Grilled Eggplant with Mint

John and I use our barbecue all year round. When it snows, the driveway, front door and back deck get cleared of snow. There's always a clear path from the kitchen door to the barbie and we use it no matter what the weather! Eggplants are the nightshade family of vegetables which grow much like tomatoes. They hang from vines that grow several feet in height and are rich in antioxidant compounds which protect against free radicals. I love mint for its aroma, amazing taste and healing power. It's a natural air freshener...brush by a plant and you'll know what I am speaking of. You can use it to settle a nervous tummy, help digestion, relieve indigestion, and is thought to play a role in the treatment of asthma. Mint contains a number of vitamins and minerals and a good source of vitamin A and C. Next time you have your family or friends over, rub mint onto the dining table to invigorate the senses.

Serves 4

4 Japanese or Chinese eggplant
1/2 cup mint, chopped
sea salt
2 lemons
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

Wash and slice lengthways the eggplant. In a dish, marinate the eggplant in a couple glugs of olive oil, juice of 1 lemon and freshly ground sea salt for 15 minutes. Grill on both sides (3 to 4 minutes per side). Remove from grill and add back into the marinade. Add the juice of the other lemon, chili flakes, mint and garlic. Let rest and serve warm or at room temperature.

The Culinary Chase's Note: So delicious and a breeze to make. Tastes great cold and the flavors develop more over night, just add a bit more olive oil.

Butternut Squash, Ricotta, and Sage Crostini

The movers unpacked us in one day and while they try their best to place items in the right rooms (guided by me and my husband) things do get misplaced.  While they were unpacking, I couldn't help but notice my cookbooks being scattered throughout the house but couldn't really focus on that at the time as it wasn't a priority.   I would attend to sorting these out once the kitchen paraphernalia was seen to. Throughout last week I managed to get my cookbooks sorted in two rooms with easy access to the ones I use more frequently.  While doing this,  I discovered the bon appétit magazine I purchased while waiting in the airport back in September.  Flipping through the pages I zoomed in on this delicious-looking starter.  My husband and I had returned after being out for a good portion of the day...discovering shopping centers and getting a bit lost along the way.  In no time it was ready and we enjoyed these crostini on our back deck.

Serves 12
adapted from bon appétit

butternut squash (about 2 lbs.), peeled, seeded, cut into bite-size pieces
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 fresh sage leaves
3/4 cup fresh ricotta
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
12 baguette slices, toasted
fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 220c (425f). Toss squash, 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast, tossing occasionally, until squash is golden and tender, 25-30 minutes. Let cool on sheet.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add sage; cook until edges begin to curl and turn dark green, 1–2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer to paper towels to drain. Mix ricotta and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on each baguette slice. Top each with a few squash cubes. Drizzle crostini with lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each crostini with 2 fried sage leaves.

The Culinary Chase's Note: An easy dish to throw together at the last minute by covering and chill the squash in the refrigerator (the day before if you like) and bring to room temperature before serving. Store the sage in an airtight container at room temperature.  Butternut squash tends to get sweeter when roasted and is an excellent source of vitamin A and C, and a good source for dietary fiber.

Pirate Pasta

What makes a house a home? I was thinking about this while I was cleaning up the breakfast dishes. It's our 13th day in the new house and while there are more things to do to make it feel more like our place, it is now starting to look like home. The smells of fresh varathane on the newly sanded floors and the slight musty odors from the basement are all but faded.  Of course cleaning helps to eliminate odors but for me when a house is perfumed by aromas from cooking that's when I know I'm home. The transition period in any new surroundings can seem overwhelming at times and so the first month is always a test for me. It's a test I've done many times over and each time it's a success so this move will be no different.

I was watching Giada De Laurentiis for the first time the other day and enjoyed her show. This recipe covers ingredients I love to use. Shiitake mushrooms are delicious in this dish and help provide an excellent source of B vitamins, iron, dietary fiber, and a good source of protein. Pecorino is a hard cheese made from sheep's milk and the word, pecora, means sheep in Italian. This cheese hails from the south. It is soft and mellow when young and becomes sharp and tangy with age. It contains a good amount of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and a good source of protein. Capers contain healthy levels of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin K, niacin and riboflavin (Niacin helps lower LDL cholesterol).

Serves 4
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

500g (1 lb.) penne or other favorite tubular pasta
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup mushrooms, such as cremini, button or shiite, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup medium green olives (about 18), pitted and halved
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
One 10 oz. or two 5 oz. cans tuna in olive oil, such as Tonnino, drained
1/2 cup  chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Place the pasta and 1/2 cup cheese in a large bowl and toss until coated.

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms begin to brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the olives, tomato paste, capers, red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the tuna. Using a wooden spoon, break up the tuna into 1-inch pieces. Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the garlic and discard.

Pour the tuna mixture over the pasta. Add the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and the basil, and toss until coated, using the reserved cooking liquid to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

The Culinary Chase's Note:  Just a touch of heat from the red pepper flakes to bring out all the flavors in the sauce. This dish is super easy and ready to serve in under 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

Peking Turkey

It's been a hectic (using the term loosely here) four days since we moved into our house last Thursday. I love turkey but oddly enough only around special holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Today is Canadian Thanksgiving and while I wanted to do something special for the dinner, I was overwhelmed by the amount of cleaning that needed to be done in the house so the usual turkey dinner fixings would have to take a back seat for the first time. Having said that, this recipe shouted out to me as a perfect way to still celebrate the bountiful Fall harvest. While some purists might scoff at this recipe, I think it was perfect for the two of us. I scaled down the turkey portion to 3 pounds which worked perfectly.

Serves 6 to 8
adapted from Globe and Mail

2 whole large turkey breasts, skin on (about 7 pounds)

Brine Bath:
1 white onion, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1½ cups celery, chopped
2 tablespoons Chinese five spice mix
3 tablespoons salt

Mandarin and Cranberry Stuffing:
2 small yellow onions, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, finely diced
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 can mandarin oranges, drained but reserve 2 tablespoons of the juice

2 cups whole-wheat bread cut in small cubes
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper

Hoisin Roasting Sauce:
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons honey

Rinse turkey breast. Add all brine-bath ingredients to bowl and set turkey in it. Cover with cold water. Let rest in brine bath in the fridge for 8 to 10 hours. To make the hoisin roasting sauce, mix ingredients in a small bowl. Reserve until ready to roast turkey.

In a large pan, sauté onion, celery and cranberries in the butter. Cook until cranberries are soft and starting to break down. Add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and let cool.

Remove turkey breasts from brine bath. Place on a large working surface, skin side down, and butterfly meat. Spread stuffing on top and roll the turkey around the stuffing. Wrap kitchen twine around turkey and tie tightly (please disregard my sloppy attempt...I was getting tired).

Place turkey in a roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 180c (350f) until the internal temperature reaches 165 F or juices run clear, about 30 minutes. Remove and glaze with hoisin roasting sauce. Return to oven and roast for another 30 minutes until golden. Let rest in juices for at least 10 minutes, then snip off kitchen twine. Slice the turkey and arrange on serving platter. Pour hot pan juices over the slices and serve.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Heaven on a plate and the aromas filled the house making it feel like home!  My husband and I were in a local wine shop, Blue Dog Wine & Spirits on Sunday and was given a couple of recommendations for last night's meal.  In the end, we decided to go with Magdalene's first choice; Terredora Diapaolo (Greco Di Tufo) and was a winner with this meal.  I know we will be back for more of her recommendations!