652 Elizabeth Street
London, Ontario
N5Y 6L3
(519) 432-1801
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Cooking it up with Cook It Up!: Recipes for Success
Cooking Class #1: Bacon Balsamic Dressing
1-2 cloves garlic
1 part balsamic vinegar
1 part bacon fat
Salt Pepper
2 parts extra virgin olive oil
* Chop garlic, add to mason jar
* Bacon fat and salt and pepper to jar
* Add oil on top
* Shake well
Summer Vegetable Salad
(Serves 6-8)
1 head broccoli, 1 ear corn, 4 carrots, 1 lb. (500 g) green/ yellow beans, 1lb shelling peas, 1 head cauliflower, 2 large tomatoes, 1 cup (250 ml) of chopped fresh herbs (basil, parsley, chives) extra virgin olive oil juice of 2 to 3 large lemons sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
· Chop vegetables into bite-size pieces. Keep separate and set aside
· Blanch the vegetables one type at a time in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain and combine in large mixing bowl.
· Add the herbs and lemon, a few tablespoons of your best extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and serve at room temp.
For more information or to make a donation to the Cook It Up! Program, please contact Linda Davies, Executive Director, London
Community Resource Centre (see links): Contact Information
Cooking Class #2: Grilled Pork Loin with Couch Potatoes and Vegetable Kebabs
1 lb pork loin cut into 5oz chops, TT salt and pepper, Finish with bbq sauce
Potatoes
2 lbs potatoes
¼ tsp each oregano, thyme, basil
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
TT salt and pepper
Tin foil
Course dice potatoes add herbs, oil and seasoning. Wrap in tin foil. Grill for 20 mins.
Vegetable Kebabs
4 wooden skewers soaked in water
1 each green, red, and yellow pepper
¼ lbs button mushrooms
1 red onion
¼ tsp each oregano, thyme, basil
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
TT salt and pepper
Rough cut peppers and onion. Toss all ingredients with oil, herbs and seasoning. Thread onto skewers alternating for colour. Grill for 5-6 mins.
Cooking Class #3: Squash Soup and Potato Salad
Squash Soup
6 cups chicken/vegetable stock
2 med butternut squash
1 bunch sage
3 med size potatoes
3 large cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
* Boil squash, potatoes, garlic and stock in a large pot
* Cook unitl vegetable are soft
* Blend until smooth using emulsion blender
* Add sage and salt and pepper to tase
Potato Salad
1 lb fingerling or Yukon gold potatoes
1 Bunch green beans
1 zucchini
1 Red Pepper
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch Chives
1 bunch Parsley
2 Eggs (free range or organic if possible)
Parmesan
Bacon Balsamic Vinaigrette (see Cooking Class 1 recipes)
* Wash and boil potatoes, let cool
* Boil eggs, let cool
* Chop vegetables and herbs
* Toss potatoes, vegetables and herbs in vinaigrette
* Add salt and pepper to taste.
* Chop, grate or crumble egg over top of salad
* Finish with shaved parmesan
Cooking Class #4: Basic Tomato Sauce and Easy Salsa
Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
6 lbs of tomatoes, chopped (approx. 20 large tomatoes)
3 onions, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh parsley, basil, oregano, and thyme (or any combination of)
salt and pepper to taste
· In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; add onions and parsley
· Once Onions soften add garlic, tomatoes, fresh herbs and salt/pepper to taste.
· Mix ingredients well; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve.
Easy Salsa
6 Large Rip Heirloom Tomatoes
1 Large Onion
2 Large Cloves Garlic
1 Red Pepper
1 Small Bunch Cilantro
1 Small Bunch Parsley
1 Fresh Chilli (Optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cooking Class #6: Baking with apples
Basic Pate Brise Dough
2 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour (plus additional for rolling)
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
8 ounces of chilled, unsalted butter cut into 1/4" pieces
1/4 cup of ice water
*It is important for this pasty that the butter is completely incorporated with no visible specks remaining. If using this pastry for a quiche recipe any butter flecks will result in holes in the crust and the batter will leak out.
Place 1 cup of flour and the salt into a bowl
Add butter, small handfulls at a time, working it into the flour
Mix until all the butter is completely blended with the flour.
Add the remaining flour and mix until just combined.
Add the water and mix until incorporated.
Dough should feel smooth, not sticky, to the touch.
Pat the dough into an 8" disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to a day. When ready to use bring pastry to room temperature so that it is easier to roll.
On a lightly floured work surgace roll the dough into a 12" round. Fit the dough into a 9" glass pie plate, pressing it into the edges. Trim the edges. chill in the fridge or freezer for 20-30 minutes.
Apple Pie Filling
8-10 large cooking apples (such as granny smith, cortland, empire or jonagold)
1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice.
1/4 cup of sugar (may need less depending on the sweetness of the apple).
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
A pinch of salt
1-2 tbsp of flour
1 tbsp of butter cut into small pieces.
Peel, core and cut apples into slices approx. 14-1/2" thick. In a large bowl toss together the apples, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and flour. Arrange in the chilled pie shell and dot with butter.
Crumble Topping
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in butter and blend until evenly incorporated, and has a crumbly texture.
Top apple pie with a generous amount of the crumble topping, making sure to get all sides and edges.
Place the apple pie on a bake tray lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 40-50 minutes or until the pastry and crumble topping is golden and cooked, and juices are bubbling and have thickened. Cool the pie on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream.
Cooking Class #7: Basic Bechamel (White) Sauce
This sauce is based on a roux, which is equal volumes of butter and flour. Milk, cream or stock is then added to the roux and in just a few minutes the liquid thickens up nicely.
THIN SAUCE
1 tablespoon butter or margarine; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 1 cup milk, cream or stock; salt and freshly ground pepper (season to taste)
MEDIUM SAUCE
2 tablespoons butter or margarine; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 cup milk, cream or stock; salt and freshly ground pepper (season to taste)
THICK SAUCE
3 tablespoons butter or margarine; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 cup milk, cream or stock; salt and freshly ground pepper (season to taste)
* Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat
*Stir in flour and cook over medium, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly, about 1 to 2 minutes.
* Stir in milk or other liquid.
*Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
*Boil and stir 1 minute
*Season to taste with salt and pepper
*Makes 1 cup of sauce.
Variations
Basic Bechamel Sauce Variation
Steep the milk with a piece of onion or garlic and a bay leaf for 15 minutes before following above recipe.
Curry Sauce
Stir in 1/2 teaspoon curry powder with the flour.
Dill Sauce
Stir in 1 teaspoon chopped fresh, or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed and a dash of ground nutmeg with the flour.
Cheese Sauce (Mornay)
Once bechamel sauce is made, turn down heat and stir in 1/2 to 1 cup of cheese, stirring until melted.
Cheese Sauce (Mornay) Variations
Stir in 1/4tbsp mustard powder with flour before adding to melted butter. Stir in 1 tsp finely chopped onion, 1tsp finely chopped parsley with milk.
**Try adding a can of tuna or prosciutto, ham, bacon, chicken and mushrooms or sweet corn to the Bechamel or Mornay sauce before serving. There is no wrong way to experiment with these bacis recipes.
Cooking Class #8: Parmesan chicken breasts with crispy posh ham
This is a great way to prepeare chicken breats. The texture of the crisp cooked prosciutto goes brilliantly with the tender chicken. Bashing the chicken out thinly before you start cooking means it cooks much faster than a regular chicken breast.
If you have trouble finding prosciutto then any other kind of thinly-sliced ham such as pancetta, Parma ham or even smoked streaky bacon will work just as well.
Ingredients
30 grams Parmesan cheese
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 skinless chicken breats, preferably free-range or organic
freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
6 slices of prosciutto
olive oil
To Prepare Your Chicken
Grate the parmesan
Pick the hyme leaves off the stalks
Carefully score the underside of the chicken breasts in a criss-cross fashion with a small knife
Season with a little pepper (salt not needed)
Lay the breasts next to each other and sprinkle over most of the thyme leaves
Grate a little lemon zest over them, then sprinkle with the Parmesan
Lay 3 prosciutto slices on each chicken breast, overlapping them slightly
Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with the remianing thyme leaves
Put a square of clingfilm over each breast and them a few really good bashes with the bottom of the pan until they'r about 1 cm thick
Cooking Class #9: Chicken Stock recipe
Bones of one whole chicken
1 mirepoix (2-part onions, 1-part carrots, 1-part celery) eg: 4 ounces of onions; 2 ounces of carrots; 2 ounces of celery
2tbsp peppercorns
5 sprigs thyme
5 parsley stems
1 bayleaf
2 tbsp of rock salt
Cold water
Chicken Stock Procedure
Place bones in an appropriate sized, heavy-bottom stockpot
Add mirepoix. The ration given above is just a guideline, your personal preference should make the final decision. Sautee mirepoix until it begins to sweat. Do not let vegetables begin to brown.
Fill the stockpot with enough cold water to cover the bones by 2-3 inches. Cold water is used becuase some of the ptoteins contained in the bones will not dissolve in hot water. This may cause your stock to be less flavourful and cloudy.
Add remaining ingredients.
Heat stock on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Allowing the stock to heat slowly will help to dissolve certain proteins and will make your stock more flavourful and clear.
Once the stock begins to simmer, reduce heat to low/med-low to maintain a slow simmer. Do not allow stock to boil or it will become cloudy and emulsify the remaining fat from the bones.
Simmer for 1 hour, skimming with a ladel if necessary
After the stock is finished, pour through a strainer. Discard bones and mirepox leaving you with only pure chicken stock.
If you do not plan to use the chicken stock immediately, store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
If you are not planning on using the chicken stock in the next five days, reduce strained chicken stock by 3/4s, pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Once the cubes are frozen remove from ice trays, place in a plastic bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Your concentrated chicken stock ice cubes can be used to add flavour to soups, or make a quick and easy pan sauce.
***Recipes above contributed by Chef Paul Harding, The Only on King, London, Ont.
Recipes above contributed by Chef Chris Meloche, Flavour in Time Catering, London Ont.
Recipe above contributed by Chef Chris Meloche, Flavour in Time Catering, London Ont.
Recipes above contributed by Chef Chris Meloche inspired by Dolway Organic Gardens, London Ont.
Recipes above contributed by Chef Kent Van Dyk, Trust Me Catering, London Ont.
Recipes above contributed by Chef Stephanie Bishop, BakeWell Pastries and Preserves, London, Ont.
Recipes above adapted from LynnesCountryKitchen.net by Chef Chris Meloche, Flavour in Time Catering, London Ont.
Recipes above courtesy of JamieOliver.com and adapted by Chef Andrew Wolwowicz, Crave Restaurant, London Ont.