Kick The KD: Update #1

Dan    Thoughts     calgary, cooking, KTKD, learning, students

Since the program was launched on November 25th, the response from students has been fantastic! The amount of applications received thus far has surpassed my original expectations! As well, a cooking space has been finalized for the program starting on February 10th in the new year! Very exciting.  I’ve also been extremely fortunate in finding some awesome sponsors who are just as excited as I am about Kick The KD!

In the coming weeks I will be finalizing all program details, posting short updates along the way. So stay tuned! I’ll also be at the University of Calgary promoting the event during the start of the new school semester.

KTKD will be accepting applications from students until January 21st, so there is still a lot of time to apply for the program!

@KickTheKD

Adele

Dan    Thoughts     British, good for a date, music, soul

Got soul? Well Adele does…in spades. This UK-based musician has a voice to be reckoned with. Her debut album, 19, came out in 2009, and with it the hit single Chasing Pavements (catchy little tune, right?). If you like the Amy Winehouse/Duffy kind of vibe to your music then Adele is definitely for you.

Her newest single Rolling in the Deep was released a couple weeks ago, and her sophomore album, 21, (album titles could use a bit more imagination though…) is slated for a February, 2011 release.

For more on her, head over to www.adele.tv

Adele’s official Twitter: @officialadele

A Beeter Cranberry Sauce

Dan    Appetizers & Co., Recipes     Christmas, cranberries, holidays, quick and easy, sauce, thanksgiving, vegetarian

What you’ll need…

3 TBSP butter (or vegan margarine)

3 cups fresh cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1 cup cooked beets (roasted or boiled)

1 TSP cinnamon

1/4 TSP nutmeg

.

It’s just about that time to start preparing for your holiday feasts! Unless a Grinch comes by and steals away your Christmas dinner offerings, you’ll probably need some tasty cranberry sauce to go on top of all those delicious dishes you’ve been creating for friends and loved ones! This homemade sauce is nice and simple, and the addition of the beets helps to balance out the tartness of the berries.

Start by melting the butter in a small pot. Add-in the cranberries and sugar, give the pot a good stir and let the cranberries cook down for 10 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. While you’re waiting, chop the cooked beets into small chunks. Next add the beets and all remaining ingredients to the pot. Stir, turn down to medium heat, and let the mixture bubble away, uncovered, for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Take the mixture and place into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Place in the refrigerator, covered, to chill until you are ready to serve. This can be made several days ahead of time.

Yields 2 1/2 cups

Total cook time…25 min

Thank you CHEP – Good Food Box for featuring this recipe in your monthly newsletter.

Coconut Curry Chicken Pot Pie

Dan    Mains, Recipes     chicken, comfort food, curry, pie

What you’ll need…

2 chicken breasts (skin on, bone in)

1 yellow onion

3 cloves garlic

1 leek

1 carrot

1 red potato

1 red bell pepper

1/2 cup white mushrooms

1 14 oz can coconut milk

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 stalk lemon grass

1 TBSP red curry paste

1 TBSP tamarind paste

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1 pie crust (bottom and top…obviously?)

1 egg (for egg wash, optional)

corn starch

olive oil

salt & pepper

Chicken pot pie has got to be one of the best types of comfort food out there. I know I’ve enjoyed eating it again, and again, and again…but, sometimes, even the most beautiful of things can do with a bit of a makeover. With a helpful hint of Thai influence, this pie retains it’s ‘comfort level’ while tasting exotic. It’s like a neat little trip to Asia for your taste buds to mentally escape the cold.

Feel free to skip this first step by using either a) store-bought roasted chicken or b) regular old chicken breasts cut up into chunks and added to the vegetable mixture. I just felt as though tender, roasted meat was the way to go with this one.

In a change from my usually ‘step one’, we will not be starting with chopped onions and garlic. Instead, start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees. Now season the chicken breasts lightly with salt & pepper, and in a medium-sized pot on high heat, sear them for 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove from chicken from pot, place in a small, prepared baking dish, and cover with tin foil, shiny side in (I can never remember!). Let the chicken roast in the oven for 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the onion, mince the garlic, and add it to the pot with a bit of olive oil. Turn to medium heat and allow the onions to soften. During this time, chop the leek and add to the pot. Stir, and let cook, uncovered for 5 minutes. Halve the lemon stalk and chop the carrot, potato, bell pepper, and mushroom into bite-sized pieces. Add the chopped vegetables to the pot, stir, and let cook for another 5 minutes. Now, add the coconut milk, 1 cup of water, the lemon grass stalk, red curry, and tamarind. Give it another good stir, turn back to high heat, and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Now it is time for the chicken and vegetable mixture to meet. Once the chicken has finished roasting, remove from oven (but leave on to bake the pie) cut the meat (skin ‘n’ all!) into reasonable mouthful chunks and add to the pot. By now, the coconut milk should have thickened, and you will have a nice filling for that prepared pie crust that waiting on the counter. Add a few solid turns of black pepper, and a bit of salt if need be. If the mixture is still a bit too watery then add a bit of cornstarch and water to help thicken. Finally, add the fresh cilantro to the pot and give everything a final stir.

Spoon the filling into the pie crust (at this point I would recommend being over-zealous with the filling, make it nice and full!), brush the crust edges with a bit of water, then put the top on. Feel free to criss-cross, or make a pretty design, etc…I’m currently not that gifted in the baking department. Brush with the top with some egg wash and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cut it up, dish it out, and enjoy. 100% satisfaction guaranteed!

Serves 4-5

Total cook time…50 min

Sesame Street Carbonara

Dan    Mains, Recipes     bacon, carrots, cheesy, gluten-free, kid-friendly, pasta, quick and easy

What you’ll need…

6 strips bacon

4 shallots

2 cloves garlic

1 TBSP unsalted butter

8 asparagus spears

3 large parsnips

3 large carrots

2/3 cup heavy cream

3 egg yolks

1 cup freshly grated parmesan

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 cup fresh parsley

salt & pepper

For those picky vegetable eaters in our lives…I am dedicating this recipe to my best friend’s son, Owen, who has been known to dislike his vegetables at times. Transforming vegetables into a brightly coloured ‘pasta’ is a sure-fire way to guarantee a kid’s dinner enjoyment…and consumption! Doesn’t it kind of remind you of Sesame Street? Grown-up note: If you want to keep it a little less colourful, and more fancy, just use an additional 3 parsnips instead of carrots for a more elegant-looking dish.

Chop the bacon strips into 1″ pieces and place into a medium-sized pan on medium-high heat. Let them cook for about 3 minutes, turning over once. During the wait, chop the shallots and mince the garlic, then add to the pan once the bacon has started to brown. Turn down to medium heat and let the mixture cook for another 5 minutes, stirring periodically. Cut the asparagus spears into thirds and add to the pan, along with the butter. Allow the mixture to cook for another 6-8 minutes, stirring intermittently until the asparagus is cooked through. Remove from heat.

Now, set a medium-sized pot 2/3s full of salted water on the stove to come to boil. While you’re waiting, you need to go 2 things:

1. Whisk together the cream, cheese, egg yolks, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, and a good helping of ground black pepper in a bowl. This is going to be your sauce. Set aside. (note: emphasis on the FRESH parmesan! Any other store-bought type will not melt as well, and you will be disappointed!)

2. Using a vegetable peeler peel each carrot and parsnip into strips. The larger vegetables you use, the longer (obviously) and ‘noodle-y’ the strips will look like! Peel into a large bowl. You won’t be able to get quite down to the core, so reserve any leftover bits for soups/salads/whatever you feel like cooking tomorrow.

Now that you water is boiling, add-in the carrot and parsnip ‘noodles’. Using tongs, make sure every last strip is fully submerged. Leave them in the boiling water for no longer than 2 minutes, strain, and place back into the pot. Pour the still-warm bacon mixture on top, stir, and then add your sauce, stirring repeatedly until the cheese melts, helping the sauce to thicken.

Portion out onto pasta plates and enjoy! Feel free to add a bit more parmesan on top. After all, cheese does make the world go ’round.

Serves 4

Total cook time…25 min