Jocelyn Alice

Dan    Thoughts     awesome, calgary, music

Have you ever heard heard a singer with a voice so amazing it stopped you dead in your tracks? Well Jocelyn Alice is that kind of gal.

Based out of Calgary, Alberta, Jocelyn is a musician who’s voice is unlike anything else you will find in the city. I guarantee it! She is currently putting the finishing touches on her first EP, due out in early 2011. Until then, you can check out some awesome music on her website. As well, there are also a couple tracks available on iTunes for download.

If you’re in the Calgary area, stop by Classic Jack’s (17th Ave SW) on any given Wednesday night to catch one of her great live performances.

Hey…I said check out her website!!!

www.jocelynalice.com

Sweet Potato Parmigiana

Dan    Appetizers & Co., Recipes     appetizer, cheesy, holidays, sweet potato, thanksgiving, vegetarian

What you’ll need…

1 large sweet potato

4 tomatoes

1 yellow onion

3 garlic cloves

2 eggs

2 cups bread crumbs

1 cup flour

1 cup grated parmesan

1 cup grated mozzarella

1/2 cup fresh basil

2 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1 TSP white sugar

1 TSP oregano

1 TSP thyme

canola oil

olive oil

salt & pepper

Typically made with eggplant, this is my twist on a classic Italian dish. Nothing says: ‘ultra delicious side dish’ like  a bread crumb coating, marinara sauce, and lots of cheese. This is the kind of thing you can serve to a self-proclaimed ‘sweet potato hater’ and still receive rave reviews, I promise!

First off we’re going to make the sauce. So, chop up the onion, dice the tomatoes, and mince the garlic. Place the onion and garlic into a large-sized pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, turn to medium-high heat. Once the onions have softened, add-in the tomatoes, stir, and turn to medium heat. Let the tomatoes cook for 5 minutes, then add 1 cup of water  and the balsamic vinegar. Once the mixture starts to bubble, add the oregano, thyme, and sugar. Stir again and let simmer for 10 more minutes. Salt & pepper to taste. Remove from heat and let cool down for a few minutes. Place the mixture in a blender or food processor with the fresh basil and puree until smooth. Set aside for now.

Now preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and let’s get onto the sweet potato component: Peel, then cut the sweet potato into 1/2″ medallions. We are going to fry these quickly to get a nice crispy coating on them, so we’ll need to set up a breading station here…3 bowls…

1. Flour            2. Eggs            3. Bread crumbs

Procedure: Lightly cover a medallion in flour, dip it in the egg, and, finally, give it a good coating of bread crumbs. Once you have several completed, start crisping them up! Add some canola oil to a large-sized pan and turn to high heat. Once it’s nice and hot (a pinch of flour is a good test) place in a few pieces of the sweet potato. Let cook until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes, then flip to the other side. Once they’re nice and crisp on both sides remove from heat onto a plate with some paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat process until all of your sweet potato medallions have a beautiful golden brown coating.

Putting it all together: Somewhat similar to lasagna layering, spoon some sauce into the bottom of a prepared medium-sized baking dish. Next, make a layer of sweet potato followed by more sauce, a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, and repeat…Once you’ve finished layering cap it off with any remaining sauce, the mozzarella, and leftover bread crumbs for the perfect cheesy topping!

Bake, uncovered, in your preheated oven for 40 minutes, then take out and enjoy! Seconds may be requested…

Serves 4

Total cook time…1 hour 10 min

Root Beer BBQ Sauce

Dan    Appetizers & Co., Recipes     bbq, pop, sauce, surprisingly tasty

What you’ll need…

2 cups good quality root beer

1 yellow onion

2 garlic cloves

1 lime

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup molasses

1 TSP chili powder

1 TSP ground mustard

1 TSP black pepper

This one is for all the dentists that told me to ‘stop drinking pop’ when I was a kid. Well guys, it’s be put into a sauce. I guess that’s not technically ‘drinking’ it right? Dear Dentists, You know you would eat this up. Literally…This is a seriously sweet, slightly spicy, BBQ sauce that is amazing on chicken, ribs, burgers, steaks, and probably anything else you’d be willing to soak it in.

Ready? Unusual, but easy…Open up that root beer and pour 2 cups of it into a medium-sized pot. Let it simmer away on medium heat until it has reduced by half, about 10-12 minutes. In the mean-time, chop up the onion and mince the garlic cloves. While you’re at it zest the lime and juice it.

Once the root beer has reduced to desired level, add all remaining ingredients, including the onion, garlic, and lime components. Stir until evenly mixed and let simmer for 20 more minutes. Remove from  heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Place mixture in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Lather it on whatever you please. Any leftover BBQ sauce will last for up to 10 days in your refrigerator.

Yields 2 cups of sauce

Total cook time….40 minutes

Fefe Dobson

Dan    Thoughts    

Ok, I like pop music. Get over it! Fefe Dobson made a lovely resurgence to the music scene this year with her super catchy tune Ghost from her forthcoming album Joy. It’s due out on iTunes on November 30th, so make sure to check it out!

.

I think Fefe is awesome for several reasons:

1. She’s Canadian.

2. She actually writes her own songs.

3. Unlike many of her contemporaries, her strong vocals are in no need of autotune.

Want more? www.fefedobson.com

She’s on twitter too! @fefedobson

How I Cooked Your Mother’s Meat Loaf

Dan    Mains, Recipes     carnivorous, cheesy, classic, dinner, home cooked, simple, winter

What you’ll need…

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (Canadian Beef)

1 yellow onions

1/2 bulb roasted garlic

3 cups baby spinach

2 cups grated romano cheese

1 cup bread crumbs

1 large egg

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1 TSP chili powder

1 TBSP dried oregano

olive oil

salt & pepper

One of the top 3 reasons why I could never be a vegetarian (preceded by bacon and, of course, steak), this is not your typical meat loaf. This twist on a simple classic is guaranteed to impress, and definitely deserving of a title inspired by (and slightly borrowed from) a popular television show. Think of it as a little piece on Neil Patrick Harris on your plate. NOT literally though, ok…

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. While that’s heating up, chop the onion and saute with some olive oil and salt & pepper until caramelized. Once they’re looking nice and golden, add-in the chopped spinach. Fold in and wait until the leaves wilt, about a minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

Now for the bulk of the dish…Start by mincing the roasted garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, then place in a large bowl. Add the beef, egg, bread crumbs, dry spices, and wet ingredients. Mix ingredients together by hand until everything is combined.

In a prepared large-sized loaf pan, fill 1/2 way with the meat mixture. Now, spread the spinach & onion mixture evenly across the pan, and sprinkle the romano cheese on top. Lastly, take the remainder of the mixture and finish filling the pan. Pop into your preheated oven for 40 minutes! Wait patiently!

Need a side? Try one of these…

• Mashed Celery Root & Bacon
• Apricot Roasted Baby Potatoes
  

Serves 4

Total cook time…50 min

A Black & White Affair: Chorizo Marinara

Dan    Mains, Recipes     delicious, dinner, pasta, sauce, sausage

What you’ll need…

6 tomatoes

1 yellow onion

4 white mushrooms

1 green pepper

3 cloves garlic

1 cup grated romano cheese

2 chorizo sausages

6 cups cooked bow tie pasta

1/2 cup red wine

2 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1 TSP chili powder

1 TSP dried oregano

1/2 cup fresh basil

olive oil

salt & pepper

I like my bow tie pasta exactly how I like my TV. Black & white. Actually, maybe high-def instead (is there a high-def option for pasta?). I stumbled upon these black & white little bow ties while I was visiting the Pike Place Market in Seattle. I tried to save it for a special occasion, but since I hold my friends is such a high regard, that, indeed, every dinner is a special occasion, it didn’t take long for this pasta to be gobbled up!

I’m going to skip the cooking pasta step, as I assume you know how to do it…

Chop up the onions, mince the garlic and place them in a medium pot on the stove with some olive oil. Turn to medium-high heat, and cook until softened. Once softened, add-in the red wine and balsamic vinegar. Turn to medium heat, and let simmer for 10-12 minutes, so it reduces and the alcohol can evaporate.

While that’s simmering, chop up your tomatoes and green pepper into small chunks. Thinly slice the mushrooms while you’re at it. Once the simmering step is done, add the tomatoes and green pepper to the pot. Give everything a good stir, cover, and let it come to a simmer again, about 5 minutes. Chop the chorizo sausages into 1/2″ pieces and add to the sauce along with the chili powder and dried oregano. Stir, and let it simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes for the sausages to cook through and the sauce to thicken.

Lastly, toss in the romano cheese and the fresh basil (reserving some of the basil for garnish). Mix in, and let the cheese melt into the sauce. Salt & pepper to taste. Portion out your cooked pasta and sauce appropriately, or inappropriately, it depends on if you’re feeling saucy I suppose (ok, that was really cheesy…)! Top with some fresh basil and watch everyone lick their plates clean!

Garlic toast is strongly suggested. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Total cook time…40 min