HAPPY THANKSGIVING

It's the autumn season, the time of year that grocery stores are filled with harvest vegetables & turkeys. For Thanksgiving this year, I decided to do something different other than the classic turkey with bread stuffing, boring cranberry sauce from a can, or predictable mashed potatoes. For the bakers & chefs in the household, preparing a whole turkey with four sides, two sauces, & two desserts for family & friends can be very overwhelming. I wanted to keep it simple & sophisticated.

I chose to serve a beef roast with a tart cranberry sauce. It's all about time management & with almost all my dishes being baked, it made my Thanksgiving a breeze.

I chose to highlight the quality ingredients such as crisp green beans & sharp aged cheddar with a touch of flavourful herbs. Push aside mother's old recipe box & try new age traditional recipes with a modern unconventional twist.

ROSEMARY ROAST BEEF

1 beef sirloin roast

2 tbsp chopped rosemary

1 tbsp crushed peppercorns

1 tbsp crushed garlic flakes

1 tsp salt

Remove roast from packaging. In a bowl combine crushed peppercorns, rosemary, garlic flakes, & salt. Rub over beef sirloin roast.

Place roast in a shallow roasting pan at 400 degrees. For a medium rare 50-60 mins, pop up medium 60 to 70 minutes, or well done 70 to 80 mins.

Remove roast, cover with aluminum foil & let it rest for 30 mins before slicing to seal in all the juices. Do not clean the roasting pan.

THYME GRAVY

beef drippings in pot

splash of white wine

1/2 cup beef broth

2 beef bouillon cube

1 tbsp thyme leaves

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp butter

Remove any burnt pieces in pan. Keep the heat on medium & deglaze the pan with a generous splash of white wine.

Create a rue by adding butter & flour to the pot. (This will make your gravy, soup, or stew thick versus watery). Use a whisk to remove any lumps.

Add beef broth, beef bouillon cube, & thyme leaves. Whisk & let simmer until the gravy becomes thick.

POTATO, CHEDDAR, & SCALLION FAN

1 large yukon gold potato

3 tbsp aged cheddar

2 tbsp chopped scallions

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Wash potato. Do not peel. Using a sharp knife, make slices across the potato the short way about 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart but do not go all the way through to the bottom of the potato. The slices should stay connected at the bottom.

Drizzle with olive oil & bake at 400 degrees for 50-55 mins. Remove from oven, add cheese in between potato layers & broil for 5 mins until cheese is brown.

Sprinkle with chopped cilantro & chopped scallions before serving.

LEMON, TOASTED ALMONDS & PARMESAN GREEN BEANS

2 cups green beans

1/2 lemon

2 tbsp sliced almonds

2 tbsp grated parmesan

Fill a pot with water & bring to a boil. In another bowl, add cold water & ice cubes. Toss the green beans into the boiling water, drain, & immediately toss into the ice water, then drain again. This is called blanching & stops the cooking process so your beans stay crisp.

Place in sheet tray with sliced almonds & bake for 10 mins.

Squeeze lemon juice & sprinkle grated parmesan right before serving.

PLUM-CRANBERRY SAUCE

1 large plum

1 cup fresh cranberries

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp bourbon

In a pot, add thinly sliced plums & bourbon. Then add water, sugar, & cranberries. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & let cranberries simmer until it forms a thick sauce consistency.

ORANGE-CRANBERRY BASIL COCKTAIL

vodka

cointreau

1 tsp sugar

3 cranberries

3 basil leaves

1 slice orange

Make according to taste. Garnish with orange slice, cranberries, & basil leaves.

APPLE LEAF TART

1 pie crust

1 gala apple

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

Thinly slice apple. Toss with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, & allspice. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 mins.

Roll out pie crust. Using a paring knife, cut dough into leaf shape. Arrange apple slices layered over one another outlined by the leaf shape.

Put back into oven for 10 mins, then broil on low heat for 5 mins.

Serve with strawberries & vanilla ice cream.

XO 

Kiran & THE BLANK PLATE

CHUNKY TOMATO-BASIL SOUP & GRILLED CHEESE SKEWER

CHUNKY TOMATO-BASIL SOUP & GRILLED CHEESE SKEWER

Slightly sweet tomato soup & a salty grilled cheese sandwich go hand in hand. This classic comfort combination has always been delicious, but personally I like my grilled cheese crispy right before I dip it & bite, rather than getting soggy laying in the soup. So I decided to come up with a creative way to reinvent the plating technique. A long skewer was perfect, no need to get your hands dirty, bite size crispy sandwich pieces over homemade chunky tomato-basil soup. 

INGREDIENTS

4 large tomatoes

1 onion

1 carrot

1 clove garlic

1 small bunch of fresh basil

250 ml canned tomatoes

100 ml chicken broth (preferably homemade)

1 beef bouillon cube

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 slices of multigrain bread

1 skewer

1 slice aged cheddar cheese

1 tsp butter

sea salt

METHOD

Slice onion, carrot, tomatoes, & garlic into large pieces. No need to peel carrot. 

Saute onions, carrots, & garlic with olive oil.  Toss in tomatoes, stir for 30 seconds, & pour in chicken broth. Then add canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, & let pot cool. 

Pour contents into blender, top with basil leaves & blend until smooth. Pour back into pot, add beef bouillon cube & dried rosemary. Simmer & stir to keep warm. 

In the meantime, spread butter over one side of each slice of bread. Grill in pan, put aged cheddar cheese in between slices & sprinkle with sea salt. Cut diagonally in an X formation to make triangles. 

Pour soup into bowl, top with sea salt & freshly ground black pepper. Skewer grilled cheese triangles & lay over bowl. Garnish with basil. 

XO

Kiran & THE BLANK PLATE

ROSEMARY CHICKEN & WAFFLES WITH A BACON SYRUP

ROSEMARY CHICKEN & WAFFLES WITH A BACON SYRUP

I love sweet and salty combinations. The classic breakfast of chicken & waffles is typically made with battered-then-fried chicken atop a white flour waffle.  For a healthy twist, I used baked crispy chicken and grain & oatmeal waffles.

For an added twist, I made a bacon & ranch spicy syrup to keep up with the theme of fried chicken served with ranch dressing & hot sauce.

INGREDIENTS

Chicken:

2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless optional)

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs

2 tbsp wheatgerm or breadcrumbs

1 tbsp chopped rosemary (fresh or dried)

1/2 tbsp paprika

1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 chopped scallion to garnish

Waffle:

1 egg

1/3 12 grain flour or whole wheat flour

1/3 cup oatmeal muffin mix

splash of milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

Bacon Syrup:

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp chopped cooked bacon

2 tbsp hot sauce

2 tbsp ranch dressing

METHOD

Cut chicken breasts into two.

In a bowl, add maple syrup.

In a deep plate, add wheatgerm or breadcrumbs, panko breadcrumbs, chopped rosemary, paprika, black pepper, & salt.

First dip the chicken into maple syrup, then into the breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet & bake at 350 degrees for 40 mins. Flip half way. While your chicken is baking, make your waffles.

Bake one strip of bacon with the chicken, Cook until crispy, chop, & set aside.

In a bowl, combine one egg, 12 grain or whole wheat flour, oatmeal muffin mix, milk, vanilla extract, & salt. Whisk until smooth.

Spray waffle iron with non stick cooking spray, both sides. Pour batter into centre or waffle iron & close. Cook for up to 3 mins, open waffle iron & let waffle sit for 1 minute.

Combine maple syrup, ranch dressing & hot sauce in a bowl. Add chopped bacon.

Plate chicken on top of waffles, garnish with chopped scallions, & top with bacon syrup.

XO 

Kiran & THE BLANK PLATE