Home Cooking: Moules!

Living in Halifax how could I not make mussels - especially when they're $1.30 a pound!
The broth (stock) is made with tomato, red wine, carrot, parsley, onion, garlic, paprika and Chorizo sausage. The mussels only need to be cooked (lid on) until open, and I like to add a tablespoon of butter to make the mussels taste a bit more velvety.  Atop I made a garlic bread crostini.

Home Cooking: Naan Pizza

This is something I make all the time. While it takes about a half hour to make, the active prep time is closer to 5 minutes. All you need is naan (the store bought kind is ok - President Choice, but if you can use a legitimate Indian restaurants naan this will taste a million times better), caramelized onions (cook on low), brie cheese and apple (or pear). Put it in the oven on 350 until cheese starts to melt, finish it off for 2 minutes or so under the broiler. Garnish with herbs.

Home Cooking: Irish Stew

It was a bit of a blustery day here in Halifax, and lately, every time I go to the store I see "one pot" dinners and the like featured on food/ life style magazine covers. I decided to give my own version a whirl.

Whereas most Irish Stews call for a dark ale like Guiness, I tried a Canadian microbrew, La Vache Folle Milk Stout from Charlevoix, Quebec.  It made the stew creamy, and "full bodied", richer (higher alcohol content). It tasted really awesome and was a great way to experiment with local beers.

Home Cooking: Chorizo Gouda Dip Appetizer, Sausage and Squid

 My boyfriend is getting interested in cooking and decided to put his three favourite things together: smoked Gouda cheese, spicy Chorizo and Czechvar Premium Lager. First he used a double boiler to melt the cheese, slowly adding cream and beer and little chunks of sausage. It was served with multi-grain tortilla chips.

For the main event I made sausage with roasted red pepper and squid atop a spicy Chorizo, gnocchi (tossed with olive oil, lemon and Parmesan cheese), tomato, cucumber and cilantro salad.
If I were to make it again, I'd skip out on the tomato and cucumber portion, or do it with a chickpea salad instead of the gnocchi. Either way it was still yummy!