Summery Succotash Salad

Oh Summer, where for art thou? I have been waiting all month for a few nice, sunny days, and low and behold my prayers were answered! What to do on this gorgeous day? Why not take all your market finds and make a super scrumptious summery succotash salad (how's that for alliteration?).

Corn on the cob, cucumbers, yellow teardrop tomatoes, radishes, pois mange tout, eggs, basil and a miso vinaigrette. Sound delicious? Well, it is. Better yet, this salad is pretty too. Perfect for a dinner party or pot luck. Have I inspired you?

Try this recipe as is, or put your own spin on it. Make sure to let me know how it turns out.

Summery Succotash Salad

serves 4-6

• 6 ears of corn; cook and remove kernels
• 8 radishes; thinly sliced
• 1 pint golden teardrop tomatoes; cut in half
• 1/2 lbs pois mange tout (snow peas); thinly sliced
• 1 english cucumber; diced
• 1 bunch basil; chiffonade
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 4 eggs; hard boiled and quartered

Mix all the ingredients (except the eggs) together and toss with miso vinaigrette. Garnish with boiled eggs and fresh basil. 

Miso Vinaigrette

• 2 tbsp miso paste
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp mirin
• water
• 1 tsp sriracha

Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients and think to desired consistency using water.

Popsicles & Paletas

Nothing makes me happier on a hot and sticky Summer day than a refreshing popsicle. As a kid, my favourite flavours were banana and chocolate. These days, trying to find those nostalgic flavours seem almost impossible, so I decided why not make my own? Easy enough, right? Yep, that is right. So easy that I recently started making some for The Shack Oyster Bar and TIBS At Nite. These popsicles or paletas are easy to make, using seasonal fruit and molds that are redly available. Here is a recipe for a raspberry and bitters paleta that I recently made (also pictured).

Raspberry-Peychaud's Bitters Paleta

Makes 6-8  

• 2 C fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1 Tbsp Peychaud's Bitters
• 1 lemon; juice
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1/4 C water
• In a blender, puree all ingredients for 2-3 minutes. Strain and pour into prepared molds. Freeze. These keep in the freezer for a week. 

Super, Simple, Summery Salads

We are now on the midst of the sultry, steamy and sunny weather, and the one thing that I want to make and eat during this time of the year is salad. Let's face it, salads aren't sexy. But wait a minute, couldn't they be? Try removing all those leafy greens that get stuck on your teeth during a hot and passionate date. Replace them with what? Possibilities are endless; quinoa, millet, beets, carrots, Jerusalem artichokes.

I recently spent an evening teaching a group about the different types of salads that could be made minus the all the greenery. Oh, what a night! We made a simple and quick carrot salad, a warm cauliflower and cumin seed salad, a quinoa dish and a few more. All these salads packed a major punch, and could be kept for several days in the fridge and were perfect for a light dinner or picnic lunch.

But what about some of those "old favorites'? Who doesn't love a garlicky and anchovy filled Caesar salad? Nothing wrong with the romaine version, but how about switching it up to incorporate some seasonal market vegetables? Asparagus are still in season, and though a soup or simply steamed is just divine, why not substitute the romaine with asparagus? Dress it in a creamy dressing, crumble some double smoked bacon on top and a few shavings of Old Growler cheese, place on a platter and you have a magnificent asparagus "Caesar" salad that would be fit for royalty.

Caesar not your thing? More of a baby spinach and blue cheese kinda person? Try thinly slicing some peeled golden beets, mixing them with roasted walnuts, lemon zest, Dragon's Breath blue cheese and a quick vinaigrette of walnut oil, lemon juice, honey and salt and pepper. Once you have eaten this salad, your spinach days may be over.

Could it be you just love greens, no matter what? Sick of your same old vinaigrette? Then switch it up. Try a bacon vinaigrette or a roasted garlic vinaigrette. How about a spicy herb vinaigrette? All of these can be made and kept in a jar in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Take the time this summer to play around with your food and see how fun it can be. Try out some of these great recipes and let me know what you think!

Bacon Vinaigrette

Makes approximately 500ml (2 cups) 

• 6 slices of bacon; cut into small pieces

• 1/2 C champagne or white wine vinegar

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp grainy mustard

• 1 C canola oil

• salt & pepper

Put the cut up bacon in a saute pan in a single layer and cook over medium heat for about 10-12 minutes, cooking until crisp on the outside. Put into a blender (fat and all) and add all other ingredients. Puree until smooth and adjust seasoning to your liking.

Quinoa & Millet Salad

Serves 4-6

• 2 C quinoa/millet mix (you can also do 1 or the other)

• Water

• Salt & pepper

• 1 C chopped dill

• 1 C crumbled feta cheese

• 2 lemons;zest and juice

• 1/2 C walnut oil

• 1 tbsp ground sumac

• 1 bunch asparagus; roasted (you can also grill or blanch these)

• 1 C cooked yellow beets; diced

• 1/2 C dried cherries

• 1/4 C toasted pinenuts

Cook the quinoa/millet (I cover with water and a little salt and cook over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes or until soft...kind of like cooking rice). Once cooked, rinse in cold water until all the starch is gone.

For the asparagus, heat oven to 425F and toss the asparagus with salt, pepper and olive oil. Place in a pan and cook 5 minutes or until slightly tender. Cut into pieces. Mix all ingredients together and check seasoning.

Carrot Salad

Serves 4-6

• 2lbs carrots (I used the rainbow/heirloom carrots from the market); grated

• 1 C dried raisins

• 1 C dried cranberries

• 1 C pumpkin seeds

• 1 C sunflower seeds

• 1 C chopped fresh cilantro

Mix together and toss with the vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette

• 1½ C olive oil

• ¾ C honey

• ¾ C white wine vinegar

• 2 tsp ground cumin seed

• 2 tsp ground coriander seed

• 2 tsp allspice

• Salt & pepper

Whisk all ingredients together until blended. Check for seasoning.

TIBS at NITE - My newest collaboration.

I recently started a new venture called TIBS at NITE. What is it you may ask? Well, it's another collaboration with my favourite folks of Two If By Sea. It's a quick and easy way to enjoy a tasty, local and seasonal dish, two nights a week.

Next question is why? Well, why not? Like many people that live in Dartmouth, I am always on the hunt for some good take-out. Nothing fancy, just simple, solid food. So, is this perhaps a way of feeding myself? Yeah, I guess it is. If I wasn't the one cooking and serving the food, I would certainly be in line to get some.

The biggest reason of course is because of the overwhelming success of the TIBS Family Dinners. Think of this as the little sister to the Family Dinners. Same great food, same great service, just a little more accessible to those who can't always make it to our monthly dinners.

Where and when can you find TIBS At NITE? Every Thursday and Sunday at the Two If By Sea location in Dartmouth. Doors open at 6pm and it is often a "first come, first serve" deal. The dish I serve is priced anywhere from $10-$15, and Zane (Mr. Anchored Coffee & TIBS) concocts a delish homemade soda, and his very talented wife, Alexis, will often whip up a little sweet something too.

TIBS At NITE is two nights out of a hectic work week where you don't have to worry about making dinner for you, your spouse or family.

CHECK OUT MY WEEKLY TIBS AT NITE MENUS HERE.

NYC... Getting Ready To Eat

As I sit a YYZ, drinking my overpriced domestic beer and crummy cheese burger, I am dreaming of my first meal in NYC later today. What will it be? A return to Casa Mono? Perhaps a jaunt to Brooklyn to check out Torst? Or maybe just a hotdog from a cart. Whatever it may be, it's been four years since my last trip to the Big Apple, and I cannot wait to take a bite out of her this time around. Stay tuned!

Bountiful Banana Muffins

I am no baker. Actually, I loathe baking, but since having kids, baking seems to be part of my "job". It would be easy for me to go out and buy cookies or muffins for my brood, but taking five minutes to make these super easy, delicious and actually healthy muffins is right up my alley. If you are like me, and buy bananas on a regular basis, you are more often than not left with a few ultra-ripe ones.  This recipe is the perfect way to use them up, and get your kids to eat healthy too.

Whole Wheat, Flax, Banana And Pumpkin Seed Muffins

Yields 10-12 muffins

• 1 C whole wheat flour
• 1/2 C flax flour (or meal) 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 C brown sugar
• 3-4 ripe bananas; mashed
• 1 egg
• 1/3 C melted butter ( I use salted ) 
• 1/2 C toasted pumpkin seeds

Pre-heat oven to 350. In a bowl, mash your bananas with a fork. Add the egg, brown sugar and melted butter. Add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Fold in pumpkin seeds.  Spoon into muffin tins lined with paper. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops bounce back.

Introducing The Shack Oyster Bar.

So the secret is obviously out. Oysters, clams, bay scallops and more. Yes, this is what we'll be serving up at The Shack Oyster Bar all summer on the Halifax Waterfront.

Picture it. Sunshine, ocean and a few shucked Black Point oysters. Need more convincing? How about a delectable crab and lobster roll, or a steamy bowl of clam chowder served with an irresistible TIBS biscuit. ​

Why The Shack you may ask? Well, it's a fairly long story, but I will share.

​Many years ago, a shaggy-haired man name Nicholas Budreski entered the restaurant kitchen where I was working at the time and asked if I was interested in his oysters. Huh? I thought. Okay sure. Give me a few to sample and we'll take it from there. At the time, I figured I had gotten rid of him, but alas it was not that easy.

The phone calls, the random drop-in visits - this seafood guy was relentless and would not leave me alone. I ordered a few dozen of his kick-ass oysters and figured that would be the end of it. Hardly... 

Let's fast forward to present day. Over the years Nick and I have built a relationship based on oysters, clams, bay scallops and tuna. Initially, I was wowed by the quality of his products and eight years later, this persistent guy (who has become my BFF - no joke) thought we should take the plunge and go into business together. Whoah, this was huge, marriage huge.

Thus, out of our union (business union that is) emerged The Shack Oyster Bar. ​A shanty-esque kiosk on the Halifax Waterfront, where we will be shucking, steaming, and feeding those who are hungry for shellfish and a mighty damn good bowl of clam chowder.

Have I captured your attention? Good. We Shack Folk will be shucking up a storm, every day until October (excluding rainy days). Come on out, slurp down a few oysters, have a homemade beverage - concocted by our favourite cocktail maestro, Jeff Van Horne - and visit us time and time again. ​

We strongly believe that Nova Scotia is home to some of the best shellfish in the world. Yes - the world. Think we're crazy? Come check us out and let The Shack show you why.... 

We'll be open soon. Follow along here. ​