Mango Gazpacho

This Gazpacho is a delightful twist on the traditional Spanish tomato-based soup. An easy starter that takes little effort to prepare. Mangos have been around for over 4,000 years and are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E and dietary fibre.

Serves 4 to 6
recipe adapted from Yum Food & Fun magazine
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3 fresh mangoes, peeled, pits removed and chopped
1 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
approximately 1 cup of water
sugar, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) or chives
3 slices prosciutto, pan-fried until crisp

Process mangoes, cucumber, oil and vinegar in a blender, adding only enough water to reach desired consistency. Transfer to a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper (and sugar if necessary to balance fruit) to taste.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with finely chopped coriander or chives and crumbled prosciutto.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Serve the soup cool, that is, slightly colder than room temperature as it is more refreshing than serving it very cold.

Chicken and Vegetable Spring Rolls

In my house, everyone loves food from all corners of the world but Chinese food has to be an all time favorite. The food in most Chinese dishes is prepared in bite-sized pieces, ready for direct picking up and eating. Traditional Chinese cuisine is also based on opposites (yin and yang) whereby hot balances cold, pickled balances fresh and spicy balances mild. Cantonese cuisine, from the South of China, is what most people from Western cultures associate Chinese food to be but it's much more than this. The regional cuisines of China are divided geographically to include: Northern or Beijing (Peking) Cuisine, Eastern or Shanghai Cuisine, Western or Szechuan Cuisine, and Southern or Cantonese Cuisine. These different regions are so distinctive that sometimes despite the fact that two areas are geographical neighbors their styles are completely alien.

Makes 8
recipe adapted from BBC Food
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1 tablespoon groundnut oil, plus extra for deep-frying
200g/7oz skinless chicken breast fillets, chopped into small pea-sized pieces
4 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, drained and finely chopped
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon grated fresh root ginger
75g/3oz beansprouts
1 small carrot, julienned
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
½ tablespoon light soy sauce
sea salt and ground white pepper
16 ready-made large spring roll wrappers, thawed if frozen
1 egg yolk, beaten

Heat a wok until smoking and add the groundnut oil, then add the chicken and mushrooms and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Season with soy sauce and five-spice powder, then remove from the wok and set aside to cool for ten minutes. Wipe the wok clean with kitchen paper.

Place the grated ginger, beansprouts, spring onions and carrot into a bowl, then add the chicken and mushrooms and season with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sea salt and ground white pepper. Stir well to combine.

Lay two spring roll wrappers one on top of the other (the extra thickness will prevent the skin from breaking) and position so that the corners are pointing upwards, downwards and to the sides. Spoon two tablespoons of the filling into the center of the wrapper. Brush each corner of the wrapper with the cornflour paste, then bring the two opposite corners on the sides together and, keeping your finger on those edges, bring the bottom corner towards the middle and then roll the pastry up tightly towards the top corner. Tuck the top edge in and seal it with a little of the beaten egg yolk. Repeat with the remaining spring roll wrappers and filling.

Heat the wok over a high heat and fill the wok to a quarter of its depth with groundnut oil. Heat until a cube of bread dropped in sizzles and turns golden-brown in 15 seconds.  Carefully add the spring rolls in small batches into the oil and deep-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Transfer the spring rolls onto a plate and serve with a sweet red chili dipping sauce.

The Culinary Chase's Note: I used minced turkey in lieu of chicken and the store I was in didn't have bean sprouts so I bought a couple of water chestnuts (roughly chopped) and used them as I wanted the crunchy bits to come through.  You can also use Vietnamese rice paper rolls (like I did) instead of spring roll wrappers.  If you do use this, then this recipe will make more than 8 pieces.

Raspberry Chicken with Grilled Peaches

I love it when most of the ingredients used to prepare a meal helps to support the local community. Whenever I can, I buy locally as well as produce from other provinces. I read The 100-Mile Diet a while ago where the authors decided to embark on a year long journey of only buying food produced locally within 100 miles of where they were living. I take my hat off to them as I don't think I could have weathered that food adventure but it does make me appreciate all the more what I can buy when it is in season.

Serves 4
recipe adapted from Cuisine At Home Specials
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1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
salt to taste
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups fresh raspberries, divided
2 tablespoons honey, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoons minced shallots
1/4 cup olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6oz. each)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 peaches, halved and pitted
8 cups mesclun salad mix

Preheat grill to medium-high. Toast almonds in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until golden. Add sugar, butter, and salt; stir until sugar dissolves and coats the almonds. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Whisk together vinegar, 1/4 cup raspberries, 1 tablespoon honey, tarragon, and shallots in a bowl. Drizzle in 1/4 cup oil, whisking constantly. Set aside 1/2 cup vinaigrette for chicken marinade; reserve remaining vinaigrette for the salad. Pound chicken breasts to 1/2-inch thick; marinate chicken in marinade for 15 minutes.

Combine 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon oil; brush onto peaches. Season chicken with salt and pepper and grill, covered, until cooked through (4 minutes per side). Grill peaches until lightly marked (3 minutes per side). Toss salad with remaining vinaigrette. Top with chicken, peaches, glazed almonds, and remaining raspberries.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Who could resist a plate that looks this colorful!  Flattening the chicken breasts (called paillard) helps keep the grilling time short and keeps the meat moist.  The glazed almonds gives a lovely sweet crunch which compliments the vinaigrette.  Enjoy!

Prosciutto Wrapped Peach Salad

Fresh peaches from Ontario are now available in the Maritimes and when the peaches first arrive, the grocery stores can't keep them on the shelves. Only Ontario and British Columbia are capable of large-scale commercial production of tender fruit (peaches and nectarines, pears, sweet and sour cherries, plums and apricots). Peaches originated in China as far back as the 10th century. A peach is extremely rich in vitamin A and potassium. They are more than 80 percent water and are a good source of dietary fiber, making them good for those trying to lose weight. For recipes on peaches, click here.

Serves 4 as a side
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2 to 3 ripe peaches, cut into quarters
prosciutto slices
1 bag (142g) mixed salad greens
feta cheese, crumbled
6 kalamata olives, chopped
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

To wrap prosciutto around the peach, cut prosciutto in half and fold over, then wrap around peach slice. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and sear prosciutto wrapped peaches 1 to 2 minutes per side. You don't want to brown them, just enough to get the juices from the prosciutto and peach coming through.  Remove from pan and let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, combine the salad greens with the olives and tomatoes. Place peach slices on top of salad and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Top with crumbled feta cheese.

The Culinary Chase's Note: On a hot summer's night, this salad is divine! I love the sweetness from the peach and the salty flavor from the prosciutto. You can also serve the peaches without searing them and will taste just as lovely.  Enjoy!

Prosciutto Wrapped Scallops

This is a super easy appetizer to make and so delicious to eat!! Scallops have a delicately mild sweet flavor and are enjoyed by even those who are not fond of fish or other shellfish. If you have never tried one before, you are in for a whole new world of happy!  Scallops are a very good source of vitamin B12 (important nutrient for cardiovascular health), omega-3 fatty acids and a good source of magnesium and potassium. The scallops I purchased were from Digby, which is home to the world's largest inshore scallop fleet along the eastern seaboard.

Serves 4 as a side
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16 large scallops
16 strips of prosciutto

Pat dry scallops with paper towel. Take a strip of prosciutto, fold in half, and wrap around the scallop and secure with a toothpick. In a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of butter. When butter is melted add the scallops. Make sure there's enough room between the scallops so that they sizzle rather than steam. That’s the only way you’ll get a good crust. If your pan isn’t big enough to hold the scallops without crowding, sear them in batches. Scallops only need a few minutes per side to get nicely browned. Remove scallops from pan and divide among plates.


The Culinary Chase's Note: Scallops are done when they feel barely firm to the touch, and when you cut into one, it should be faintly opalescent. Don’t overcook them or they’ll be dry and rubbery. When purchasing the scallops from your fish monger, ask for 'dry' sea scallops, which means that they haven’t been soaked in a sodium solution. The solution whitens and plumps the scallops, but when you cook them, all that liquid comes out making browning much harder, and giving the scallop a bland, fishy, taste and unappealing texture. Wet scallops tend to be bright white and bland in color, mushy to the touch. Dry scallops are ivory in color and springy.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Fresh corn on the cob certainly says summer is here and this recipe will definitely activate your taste buds!  Corn grows in ears, each of which is covered in rows of kernels that are then protected by the silk-like threads called "corn silk" and encased in a husk.  Corn is a good source of vitamin C, B1, B5,  folate, and dietary fiber.  While most corn we find in the grocery store is yellow, it actually comes in a host of different varieties with different colors, such as red, pink, black, and blue.

Makes 16 pieces
recipe adapted from Cuisine At Home
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8 ears fresh sweet corn, shucked and halved
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (coriander)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat grill to medium-high. Combine melted butter, cilantro, lime juice and cayenne in a bowl. Baste corn with butter mixture and grill, covered, turning often, until kernels begin to char (about10 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl.  Drizzle melted butter over grilled corn.

The Culinary Chase's Note: The spicy lime butter really adds a bit of kick. Just remember to keep turning the corn frequently and look for browning spots and not scorched areas.  Store corn in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not remove its husk since this will protect its flavor. To enjoy its optimal sweetness, corn should be eaten as soon as possible.

Prawn and Haloumi Skewers with Mint Salsa

We enjoy all sorts of food on the barbecue and skewers of any sort are always welcomed.  Halloumi (haloumi) is a traditional Cypriot cheese and is now made the world over. It is made from a mixture of goat's and sheep milk, although some haloumi may also contain only cow's milk. Haloumi has a high melting point, and so can easily be fried or grilled.  Native to the Mediterranean and Western Asia, mint contains oil menthol, which gives mint that characteristic cooling, cleansing feeling.  Many cultures used mint as a symbol of hospitality and it was offered as a sign of welcome to house guests.  It has been used for centuries to aid digestion and relieve indigestion. 


Serves 4
recipe adapted from Ben O'Donoghue from BBC Saturday Kitchen
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12 long thick stalks of rosemary or bamboo skewers
12 king prawns, peeled and deveined
1 pineapple, peeled and chopped into equal sized chunks
250g haloumi cheese, chopped into equal sized chunks

For the Salsa:
5 large red chillies, pricked with a fork
1 lime, finely grated zest and juice only
1 teaspoon sugar
5 tablespoons peanut, groundnut or corn oil
small bunch of mint, leaves only, chopped
1 vine-ripened tomato, peeled, deseeded and chopped

Strip the leaves from the rosemary stalks, keeping a tuft at the top. Soak stalks or skewers in cold water for 30 minutes to prevent them from burning on the barbecue.

To make the salsa, cook the chillies on a hot griddle plate or barbecue until charred. Place in a small bowl and cover with cling film. When cool, remove the skin and seeds and tear the flesh into strips. Place in a clean bowl and toss with the lime zest and juice, sugar, oil, mint and tomatoes.

Thread a prawn, a piece of pineapple and a piece of cheese onto each skewer. Repeat once more, finishing each skewer with a prawn. Grill on a hot griddle pan or barbecue until the prawns are cooked through and the pineapple and cheese are slightly charred, about 5-8 minutes. Serve with a good drizzle of salsa.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Chili peppers when prepared like this tend to be less fiery with a touch of sweetness coming through. I love how the sweet and spicy flavors of the salsa compliments the prawn and haloumi without too much dominance.  Any easy dish to prepare and one that will not last long on the plate.