if you’re thinking ahead to entertaining, this marinaded turkey breast recipe from Ottolenghi The Cookbook is a great option to consider. It’s amazingly simple, so it would be an especially good fit if you’re planning on having a small group, or even no guests at all! It’s such a fresh, original way to enjoy turkey and the flavours are, not surprisingly, phenomenal.

If you are serving guests, pick up one breast per two people. They’re surprisingly easy to find now that turkeys are being stocked back in the markets. The one I found happened to be skinless and boneless, which worked just fine. The marinade gets reduced down to use as a sauce, but it is quite zingy, so you may want to serve it on the side since it may not be something that everyone’s into.

I served it with arugula and another asparagus dish from the cookbook. The recipe originally called for the addition of samphire, an asparagus-like plant mostly popular in the UK that grows close to the water, but I used asparagus alone, for lack of samphire, and garnished it with some feta.

Ottolenghi’s Marinaded Turkey Breast with Cumin, Coriander and White Wine
(serves 2-3)

4 tablespoons mint leaves
4 tablespoons flat leaf parsley leaves
4 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro)
1 garlic clove, peeled
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
small organic or free-range turkey breast (about 2-1/4 lb/1 kg)

Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process for 1-2 minutes to get a smooth marinade. Put the turkey in a non-metallic container and pour the marinade over it. Massage the marinade into the meat, cover the container, and leave in the fridge for 24 hours. Make sure the turkey is immersed in the sauce.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Remove the turkey from the marinade (keep the marinade for later) and put it on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 400°F.  Continue to cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature again to 350°F.  Cook until the turkey is done, another 30 to 45 minutes (mine only took another 20). To check, stick a small knife all the way into the center; it should come out hot. If the meat goes dark before it is ready, cover it with aluminum foil.

To prepare the sauce, heat the turkey marinade in a small saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes, until reduced by about half. Taste and season with some more salt and pepper. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice it thinly and serve with warm sauce.

Ottolenghi’s Asparagus and Samphire
(serves 4)

1 tablespoon black or white sesame seeds
24 medium-thick asparagus spears
3 1/2 oz. samphire
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons tarragon
crumbled feta – optional
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a non-stick pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until they start to turn colour. Cook the trimmed asparagus in a large pot of salted, boiling water for a maximum of four minutes.

Drain the asparagus and rinse under very cold water until they’re cool to the touch. Leave in the colander to dry completely and use paper towels to dry the last few water drops, if necessary. Toss with the rest of the ingredients, along with the toasted sesame seeds, and serve immediately or chill in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Ottolenghi: The Menu

Mini eggplants

Marinating roasted eggplant

Marinated Eggplant with Tahini and Oregano

Pomegranate seeds

Seasoned fennel slices

Fennel and Feta with Pomegranate Seeds and Sumac

Saffron threads – most expensive spice in the world!

Toasted and chopped skin-on hazelnuts

Roast Chicken with Saffron, Hazelnuts and Honey

As mentioned last week, after I made Ottolenghi’s grilled broccoli, I became slightly obsessed with all things Ottolenghi and decided I had to make more dishes as soon as possible. So, last weekend, I decided to have a dinner party featuring the three dishes I was dying to try next. They were: Fennel and Feta with Pomegranate Seeds and Sumac; Marinated Eggplant with Tahini and Oregano; and Roast Chicken with Saffron, Hazelnuts and Honey. It all sounded like a lot at first, but one of the (many) great things about these recipes, is that a lot of it can be prepared ahead of time and can be served at room temperature.

I marinated both the eggplant and the chicken the day before. The morning of the dinner, I took the eggplant out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature and prepared the tahini dressing. Right before dinner, I prepared the fennel salad and roasted the chicken. Very manageable, with lots of time to mingle with guests in between. And of course, everything was delicious!

Ottolenghi’s Fennel and Feta with Pomegranate Seeds and Sumac
(serves 4-6)

1/2 pomegranate
2 medium fennel heads
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
2 teaspoons of sumac + garnish
juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp. tarragon leaves
2 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
2 1/2 oz. (70 g) Greek feta cheese, sliced
salt and pepper

Take the seeds from half a pomegranate by slicing it in half along the belly, and banging the back of one half over a bowl with a flat, wooden spoon.
Trim the base and leaves from the fennel, and slice it very thinly, lengthwise. Toss the fennel with the olive oil, sumac, lemon and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
Right before serving, layer fennel in a serving dish with sliced feta and pomegranate seeds. Garnish with more sumac and fennel fronds.

Ottolenghi’s Marinated Eggplant with Tahini and Oregano
(serves 4-6)

3 small eggplants (I used 6 “mini” eggplants)
olive oil
1/2 cup tahini paste
5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper

1 mild red chile, rinsed, seeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
2 tbsp. finely chopped oregano, plus whole leaves for garnish
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
4 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper

Trim the base and stalk off each eggplant and shop into equal-sized wedges. Brush on all sides with olive oil and roast at 425°F on a baking sheet for 15-18 minutes until light brown and soft inside.
While the eggplant is roasting, prepare the marinade in a large bowl with the chile, herbs, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. As soon as the eggplants are finished roasting, mix them into the marinade. Let marinade for at least 2 hours or chill in the fridge for up to two days.
Bring the eggplant to room temperature before serving. To make the tahini sauce, mix 1/2 cup of tahini paste with 1/2 cup of water, 5 tbsp. lemon juice and 2 crushed garlic cloves. Place in the blender until smooth and season with salt to taste. Serve the eggplant with tahini sauce drizzled on top (or on the side) and garnished with oregano leaves.

Ottolenghi’s Roast Chicken with Saffron, Hazelnuts, and Honey
(serves 4)

1 large organic chicken cut into 4 (I cut into 8 pieces)
2 onions, coarsely chopped
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
generous pinch of saffron
juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp. cold water
3/4 cup (100 g) skin-on hazelnuts
3 1/2 tbsp. honey
3 tbsp. rosewater
4 green onions, chopped on the diagonal

Mix the chicken with the onions, olive oil, spices, lemon juice, water and 2 tsp. sea salt and 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper. Let sit for at least an hour or overnight in the fridge.
Toast hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 375°F. Coarsely chop and set aside. Arrange the chicken skin side up along with the marinade on a deep baking sheet. Roast for 35 minutes. While chicken is roasting, make a paste with the honey, nuts and rosewater.
When the chicken comes out of the oven, top each piece with a dollop of the paste and place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until cooked through and nuts are browned. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with chopped green onion.

Petits Fours

Preparing brightly-coloured packages for a birthday delivery.

Bar Buca, 75 Portland Street, Toronto

Enjoying an amazing egg dish (among many other excellent dishes) at Toronto’s Bar Buca – can’t wait to go back.

Favourite items on my desk right now: yellow tulips and the gorgeous new Estée Lauder Derek Lam Collection and Minaudiere.

Classic ham and brie with arugula and tarragon makes a quick and tasty lunch.

Buckwheat and Cheddar Dutch Baby

I’ve been battling a cold for what feels like the last month, and when I’m feeling under the weather sometimes getting it together to make dinner feels like the biggest task in the world. The other night, I wasn’t feeling up to eating much and so I decided to have a breakfast-themed dinner, instead. I love a Dutch baby pancake for breakfast, but adding buckwheat flour and cheese to this recipe gave it a savoury taste that made it acceptable for dinner, but would also make a great brunch. I had mine with a side of bacon, but it would also be ideal alongside salad, even if you serve it with a drizzling of maple syrup!

Buckwheat and Cheddar Dutch Baby
(serves 2-4)

3 room temperature eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup old cheddar cheese, shredded
pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoons butter
maple syrup

Place cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 450°F. Place eggs in a medium bowl and whip until light and frothy. Add milk and flours and blend well. Mix in cheese.
Carefully pull skillet from the oven and toss in the butter. As it melts, quickly swirl it around to coat the pan. Pour in the batter and return skillet to the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes. Slice and drizzle with maple syrup.

Petits Fours

Easy weekend lunch: beef tortellini tossed in brown butter, red chilli flakes and chopped sage.

My latest television obsession, Masters of Sex. I watched the entire first season in two days over the holidays and am eagerly awaiting season two!

I made these simple cinnamon sugar fritters for a dinner party dessert recently and they were a big hit. Just make the dough ahead of time (1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder + cinnamon) and fry them up after dinner. Roll them in extra sugar and cinnamon and serve with little pots of dark chocolate spread or Nutella.

Nerd alert – switching over to my new Panama diary is always one of my post-holiday highlights.