a twist on a classic.

Looking for a quick and tasty dinner? You've come to the right place! When Joe and I are too lazy to whip up anything too labour intensive for dinner...grilled cheese is always an acceptable go-to. When Kraft Singles on Wonder Bread dipped in ketchup just won't do, we always look in our fridge for inspiration. We'll try anything! Brie with sliced pears, Oka and hot pepper jelly, a little pesto added to a classic...it's all good! 

A little visit to our Canadian-Korean friends the Jeung's this past summer inspired our latest creation. Not only do these two lovebird's create the most beautiful babies I've ever seen, they also create the most amazing Korean food I've ever tasted. Beef jjigae wrapped in sesame leaves with rice and hot pepper paste and this amazing seaweed salad...and the soup! Ahhh...I'm tempted to drop the 2 G's right now and fly to Seoul, just so they can cook for me again...and of course to get some snuggle time in with Miss Ara.

After this blissful experience, we were hooked on the umami flavour of Kimchi and headed to our local Korean food market to pick up a tub. At first we were a little unsure of how we were ever going to use up this rather large container of fermented cabbage, but after doing a bit of googling, discovered it was a pretty versatile condiment. Hence...the creation of the "So-Ko Melt" (South Korean Melt for those slightly puzzled). Joe was a little apprehensive at first, understandably so after the epic fail of my Kimchi quesadillas, but now requests these cheesy melts on a regular basis. 

 
So-Ko Melt
(Makes 1 Sandwich)

- (2) slices of bread of your choice
- enough sliced cheese to top two pieces of bread (I used white cheddar, but anything would work!)
- Kimchi
- (1/2) an avocado, sliced
- a handful of baby spinach


I like to prepare the sandwich in the pan before turning up the heat...it gives you a few extra minutes to perfect your sandwich without burning the bottom.

Butter one side of both slices of bread and lay one slice down in a frying pan, buttered side down. Top with half of the sliced cheese. Evenly layer as much Kimchi as you like on top of the cheese.

 

Slice avocado and layer on top of the Kimchi. Follow with a handful of spinach. Lastly, add another layer of cheese on top of the spinach and top with second slice of bread, buttered side up. I like to add this second layer of cheese so that the bread has something to stick too and the sandwich stays together better.

Turn on your stove to medium heat. Cook for a few minutes on each side, allowing the cheese to melt while keeping an eye not to burn the bottom. Squish down your sandwich using a spatula as you go to make sure it all melts together. Cut in half and serve. Enjoy!

super burgers.

While I generally like to blog about the food when I'm posting a new recipe, this time I must blog about the company. My cousin Ashley has been a big fan of my cooking from a very young age. My biggest fan if I dare say. Ash used to come to our house every morning to catch the bus before school, and I believe she may have the keenest sense of smell known to mankind. Ash would be sitting watching TV in the basement as we all got ready for school, and I swear the instant the Pilsbury cinnamon buns were popped in the oven, Ash would appear.
She has always been a lover of good food, and I think I often use it to my advantage. It will be Monday night, the Bachelor is about to start (don't judge), and I'll message Ash to come watch it with me (because it's never as fun to watch alone). In typical fashion, Ash will give me some excuse about being tired from a hard day at work. While I could try to entice her with the best seat in the house, or just the sheer pleasure of my company, I know that food really is the way into Ash's heart. A quick mention of the chocolate chip cookies or banana bread that's in the oven and Ash is surprisingly not so tired anymore.
While the mention of my homemade hamburgers didn't quite have the same impact as say a brownie would, Ash was still down for the sampling. These burgers are a spin on a recipe from Anna Olsen. The combination of both the ground beef and pork together keep these burgers so juicy. I love to mix it up with burgers by using different cheese and toppings. If you're feeling adventurous, top the burger with some blue cheese, Oka or brie, and with the toppings, the sky is the limit. If you're more like my cousin Ash, cheddar and ketchup work just fine too :) Love you Ash!!

Super Burgers
(Makes ~10 -12 burgers)

- (1) lb. of lean ground beef
- (1) lb. of ground pork
- (1/2) cup of breadcrumbs (preferably seasoned)
- (1) large egg
- (1/2) cup of minced onion
- (1) clove of garlic, minced
- (1) tbsp chopped fresh oregano, or (1) tsp dried oregano
- (2) tbsps finely chopped sundried tomato
- (1) tbsp salt
- Cheese of your choice

Add ground beef and pork into a bowl and mix together using your hands.

Add in the rest of the ingredients and continue to mix with your hands until everything is fully incorporated. A couple things to note. First off, my onions could have been minced a little more :). Secondly, if you have access to fresh herbs, they definitely are the best, however; if not, dried herbs work just fine. I used half fresh oregano (which actually ended up being thai oregano) in mine, and half fresh basil and it tasted great! Don't be afraid to try out whatever fresh herbs you have at home...within reason :).

Once the ingredients are all combined, form into a big ball or rectangle and divide into equal portions depending on how many burgers you'd like. I ended up making 10 burgers and they were a decent size, so if you prefer smaller burgers, divide the meat into 12 portions.

Now, form the portions into burger patties. I would suggest making them a tad thinner than mine as there is relatively little fat in these burgers so they don't shrink in size.

Barbeque burgers for approximately 5 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Add cheese near the end and allow to melt.

Top burger with whatever toppings you like and enjoy! My personal favourites are bacon, avocado, and tzatziki!

salad super stars.

I've recently been wanting to expand my cookbook repertoire to bring in some new and exciting recipes, but it's always hard to judge a book by it's cover. Some recipes LOOK amazing, but when you scroll through the ingredients, it's hard to imagine them ever tasting good together. Take for example the Kraft "What's Cooking" magazine that comes in the mail every so often. Don't get me wrong...I love getting this magazine, and may or may not take any family member down just to be the first to read it. But some of their recipes just confuse me. Par example...(Please note this is NOT my recipe)...

One-Pot Saucy Meatball Pasta

1 pkg. (225 g) Kraft Dinner Macaroni and Cheese

12 frozen prepared meatballs (1 inch)

1-1/2 cups pasta sauce

1/4 cup (1/4 of 250-g tub) Philadelphia Herb & Garlic Cream Cheese

Really?!? It may in the end be semi-tolerable, but I think you'd need a crane to lift me off my chair after I ate it. Not generally the feeling I like to have after a nice meal.

So...back to my point. I'm looking for new recipes...the best of the best. Something you'd make when you're fanciest friends come over, or when you're trying to impress your in-laws, or you're craving your all-time favourite...or just something really simple but oh-so-good! So send them in! Email your best recipe to pinkpeppercorn@hotmail.ca, and we'll start sharing some of our favourites! If you've got a little story about your recipe, send that along too!

Our first "guest chefs" come to us from Peterborough, Ontario. My Uncle Doug and Tante Niet. They are the salad gurus! I am always amazed at their salads...all the chopping...the tiny cut up veggies...and the flavour! This recipe is no exception. My aunt and uncle brought this salad to Easter dinner this year, and I must admit...I've made it a few times since. It's SOOOOO good! I told them right away I'd have to feature it on the blog, so here it is! Enjoy!



Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad
                     (Serves 6)

- (1) 19 oz. can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
- (1) 12 oz. can of corn niblets (rinsed and drained)
- (1) cup of cherry, grape or cocktail tomatoes, halved or quartered
- (1/2) red onion, diced
- (1/4) cup of chopped cilantro
- (2) avocados, cut into larger chunks

Dressing
- (3) tbsp. olive oil
- (1) tbsp. rice vinegar (white vinegar works too)
- (1) tsp. cumin
- (1) tsp. chili powder
- (1/4) tsp. salt
- (1/4) tsp. pepper

Rinse and drain both the black beans and the corn and empty into a medium sized bowl. 

 

Cut tomatoes into halves or quarters depending on their size. If you are using cocktail tomatoes or larger cherry or grape tomatoes, cut them into quarters, otherwise halves are fine. Add to the bowl. 

Dice the red onion into smaller pieces and add into the bowl. 

Chop cilantro quite finely and mix into other ingredients. Leave out the avocado until right before you serve it as it tends to become mushy.

Prepare the dressing by mixing all ingredients together. Pour the dressing over the rest of the salad and stir gently to combine. At this point you can cover the salad and refrigerate it until you're ready to serve. If you make this ahead of time, it will give all the flavours a chance to soak in.

Right before you serve the salad, add the diced avocado, stir and serve.

mexico on my mind.

This morning I woke up with Mexico on my mind. It seems like many things in my life have been centering around this beautiful country lately, and I'm wondering whether to take it as a sign that I need to return (hint, hint Joe!). Maybe it's like LOST and the island is calling me back...I guess I just officially "outted" myself as a nerdy LOST junkie...oh boy :).

My first trip to Mexico, or to anywhere tropical for that matter, was about six months ago. Joe and I went to Riviera Maya for our honeymoon, and as soon as we arrived at our resort I turned to Joe and told him that he had officially ruined me for good. An all-inclusive, 5-star hotel with like 10 pools, 5 swim-up bars, 24-hour room service that would deliver chicken wings to our door-step at any time of the day, and MARGARITAS...and Banana Mamas...and Daquiris...and Pina Coladas...
Where was I? Right. Mexico. While I'm sure a number of you are probably thinking that an all-inclusive resort is actually a pretty skewed representation of what Mexico is really like, the Valentin Imperial will always be Mexico to me :).

This past weekend we hosted a dinner party at our house, and the theme was (not even chosen by me)...Mexican. My sister called me yesterday to tell me that she was leaving on vacation this morning to...Mexico. I looked at the calendar this morning and guess what holiday is in two days...Cinco de Mayo! Oh...and avocado's were on sale for 99 cents this week at the grocery store...if that's not coincidence, then I don't know what is!

This recipe is a very simple spin on a chicken soup. It's sooo fresh tasting and has a TON of flavour! If you like things a little spicy...double or even triple the amount of hot sauce. Make sure to check out the Margarita recipe at the bottom too, because happy hour isn't just for weekends...right?



Mexican Chicken and Lime Soup

- (2) tsp. extra virgin olive oil
- (1) medium onion, chopped
- (2-3) cloves of garlic, minced
- (1) large boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
- (6) cups of chicken stock
- (1) medium tomato, seeded and diced
- (1/2) cup of ripe diced avocado
- (2) tbsp. lime juice
- (1/2) tsp. hot sauce (or more if you like)
- (1/4) cup of coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- a dash of pepper

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium to low heat. Add onion and garlic, stirring for about 3 to 5 minutes or until softened. 

 

Add stock and bring to a boil.

Stir in chicken and reduce heat to low. Simmer very gently, partially covered for 10 minutes. 

Just before serving, stir in tomato, avocado, lime juice, hot sauce and cilantro. 

Season with pepper and serve immediately.

A little extra...

The Classic Margarita

- (1 1/2) oz. Tequilla
- (1 1/2) oz. Triple Sec
- (1) oz. fresh lime juice

Shake ingredients together and serve over ice in a salt-rimmed glass. Garnish with a lime and enjoy!