Tuesday 26th April 2022.

Show Archive

April 26, 2022

What do we do on a Tuesday? We check in with Feisty Foodie Sara. Sadly today after 5 1/2 years it is the last show with Sara. “Since it’s the last show it is bittersweet, I thought I’d do one of my favourite recipes…A Cracked Top Flourless Chocolate Cake …that calls for Bittersweet Chocolate obviously! You can even play Bittersweet Symphony as my lead in song! Lol Today I’m focusing on some recipes that I love, so even though I started with dessert, one of my favourite appetizers is my Sara’s Minestrone Soup. Somehow this is one of the only vegetable forward dishes that my kids will eat! lol The parmesan cheese rind really gives this soup a beautiful richness! An actual picture of it cooking on my stove! The next recipe is a crowd pleaser in my house and SO easy to make! My Dijon & Herb Broiled Salmon takes less than 20 minutes and always has my crew asking for seconds! Since I won’t be on the air during peach season and peaches are one of my favourite fruits, how could I not focus on the Bellini as my last cocktail! It can be made from fresh or frozen peaches, and enjoyed in any season! Well…that’s a wrap folks! Good luck finding my replacement and don’t be a stranger! Thank you so much for everything over the years and please always remember that like is too short to eat bad food!”

Sara’s Minestrone soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 large carrot, diced

1 zucchini, unpeeled diced

1 can of cannellini beans, half pureed, half whole

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 cup frozen spinach

1 and a half boxes of organic beef broth

1 ½ cup whole grain pasta shells

1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

Parmesan rind

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Pinch of crushed red chili peppers

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the celery, carrots, zucchini, spinach and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the dried oregano and basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook 3 more minutes.
Add the diced and crushed tomatoes, the beef broth and Parmesan rind to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the cannellini beans and puree and simmer 5 minutes.
Add pasta and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and a pinch of red chili flakes. Ladle into bowls and top with the grated parmesan and chopped fresh basil.

TIP: Make sure your vegetables are diced carefully and evenly. It makes for a great presentation, better mouth-feel and even cooking. I like a ½- 3/4 inch dice.

Dijon & Herb Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

1 garlic clove

¾ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

¾ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tablespoon dry white wine

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

Nonstick olive oil cooking spray

Six 6-8-ounce salmon fillets

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 lemon wedges for garnish

Directions

In a mini food processor, combine garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, wine, oil, Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon of whole-grain mustard. Grind the mustard sauce until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of whole-grain mustard to the sauce and stir to combine. Set aside mustard sauce.

Preheat the broiler. Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick spray. Arrange the salmon fillets on the baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Broil for 2 minutes. Spoon the mustard sauce over the fillets. Continue broiling until the fillets are just cooked through and golden brown, about 5 minutes longer.

Transfer the fillets to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Cracked Top Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1 stick unsalted butter

9 large eggs, separated

3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon

2 cups heavy cream, cold

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Raspberries as a topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.
Put the chocolate and butter into the top of a double boiler (or in a heatproof bowl) and heat over (but not touching) about 1 inch of simmering water until melted. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a mixing bowl until light yellow in color. Whisk a little of the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs – this will keep the eggs from scrambling from the heat of the chocolate; then whisk in the rest of the chocolate mixture.
Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form and fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared pan (spray the bottom with nonstick spray) and bake until the cake is set, the top starts to crack, and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then unmold.
While the cake is cooking, make the whipped cream. Whip the cream until it becomes light and fluffy. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and top with fresh raspberries.

5. Serve at room temperature with the whipped creaam.

Bellini Cocktail

Ingredients

4 medium ripe peaches (1 ½ pounds), plus a few peach slices for garnish if desired

1 bottle Prosecco, chilled

Instructions

First, make peach purée: Peel your peaches, slice them in half, and remove the pits. Place the halved peaches in a blender or food processor, and blend until the purée is completely smooth. Peach purée is best served chilled, so place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to cool.

When you’re ready to serve, pour 2 ounces (¼ cup) chilled peach purée into a Champagne flute. Pour in some chilled Prosecco, being careful not to overflow the glass. Gently stir with a spoon to combine.

Top off the drink with another splash of Prosecco and garnish with a peach slice, if desired. Serve at once!

TIPS:

How to Peel Fresh Peaches

Peeled peaches make the best peach purée.

Bring a pot of water to boil.
Slice a very shallow, inch-long “x” across the base of each peach.
Dunk each peach into the boiling water for about 20 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon or tongs. (Most will tell you to then dunk the peaches into an ice bath, but I didn’t find that necessary for these purposes.)
Peel off the skin, starting at the “x.” It comes off right off. Discard the skin, cut the peach in half, remove the pit, and make purée.

How to Make Bellinis with Frozen Peaches

The only other trick is to let your frozen peaches completely defrost before blending, or they won’t blend. You can defrost them at room temperature in three-and-a-half to four hours, or throw them into the refrigerator overnight.

One upside to using defrosted frozen peaches is that your peach purée will be chilled and ready to serve immediately after blending.