Father’s Day Feast!

While dad’s are great at many things, grilling seems to be a common strength. That’s why this Father’s Day we propose giving your dear old dad a break! Like most good burgers we have kept the ingredients simple to let the charred succulence shine through. We recommend indulging in 85% lean ground beef. Yes, that means put down the 99% lean stuff, it is a celebration after all!

To turn this burger from weekend regular to Father’s Day must-make, add some customized toppings. Toppings can get gourmet or personal (well personalized that is). I choose toppings that remind me of great times with my dad. We’ve got a fried egg because every Saturday after coffee and paper we make a big family-style egg breakfast. Shredded cheese because…well frankly I’ve never seen him eat a burger without it. Finally, ketchup because he stomached bland boarding school food back in the day and never quite kicked the habit. Burgers are the perfect and well-deserved treat to reward our dads’ for being, well dads!

P.S. we also used to make floats whenever my mum left us all along so I couldn’t resist this bottle of Root Beer…the kid eating the double double burger is too funny!

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Mains in a Snap – Spinach Chive Frittata

 

I cannot believe that we haven’t featured frittatas in an episode yet. Frittatas are basically rustic Italian omelets that are perfect for a new cook that is a little shaky at the stove. What differentiates these from omelets is that they don’t get flipped. Instead they cook partially on the stove then get tossed under the broiler for a few minutes until they’re golden and puffy. I love making these for breakfast, lunch or a light dinner and leftovers make incredible sandwiches. You can use any ingredients in a frittata so be creative with leftover odds and ends of food. We kept it simple so that the focus would be on technique.

What You’ll Need:

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

7 eggs

1 shallot, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

8 chives, finely chopped

1/4 cup baby spinach

1/4 cup Greek feta, crumbled

salt and pepper

What to do:

1. Prep all your ingredients. Preheat your broiler to high.

Preheat the olive oil in a small oven proof skillet (no rubber or silicone) over medium heat. Slice your shallots and toss them and the spinach into the skillet.

While the shallots and spinach soften, beat together the eggs and chives with some salt and pepper until the yolks are just broken. Don’t beat the eggs into submission.

Add the egg mixture into the skillet with the shallots.

Sprinkle the crumbled feta over top of the frittata. Keep the heat at medium and cover the skillet. Continue to cook covered until the bottom is set, the edges are slightly puffy and start to pull away from the side and the center is still a bit liquidy. Transfer the frittata under the broiler. Broil until the center of the frittata is puffed up, golden and cooked. Keep a close eye on it, this will take between 3-8 minutes depending on your oven.

Run a spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the frittata then carefully transfer to a plate. There you go, your first frittata!

Happy Cooking! XO

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Apps in a Snap – Bacon & Pea Quinoa Salad

Today’s Mains in a Snap is dedicated to my phenomenal business partner and birthday girl, April. Since we started The Hot Plate back in 2008 her skill in the kitchen has flourished. Like many new cooks, April has developed a repertoire of familiar and delicious dishes that are sure to satisfy any guests. Fans of The Hot Plate may have noted that Orzo Salad quickly became a favourite in April’s kitchen. With so many phenomenal and hearty grains we are going to introduce her and all of you to the new “couscous,” QUINOA! Quinoa is a small grain that is incredibly healthy! Quinoa must be rinsed before cooking, and is a quick substitute for rice and packed with tons of nutrients. So here’s the recipe:

What You’ll Need:

1 cup quinoa

2 strips of bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup broccoli florets

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow pepper (red or orange can be substituted)

1 tbsp whole grain mustard

1 tbsp maple syrup (honey can be substituted)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup chopped Feta cheese

salt and pepper

What To Do:

Prep all your ingredients.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling add the quinoa, cover and reduce to a low simmer for 15 minutes. Check it, once all the liquid is absorbed, turn off the heat and let the quinoa steam covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

While the quinoa cooks preheat a large skillet with 1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat and begin cooking the bacon.

Add the peppers, peas, broccoli and 1/4 cup of water. Turn the heat to high and cook for 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the mustard, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. Turn the heat to medium-low and stir until completely coated.

Add the cooked quinoa to the skillet and toss over medium heat for 1 minute.

Serve topped with chopped Feta cheese!

Happy Cooking! XO

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Weekly Plates – Celebrate!

This was a really exciting week for April and me. As many of you probably saw we had a contest to welcome Trudeau to our steamy little kitchen. Not to mention, that we have another exciting announcement set to debut very very soon ;). In order to properly celebrate this incredible news we decided to make even more delicious food! Here’s a peak at what we made:

Quinoa Salad with bacon, peas, feta and an apple cider vinaigrette

White Wine Sangria to usher in the spring…even though it snowed today 😦

Celebratory dinner complete with Lobster & Pancetta risotto.

Aji de Gallina (spicy Peruvian creamed chicken)….soooo goood!

my partner in crime, April, enjoying a glass of Proseco before our lobster risotto feast!

Happy Cooking! XO

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Weekly Plates

What an incredible week! April and I got to spend a few days in Toronto before setting off to Montreal. We love getting to travel back to The Hot Plate’s old stomping ground, especially when it’s not the middle of winter. We had a lot of exciting meetings and opportunities during this trip, but a highlight is a McGill University Young Alumni Event. Recently the McGill Young Alumni association and The Hot Plate have been trying to collaborate so that we can share our story and experiences transitioning from being a student to business owners. On this trip we were asked to be on a panel discussing the ways that social media has helped us grow and develop our business. It was such a privilege, and we can’t thank the hard working team at McGill Young Alumni or our co-panelists Evolving Web enough! If you weren’t there some of the key ideas highlighted were:

1. use blogs, communities and information sources to troubleshoot and stay up to date on current social media (i.e. Mashable.com)

2. don’t spread yourself to thin, check to make sure that the social media you do use is effective for your business

3. know your market and where to find them digitally

enough about business…here’s a look at some fun foodie photos from the week:

Charcuterie heaven! Blue Elizabeth cheese (one of my favourites right now), Piave, Paté, Serrano Ham and Smoked Chili Chutney…our idea of a light dinner.

Pancetta and Shrimp Linguini with a Smokey Cherry Tomato Sauce

Hilarious comic on the cover of the Toronto Sun last Tuesday. Poor Maple Leafs. Go Habs Go!

Chopped Salad with Tahini Dressing and Whole Wheat Bread

Happy Cooking! XO

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Weekly Plates – in Ottawa

This week my dad was traveling so I thought I’d nip home quickly for a few days in Ottawa with my mum. Our family’s insatiable appetite has always been a big reason that I got into cooking. With so many family dinners and so much curiosity to combine favourite flavors there was never a lack of foodie discussion. Now trips home are about getting back to basics and enjoying simple meals that inspire conversation and catching up. Here’s a look at what we ate this week:

Smoke Salmon on Honey Rye Bread with Butter, Red Onion and Lemon

Seared Scallop Salad (tip: buy the flash frozen Wild Nova Scotia scallops…just remember to thaw them in advance)

Chive Goat’s Cheese and Roasted Beet Salad with Prosciutto at The Wellington Gastropub (my fav spot in Ottawa)

Seared Steak with Grilled Asparagus and Simple Green Salad

Happy Cooking! XO

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Apps in a Snap – Spinach Feta Dip

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!

A caution to all those wearing a “kiss me I’m Irish” t-shirt today….Make this dip tomorrow because between the green beer and dip nobody will care if you’re Irish or not….peee-ewww! I’ll be brief because there are beers to be opened and more dip to be made, but this is a super fast and super delicious treat for any celebration!

What You’ll Need:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tbsp all-purpose flour

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 cup Mozzarella

1/2 cup of baby spinach

1/2 cup Greek feta

What to do:

Prep all the ingredients.

Over medium heat melt the butter.

Whisk in the flour and continue to stir until slightly golden and thickened.

Add a pinch of cayenne pepper and stir.

Pour in the cream and continue to whisk.

Add the mozzarella and whisk until melted and slightly thickened.

Add the half the spinach and half the feta just as the mozzarella begins to melt and stir until the spinach is wilted. Preheat the broiler to high heat.

Move the dip to a an oven safe dish set on a baking sheet. Top with remaining spinach and feta cheese. Broil for 3-6 minutes until golden.

Let the dip rest for 8 minutes before serving. Serve with bread, pita or your favourite tortilla chips.

Happy Cooking! XO

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Weekly Plates

A common theme of my favourite days in a month is filming. Creating, cooking and filming The Hot Plate is always a big highlight for April and I. It also means that there is a lot of action in the kitchen. It is a great way for me to get back to the basics in the kitchen and teach my new roommate a thing or two along the way. This week’s Weekly Plates is a peak inside some of my foodiness this week.

A quick chicken curry for a weeknight dinner…I get to finish up the leftovers tonight (yumm)

Arugula Prosciutto Pizza

Guacamole and Tortilla Chips

used the leftover dough from the pizza to make pizza knots…stay tuned with will be an upcoming post because they are ADDICTIVE!

Happy Cooking! XO

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Apps in a Snap: Orzo Salad

I am guest blogging for Apps in a Snap this week. Recipe guides are usually Amanda’s domain, but I’m pretty excited to take on this challenge.

My fridge was quite bare when I opened it this morning. After staring at my fridge until it started beeping for me to close it, I was inspired to make Orzo Salad. I made my own spin on Amanda’s delightful Orzo. Feel free to substitute the ingredients with your own; these were the only vegetables I had on hand. It’s a great way to empty your fridge of odds and ends.

What you’ll need:

3/4 cups of orzo

1/2 red pepper

1 slice of onion

1 clove of garlic

basil

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 handful of diced black olives

1 green onion

25 grams of Feta

balsamic vinegar

Step 1: Preheat your toaster oven (or oven) to broil. Cut half of the red pepper and a slice of the red onion into 1cm pieces. Place on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil. Sprinkle minced garlic clove on top.

Step 2: Sprinkle with basil and drizzle on a tablespoon of olive oil. Use a spoon or fork to make sure it is coated evenly. Meanwhile, set a medium pot of water to boil.

Step 3: Place in toaster oven (or oven) on broil for ten minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.

Step 4: Pour 3/4 cup of orzo into boiling water for 8 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to the pot for flavor.

Step 5: Prepare the dressing. Whisk together 2 parts olive oil, 1 part balsamic vinegar, a pinch of dried basil and salt and pepper.

Step 6: Chop the light colored part of the green onion and prepare the olives and feta.

Step 7: Once orzo is cooked, drain the water and then pour ozro into bowl with dressing. Amanda taught me that doing this right away makes the orzo absorb the dressing and not get lumpy. Stir until all the dressing is absorbed.

Step 8: Remove the onion and red pepper from the oven once they are wilted.

Step 9: Add all the ingredients to the bowl. Crumble the Feta on top.

Step 10: Mix with a fork or spoon! You’re ready to serve/ eat!

I ate it while it was still warm, but it’s good cold too! You can pack it for lunch, serve it as an appetizer or main dish. Let me know if you try it at home!

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Mains in a Snap – Spinach Mac n’ Cheese

As many of you already know I love Mac n’ Cheese! It combines my love of gooey melted cheese with pasta and I bake it until a slightly crunchy topping is formed! The big dilemma with this ultra luxe tasting dish is that many recipes get expensive and are meant for a crowd. Who says I want to share with anyone?? We’ve already given you a solution to making Mac n’ Cheese cheap in our quick 5 minute episode (click here to watch) so what makes this recipe special?

EASY! This Mac n’ Cheese is made for all you solo cooks out there. Realistically I’m sure it could feed to people but considering I just polished off the whole thing myself before 11am we’ll say it’s one serving’s worth. The other great thing about this recipe is that it allows you to mix and match the odds and ends of cheese you have leftover in the fridge after the weekend. I’m using mozzarella, ripened goat’s cheese (the type that looks like brie) and parmesan, but feel free to substitute what you’ve got. If you have any questions about substitutions just post them here and I’ll answer ASAP! kk, enough of my chitchat  and onto the recipe…

What you’ll need:

1 cup penne rigate (you can use macaroni noodles too)

1/4 cup spinach, chopped

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

2 tbsp soft ripened goat’s cheese (the brie looking kind)

2 tbsp shredded parmesan

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

What to do:

Prep all your ingredients.

Chop the spinach.

Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a separate pot. Meanwhile, in another pot heat the butter and olive oil.

Add the flour and stir until browned and the raw flavor has been cooked out. Stir in the Dijon mustard.

Add 1 tbsp of kosher salt to the boiling water. Cook the penne in boiling water until al dente, about 8 minutes.

While the pasta cooks add the mozzarella, milk and goat’s cheese to the flour mixture and stir over medium heat until completely combined and the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the spinach into the cheese sauce.

Added drained penne to the cheese sauce. Fold until completely coated. Preheat the oven to 400F. Pour the mac n’ cheese into a small baking dish and top with parmesan cheese. Bake until the top is browned and the cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Carefully remove from the oven and serve.

Make sure to get a MONSTER fork full and blow on it…it’s HOT!

Happy Cooking! XO

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