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Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes: 3X 500 ml. mason jars

1 lb. fresh green beans, stems removed
1.25 cups red wine vinegar
½ cup sugar
¾ cup cider vinegar
2 tbsp. mustard seeds
1 tbsp. black peppercorns
2 tsp. fennel seeds
2 ea. hot peppers, I used habaneros, pick your favourite based on how spicy you want them
6 ea. garlic cloves
6 sprigs fresh dill
2 ea. bay leaves
1 tbsp. salt

• Start by sterilizing your mason jars, using a clean pot, submerge your clean jars and their lids in water and bring to a simmer
• Once simmered, using clean tongs, carefully remove the jars from the water and drain, set aside on clean countertop, it’s VERY IMPORTANT to start with sterilized jars in order to preserve the pickles
• Bring a pot of water to a boil
• Blanch the beans in the water, 3 minutes, immediately drain, and chill in an ice bath
• Place the remaining ingredients in a pot and bring to a simmer
• While the marinade is coming to a simmer, stuff 2 sprigs of dill in each jar
• Then place the beans in the jars, packing them nice and tightly
• Once the marinade is hot and the sugar is dissolved carefully pour the marinade over the beans, distributing the garlic and spices evenly throughout the jars
• Carefully screw the top of the jars on, and then place in another pot of hot water, with the top of the lids completely immersed
• Bring the water to a boil, and boil 12-15 minutes, this will force the air out of the jars and seal them tight, until they are ready for your enjoyment!
• These will take about a week to start tasting good, but will peak at about the three month mark

Prep time:45 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes: 3X 500 ml. mason jars

1.5 lbs. fresh carrots (give or take!)
12 pc. slices of peeled ginger
1 tsp. chili flakes
1.5 cup white vinegar
1 cup cider vinegar
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp. kosher salt
1 ea. orange, peels only, no pith

• Start by sterilizing your mason jars, using a clean pot, submerge your clean jars and their lids in water and bring to a simmer
• Once simmered, using clean tongs, carefully remove the jars from the water and drain, set aside on clean countertop, it’s VERY IMPORTANT to start with sterilized jars in order to preserve the pickles
• Place a medium pot of water on, when boiling, blanch your carrots in the pot for 3-4 minutes, the intention is to only slightly soften the carrots
• Immediately drain the carrots and cool quickly in an ice water bath
• Place the remaining ingredients in another pot and bring to a simmer
• While the pickling marinade is coming to a simmer, place the carrots carefully into the jar, packing them quite full
• Once the marinade has come to a simmer and the sugar has dissolved, carefully pour the marinade over the carrots into the jar, distributing the ginger slices and orange peels between the jars
• Carefully screw the top of the jars on, and then place in another pot of hot water, with the top of the lids completely immersed
• Bring the water to a boil, and boil 12-15 minutes, this will force the air out of the jars and seal them tight, until they are ready for your enjoyment!
• These carrots will take about a month to be ready, but will really start to peak after about three months! I hope you can wait!

Feeds: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Degree of Difficulty: 1

In honour of this week’s article I have prepared a simple pasta dish that has become an easy favourite in our home and virtually anyone can put together. It is very versatile, and if you can master these few techniques, you can begin to prepare other simple pasta dishes. The only thing limiting what you create is your imagination.

1 lb. dry pasta, we like linguini or penne, but most any will do
4 ea. Italian sausage
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 ea. red pepper, chopped
1 ea. yellow pepper, chopped
1 ea. 28 oz. can, diced tomatoes
1 ea. 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup white wine
2 cups fresh spinach
1 tsp. chili flakes
3 tbsp. fresh chopped basil
1-2 tbsp. white sugar
TT fresh parmesan

• Place the raw sausages in a medium sauce pot and cover with cold water
• Place the pot on a stove and bring to a simmer
• Meanwhile, place another large pot of water on the stove for the pasta, salt well, about 1 tablespoon per litre of water, bring to a simmer
• Once the sausage water comes to a boil, allow to simmer 3-4 minutes
• Remove from heat and gently run under cool water until cool enough to touch
• Proceed to slice the sausages into coins, set aside
• Slice the peppers into thin strips, removing the seeds and stem, don’t worry too much about the size or shape, just try to keep them fairly consistent, trust me, your family will just be happy to not be eating another rubbery hamburger
• Heat a medium sauce pan to medium-high heat, add the sausage coins, and peppers
• Saute until the peppers soften up a little, 1-2 minutes, then add your minced garlic
• Add the can of tomato paste to the sausages and peppers and stir to combine
• Quickly deglaze (this just means to pour the liquid in and stir around, lightly scraping the bottom to remove any of the good caramelized bits) with the white wine, allow to cook for 1-2 minutes
• At this time, place your pasta in the pot of water and cook until firm, yet tender, or al dente, I highly recommend following the instructions on the package, as they will give you the best recommendations for their particular pasta, but typically it will range from 6-10 minutes. Stir periodically, and place your strainer in the sink to be prepared to quickly strain the pasta
• Add the tomatoes to the pasta sauce and allow to simmer 4-5 minutes
• Now it’s time to bring everything together! Finish the pasta sauce off by tossing in the spinach, chili flakes and fresh basil
• Allow the spinach to wilt by stirring it in, 1-2 minutes
• Meanwhile, strain the pasta, draining off all of the water, DO NOT RINSE WITH WATER!
• Taste the pasta sauce, if it’s quite tart, add a pinch of sugar, adjust the salt and pepper too, the more you do this, the better you will find you become at adjusting the seasoning
• Now you can either place the pasta right in the sauce, or you can place the pasta in the bowl and top it with sauce, either way won’t hurt!
• Top the pasta with some fresh parmesan, serve it with a big hunk of crusty bread and watch your family smile from ear to ear!

Once you learn this basic recipe and the skills required to prepare it, you can begin to experiment, take out the peppers and add mushrooms, change the sausage for chicken or prawns. Try different pasta combinations. The possibilities are endless and the reward of having your family together around the dinner table is unmatched!

Special Tools: 12 inch tart pan, rolling pin, cherry pitter (optional), food processor (optional)
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes

Pie Dough
2+ ¼ cups AP flour
2 tbsp. sugar
¾ tsp. salt
1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed
6 tbsp. cold water
1 tbsp. lemon juice

This recipe will prepare enough dough to comfortably line two 12 inch tart shells, but you can freeze the dough if necessary. Trust me though, when you taste this, you’ll want to make another one right away!

• Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and stir together
• Cut the butter into the dry ingredients by hand, using a pastry cutter, or using the food processor by slowly pulsing the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture begins to take on a pale yellow colour and becomes slightly mealy. Avoid overmixing!
• Stir the water and lemon juice together and then add it to the dough all at once, just until it comes together.
• Shape the dough into 2 discs and wrap in saran wrap and refrigerating for at least two hours before rolling, not to worry there is some work to do in the meantime!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Feeds: 6-8 as a side dish, goes great with fish!

1 lb. Swiss chard
2 tbsp. shallots, julienned
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. fresh chopped dill
1 ea. lemon, juice only
¼ cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup sour cream

• Roughly julienne the Swiss chard
• Heat a saute pan, add the olive oil
• Gently saute the shallots
• Deglaze with the white wine
• Allow to reduce down slightly, then add the cream and the sour cream
• Add the Swiss chard and allow to cook until tender, but not overcooked, 3-4 minutes
• Finish the dish with the lemon juice, fresh dill, and seasoning

Enjoy these two delectable dishes that make a great addition to just about any summer dinner!

1 lt. ketchup
½ pc. onions, coarsely chopped
½ pc. granny smith apple, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
2 oz. butter
1.5 oz. Jack Daniels
½ cup apple juice
3 tbsp. white vinegar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire
1.5 tbsp. Dijon
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cayenne
½ tbsp. dried oregano

I melted the butter in a pot, then lightly sautéed the apples, onions and garlic. Then I deglazed the pot with the Jack Daniels, followed by the apple juice. I allowed the juice to reduce by half, then added the remaining ingredients and allowed the pot to come to a simmer. I allowed the sauce to simmer slowly until the apples were tender. Then I gave it a quick puree and it was ready for smearing. If you’re making this at home be careful not burn, because it does contain a lot of sugar, between the ketchup, brown sugar and apple juice, so it can burn easily.

Once the ribs were fork tender I fired up the grill and gently pulled the ribs out the pan and on to the grill, generously brushing them with the sauce and allowing it to slowly cook into the meat, getting nicely caramelized. Then it was simply a matter of sauce, flip, repeat until they were sticky sweet BBQ’d ribs.

This recipe is definitely a little bit of work and requires some commitment to cooking. I couldn’t even tell you if it follows the Texas, Memphis, or Carolina style “Q”, but I can tell you that stack of ribs disappeared at Sunday dinner, and there was a whole lot of sticky fingers and smiling faces

4 racks pork ribs
6 tbsp. Spanish paprika
4 tbsp. garlic powder
4 tbsp. brown sugar
4 tbsp. dry mustard
12 tbsp. coarse sea salt
2 tbsp. cayenne pepper

Now that the ribs were rubbed, I let them rest at room temperature for an hour and took the time to set up my smoker. I use a Bradley smoker that I picked up online for less than $400 brand new. It’s the perfect size for home use, is reliable and stows away quite nicely. I let the unit heat up, with it cranked on high until it reached a temperature of about 240F. Then I dropped 4 pucks of hickory into the wood puck feeder. After about ten minutes the smoker had filled with smoke and it was time to get my ribs on the racks and in the smoker. I opened the vent slightly to allow for a small amount of the smoke to dissipate, so as not to overdo it. That’s the real challenge with smoking anything, finding the right balance. Not leaving the meat in for long enough, or allowing it smoke enough, and the flavour won’t come through at all. Too much smoking, for too long, and your meat will taste like you’re eating an ashtray, not to mention how dry it will be. My best suggestion for smoking anything is to scroll through the Bradley smoking websites and blogs. There are a lot of great tips and people willing to offer advice on how to prepare just about anything. The other piece of advice I can offer, in my small amount of experience, keep notes. Write down what steps you did, the time and temperature you cooked everything, and then adjust your steps the next time. Trial and error seems to be the best approach with this style of cooking.

After allowing my ribs to smoke for 2 hours and forty five minutes, at a temperature of about 220F, I removed them from the smoker, allowed them to cool slightly and wrapped them up.

2 cups apple juice

On the big day I placed the ribs on a wire rack, in a baking pan, and then placed the apple juice in the bottom of the pan. I covered the pan with aluminum foil and placed them in a preheated 250F oven for 3 hours.

The first step in the smoker was to develop flavour, but this second step is to help tenderize the tough ribs. If you were to take the ribs and put them right on the grill, they would be tough and chewy by the time the BBQ sauce was cooked on. Keep an eye on the ribs, checking them every 20 minutes or so, after the 2 hour mark. You want to be able to easily put a fork into the meat, but not cook them so long that the meat starts falling away from the bones.

While the ribs were braising it was time to prepare the BBQ sauce that I would smear the lovely racks with at grill time.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25-35 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean!)
Makes: 2 small bread loaves, or 12-16 slices

2 pc. bacon, sliced julienne
2 pc. jalapenos, fresh, seeds removed, sliced julienne
1 tbsp. cooking oil
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 ¾ cup milk
2 cups flour
1 ½ cup cornmeal
1 ½ tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 pc. eggs
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1. Preheat the oven to 375F
2. In a medium sauté pan, add the oil, bacon and jalapenos and sauté on medium high heat, until the bacon is cooked, but not crispy, set aside
3. In a large bowl, cream the raw butter and the sugar together
4. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and milk
5. In yet another bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt, and mix thoroughly
6. Slowly add part 3 & 4 to the creamed butter and sugar, alternating back and forth until combined
7. Fold in the bacon-jalapeno mixture and then the cheddar cheese
8. Grease two small bread pans, and then distribute the cornbread batter evenly between the two
9. Bake until the bread is nicely browned and a toothpick comes out cleanly, about 25-35 minutes

Enjoy this tasty halftime meal topped with some sour cream, cheddar, green onions, and dig in.

Makes 12-16 appetizers
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
¼ cup sugar
1 pc. orange, zest + juice
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
100 gr. triple crème brie (one small wheel)
3-4 pc. brioche buns
2 pc. eggs
½ cup milk
1 tsp. sugar

1. In a small pot combine, cranberries, sugar, orange juice and zest, ginger, and spices
2. Bring to a simmer on medium heat, allow to simmer 12-15 minutes, until cranberries break down, and the sauce reduces to a nice syrup, watch this one fairly closely, as it can burn because of the sugar
3. Set aside to cool slightly
   Up until this point everything can be prepared in advance
4. Preheat the oven to 425F
5. Combine the eggs, milk and sugar, and whisk until combined
6. Slice the brioche into ½” thick slices
7. Preheat a non-stick pan to medium heat
8. Dip the brioche slices into the egg mixture, allowing to soak slightly
9. Place in the non-stick pan, and toast on either side
10. Remove from pan, and place on a parchment line baking sheet
11. Top with a spoonful of the cranberry compote, and top with a small wedge of brie
12. Bake until the brie is soft and melted, 2-3 minutes

Serve, and enjoy these tasty bites of goodness!

Makes 4 martinis
Can be made in advance in a larger quantity, and served very chilled

1 cup oreo cookie crumbs
6 oz. crème de cacao
2 oz. dark rum
2 oz. vanilla vodka
2 cups homogenized milk
1 tsp. simple syrup (or sugar can be substituted)

Optional ‘snow’
4 pc. egg white
1 tbsp. sugar
Fresh mint & candy cane to garnish

1. Place the oreo cookie crumbs on a side plate
2. Lightly moisten the rim of your martini glasses under cold water, then rim your glasses with the crumbs
3. In a martini shaker, place a small scoop of ice, the alcohol, the milk, and the simple syrup, shake thoroughly, as you would a martini
4. Distribute the martini evenly between the glasses

Optional ‘snow’

1. Rinse the martini shaker thoroughly, then place the egg whites and sugar in the shaker
2. Whisk thoroughly with small electric bar whisk (AKA a milk frother, found at IKEA for less than $5)
3. Whisk the mixture to firm peaks to create ‘snow’
4. Top the martini with the ‘snow’, a candy cane, and some fresh mint

Enjoy responsibly!