Change Gonna Come

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It's Friday night and I am almost ready to end this workweek. I know the weekend is full of chores, but I need a change of scenery. Being at home in comfort is exactly what I need.

I am sitting on my countertop drinking a pint of beer, listening to Otis Redding's "Change Gonna Come" and I am content.

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His music reminds me of my first trip to the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. Playing his songs in the car while driving through those beautiful green mountains made me smile so much that it brought me into a state of happiness only great music and stunning scenery can provide -- if you're willing to leave everything behind.

Today, I am craving such a sensation. The closest I've ever come to feeling that way again was while running through the Toronto Beltline Trail listening to my music, of course. I don't do anything without music, even at work. The trees and the moist soil at this time of  year give off such lovely scent that it's simply a crime not to run or walk through it.

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All of these elements that seem to reverberate in my head and all of the challenges that came my way these past months make me want to change a few things. Change is gonna come....


That's why I love running. There is always a goal and a great payoff in the end. The change of pace and scenery while running remind me that nothing changes around me unless I move forward.

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I am surely running this Sunday and will likely end it by grabbing a cappuccino and paying a visit to my favorite local fruit-and-vegetable market. I intend to make a nice dinner for myself with some vino!

After my run, I will be making this delicious rice-sausage salad for lunch with enough leftover to serve with a simple baked cod-fish for dinner. I got this beautiful Pinot Noir that will go well with the fish. Yes, "white with fish, red with meat" is a cliche'. I do love red wine, what can I say?

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I am looking forward to this day. Who else treats me as good as I do? Be good to yourself!


                                   Rice-Sausage Salad

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Ingredients

• 2 cups Parboiled-Rice, rinsed
• 4 cups water
• olive oil
• 2 large Italian sausage, sliced
• 1 large red pepper, seeded and cubed
• 3 yellow tomatoes, cubed
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomato, chopped lengthwise
• 2/3 cup padano or parmesan cheese, grated

Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 fresh lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• seasoning to taste

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan bring rice, water  and 1 tbsp olive oil to a boil. Covered.
2. When rice is at boiling point, bring down heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until all water is absorbed.
3. Let rice stand covered for 5 minutes. 
4. Fluff rice with fork.
5. Cook sliced sausage for 4-5 minutes each side on a well oiled medium heated frying pan. 
6. Put sausage aside to cool for about 5 miutes.
7. Make dressing by combining all ingredients in a tight lid container by shaking. Set aside.
8. Combine the rest of the salad ingredients into a large bowl with the rice except for cheese.
9. Pour dressing into the salad and mix gently.
10. Sprinkle half of the cheese and gently mix it in. Mix in the rest of the cheese into the salad.

Tip:

You may also add 1 tsp of white truffle oil in the end. This salad refrigerates really well but take it out ahead of time as it is better consumed in room temperature.

                                   Baked Cod-Fish

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Ingredients

• Cod-Fish fillets
• Fresh lemon
• olive oil
• fresh thyme, chopped
• seaoning to taste
• Spanish paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. On a shallow baking dish, drizzle fish fillet with olive oil.
3. Rub a bit of fresh thyme on each individual fillet.
4. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fish.
5. Sprinkle a pinch of paprika over fillets.
6. Season to taste.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes covered with aluminum foil.

Tip: Let fish stand for 2 minutes and serve over rice salad. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

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                                   Make it a great one!

A Hopeful Spring

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Spring is here and I am relieved. It's been a very "dark" winter and I am ready to come out for some fresh spring air.

When dark clouds linger, one craves the light. Spring brings hope and some much-needed brightness. It brings relief and puts a smile on my face. Colors start to brighten my mood as this season takes its rightful place.

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Seeing flower buds on my way to work pushing their way through the defrosted soil energizes me. Like these flower buds, I am inspired to push my way toward freedom.

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After work I went to the flower shop to prepare for this Sunday brunch. I went overboard and bought enough flowers to fill every room of my place.

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I love to wake up to them. It's all I need with my coffee. I want to cook in their company. I know my guests will enjoy them with the food that I am so excited to make.

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I must admit, It's been a while since I felt this excited about something... a simple pleasure that lingers through your senses.

I love brunch. I could eat it every day! I am always torn between a steak and eggs or eggs Benedict. So today I am incorporating both to make one smile-inducing meal for four. A perfect "Entertwining" number. I'm sure everyone will ask for Seconds.

I omitted some of the heavier ingredients from what you would expect from both of these classic brunch dishes so we can all walk away feeling satisfied but not bloated! Today is about the light and the "lite."

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Great flowers, great food and great friends. It's all I need to jumpstart this hopeful spring...


                       Almond-Raspberry-Cranberry Cookie

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                                           Ingredients

• 1 3/4  cup almond flour
• 2/3 cup fresh raspberry
• 2/3 cup dried unsweetened cranberry
• 4 tbsp real honey
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 vanilla pod or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tbsp milk

                                          Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except the raspberry and cranberry.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F
3. With a spatula, fold in raspberry and cranberry.
4. Divide dough into 4-6 equal parts and form a round patty.
5. Place on a parchment-paper-lined baking tray.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown around the edges. 
7. Bake extra 5 minutes if you want it more crumbly. 
8. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

                 Rey's Eggs Benedict

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Olive Oil-Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

• 6 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Season to taste

Instructions 

1. In a small saucepan, bring 2-3 cups of water to simmer on medium heat.
2. Put the egg yolks on a stainless steel bowl and place on top of the saucepan.
3. Start whisking.
4. When yolks turn medium pale yellow, add half of the oil.
5. Continue whisking.   
6. If the yolk starts to curdle, remove from steam and continue whisking.
7. You may add a little bit of the simmered water.
8. If water starts to boil, lower down heat. Water should always be simmering, not boiling.
9. Place the bowl back to the saucepan and add the rest of the oil. whisk.
10. Remove from steam once you get the consistency that you desire. It should be a little runny, not thick.
11. Add lemon juice and season to taste.
12. Set aside.

Tip: to reheat, repeat steps 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 step, then serve. 

                  Chive-Potato Pancakes  

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Ingredients

• 2 cup potatoes, boiled and mashed
• 2 cup potatoes, grated and drained  
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp chives, chopped
• 90 ml milk
• extra virgin oil
• Season to taste

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix all ingredients except oil with a spatula. 
2. In a large non-stick pan, put 1 tbsp olive oil. Turn heat to medium.
3. Scoop 1/2 cup of mixture into the pan.
4. Use spatula to form mixture into rounds about 1/2 inch thick.
5. Cook each side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Set aside on a tray lined with parchment paper.
7.  Add more oil on each batch and repeat until everything is cooked. 

Tip: To keep warm and continue cooking, preheat oven to 200F and place pancakes into the oven until ready to serve. Since some of the potatoes are shredded this will continue to cook as it may take longer to soften than the mashed potato. Do this an hour before serving while preparing the rest of the meal. 

                  Pan-Grilled Steak

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Ingredients

• 4 medium 1 inch thick steaks, your choice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• Season to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk all ingredients except for meat.
2. Pour over steaks.
3. Saturate meat by turning over a few times.
4. Marinate in the fridge until ready to cook.
5. On a large oiled skillet, place 2 steaks at a time and cook each side for 3-4 minutes on medium to high heat for medium-rare.   
6. For rare-steaks pan-grill for 2-3 minutes each side. 
7. For well-done steaks pan-grill for 4-5 minutes each side.
8. Let them sit for a 3-4 minutes before serving, then slice and serve.

                Poach Eggs

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs

Instructions

1. In a large pot boil 4 cups of water.
2. Turn down the heat and let water simmer.
3. Using an olive-oil-greased silicone egg poacher, crack an egg into each container.
4. Drop silicone-poacher into simmering water.
5. Cover with part of the edge open and cook for about 3-5 minutes.
6. check often.
7. or you can follow this link: Poach eggs

Tip: To prepare Rey's Egg Benedict, place pancakes first then steaks and poached eggs on top. Pour hollandaise sauce over the poached eggs and garnish with shaved parmesan cheese. This goes great with a simple arugula salad with lemon-olive-oil dressing: half lemon and half olive oil, plus seasoning and garnished with shaved parmesan cheese.

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                                  Make it a great spring!

Chicken, chicken and more chicken

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It seems as though all I've been cooking lately is chicken, chicken and more chicken! I really didn't mean to.

I am a creature of habit when it comes to food and once something is in my conscious mind I tend to over eat it. The rooster chicken over the holidays, that almost decapitated my toe, must have left a great impression. Purple toe and all.

I've always been a curious person, so naturally I wanted to know more about chickens. I started a little bit of research.

Poultry meat can be very bland if you don't season or marinate it properly. It gets very dry and stringy when overcooked.

But let me tell you! there is nothing bland or dry about these chickens. During this little research about Ms. Gallus Domesticus, I was amused.

I can't say I am a chicken aficionado after a few hours on the Internet but I certainly know more about chickens than before.

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Fun Chicken Facts:

• "Gallus Domesticus" is the Latin word for chicken. Sounds like a gay character on "Spartacus."

• The largest ever recorded chicken egg weight 12 ounces and measured 12.25 inches around. I am pretty sure that's the chicken that grew up to be the one that mangled my toe.

• There are more chickens on earth than there are humans. 

•  Chickens are the closest living relative of the T-Rex.

• The greatest number of yolks ever found in a single chicken egg is nine. Take that! Octo-mom.

• Hens will lay bigger and stronger eggs if you adjust the lighting in their cages to make them think each day is 28 hours long instead of 24. This sounds like men! My female friends will agree, provided  that men be caged and that they carry babies instead.

• "Alektorophobia" is the term for fear of chickens.

• A hen lives an average of 5-7 years, but can live up to 20 years. She'll lay eggs her entire life, with productions decreasing every year.

• There are 25 billion chickens on earth. 

• There are over 3 billion chickens in china.

• A chicken loses its feathers when stressed. I ruffle feathers when I'm stressed.

• It takes 21 days for a chicken to hatch. 

• Hooters restaurants sell 30 million pounds of chicken wings a year. 30 million wives gets agitated every day by their husbands.

• The average hen lays 300 eggs a year. 

• Hens will produce larger eggs as they grow older. Men produce larger egos as they grow older.

• There is no nutritional difference between-white and brown-shelled eggs. Racism doesn't exist in the chicken world.

• A fresh egg will sink in water, a stale egg will float.

• White eggs are only produced by hens with white feathers and white earlobes. Brown eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes. Sounds like politics. Only, ruled by men.

• Brown eggs costs more because brown egg layers requires more food.

• A chicken is 75 % water. You have no excuse in drying it out!

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                                 Make a great chicken dish!