In the mood for comfort food

So I hear that the weather back in the UK has been a little on the gloomy side, or dare I say it autumnal?  You'll be arguing over when to put the heating back on before you know it.  Well, I'm sorry to depress you all but it has been pretty hot here in Toronto and I've been busy trying to even out my strapmarks.  So given the weather here it doesn't really explain why I decided to make this for dinner.  In my defence the skies did begin to grey over in the afternoon, but I'll admit it was totally unsuitable to be eating mashed potato in August.  Definitely one I'll be repeating when the mercury begins to plummet. 

Mashed potato is one of the founder members of the 'comfort food' movement.  Creamy, smooth and easy to eat (although a pain to prepare), it's what I hanker after when I am too lazy to be bothered to use a knife AND fork to eat my food.  For this dish I've gone for the classic Irish variation of Champ, which just means you add spring onions (green onions or scallions) to mashed potatoes.  The bean & corn casserole isn't really a casserole, I just couldn't think of a better name for it.  It's another way for me to get my fix of sweetcorn before they run out and also allowed me to road test yellow beans which they have here.  Who knew you could get yellow beans and not just green?  Well I admit it, I didn't, but I can report they taste exactly the same as green ones in case you were wondering.  For this dish I have specified using either chicken breasts or leg quarters, but to be honest if you are feeding more people it makes sense to roast a whole chicken, so just increase the ingredients to take into account your numbers.

Roast Chicken with Champ Mash, Green Beans & Corn Casserole.

Feeds 2

You will need

For the chicken...

2 x chicken breasts or chicken leg quarters (skin on)

3 garlic cloves

6-8 thyme sprigs

1 tsp dried oregano

1 lemon

2 tbsps olive oil

salt & pepper

For the Champ mash

4 medium sized potatoes

30g butter

50mls milk or cream

2 spring onions chopped

salt & pepper

For the bean & corn casserole

Kernels from 1 corn on the cob (or 150 frozen/canned)

150g french green beans trimmed

100mls chicken stock

20g butter

2 spring onions chopped

salt & pepper

• Start by preparing the chicken and getting it in the oven.  Heat the oven to 180c/350F.  Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add to a roasting tin.  Leave the garlic cloves in their skins and crush them before adding to a roasting tin. Scatter on the herbs, cut the lemon into quarters and squeeze one or two over the chicken.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Depending on whether you are using breasts or leg quarters it will vary the amount of time you need to allow.  About 25 minutes for the breasts (depending on their size) and about 45 minutes for the leg quarters.  Always check it's cooked through before serving.
• While the chicken is roasting, peel the potatoes and add to pan full of cold water with a little salt.  Make sure you use a pan with a lid.  Bring to the boil for 10-15 minutes until soft, but not water logged!  Add the french green beans for approx 3 minutes at the end. Turn the heat off, drain, and keep to one side in the lidded pan.
• Now onto the beans & corn.  Melt the butter into a pan and add the spring onions and fry them for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the corn and green beans and coat in the butter for a minute or so.  Turn up the heat and add the chicken stock, allowing it to bubble and reduce for a further 2 to 3 minutes.  Keep on a low heat until you are ready to serve.
• Back to the mashed potato.  If you have a potato ricer (Gordon swears by them and I have to admit he is right), then use that, otherwise just mash the potatoes adding the butter, cream/milk and season.  Stir through the spring onions.  Make sure you taste it and adjust the seasoning to your liking.  If you think it needs more butter or milk or cream then add some in now.
• Everything is ready to serve once the chicken is out of the oven and has rested for a few minutes.  Spoon over some of the pan juices from the chicken, but also there should be some liquid from the bean & corn dish too.

Sweetcorn is a wondrous thing

A vegetable that tastes sweet and not vegetablish at all.  Please understand that I don't have anything against your everyday vegetables, it's just that I don't yearn for carrots and broccoli they way I swoon at sweetcorn.  I've never once said 'oooh go on then, you've twisted my arm, pass me the cabbage', and it is not that I dislike eating them either, I'm pretty good at getting in my 5-a-day, it's just that sweetcorn, or to be more specific, corn on the cob, is such a pleasure to eat.  Maybe it is all that butter that has something to do with it?  Come to think of it maybe part of the reason I like asparagus so much is because of all that buttery hollandaise sauce...and cauliflower cheese I love I suppose, yes because the humble cauliflower is made so much better with the addition of, aah, cheese sauce.  Ok so, I've spotted a theme, but in all seriousness, nothing beats a corn on the cob, smothered in melted butter with plenty of salt and pepper, or maybe a bit of paprika if I'm in the mood for something different.  I always have to go back over the cob, just checking that I haven't missed a bit.  Which of course I haven't.

Luckily for me, corn is king in Canada, and we're right in the middle of the season now that runs up until October.  They sell it everywhere, it's cheap, so there are no excuses.  They don't just have the plain yellow variety either (what, you thought there was only one kind right?), nope, there's bi-colour and white as well.  The bi-colour is more commonly referred to as peaches 'n' cream, because the kernels are a mix of yellow and white.  I wondered if it was because the kernels tasted like peaches and cream, apparently not, but I do think they are somewhat sweeter than I'm used to.  I stocked up on some more at St.Lawrence Market in downtown Toronto yesterday and used some to make a zingy Mexican salad that goes well alongside any grilled meat.  We ate ours with spicy chicken thighs, but pork chops, steak or even a meaty fish like tuna or swordfish would work well. 

There's no real technique to this salad, just cook the corn in boiling water, leave it to cool and then using a knife just strip the kernels from the cob.  While you are waiting for the corn to cook, slice an avocado, half a green pepper into strips and half a red onion into half moon slices.  Sprinkle on some dried chilli flakes or add a fresh red chilli if you prefer and add the cooled corn.  Finally add some chopped fresh coriander, the zest of a lime and about half the juice.  Drizzle with some olive oil and a sprinkling of salt, give it all a stir and then you are ready to serve. 

Bohemian Brilliance in Prague

View of the castle from Petrin Park

I am not a morning person, or to be more precise I don't like getting out of bed until I am absolutely ready to. It's got to be on my terms. So as you can imagine I tried everything I could to secure a nice, comfy British Airways flight at a civilised hour, from nearby Heathrow, but try as I might to find a reasonably priced BA flight, those buggers at Easy Jet kept poking away at my conscience and being all showy off about their cheap prices. I begrudgingly gave in, reasoning that we'd be able to spend the money we'd saved on sampling more Czech beer. So that's how, after a mere cat-nap of just four hours, we dragged ourselves from the soft, warm bed (I was crying inside), and hurtled toward Gatwick in a zombie like state on a ghostly M25.

Strange babies on Kampa Island

Prague makes for a very convenient European city break, less than 2 hours flight from London, you can be supping your very own pint of pivo (beer) before lunch. I expected stark and practical architecture, a reminder of the city's Communist past, but what I got was fairytale with a Disney-Germanic twist. We opted to stay in the quieter Mala Strana district, on the same side of the river as the castle, and a pleasant 15 minute stroll through Kampa Island leading to the enormously popular Charles Bridge. The Hotel Residence Mala Strana was basic, clean and comfortable, with a fortifying breakfast buffet (perfect fuel for all that sightseeing) included in the bargain price of £53 per room, per night. You can also get kitchenette suites for a little extra price if you prefer to self cater. If you are looking for luxury, then look elsewhere, but if you aren't fussed about chocolates on pillows and don't mind a bit of walking then this fits the bill.

John Lennon Wall

Like all European cities Prague has a cheap and efficient metro and tram system but it is also a very walkable city, and so we took advantage of the warm spring weather and explored on foot. Kampa Island was just 5 minutes from our hotel, divided from the mainland by a canal (this is the Czech Republic's version of Venice...they even have gondolas) its southern tip is peaceful parkland and the northern section is built around a gorgeous cobbled square. Then it is just a few short hops up the steps to Charles Bridge (Karluv Most), which seems to be forever swarming with people. The pedestrianised bridge spans the river Vlatva, and is dotted at regular intervals with statues honouring the great and good of Prague. If you want peace and quiet to stroll and admire at leisure, then be prepared to get up early or have a very late night. Otherwise you just have to put up with the constant human traffic and souvenir sellers.

Charles Bridge in the distance

Prague's other major draw is its castle (Prasky Hrad), which sits regally upon a hill overlooking the city. This sprawling complex, contains architecture from virtually every century and is home to St.Vitus Cathedral, not to mention several other churches, palaces and halls, all built within the castle grounds. You could easily spend a day here exploring and probably still not have covered it all. Good job the tickets allow you entry for a second day. St.Vitus Cathedral (yes him of the funny jerky dance) looks like it has been crane lifted and dropped into the castle complex, and it dominates the place. The proximity of the walls surrounding it mean that you can't admire the outside from a far, but it is hard not to be impressed by this intimidating gothic building staring down on its onlookers. The skies were darkening quickly, threatening rain, so we ducked inside just in time. The inside is just as mesmerising as the outside, with a commanding central aisle and vibrant, mosaic style stained glass windows. There are of course plenty of tombs here, and the crypt is like a Who's Who of Bohemian royalty. The most famous resident is old Good King Wenceslas who has his own chapel. Turns out he really was quite a nice chap, but he met a nasty end, murdered by his not so nice brother Boleslav.

St.Vitus Cathedral

It's not on everyone's list, but if you have the time, then I definitely recommend visiting the Jewish Museum. The 300kc (about £10/$16US) entrance fee encompasses 4 different synagogues plus the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Ceremonial Hall. Prague's Jewish community was at one time one of the largest in the world. The museum not only chronicles their struggles throughout the centuries but is home to an impressive collection of artefacts. The Old Jewish Cemetery is like no graveyard I've ever seen before. It's like stepping onto the set of a Tim Burton movie. There are a staggering 12,000 tombstones, all jumbled on top of each other jostling for position, but they estimate that there could have been as many as 100,000 actual bodies buried since it first opened in 1439 to when it closed almost 350 years later in 1787. Of the four synagogues, Pinkas is the most sobering. It is a simple building that stands as a permanent memorial to all those who died as a result of the Nazi regime. Each wall has been painstakingly written upon with the names of every single victim. It is the most dignified tribute for reflection and remembrance.

The Old Jewish Cemetery

The final must-see for most visitors is the Old Town Square, home to the amusing Astronomical clock. The Old Town Square is a huge pedestrianised expanse bordered by grand buildings with peaches and cream exteriors, red tiled roofs and plenty of gold leaf. Typically there are plenty of cafes and bars, and you could do worse than take a seat, enjoy a great coffee or cold beer and people watch. The Astronomical Clock is the main draw and people start gathering in anticipation of the hourly chimes from about 15 minutes before to watch this zodiac style clock do its thing. The chimes begin with the skeleton tolling his bell and then the shutters open to reveal a parade of revolving saints, peering down on their audience below. I think they should re-name it the anamatronical clock, as there is something of a ghost-train feel to it. The chimes are then finished off with a ceremonial flourish with a trumpet salute from the clock tower roof.

With all that walking and the tough pace of sightseeing, you need to make sure you reward yourself at regular intervals with a cold Czech beer. There are so many to choose from, with both light and dark beers on offer. The main three are Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen and Budvar...which by the way has NOTHING to do with Budweiser from the US. Also worth a try are Gambrinus, Krusovice and Velkopopovicky Kozel. Czech wine on the other hand was miss rather than hit. To be absolutely fair to the Czech people, we only tried it once, a red from the Moravian region, and it was best described as thin and watery. It is possible I grant you that we tried a duff one (or maybe they watered it down for us stupid tourists), but based on that experience we opted for imported wines instead from then on.

Food wise, traditional Czech cuisine does not conjure up delicious gastronomic memories in the way that other European nations do. It's country cooking and heavy on the meat and potatoes. If you want good quality, innovative Czech food then search out the high end restaurants such as Kampa Park, or the slightly cheaper Hergetova Cihelna, where you'll pay on average £80-£90 for a 3 course meal for 2 with wine. We had a great value pub-grub Czech style lunch at the Staropramen brewery (Husa Na Verandach), where you can also do a tour. Club sandwiches and pork steaks with fresh horseradish and pickles were the order of the day, all washed down of course with an obligatory Staropramen direct from the brewery. Once you have had your fill of the local cuisine, Prague has an abundance of restaurants offering all kinds of international cuisine. Our best meal (and cheapest I might add) was at Cantina, a Mexican on Ujzed, about 3 blocks from our hotel. I knew this place would be good when we rocked up on a rainy Monday night at around 8pm without a reservation (because who needs those on Monday's right?) and the waiter ummed and aaahed for a good few minutes, working out if he could fit us in. He eventually said he would probably have a table for us in 30 minutes and that if we wanted to chance it, then we'd be welcome to wait at the bar. So we consoled our rumbling tummies at the bar with a beer and proper home fried, lightly salted tortilla chips and fresh tomato salsa. Cantina has really gone to town on the decor (that Disney guy seems to have been at it again) and the result is a really welcoming atmosphere. From outside it's the kind of place you peer into, and immediately wish you were the other side of the glass. The ceiling is covered with coffee bean sacks creating a canopy effect with washing lines draped in colourful Mexican textiles strung from wall to wall. The menu offers tacos, quesadillas, burritos and their flagship fajitas, and for those looking for a tortilla-free meal, there are plenty of salads, fish and steak options. I'm not in a self-assembly mood, so choose the pork quesadillas and Jerry tries out the surf and turf Cantina Buritto, and since I'm incapable of eating Mexican food without guacamole, we order a portion of that too. The portions are man-size, and my quesadilla is packed with well seasoned chunks of pork, whilst the buritto is brimming with prawns and steak strips. You could not accuse them of skimping on the ingredients. They magically refill our beers at the appropriate moment, and we are thankful that we don't have a long walk home as we ease our groaning bellies out of the door.

Prague was great value for money, perhaps not as cheap as it once was 10 years ago, but still cheaper than London, unless you are paying high-end prices at one of the swankier hotels or restaurants. Would I return, recommend it to friends? Yes and yes. There is plenty in this fairytale city to keep you entertained for a long weekend, and if avoid the weekends like we did, not only is it cheaper, but you avoid all traces of the great British stag party. We saw no evidence of those whatsover, and I think it was the Monday to Thursday stay that did the trick.

Stay

Hotel Residence Mala Strana

Eat
Cantina
Hergetova Cihlena
Husa Na Verandach

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry

I bought some broccoli for a dish at the weekend, I forget exactly what, but I had a load left over and to be honest nothing else inspiring in the fridge for dinner, so it was thrust to centre stage to be the star of tonight's meal. This is healthy and quick to prepare, so no excuses! It was also a convenient excuse to trot out some new funky coloured rice bowls, spoons and chopsticks I got last month from Habitat. Any excuse, I know, but who doesn't like pink chopsticks?!?

Serves 2
500g sirloin steak cut into thin strips
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp cornflour (starch)

1 large head broccoli cut into bite size chunks
2 tbsps groundnut oil
1 red pepper sliced
1 red chilli
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 thumb sized piece of ginger grated
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsps hoisin sauce
2 spring onions sliced
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Start by marinading the beef strips in the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and cornflour. Set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Add the broccoli to boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, drain and cool under cold water and keep to one side.

Heat the oil in a wok or wide frying pan and flash fry the beef strips for 30 seconds on each side. Don't crowd the pan otherwise the beef will boil and not fry, so be prepared to cook in batches. Set the cooked beef to one side and keep the leftover marinade. Stir in an additional tablespoon of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce to the marinade.

Add some more oil to the pan and add the chilli, garlic and ginger. Stir fry for one minute then add the red pepper and broccoli and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the beef and any resting juices back into the wok. Stir through the rest of the marinade and warm through for a minute. Finally throw in the spring onions and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve with steamed rice or egg noodles.

Lime & coriander drizzled fish with mango & avocado salsa

Sometimes I get so carried away with the cooking, and let's be honest the actual eating, that I forget to take pictures. This is one of those occasions, and so you will just have to forgive and trust me. The weather here lately has been energy zappingly humid and hot and as a result suppers have needed to be refreshing and light. Luckily this recipe is very simple, and doesn't require too much effort. The salsa is better made in advance and stored in the fridge, so all you need to do is cook the fish and serve. Positively lazy.

For the salsa, that serves 4 you will need...

1 ripe avocado cubed
1 mango cubed
Large handful of fresh coriander roughly chopped
1 chopped red chilli deseeded (or ½ tsp chilli flakes)
1 lime juiced
½ red onion finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil

Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until needed. Make at least 30 minutes before you need it to give time for the ingredients to infuse.

This recipe will work best with any white fish - think pollack, red mullet, red snapper, sea bass, cod, haddock or sea bream. Either grill the fish fillets, brushed lightly with a little olive oil and seasoned with salt & pepper, for a couple of minutes on either side, or pan fry in a little olive oil and small knob of butter, seasoning as before, again for a couple of minutes on both sides. Rest the fish aside for a minute or so whilst you make the lemon & coriander drizzle. Whisk together 3 tbsps of olive oil with 1 tbsp of lime juice. Add a small handful of finely chopped fresh coriander and season with salt & pepper. To serve just drizzle over the fish fillet and serve with a few spoonfuls of the salsa, alongside a salad or crisp green vegetables.

Honey Mustard Baked Pork Chops

I used to hate pork chops because they always used to be so dry, but a marinade keeps them juicy. This is a really quickly home comfort dish. The marinade will be enough for two medium to large chops, so just double up if you are feeding more people.

For the marinade you will need...

1 garlic clove crushed

2 tbsps honey (or you could use maple syrup)

1 tsp dijon or wholegrain mustard

1/2 tsp paprika (smoked if you have it)

1 pinch of chilli flakes

2 tsp vegetable/sunflower oil (anything flavourless)

2 tsp lemon juice

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, and the pour over the pork chops. Leave for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Heat the oven to 180c/350f/gas 4. If you have a pan that you can use on the hob and then transfer to the oven, then use this. Heat the pan to a medium heat to sear the chops for a couple of minutes on both sides. Make sure you brown the fat as well to get this going, then transfer it to the oven for 15 minutes to finish cooking. Remove the meat from the oven and let it rest on a board for 5 minutes. Serve with some roasted baby new potatoes and any kind of green vegtable. Don't throw away the pan juices, pour some over the pork chops. Easy, and not dry at all!

Taste of the Danforth - Greek Food Festival in Toronto

Friday night saw the start of Taste of the Danforth, one of Canada’s largest street festivals, devoted to all things Greek, with food being the main attraction. The organisers estimate that around 1.2 million people will stroll up and down Danforth Avenue sampling what is on offer before it winds down on Sunday night. Conveniently this event just happens to take place a mere ten minute walk from our apartment, and there was no way I was going to miss out on this Hellenic feast.

The unmistakable smell of grilled meat and fish filled the air and could be detected streets away. The place was already heaving with people, and trying to find the end of the queues was almost impossible in this sea of people. We managed to navigate our way to Astoria Shish Kebob House, and got in line for their award winning pork souvlaki. They won’t disclose what goes into their secret marinade, but I definitely tasted cinnamon and cumin, so it was probably a yoghurt based marinade which made the meat so tender.

Next up we tried the grilled quail on offer further up the road from the unfortunately named Louis Meat Market – I have to assume that ‘meat market’ does not have the same connotations here as it does in the UK. Anyway quail doesn’t immediately spring to mind as being particularly Greek, but it turns out that game meats can feature quite prominently in Greek cuisine. This was certainly not a dish to eat with a knife and fork, much too fiddly. I’m a huge carnivore and not at all fussy about bones or the fact that these birds are tiny! Each quail had been spatch-cocked as you would with a chicken and simply grilled. It was delicious and beat the pork souvlaki into first place for the best dish so far. We went traditional Canadian for our third course, and stopped for roasted sweetcorn, smothered in melted butter and seasoned with salt and paprika. I’m a huge sweetcorn fan and lucky that it is in such abundance here. I devoured it within minutes and didn’t want to get to the end of the cob.


Day two saw us return during the afternoon grazing around for a late lunch/early dinner. A chicken gyro (kebab served in a pitta bread) this time from Megas that came with a healthy dollop of tzatziki and a tomato and onion garnish. Not quite satisfied that we had sampled enough, we found room for a slice of spanokopita (spinach pie made with filo pastry), and some very sweet loukoumades from Athens Pastries. Loukoumades are genius little things, probably best described as crunchy deep-fried doughnut balls. The crunchy outside almost resembles the banana or apple fritters you get at Chinese restaurants. The best bit is that the spongy inside has absorbed so much honey that it oozes out when you bite into one. Dust them with a little cinnamon and icing sugar before eating and there you have it, pure genius, enough said.

With bellies the size of balloons it was time to put the souvlaki skewers down and remove ourselves from any further temptation. I will be back to re-visit my favourites from this weekend when things get back to normal and are a little quieter. My first destination will be Athens Pastries for a coffee and some heavenly nectar filled loukoumades.

Astoria Shish Kebob House
390 Danforth Avenue, Toronto

Megas Restaurant
402 Danforth Avenue , Toronto

Louis Meat Market
449 Danforth Avenue, Toronto

Athens Pastries
509 Danforth Avenue, Toronto

Puttanesca Pasta

OK so hands up who likes anchovies? Not many I'm guessing, so this is my attempt to re-introduce the anchovy to you, and I promise you'll love it. You'll find anchovies prepared in two ways usually; either cured in salt and packed into cans in olive oil or marinated in vinegar and sold in jars or at the deli counter. It's the first version that you need for this recipe. For the record, the marinaded vinegar version is usually known as 'boquerones' on any Spanish tapas menu, and they are sometimes wrapped around a green olive. This is probably my most favourite of all tapas dishes, and a lot of people are put off because they think it will be salty, but not so with these little beauties. Next time you are in Spain or having tapas, try one, they are delicious!

So this recipe is essentially a store cupboard saviour and will take no more than 30 minutes to get prepared, cooked and on your table, so it makes for a perfect lazy supper. I can't take all the credit for this one, as it was my boyfriend who cooked it for me not that long ago, and I keep returning to it. The name actually means 'whore's pasta'. I was just checking out the origins of the name, and noticed that good old Delia calls it 'Tart's Spaghetti' - bless her, can she not bring herself to use the word whore? Anyway, there are a couple of theories as to why it is called that, but no one can really agree. So I'll just get on with telling you how to cook it.

To serve 2 you will need...

1tbsp olive oil
150g green olives
2 tbsps capers
2 fat garlic cloves
Handful fresh basil
300g cherry tomatoes
1 tin anchovies in olive oil
200g pasta or however much you would like(technically it should be spaghetti/linguine, but whatever you have will do)

Heat olive oil in pan on a medium to low heat, and get pasta water on the boil.

Crush the garlic to a paste with a little salt and finely chop the capers, green olives and anchovy fillets. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

Once the oil is at the right heat, add the garlic and cook for a minute before adding the capers, anchovies and olives. Pour in any of the left over anchovy oil from the tin. Fry for about 5 minutes and then add the cherry tomatoes. Stir occasionally until the tomatoes start to break down. This should take a further 10 to 15 minutes. By now your pasta water should be boiling, so add the pasta whilst the sauce cooks down.

Just before you are ready to drain the pasta add 2 to 3 tbsps of the pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce, then season with pepper and stir through the fresh basil leaves. There is no need for salt as the anchovies provide enough. Drain your pasta and add to the sauce pan, stirring through so everything is coated. Serve with Parmesan and a glass of red wine! Enjoy.