Chef Kev returns with yet another palette pleasa! 2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate!? Picture me in a cheerlea… actually no. Strike that. No pictures please.

Except this one:

S-U-C-C-E-S-S, that’s the way we spell success! Okay. Done with random cheerleading dialogue now.

Butter Chicken

Chef Kev note and disclaimer:

Note: The key to a good butter chicken is have it thick and creamy.

Avoid the “sauce soup snaffo”. Bad. Like fall-off-the-top-of-a-cheerleading-pyramid BAD. Okay, seriously, done now. Promise.

The disclaimer is as follows. Chef Kev wanted me to mention that this dish is “nothing too fancy” (speak for himself!) since he’s not making his own spice blend, but that the great thing about this meal is that it’s a wonderful “come home from work option” that tastes like a million bucks and is quick and easy to make.

There are many different butter chicken seasonings available in the stores. The one that Chef Kev used here comes with a chicken marinade as well as the sauce seasoning. This one had some good heat. Some seriously good heat. Like the kind that melts my laptop screen as I type my blog. If you like ’em milder then look for that option. Here are two of Chef Kev’s faves. I bet you can’t guess which one he used for this dish.

Because he’s a rebel, Chef Kev doesn’t really follow the package instructions. What he does instead is outlined below. He has come up with (through trial and error) the closest match to what he enjoys in a fine Indian restaurant. Lucky me!

First off you make a pot of rice. I think you all know how to do that but if not here is how…
step one: type “www.google.com”
step two: enter “rice”
step three: hit return
Umm, I shouldn’t joke because that’s kinda how I make rice. But this is about Chef Kev so back to that. He recommends adding chicken stock or water (the chicken stock adds more flavour). Also add a bit of butter to the water. It prevents sticking and adds some flavour too.

If your Butter Chicken mix comes with a marinade do that step now. Cube your chicken before marinating.

Dice a white onion and let it sweat (soften) in a sauce pan with butter. Did anyone else just chuckle at the thought of sweatin’ onions? I digress… Once your schweaty onions are ready add your marinated chicken. Cook until the chicken is half done and then add one can of tomatoe sauce (not paste or ketchup) and your seasoning. Then add some coconut milk or water and heavy cream. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes and add salt to taste.

Just before serving add chopped fresh cilantro, basil and chive. Serve to wife and reap accolades.

Lovin’ the Chef? Check out all his tasty creations here.

Chef Kev is! Okay, so maybe he isn’t technically gnocching at the door since he lives here but it makes a funny headline no?

As I’ve been working at sprucing up the deck, Chef Kev has been busy in the kitchen (as per usual) and came up with another stellar masterpiece (which, I might add, we enjoyed on said deck). Yummy times.

Here’s how he did it:

Chicken Mushroom Gnocchi

The key to this dish is to introduce earthy tastes (thyme, sage, mushroom) to compliment the gnocchi.

For this yummy creation you’ll want to time your two main ingredients (gnocchi and chicken) so that they finish cooking at around the same time – so do a bit of math first. Did I mention Chef Kev is also a Certified General Accountant? I’m just glad that I’m a designer and only in charge of making things look pretty. I’m not a fan of pop quizzes. Anyway….

Gnocchi: Purchase some gnocchi at the store (ours was the ‘Italissima’ brand) and prepare according to package instructions. Chef Kev note: he wants to attempt to make his own some day (and you SO know I’m gonna blog about that) but for now, this brand makes a great quick yummy gnocchi. 

Chicken: In a sauce pan melt some butter and little olive oil on medium heat. Once melted add: two diced  shallots, a clove (or two) of minced garlic and cubed chicken breast. Next, add the following herbs WHOLE (for flavour purposes while cooking): a couple of fresh sprigs of rosemary, a couple sprigs of fresh thyme and a few sage leaves. Add some sliced mushrooms. Once chicken is almost fully cooked remove the whole herbs and add some chicken stock (enough to deglaze while still keeping the chicken moist). Once that has cooked down a bit add some heavy cream. Add salt and pepper and some dried thyme Chef Kev note: taste along the way to test your seasoning level and adjust accordingly. Let this reduce down until desired thickness (feel free to add corn starch or flour to help this process). Turn pan off when done and let sit.

Once your gnocchi is done, have another sauce pan ready with melted butter and olive oil (on medium high heat). Add gnocchi to pan and fry for a few minutes until it has a bit of texture on the outside. Add gnocchi to chicken mixture pan and combine.

Serve in a bowl and finish with freshly chopped chive. Salt and pepper to taste (if desired).

Tomatoe Bocconcini Salad (with a maple twist)

This is a great casual summer salad. The large chunky pieces add to this feeling of laid back dining.

In a bowl add mixed baby greens, grape and/or cherry tomatoes (cut in half), one minced shallot, some peeled and chopped english cucumber and of course, Bocconcini! It does not matter what size Bocconcini but Chef Kev used ‘cherry size’ for this dish.

To make the vinaigrette combine: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Add in quantities to your liking of acidity and taste.

You’re almost done – add to salad and toss.! Don’t over dress, no one likes a salad that comes too dressed for a casual dinner party.

Enjoy!

And if you take a sip of wine for every time I said gnocchi then you’ll really be having a good time.

My chef husband has been at it again. Another great dinner. Another satisfied customer wife.

Tonight on the menu we had an amazing Grilled Salmon with Goat Cheese paired with an awesome Southwest Quinoa Salad.

Here’s how he did it…

Grilled Salmon with Goat Cheese

Prepare your salmon fillets by dusting each side with seafood seasoning (Chef Kev prefers Old Bay seasoning) and salt and pepper. Next you take some roasted garlic goat cheese and mix it with chopped fresh dill. Spread a layer of your goat cheese mix on top of your salmon and sprinkle it with brown sugar.

To cook, place on a BBQ heated to medium high. Place salmon on the grill with the goat cheese side up. Cook on direct heat for a few minutes until the underside has a grilling seal on bottom. Turn off direct heat and finish cooking with indirect heat inside the BBQ.  Cook until desired doneness and the brown sugar has caramalized. Plate and finish with fresh squeezed lemon and salt and pepper.

So was it good? D.E.L.I.S.H!

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Cook the quinoa according the the package instructions. For ours it was 1/2 cup quinoa to 1 cup stock or water. Chef Kev recomends chicken stock as it adds great flavour. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes and then simmer on low for 15 minutes. Once cooked the quinoa is light and fluffy. Cool in a bowl placed inside another bowl filled with ice water. Let stand.

Add to the quinoa: one can of rinsed black beans, one can of rinsed sweet corn (or one cob grilled corn kernels). Chopped fresh cilantro, minced shallot, minced jalepeno and diced yellow peppers.

For the vinaigrette Chef Kev mixed olive oil, sesame oil, white wine vinegar, fresh squeezed lime. red pepper flakes and honey. Toss salad with vinaigrette and add salt and pepper to season.

Another winner. Chef Kev I thank you.

And another win – both salmon and quinoa are ridiculously healthy for you.

Great. Now I’m hungry.