Blue Cheese Please

As we all well know, I am a lover of cheese; it's no secret. But, did you know I have a love-hate relationship with blue cheese dressing? This super overused dressing/condiment can be found at every pub, salad bar and mediocre restaurant. I would never, ever indulge in eating the stuff in public, let alone make some in the privacy of my own kitchen.

But, I am here to say that I actually decided to make a batch of the swarmy stuff last night. What possessed  me to do so? Some sexy bibb lettuce, bacon, celery hearts, apple and eggs. I had the makings of a fine salad but knew deep down in my lil' black heart that it was going to take a superfantabulous dressing to accompany the bunch.

Out came the cheese - the blue veined cheese. It got mixed with some plain yogurt, lemon juice, walnut oil and a good amount of black pepper. That was it, and how wonderful it was. Not too cheesy, not too rich, but it had a nice bite from the blue and the perfect acidity from the yogurt and lemon.

I will now put this recipe alongside my fancy ones and not have an ounce of shame. Long live the blue cheese dressing!

My Blue Cheese Dressing

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

• 1 C plain yogurt (please, use full fat!)
• 1 lemon; juice
• 1/2 C crumbled blue cheese (Roquefort would be stellar in this)
• 1/4 C walnut oil
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
• Pepper

Mix all together and let sit for 5 minutes. This dressing should keep for up to one week in the fridge.

Scallop, Celeriac & Beetroot Salad

Looking for a super simple, yet elegant salad for this holiday season? Here is one of my favorites! Crunchy, salty and sweet, this salad is perfect to start one of those heavy, sleep inducing holiday meals.

This simple raw salad or slaw can be made and dressed in advance. The seared scallops should be made to order and placed on the salad while they are still hot. Some of vinaigrette can be reserved for drizzling over and around the salad after it’s plated.

Salad (Makes enough for 4-6 people)

1 celery root / celeriac; peeled, julienne 1 golden beet; peeled, julienne 1 candy cane beet; peeled, julienne 1 firm tart red apples; julienne 1/2 C dried cranberries 1/2 C chopped flat leaf parsley 2 lemons; zest

Vinaigrette

1 C  olive oil 1/2 C walnut oil 1/2 C apple cider vinegar 1/4 C  honey 1/4 C  lemon juice salt & pepper

Mix all salad ingredients and dress with vinaigrette right away to ensure that apples do not turn brown.

Seared Scallops

3 Frozen Scallops (10/20) per serving Grapeseed oil (for frying) Salt & pepper

Make Chowder Your Choice for the Holidays

What is the most beloved soup in Nova Scotia? The answer is easy. Chowder. Be it lobster or clam or fish or seafood, chowder is warm, comforting and soothing. What could be better during this holiday season.

Chowder; it comes in many forms. Perhaps it is all clams or a mix of white fish. There may be a few shrimp lurking in the bowl or even an oyster. It can be cream based, tomato based or even a broth, but anyway you like to eat or cook it, this soup is a staple on most menus in restaurants and home kitchens in the province.

I am a very anal person when it comes to making my chowder. I have several rules that I apply, and I know that many people will disagree with me, but hey, that's just how I like it.

Rule #1 of the Lavallée Chowder

No "pink" fish. So Mr. Salmon, you and your friends Char and Trout will have to find another bowl to play in.

Rule #2 of the Lavallée Chowder

No cream. Listen, just cause I weigh 105lbs doesn't mean I can wave around a carton of 35% cream an use it liberally in my cooking; it's gotta be 2% milk for this lil' lady.

Rule #3 of the Lavallée Chowder

Carrots belong in a stew, not in my velvety white chowder. I do not want these orange floaties discoloring my soup.

So, how many disagree? Probably quite a few, but how many of you will try my recipe and perhaps change your minds? Hopefully more. Mine is a mix of clams, smoked fish, smoked oysters and haddock. Sometimes when I am feeling crazy, I'll even put in a few cold water shrimp!

This holiday season, try impressing your guests with a chowder. Duper MacDonald, this one is for you! Enjoy.

The Chowder of Chowders

Serves 6 adults

• 8 slices of bacon; roughly chopped

• 1 onion; chopped

• 1 leek; chopped

• 3 ribs of celery; chopped

• 3 potatoes; washed and chopped (I keep the skin on)

• 1C (250ml) corn(fresh or frozen)

• 3C (750ml) chicken stock

• 1C (250ml) white wine

• 2 C (500ml) 2% milk

• 1 can clams (add the juice too!)

• 3 tins smoked oysters

• 1lb (450g) haddock (or any fish you like)

• 200g smoked halibut or haddock

• 1C (250ml) cold water shrimp

• 1tbsp (15ml) chopped tarragon

• salt and pepper

In a large pot, cook off the bacon with a little oil and add the onion, leek, celery and potato. Sweat for 5 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and cook another 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and the liquid from the clams and cook for 1/2 hour until the vegetables are soft. Add in the smoked fish (cut up) and the white fish. Cook for another 10 minutes and then add the remaining ingredients and heat through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh dill.

Spicy Beans Delight

Have you ever ordered a Caesar or Bloody Mary and had the pleasure of having it served with a spicy bean? These gorgeous pickled beans are what my dreams are made of; spicy, crunchy and salty. What more could I ask for?

It wasn't until a friend of mine, Alexis Kelsall, and her blog "Domestic Bliss" inspired me, that I decided to get crackin' and create a few jars of these 'blissful' beans myself. Alexis has been a canning machine this past summer and fall, and this is one of her prize pickle recipes.

If you aren't into pickling, and you are slightly anxious about spending hours in the kitchen toiling over jars and hot pots, then this recipe is for you. It's simple, fast and most effective.

Alexis only uses chili flakes for the heat in her recipe, but I adapted it a wee bit by also adding in some pickled scotch bonnet peppers that I had picked up on a late spring trip to Barbados. This extra touch makes for beans with the perfect amount of spiciness for this hot mama.

If beans aren't your thing, this recipe also works well with carrots. I even have big plans on trying it with beets later on this fall. Give the recipe a shot and let me know what you think.

Spicy Beans

• 4 cups white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt
• 5 sprigs of fresh dill
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 5 teaspoons (or more) crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 pounds crisp beans, ends trimmed

Directions

Sterilize jars and lids and keep warm.

In a large preserving pot combine the vinegar, 4 cups water, and the salt. Bring to just a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt.

Quickly put a sprig of dill, clove of garlic and red pepper flakes in each hot jar. Pack the beans in the jars upright. Ladle hot brine into the jars leaving 1/2" headspace.

Wipe rims clean with damp paper towel, place lid on top and screw on ring just finger tight.

Return jars to canning pot and make sure water covers jars by 1". Bring water to simmer and simmer for 10 minutes to process. Remove jars, place on kitchen towel and don't disturb for 12 hours.

If after one hour any lids have not sealed (if it can be pushed down, it's not sealed) refrigerate immediately. Store the sealed jars in a cool dark place.

Makes about 8 x 500ml jars