Balsamic Roasted Chicken with Oregano

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
  

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees.
   
   
2. Combine the vinegar, oil, oregano, salt and pepper in a small baking dish.
   
   
3. Coat chicken in mixture, cover and marinade in the fridge for 30 minutes while oven heats.
   
   
4. Bake the chicken for 30 minutes (turning after 15) and baste with the vinegar juices.

(adapted from original recipe on recipezaar by Barb Gertz)
Recipes by the Haggis and the Herring: tasty world recipes tested in our kitchen

Setting the menu

Although I love cooking, I don't always love deciding what to make on a Friday night. If I'm not inspired, I'd end up making old standards which are nice sometimes, but there's always room for something new.

Lately, Meredith has taken the reins and has either thrown out ideas for me to search (ingredients, spices, types of cuisine) or sourced the recipe herself. A few weeks ago, she discovered a fantastic balsamic chicken recipe which is perfect for a Friday night. There's very little prep work involved for those evenings when you don't want to start dinner at 8:00!

Moroccan Eggplant Salad

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 large eggplant
• 1 small red onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
• 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided

1. Preheat oven to 450-degrees.
   
   
2. Pierce eggplant and roast on a pan for 45 minutes.
   
   
3. While eggplant is roasting, toast cumin in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and dark brown and let cool and grind with a moarter and pestle.
   
   
4. Remove flesh from roasted eggplant, discrading skin and stem; mash the eggplant wtih a potato masher.
   
   
5. Toss eggplant flesh with onion, vinegar, sugar, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
   
   
6. Serve drizzled with remaining oil, parsley and cumin.

(Original recipe by Ruth Cousineau on Epicurious)
Recipes by the Haggis and the Herring: tasty world recipes tested in our kitchen

So much eggplant, so little time

I realize now that I've eaten a lot of eggplant over the years. It's not my favourite vegetable, I just really like working with it. There are so many ways to prepare it.

Last Friday, I tried a new Moroccan eggplant salad recipe that involved roasting the eggplant, but the remaining ingredients are just tossed in. Something new.

Perogies

Ingredients for perogi dough

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
  
• 1/2 cup milk
  
• 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
  
• 1 egg, beaten
  

Ingredients for stuffing (makes enough for 4-6 guests)

• 8 medium sized potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
• 1 grated large onion
• 500 grams cottage cheese
• 300 grams of sharp, old cheddar, grated
• an equal amount of milder cheese, grated
  
• 3 or more heads of garlic, peeled and chopped finely
  
• a handful of either chopped dill, or 2 tablespoons of dried dill
  
• 1 tsp ea. salt and pepper
  

Ingredients for perogie sauce

• 6 or more onions peeled, diced
• 2 or more heads [Dan: no, that's not a typo] garlic peeled, cut finely
• 1/4 pound of butter
• big handful of fresh, chopped parsley or a handful of chopped green onions
• 1 tsp each salt and pepper

Preparation

Mix flour and salt. Combine egg and nilk and water, gently stir into flour mix. Knead 3-4 minutes, make 6 balls of dough. Flour rolling surface, then roll out dough to approximately 1/16 to 1/8" thickness. Cut into 3-4" squares.

Meanwhile, combine all the stuffing ingredients in a big ball, and season to taste. Don't be afraid of lots of garlic - it's good for you.

Begin boiling a large pot of water, add a teaspoon salt, a teaspoon oil.

Preparing the sauce

Brown the onions and garlic in the butter and then add remaining sauce ingredients and simmer.

Stuff the perogies: hold a dough square in the palm of one hand, wet to joining sides of it with your finger, add about 1 teaspoon of stuffing in the middle, the fold the dough dry corner to wet corner to form a triangular "hat" and pinch the two sides shup firmly. Lay the stuffed perogies gently on a tray keeping them seperate from each other, then add to boiling water, about 10 at a time, stirring gently 3-5 minutes, until they float to the surface. They're ready.

Back to the sauce: coat a good sized casserole dish with a bit of sauce, then alternate layers of perogies and sauce.

While perparing the perogies, don't hesitate to toast major accomplishments regularly with a coderate shot of vodka, followed immediately with a chaser of hot tea.

Serve perogies with sauerkraut, sour cream, mushrooms, pickles, tomatoes, and fresh bread. Dessert should be something light.

Refreshments

• 1 bottle for every two guests of either Polish, Ukranian, or Russian vodka, chilled.
• 1 pot of black tea.

(recipe found on a Rythm Activism record sleeve)
Recipes by the Haggis and the Herring: tasty world recipes tested in our kitchen

Memories of Peterborough Dinner Parties

Student life in Peterborough, Ontario was a frugal one. We didn't often hang out at pubs and clubs, opting to take turns hosting dinner parties instead. The booze was cheaper and, more often, the food was decent.

I didn't realize how much time I had on my hands when I was a student. Class was over by lunchtime on Friday and if it was my turn to host, I had all afternoon to cook.

One of the more memorable dinner parties I attended was Giles Grierson's big perogie party. Giles found the recipe on the sleeve of a Rythm Activism record sleeve. I think he actually quadrupled the recipe because of the number of people attending.

Making the perogies was quite the production. We started in the early afternoon and weren't finished until late in the evening. Aside from the massive amounts prep work involved, the recipe called for copius amounts of vodka which we assumed was meant for the chefs during preparation. While we did control ourselves, the alcohol surely contributed to the amount of time it took us to prepare the meal.

Bayngan Barta (eggplant curry from the India Food House)

• 1 large eggplant
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4-5 large onions, diced (equal to the amount of eggplant pulp)
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp Spanish paprika
• 1 tsp garam masala
• salt (to taste)
  

1. pierce eggplant and roast at 450F for 45 minutes
2. remove eggplant skin and chop the pulp
   
3. heat oil and sautee onions on medium-low until onions are translucent
4. mix in tomatoes, tumeric, paprika, garam masala and salt, and simmer for 2-5 miuntes.
5. add eggplant pulp and let simmer on low for at least 45 minutes.
   

(adapted from the Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes Region Restaurant Guide http://ptbo.igs.net/~theguide/india.htm)
Recipes by the Haggis and the Herring: tasty world recipes tested in our kitchen

India Food House

And yet another fun Indian Friday night with friends. Chicken Tikka Masala and an eggplant dish from India Food House. I'll save the Chicken Tikka recipe for another week, tho :-)

India Food House was a landmark in Peterborough when I was at Trent. I hung around so much I was eventually put to work in the kitchen – mostly preparing naan, peeling garlic, and doing dishes.

Only once, when the restaurant was short-staffed on a busy day, I actually waited tables.

Excellent Samosas: Surati Sweet Mart

Nathan brought some excellent samosas as an appetizer tonight. They were big, light, not oily at all and were spiced really well. Kinda like the perfect matzo ball:

Surati Sweet Mart, 26 Carnforth Road, Toronto

Sweet Sadie's Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Icing

Cake:

• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 - 3/4 cups all purpose flour (preferably unbleached)
• 2 cups sugar
  
• 1 - 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (BP)
  
• 1 - 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (BS)
  
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a rectangular pan (12 Inches x 9 Inches)
   
2. Sift the dry ingredients together.
3. Mix the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl (low speed)
   
4. Add oil, eggs (one at a time until incorporated), vanilla and milk (medium speed)
   
5. When batter is smooth, add boiling water ( start on low and be careful that it doesn't splash!)
   
6. Pour into prepared pan and bake approx. 35- 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the cake completely before icing.

Icing:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

1. In a medium saucepan, bring whipping cream just to boiling over medium heat.
2. Remove from heat and add semi-sweet chocolate (do not stir) and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Stir untill smooth and cool for 15 minutes.
4. Spoon evenly over cake.

(cake recipe from Sweet Sadie's; icing from Better Homes and Gardens)
Recipes by the Haggis and the Herring: tasty world recipes tested in our kitchen