Making long citrus twists

Using a canelling or channeling tool

This tool is used for making long citrus twists

The birthday cocktail

Makes two porthole infusers ( 24 oz)

If not using porthole infuser you can put all fruit ingredients into cheese cloth and submerge in alcohol mixture. To make sure the fruit is at bottom and not floating place small cup right side up on top of cheese cloth bag at bottom of pitcher and then pour alcohol mixture gently on top 

Ingredients

1 lime

1 orange

16 raspberries cut in half

2 oz. southern comfort

2 oz. chambord

2 oz. creme de cacao ( clear)

15 oz. tequila ( silver)

6 oz. Simple syrup ( combine 3 cups water and 2 cups sugar, boil for 20 minutes and cool)

Juice from lime and orange preparation ( see below)

Preparation

Using a canelling tool ( channeling tool)

Make two separate strips of lemon and orange zest

Using a knife cut away the peel cutting into the orange removing everything including the pith ( white bitter part before the peel) from Orange and lime 

Using a sharp knife cut away the sections of orange and lime ( you are cutting the main part of the orange and lime away from the outer covering) this is the skin that keep the flesh part together

Put all leftovers from making lime and orange sections and squeeze juice out into a bowl straining with a sieve

Mix alcohol, juice from orange and lime and simple syrup together into pitcher

Place porthole on it's side and remove 1 side of glass

Arrange raspberries ( 8 in each one, half of the lime and orange sections

Put lime and orange zest around post

Put glass back on porthole and push down glass to ensure that you have a good seal

Using a funnel pour alcohol mixture into each porthole

Ensure the porthole does not leak ( if they leak tighten screws a little more)

Do not put in stopper in until 30 minutes ( this allows for expansion)

Let infusion at room temperature for minimum of 2 hours

Serve over crushed ice

Stuffed peppers

Serves 7 

Ingredients

14 medium size peppers top stem removed ( I used scissors) 

Cut off about 1/2 inch from bottom

Remove seeds set aside keeping the bottom piece

Stuffing

1 lb ground chicken

1 lb ground pork

2 onions chopped fine

2 eggs

1/2 cup bread crumbs

3 cups cooked brown rice

1 tbsp. Montreal steak spice

1 tbsp. roasted garlic and pepper flakes

1 tbsp. basil

1 tbsp. garlic powder

 1 Tbsp.worchestershire sauce

1 pinch crushed chillies

Mix well

Put stuffing into peppers

Sauce

1 -8 oz package cherry tomatoes

4 kumato tomatoes ( or dark red tomatoes)

1 onion chopped in 4

1 carrot 

1 tbsp. oregano

1 tbsp. Montreal steak spice

1 tbsp. fresh chopped garlic

2 cups water

Thickening agent

1/4 cup cold water 

2 tbsp cornstarch

Mix with hands until smooth

Put in vitamixer and use tamper

Mix for 2 minutes until everything becomes a liquid

Pressure cooking method

Place rack on bottom of insert of electric pressure cookers

Put in 5 peppers

Pour 1/3 of sauce

Put bottom of pepper on top of stuffed pepper

Set electric pressure cooker to manual 10 minutes

When time is done hit cancel and manually release steam

Do three times 

When all peppers are cooked

Place in warm oven or fridge if going to freeze some

Transfer liquid from pressure cooker into a sauce pot and bring to boil

When comes to a boil add cornstarch and water

Once boiled turn off

Place stuffed peppers on place and pour over sauce

Oven method

Place peppers in a pan

Pour sauce over peppers

Cook in oven pre-heated to 350 F

Cook for 1 1/2 hours

Pour liquid from pan into sauce pot

When comes to a boil add cornstarch and water

Once boiled turn off

Place stuffed peppers on plate and pour over sauce

Holandaise hacks

When preparing hollandaise  sauce 

use 1/4 cup of oil 

This helps stabilize the hollandaise and makes it almost separate proof

Preparing peameal bacon

Wash cornmeal off of bacon

Trim off silver skin

Slice bacon into thin 1/8 inch slices

Egg Benedict with a twist

Makes 4 egg Benedict ( serves 2)

Note 

hollandaise is very heat sensitive

Eg. If doing by window that allows cold air in can break the sauce

if hollandaise separates you can fix

Crack an egg into another bowl that will fit over posching water pot

Mix egg well

Add separated holandaise mixture slowly to egg in bowl rover poaching water following same procedure adding slowly 

Follow steps for making holandaise below

Ingredients

4 eggs + 1 for making hollandaise 

1lb. butter melted

1/4 cup oil

2 cups white wine

1 onion medium dice

1 tbsp black pepper

Juice of one lemon

2 English muffins toasted

4 tbsp. cream cheese

4 slices peameal bacon 

Salt and pepper to taste for finishing hollandaise 

3 tbsp. vinegar for poaching eggs

Preparation of white wine reduction

In pot add white wine and 1 tbsp cracked black pepper cook on high heat for 5 minutes until you have two tbsp of liquid ( strain thru sieve and keep liquid reduction) you can do ahead of time

Cook bacon until browned on each side approximately 2 minutes on hot pan ( I use a cast iron griddle)

Bottom of egg Benedict preparation  do 1/2 hour ahead of time

Toast English muffins

Top English muffins with cream cheese

Top with cooked peameal bacon

Place cream cheese and bacon topped English muffins on tray off to side 

Put water in a pot that you can place a bowl on like a double boiler ( bowl to make hollandaise in)

Heating cream cheese and peameal bacon topped English muffins

When you start to boil water for poaching eggs place cream cheese, bacon topped English muffins tray in oven set to 200 F ( preheat oven)

Bowl for hollandaise preparation ( do before you start poaching eggs)

In bowl add 1 egg, whisk until foamy

Add white wine reduction ( made with onions, wine and cracked pepper)

Add juice of 1 lemon 

mix well

Poached egg preparation

Have tray lined with paper to be used to dry poached eggs

Add vinegar to water and bring to boil

Turn water down to simmer 

Add eggs to water to poach  and then turn water off 

Place bowl for hollandaise preparation on top of pot poached eggs are in

Slowly Add 1 cup melted butter (skimming butter from top avoiding the milk solids on bottom) this should take 1 minute ( adding butter to fast will cause sauce to separate )

Mix butter into bowl stirring constantly 

Add another cup of melted butter

Add 1/4 cup of oil stirring constantly 

Remove bowl 

Continue to add melted butter until finished constantly stirring

Add salt and pepper to taste

Finishing egg  Benedict  

Remove eggs from poaching water and place on paper lined tray

Place poached egg on top of cream cheese bacon topped English muffin

Top with hollandaise 

Serve immediately 

Snow peas

Ingredients 

8 oz snow peas washed

1 tsp. Salt

2 tbsp. butter

1tsp. Olive oil

Vacuum seal ensuring that peas are flat and not on top of each other

You need to use two vacuum sealed bags for this amount of peas

Set immersion circulator to 135 F

Cooked for 1 hour

Asparagus

Ingredients

1 lb. asparagus ( break ends off because they are tough, bend asparagus until they snap and break. The tough part will break off)

1 tbsp. roasted red pepper and garlic flakes

1 tsp. sea salt

1 2 tsp. Olive oil

2 tbsp. butter

1 lime cut into 6 wedges

Place in vacuum seal bag

When sealing ensure that asparagus all lay flat

Set immersion circulator to 135 F

Cook for 1 hour

Sous vide ribeye steak

Ingredients

1 ribeye steak 1/2 inch thick ( approximately 10 oz.)

1 tsp. Montreal steak spice 

1 tsp olive oil

Set immersion circulator to135 F

Cook for 80 minutes

Remove and sear in hot gastrolux pan or cast iron griddle without fat for 1 minute on each side until browned for rare

Dry meat on both sides before cooking

Cook 2 minutes each side for medium rare

Sous vide ribs

Ingredients 

2 lbs. pork back ribs

1 tbsp. Montreal steak spice

1 tbsp. paprika

1 tsp. Asian five spice

1 tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Salt

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 tbsp. brown sugar

3 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Mix spices, sugar and oil together

Rub the seasoned oil above on the ribs

Cut ribs in half and vacuum seal

Set immersion circulator to138 F 

Cook for 36 hours

Remove from vacuum seal bag

Dry ribs with paper towel

Finishing 

Broil in oven

Set oven to broil and broil until brown on top and bottom approximately 5-8 minutes

 

Cook on BBQ  

Cook on BBQ until browned