Tomatillo Salsa

I really wanted to try these "tomatillo" things. Are they like a tomato? They looked like one but what is with the papery outer skin and sticky inner skin? They are a Mexican thing for sure. Kinda weird. Seriously though.........I'm so glad I tried them! They are like a burst of summer freshness in your mouth! They have a fantastic citrus-like flavour and mixed with a few other interesting peppers from the farmers market, some garlic and cilantro (among other things) it was the perfect topper for grilled pork chops or any other type of grilled meat or seafood would work beautifully. Try to get a mix of different coloured peppers if you can.

Tomatillo Salsa
2 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
One or two small hot peppers of your choosing (depending on how spicy you like it)
One small regular sweet pepper
A few cherry tomatoes 
2 green onions
One small bunch of cilantro
One clove of garlic
A big pinch of salt
a squeeze of lemon or lime juice

Be prepared for a lot of chopping! Get a big cutting board and roughly chop everything. Start chopping everything together on the cutting board into finer and finer pieces until everything is blended and finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and add the salt and lemon or lime juice. Save a few slices of tomatillo for a garnish if you like.

*Side note* Cumin is a great spice to compliment this salsa! Rub some on your meat of choice with the salt and pepper and oil before you grill it! Top with the tomatillo slices and the salsa.

We tried this really fruity Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia for this dinner. I was really surprised with it. It wasn't too oaky or tannic but it had a wonderful hint of vanilla aroma. It was not too dry either. Definitely a little bit on the sweeter side of a traditional Cab Sav. Juicy and delicious with our grilled pork chops and tomatillo salsa!

Smashed Peas on Toast

This is a great way to celebrate delicious fresh peas from your garden or from the farmers market. No you can't use frozen ones. That would totally miss the point. These are a delicious snack or appetizer for when company comes or if your like me, Just because! If you have a mortar and pestle, that would be the best way to make this but a food processor works in a pinch.

GET yourself some fresh peas in the pod and shell them (or get someone else to do it for you like I did!). You need about a half pound or so for 9 toasts. Add them to a food processor or mortar and pestle with a small handful of mint, a pinch of salt and a few tablespoons of shredded Parmesan cheese, Pulse or smash until you get a course paste, add olive oil until it smooths out and then add the juice from half a lemon (or more if you like).
DRIZZLE some slices of baguette or sourdough bread with olive oil and toast in the oven under the broiler or in a griddle pan until nicely browned.
CUT a clove of garlic in half and rub cut side all over the toasted bread.
TOP with the smashed peas and drizzle with more oilve oil and some more shredded Parmesan! Garnish with a little mint and if you have them, fresh pea shoots! Beautiful and delicious!

*This paste would also work well for a piece of grilled fish or mixed with cooked pasta*

CasaVino Wine Bar

So I got a second job at this AMAZING wine bar in Radium Hot Springs B.C. one night a week. The last time I was a server was when I was 15 and I got fired from that place and even though it's been 10 years,  I was a little nervous going into it! Luckily it was a relatively slow night so it was just the right pace to learn without getting overwhelmed. It went pretty well I think. Not counting the broken plate, in front of EVERYONE... woops.... Get a tray next time Holly.... Anyway it was such a fun time it didn't even feel like work. More importantly though it's a chance for me to really start to learn more about wine. It's a great atmosphere and I met some really nice people that gave me lots of encouragement. All the food is soooo good too so if your in the area you should definitely stop by for a glass or two! I'm there Thursday nights! Anyway I am exhausted so I will try and do some blogging tomorrow. I have a few awesome ingredients I want to experiment with so stay tuned for that......Goodnight!

Super Simple Tomato Sauce

This came about for lunch yesterday. I wasn't feeling too good and needed a big filling meal to settle my stomach. My little sister opened a can of tomatoes last night just for the juice to make herself another caesar....so the next morning I thought well I might as well use them to make a delicious tomato sauce for lunch! It really hit the spot and I felt soooo much better after a bowlful and a little nap........

This is a very versatile sauce. You can use it for lasagna or chicken parmesan or as a base for a delicious tomato soup. If you want you can add mushrooms or peppers to make it more interesting or, if your my husband, ground beef. In his opinion, it's much better with ground beef...... To each their own!

What you need
Half a large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
one stalk of celery, finely chopped
a pinch of chili flakes(optional)
1 tsp each of dried or fresh basil, oregano and thyme
One 28 oz can of whole tomatoes (with or without juice!)*
One small can of tomato paste
A pinch of sugar or 1/2 tsp or so of honey (to balance out the acidic tomatoes)
A splash of red wine vinegar or sherry
Salt and pepper to taste
A bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

SAUTE onion and celery until softened then add garlic and herbs. Saute one minute more then add tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer and using a potato masher, mash up all the tomatoes so you have a uniformly chunky sauce. Add  sugar and red wine vinegar or sherry. Add chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Serve over your favorite noodle! I like this little Fusilli pasta because it holds all the little bits of sauce and tomato really well. Rotini or shell pasta would be good too.
*If you used the juice with your tomatoes then simmer the sauce longer to make it a little thicker.

Zucchini Carbonara

This is a recipe from my all time favorite chef, Jamie Oliver. I love that man. I know my husband doesn't read my blog so I'm not worried about him knowing that. He probably already does though...... Anyway It's not only his rustic, homey cooking style that I love so much but his food philosophy too. He is my inspiration and a wonderful advocate for REAL food. I am trying to slowly cook my way through his new book which is AMAZING. Anyway enough about Jamie.... I adapted this slightly because I had a few other ingredients in the fridge I wanted to use up and I used the last of the speck I had in here too but the sauce is the same. I encourage you to check out your local farmers market to try to find some wonderful green and yellow zucchini's to make it a little more interesting. The sauce is delicious, creamy and super easy as long as you remember to take the pan off the heat for a bit before you add it!

What you need for 2 people
1/2 a pound of penne pasta
3 medium zucchini cut into pieces about the same size as the penne.
*optional* Any other soft veggies that you have in the fridge like tomatoes, mushrooms or peppers
6 or so slices of speck, pancetta or bacon, cut into chunky pieces
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup of whipping cream
A handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
chopped fresh parsley or basil or thyme

FILL a large pot of water on the stove and add a generous amount of salt.
WHILE your waiting for the water to boil slice up your zucchini and other veggies if you are using them.
ADD your pasta to the pot and set for the recommended time.
IN a small bowl combine the egg yolks, cream and half of your handful of Parmesan cheese. Mix together with a fork and season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
HEAT a large deep frying pan or saute pan on medium heat and add a little olive oil. When oil is hot add the speck, pancetta or bacon and fry until it is golden brown and starting to crisp. Add zucchini and other optional veggies plus the chopped fresh herbs and stir to coat the veggies in the lovely bacon flavoured oil. Fry until zucchini start to turn slightly golden brown. Add a couple good pinches of pepper to give it a little kick.

WHEN the pasta is cooked, drain it but reserve a ladleful or so of the pasta water. Quickly toss the drained pasta in the pan with the veggies then REMOVE FROM THE HEAT (or your egg yolks will scramble!) and add the ladleful of pasta water and the creamy sauce. Stir together quickly and add the rest of the Parmesan cheese. Serve right away or the sauce will start to get thick. You can add more pasta water if needed.

Fubuki Sushi Invermere

Amazing food! Tried eel for the first time OMG delicious! So many great types of sushi. Amazing soup and about to partake in some banana tempura. Yum! You must come here!