Holiday Focaccia with Roasted Chesnuts, Orange Zest, Rosemary and Pink Sea Salt

As we head into the holidays, it is natural to look back to the year that was, to think of Christmases past, to look ahead to the new year and, of course, to indulge in all of our holiday favourites.  One of my favourite ways to indulge and to bring back the smells and tastes of my childhood Christmases is by adding a holiday version of my homemade focaccia to the holiday table.

This focaccia recipe is very simple and can be made with a variety of toppings. I decided to use fresh roasted chestnuts, orange zest, rosemary and pink sea salt to elevate this recipe for Christmas. If you are looking to add some special touches to your meal, this is a great recipe that can feed a large group.

Ingredients for the dough
by weight

650g all-purpose unbleached flour
300g Italian OO flour
500g warm water
1x 7g packet of yeast
16 g  coarse white sea salt
zest of one large orange
1 tbsp vegetable oil- used to grease a sheet pan

Ingredients for the topping 

1 cup roasted, peeled and chopped chestnuts- score an X on the chestnuts and roast for 1 hour (this makes them easier to peel once roasted)
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary- picked from stem
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus additional for spreading out the dough
1 tbsp orange juice
generous sprinkle of pink sea salt

Mixer Method

1. In a mixing bowl combine flour, OO flour, salt, yeast, orange zest, and warm water.
2. Using a dough hook attachment set on low speed, gently combine all the ingredients until the dough comes together.
3. Increase the speed one notch and continue to kneed the dough until it is smooth. This will take approximately 6-8 minutes.
4. Once the dough is smooth, it needs to rise.  I tuck a SLIGHTLY damp cloth around the dough in the bowl and place in a warm spot until it is doubled in size. I turn my oven on to 425 degrees and leave the covered dough sitting on the stove to help it rise. It takes approximately 1 hour. 
5. Spread the vegetable oil evenly around the sheet pan making sure to grease the entire pan and its sides. Set aside until needed.
6. When the dough is ready, gently pick it up from the bowl and push out the air with your hands.
7. Place the dough on the sheet pan and GENTLY spread it out on  the sheet pan. I usually coat my hands in olive oil as I spread out the dough to make it easier to manipulate. 
8. Once the dough is spread evenly on the entire pan, drizzle and brush about 1 tbsp of olive oil over the dough.
9. Make dimple marks on the dough, using your finger tips making sure not to puncture any holes through the bottom. Cover again with the SLIGHTLY damp cloth and let rise a second time for approximately 40 minutes.
10.  Once dough is puffed up,  gently press in the rosemary and chestnuts making sure they are still visible and not poking through the bottom. Add a generous sprinkle of pink sea salt to the top.
11. Bake the Focaccia on the lowest rack of your oven set at 425 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until the bottom of the bread is golden brown. DO NOT leave the bread during this stage and watch it carefully to ensure it does not burn on the bottom.
12. Place the Focaccia on the middle rack to complete the baking once the bottom is nice a golden. Bake another 10-12 minutes until the top is a beautiful golden color.
13. In a small bowl whisk together 2 tbsp of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the orange juice. Once the bread is out of the oven lightly brush this fragrant liquid across the Focaccia. It will add a wonderful shine and flavor and give it that soft texture to your fresh bread.
14. Slice up and enjoy on its own or perhaps dipped into hummus, balsamic vinegar and olive oil or your favorite tapenade.

Happy Holidays and Buon Appetito!

Green Curry Vegetables

This recipe is very simple and versatile. It is a great way to use up all the extra vegetables that may be kicking around your fridge before a new grocery run. This week I had butternut squash, onions, red peppers, portobello mushrooms, celery, garlic and ginger in my crisper. Most of the time I make this recipe on purpose and use eggplant, red peppers, bamboo shoots and spinach.  This time I thought I would stray from my routine and utilize the ingredients available. It is simple but delicious, and this recipe is a perfect way to welcome lunch or dinner any day of the week; especially a cold winter day.


Ingredients

1 small butternut squash- 1 inch cubes- you want the squash cubes slightly larger than the rest of the vegetables so they hold their shape a little better once cooked.
2 medium onions- sliced into bite sized pieces
1 large red pepper- sliced into bite sized pieces
2 portobello mushrooms- sliced into bite sized pieces
2 celery stalks- sliced into bite sized pieces
4 large cloves garlic- finely grated or shaved
1 thumb size nub of fresh ginger- finely grated or shaved
1 tsp. Sambel olek or 1 fresh Thai chili- finely diced
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/4 cup of avocado oil plus 2 tbsp
2 heaping Tbsp green curry paste
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock- no sodium added
2 dried lime leaves
1 398ml can coconut milk- I used light
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with cilantro micro greens, chives or scallions


Directions  

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
3. Place the chopped peppers, squash, onions, mushrooms, celery and half the garlic and ginger onto the pan.
4. Season with salt and pepper and toss with 1/4 cup of avocado oil.
5. Bake for 35 minutes.
6. While the vegetables are baking start the curry sauce.
7. Place the 2 tbsp. of oil in a deep pan and sauté the remaining ginger, garlic, cumin seeds,  and fresh chili or Sambel Olek for 3-4 minutes on medium heat to extract flavors.

8. Add the vegetable stock, green curry paste, coconut milk and lime leaves to the pan and bring to a simmer.
9. Once the vegetables are out of the oven, add them to the curry sauce and turn the temperature to low.  Let simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed or desired.
10. Garnish each dish with cilantro micro greens, chives or scallions.
11. Serve with nann bread or brown rice if desired.
12. Enjoy!

Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage rolls are a fantastic winter classic that can be prepared in advance and will yield many portions for future meals. I tend to only make this dish once a year during the winter months as to this recipe makes 20 good sized rolls leaving my freezer stocked with all the extras. This is another make ahead meal that I tend to make on the weekend as it takes more time to prepare than an average weeknight meal. My rolls are jammed packed with vegetables, beef and rice, thinly rolled with savoy cabbage as the vessel holding all these wonderful ingredients in place. They are bathing in a simple tomato sauce and chicken stock mixture and garnished with fresh parsley. If you like cabbage rolls, give this recipe a try.

Note:  I have made this recipe with a mixture of ground pork and beef, but I find it a little lighter with extra lean ground beef. If you prefer to have pork in your cabbage rolls, just go for it!


Ingredients
Yield 20 cabbage rolls

1 head of Savoy cabbage
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion- finely diced
1 large carrot- finely diced
2 celery stalks- finely diced
2 cloves garlic- finely diced
1 cup of rice- I used whole wheat long grain
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups of no salt added chicken stock plus an additional 1cup
1 1/2 pounds of extra lean ground beef
1 egg
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 splash of worsheshire sauce
1 tsp chili flakes
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper as preferred
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3 cups of tomato sauce
1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
3. Trim the stem of the cabbage slightly and add the whole Savoy cabbage to the boiling water. Boil for 5-7 minutes. As the cabbage heats up you can start pulling back the leaves gently with a pair of tongs. Place the individual cabbage leaves in a bowl of ice water once they peel away, to stop them from cooking further. Continue this method until 20 leaves are pulled away from the cabbage ball. Reserve inner cabbage leaves for future use.

4. Cut out the thick white stem from each leaf, making sure not to completely sever the cabbage. Set the leaves in a colander to drain. Finely dice the white stems that were removed from the cabbage leaves and set aside.
5. Heat a large non stick pan and add the olive oil.
6. Add the onions, carrots, celery and cabbage stems to the pan and sauté for 7 minutes on medium high heat until the ingredients start to soften and become slightly golden.
7. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for an additional 3 minutes.
8. Add the rice and toss until all the ingredients in the pan are well mixed.
9. De glaze the pan with the white wine.
10. Add the 2 cups of chicken stock to the pan and stir gently. Cover and cook until the rice is 75% cooked. It should be soft on the outside but crunchy in the middle. The rice will cook completely once the cabbage rolls bake in the oven. If you cook the rice 100% at this stage it will become mushy and overcooked once the cabbage rolls are baked.
11. Once the mixture is ready set aside to cool slightly.
12. In a large bowl,  mix the beef, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, worsheshire, mustard, chili flakes and salt and pepper.
13. Add the rice mixture to the raw beef mixture and fold the ingredients together until well incorporated.
14. In a large casserole dish, pour the tomato and 1 cup of chicken stock into the bottom and mix together. Once the cabbage rolls are rolled up place them on the liquid mixture.
15. Take each cabbage leaf and overlap it slightly where the stem was removed.

16. Add  roughly 3 tablespoons of filling to each leaf and roll up folding in the sides as you roll.
17. Place each roll into the casserole dish.
18. Once the rolls are all made and in the casserole dish, cover and bake for 35 minutes.
19. Garnish the cabbage rolls with freshly chopped parsley and enjoy!

Note: If I am serving this for company I garnish with a splash of good quality extra virgin olive oil and parsley.

Eggplant Penne

Eggplant is one of my favourite vegetables to cook with. I use it to make dips and stir fry, and love it grilled or oven roasted as a side dish, on pizza and in pasta. This recipe is something I usually make on the weekend as it does take longer than a week night thirty minute meal. I usually batch cook a few dishes on Sunday that take lots of time, to make lunches and dinner time a breeze during a busy work week. This dish is an AWESOME make ahead meal and becomes more flavourful the longer it permeates together in a bowl.  In addition to reheating this meal after work during the week, this dish can also be served as a pasta salad and is a great item to bring as a potluck dish or pack for lunches. Although I am not a vegetarian, I do make 2-3 vegetarian meals per week that can be incorporated into lunches and dinners so we have more vegetables in our diet. This is definitely one of my favourite vegetarian dishes. If you are gluten sensitive you can substitute rice penne noodles and it will still taste DELISH!


Ingredients

500grams penne
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil plus 2 tbsp for garnish
4 eggplants- cut into 1 inch cubes
4 large cloves of garlic- thinly sliced or grated
8 large  ripe vine tomatoes- diced or 796ml can of diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried chili flakes- optional
1 bunch of both parsley and basil- stems removed an diced and leaves chopped for garnish
Salt and pepper
Feta cheese

Directions

1. Slice the washed eggplant into 1 inch cubes and lay flat on a sheet pan.
2. Sprinkle generously with sea salt. This will extract the bitter moisture from the eggplant. Set aside and let rest for thirty minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, parsley stems, basil stem, chili flakes and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and taste and toss the mixture until well combined. Taste to ensure it is seasoned to your liking, and set mixture aside.
5. Place the eggplant in a sieve or colander and rinse to remove the liquid that was extracted after being sprinkled in sea salt. Shake off any excess water.
6. In a large casserole dish toss together the eggplant and tomato mixture until well incorporated. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
7. Uncover the eggplant and stir the mixture. Place back in the oven for another 30 minutes uncovered. The eggplant should be soft but still be identifiable and not cooked to the point of being a tapenade.
8. Cook the penne pasta according to the package specifications  once the eggplant is 15 minutes from ready. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water just before you drain the noodles.
9. Toss the cooked pasta into the casserole dish with the eggplant and pasta water.
10. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and basil leaves, feta and extra virgin olive oil.
11. Enjoy!

Note:
If you are making this dish for a future meal or potluck add the feta and herbs just before serving the pasta.