Rösti

Rösti is a traditional Swiss potato dish...considered by many to be a national dish. When we were in Switzerland visiting our friends (Pierre and Ute) many years ago...we were invited to Pierre's mother's home for supper. I will always remember her warm hospitality...how she bustled around in her cozy kitchen and served us a delicious dinner which included rösti. It wasn't too long after our visit that Pierre's mother passed away...and so any mention of rösti brings back fond memories of that dear old lady. After a little research...and a few trials...I'm ready to pass along my method for cooking 'glorified hashbrowns'...or rösti.

To make Rösti you will need:

• 3 or 4 medium potatoes (Russets or Yukon Gold work well)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Butter
• Salt
• A grater
• A non-stick or cast iron frying pan
• A plate that barely fits inside the pan.
  

Grate the raw potatoes into a bowl...using a large-holed grater.

Use a non-stick skillet. Melt 2-4 tablespoons of butter in the pan. Saute onions until somewhat tender.

Add grated potatoes and salt. Cook over medium heat several minutes, stirring two or three times to coat the potatoes evenly with butter.

Then pat the potatoes into a cake with the spatula and let cook for 10 minutes. Cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

When the bottom of the potato cake is golden brown, place the plate on the potatoes and invert the pan, holding onto the plate. Remove the pan and set it back on the stove. Add another tablespoon or so of butter and let it melt.

Slide the rösti back into the pan, golden side up, and cook for about 15 minutes, pressing down once or twice to make the pancake stick together a little more. You can cover it to get the potatoes cooked in the middle, but remove the cover at least 5 minutes before the end, so that your pancake is crispy on the outside.

Slide rösti onto plate and serve by cutting into wedges. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve as a side dish with ham and salad...and call it dinner (as we did the other night). Or, make it the main course and top with a sunny-side-up egg. Any way you serve it...you can't go wrong!

A cast iron pan seemed like the perfect cooking utensil for rösti...but I soon found out that my 'almost new' pre-seasoned cast iron skillet required a little more seasoning! Once it was coated with a thick layer of potatoes...I switched to a non-stick pan. I'm sure Pierre's mom used cast iron...but my Canadian version is cooked in a T-fal pan.

Rhubarb Streusel Pie

One of the best tastes of spring is rhubarb pie. Rhubarb is now ready for the pickin' in gardens everywhere...so don't miss out. I have used the same rhubarb pie recipe for ever...but this year I thought I would try a streusel topping...just for a change. You can bake the filling in a traditional double pie crust if you prefer.

Rhubarb Streusel Pie

• 1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell
• 4 cups rhubarb, cut in 1/2" lengths
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Combine sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add to eggs and beat. Stir in rhubarb.
2. Pour into pastry lined pie plate.

Topping:

• 1/4 cup oats
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
  

1. Mix topping ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over pie.
2. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to 350F and bake about 40 minutes longer...until rhubarb is cooked and topping is brown.
   
   

Serve warm with a scoop of premium ice-cream.

Santa Fe Chicken Salad

After a glorious week of sunshine and warm temperatures...I'm thinking of BBQ's, picnics and salads. Here's a salad that is sure to be a favorite at our place this summer. We stopped by Earl's for lunch out on their patio last week...and enjoyed the best Cajun chicken salad.

I took note of what was in it...and since then we have had a copycat version at home. I'll give you my version...and you can add or take away...and make it your own! I think it was the Riverwalk guacamole in San Antonio that got me hooked on all things lime. Give it a try...you won't be sorry.

Santa Fe Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 6-8 cups mixed salad greens
• 1 14 0z. can black beans, drained
• 1 12 oz. can corn kernels, drained
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
• 2 avocados, halved and sliced
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• tortilla chips...or tortilla strips
  
  
  Peanut Lime Vinaigrette Dressing:
  
  
• 1/4 cup lime juice (2 or 3 limes, juiced)
• 2 Tablespoons lime zest
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• black pepper
• sea salt
• 4 to 5 Tablespoons dry roasted peanuts, chopped (both finely and coarsely)
  
  Method:

1. Prepare the salad dressing. Using a blender, add the mustard, lime juice, olive oil and peanut butter. Blend until emulsified. Season with sea salt and pepper. Then, mix in the peanuts and lime zest.
2. Assemble all the salad ingredients.
3. Grill chicken breasts (use Cajun seasonings or marinade).
4. Let the chicken breasts rest for several minutes and then cut them into smaller strips.
5. To serve, toss the salad with the dressing and dish onto four plates. Top each with a grilled chicken breast, avocado, crumbled feta cheese and tortilla chips or strips. Serve immediately.

Key Lime Pie

I was recently on a Caribbean cruise...and for those of you who have cruised before...you know that the food is amazing! There were far too many options...and no way I could sample everything. But I did the next best thing...and came home with the Royal Caribbean International Cookbook...Savor. In it are many of the delicious dishes that I enjoyed...and others that I intend to cook up in my own kitchen.

I couldn't wait to try their recipe for key lime pie...since I had so enjoyed it on the cruise. It's really very simple...and even more so if you use a ready-made pie crust.

Key Lime Pie

• 1 cup (250 ml) sweetened condensed milk
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 (9 inch or 23 cm) pie shell, pre-baked

Garnish

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) whipping cream
• lime zest
• freshly cut lime slices

Preheat oven to 350' F.
Place condensed milk in mixing bowl, and beat at low speed, adding egg yolks one at a time.
Add lime juice, and mix thoroughly.
Place mixture in pre-baked pie shell.
Bake for 15 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean.
Let cool and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Top with whipped cream and lime zest.
Serve on chilled plates.
Garnish with lime slices.
Serves 10.

Culinary Notes:
It is a well known fact that the Key lime is indigenous to Florida and the "key" ingredient for the state's popular Key lime pie. Forced to substitute condensed milk for fresh--which was scarce before the arrival of the railroad in 1912--cooks discovered that the chemical intervention between the condensed milk and the Key lime actually "cooked" the pie without baking it. (excerpt from cookbook)

Enjoy!

Riverwalk Guacamole

One of the most famous attractions of Texas is the Riverwalk in San Antonio. It's a great place to stroll...take a riverboat cruise...and there are restaurants galore to pick from. We just returned from a visit to Texas...and a wonderful time on the Riverwalk...and memories of the guacamole will live on!

 

We walked by a Bistro where they were making fresh guacamole at the table...and before long we found ourselves sitting at one of their tables. Who can resist? We ordered a 'guacamole-for-two' salad...prepared right at the table. It was good to the last lick...and I would have liked to order another...and another! But instead I had the server explain exactly what she was doing...and have already enjoyed my copycat guacamole at home. Ingredients:

• Juice of 1/2 of an orange
• Juice of 1 a lime
• 2 avocado ...pitted and scooped out of skin
• 1 small Roma tomato...diced
• 2 Tblsp diced red onions
• 1 Tblsp chopped cilantro...or to taste
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground sea salt

Directions:

Squeeze juices into bowl.

Add avocado and coarsely chop.

Add onions, chopped tomato,and cilantro...fold into avocado mixture.

Add salt.

Result should be crudely chopped not mashed.

That’s it. I think the key is to getting avacado that is at it's peak...it should be a little dark-skinned and somewhat soft when squeezed.

I posted some photos of the 'real thing' over at My Front Porch today, if you want to take a peek. A cast iron bowl for presentation would be nice...but the taste is the same. Enjoy!

Ham & Egg Cups

Last Sunday morning, I had the family in for brunch...and served one of our favorite quick and easy egg recipes. To this point...it's never been written down on paper...but here it is for you to try. All you need is a muffin tin...ham and eggs...and a wee bit of grated cheese along with your herbs of choice.

Ham and Egg Cups

Ingredients:

• 12 slices of deli ham
• 12 eggs
• grated cheese
• seasoning
• chopped basil

Directions:

1. Spray muffin tins with Pam.
2. Line each cup with a slice of deli ham (I asked that they not be sliced too thin...and had rather hefty slices this time).
3. Break an egg gently into each ham cup. Season with salt and pepper...sprinkle with chopped basil (or chives or your herb of choice).
4. Bake at 350' F for about 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven...and top each egg with grated cheese (cheddar or parmesan)...and bake for 5 minutes longer.
6. Remove from pan and serve immediately.

Serve with toast...or crescent rolls...add a hash-brown casserole and a fruit salad...and call it brunch.

This Sunday I am far away from my kitchen...and enjoying someone else's cooking!

Turkey Vegetable Chowder

Although we are entering spring according to the calendar, it feels more like winter around here and so we are still enjoying our winter soups and fresh breads. I got this recipe for turkey chowder from a friend of mine many years ago...when she still had five children to cook for...and this was one of their family favorites. What's not to like about it? It has become one of our family favorites as well...and so I will pass it along for you to try.

Turkey Vegetable Chowder

• 2 turkey legs
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 stalks celery (with tops), chopped
• 4-5 potatoes, cubed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 can cream-style corn
• 1 can corn whole kernel corn
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup grated cheese
• chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Put turkey legs in a large stockpot with ten cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until turkey is very tender. Using slotted spoon, remove turkey legs and set aside to cool.

Add onion, potato, carrots and celery, salt, pepper, and basil...and simmer for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Cut turkey into bite sized pieces (discarding skin and bone) and add to the soup pot along with the corn.

Using a wire whip, combine flour and milk and stir mixture into soup. Add grated cheese and cook, stirring constantly, until soup returns to a boil. Cook several minutes longer to melt cheese and thicken slightly. Sprinkle with parsley.

Notes: I buy turkey drumsticks in the frozen meat section of the grocer...and prefer the smoked turkey drumsticks. They are more pricey, but give the soup a bit a smokey flavour. I have also used turkey leftovers to make this soup. Fresh basil is a wonderful addition.