Frog Tales

4 - 6 tilapia fillets 3 cloves garlic minced 6 fresh basil leaves chopped finely 4 fresh oregano leaves chopped finely 1/2 cup white wine 1 tsp caribbean fish spice (or blackening spice) 2 sundried tomato pieces chopped finely salt and fresh ground black pepper olive oil to coat the dish Preheat oven to 425.  Coat the inside of an oven proof dish with olive oil.  Place fish in the dish (ha ha that rhymes), add white wine, sprinkle with garlic, herbs and spices.  Cover the dish with tin foil or lid and place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or till the fish is flaky. Serve over rice pilaf with corn on the side.

This started out as an indonesian meal of beef served with a pickled cucumber salad, but we added Naan bread and Patak's Tikka Masala sauce as side dishes.  The beef was incredible when dipped in the Tikka Masala, and Sasha says it's now his second favorite dipping sauce after Tzatziki!!! Beef with Pickled Cucumber Salad Ingredients 1/4 cup cashews 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 2 shallots, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped 1 tablespoon sambal oelek or other Asian chili paste 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 4 8 oz beef steaks Vegetable oil, for grilling Directions 1. In a small heavy skillet, combine the cashews and coriander seeds and place over medium heat. Cook, shaking the skillet frequently, until the cashews are lightly browned and the coriander is fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. 2. In a food processor, combine the toasted cashews, coriander, shallots, garlic, ginger, sambal, fish s...

This is an amazing dry rub that you can use on pork chops, pork loin, ribs (then smoked), or chicken.  Last night we had it on pork chops with Steve's Mango Chutney, spicy broccoli and saffron rice. Dry Rub BBQ Seasoning 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika 2 tablespoons kosher salt or sea salt 2 tablespoons granulated garlic 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon raw sugar 1 tablespoon ancho (or any smoked) chili powder 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 teaspoon blackening spice (or cayenne) 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried thyme Mix everything together in a small bowl.  Store in a glass jar with an airtight seal.  Use on pork or chicken, the longer you let it marinate the better.

I have an aversion to bland meat sauce seasoned with green peppers (I think this is from the time I spent in the dorms at UVic).  So over the years, I have tweaked this recipe and I am pretty satisfied with this version.  The italian sausage and fresh basil add a deep, rich flavour to this dish. Ingredients 2 pkgs ground italian sausage (hot or mild) 6 cloves garlic minced 1 red onion chopped 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped finely 1 tsp fresh thyme 6 fresh oregano leaves chopped finely 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes 1 can tomato paste 1 jar of spagetti sauce (any variety) s & p to taste pasta cooked in well salted water fresh grated parmesan Directions Saute sausage, garlic and onion till meat is browned.  Add herbs, tomatoes, paste, sauce and s & p.  Let simmer for at least 1 hour. Serve over pasta and top with grated parmesan.

FROG BURGERS This recipe came about after a pre workout discussion with Natalie at the gym.  We were discussing various herbs and specifically rosemary.  After the workout I headed to the store (a bad place to be when you are super hungry) and I started to create this recipe in my head.  Initially I was going to use ground chicken, but due to the quirks of living on an island, there wasn't any ... so, next best alternative, pork, and it turned out great!  Thanks Natalie for the inspiration! Ingredients 1 lb ground pork (or turkey or beef) 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs 1 red onion 2 cloves garlic Rosemary - leaves of 3 stems Thyme - leaves of 4 stems Sage - leaves of 2 stems Cider Vinegar - 1 tbsp and 1/2 cup Olive oil 1 tbsp 1 tsp sugar 6 buns Directions Thinly slice 1/2 red onion, place in a bowl with 1/2 cup cider vinegar, sugar and 1 tsp rough chopped rosemary.  Refrigerate till burgers are done. In a food processor combine sage, thyme and remaining rose...

We have a roadside “BBQ Guy” on the island, who makes the most amazing jerk chicken & pork, bbq ribs, stewed pork, festival and a soup made out of goat’s balls (suprisingly, it’s really good).  Everything always smells so good that I end up buying twice as much as we’ll ever eat for supper ... so, this recipe came about when I was looking for ways to use the leftovers. Stock: Ingredients: 1/2 of a leftover bbq chicken (if I have ribs or stewed pork, I throw that in as well) 1 large onion quartered 1 cup each rough chopped celery, carrot and pepper (red, yellow or orange) 3 seasoning peppers (these are a mini bell pepper with a bit of heat, you could use 1 seeded jalapeno if that’s all you have) 6 sprigs thyme 4 bay leaves jerk or creole spice (since you won’t have Donavan chicken unless u live in SLU) to taste salt & pepper to taste Directions: Put everything into a big stock pot, fill with water to cover then add 4 more cups.  Let simmer for 3 to 4 hours....

So for Canadian Thanksgiving, we are planning an appie spread (likely do turkey, etc the following weekend instead).  The appie menu looks something like this ... Calabrese Wraps - Bocconcini, tomatos & basil wrapped in calabrese salami, drizzled with olive oil and slightly baked. Citrus Lobster - Lobster tail pieces grilled and drizzled with a citrus reduction Potato crostini with caramelized bacon - mini potato halfs filled with cream cheese, caramelized bacon and chilis Pork Souvlaki bites with Tzatziki Bandera Pizza bread Strawberries stuffed with goat cheese We love appies, it's a great way to try bits of everything!

This is a meal I wanted to make many times in Canada and just never had the time ... I brought the recipes with me and it is now a favorite. Beef Rendang   (serve with rice - I prefer Jasmine) Ingredients 1 kg rump steak 2 onions, rough chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tbs chopped fresh ginger 4 small red chilies 1/2 cup water 2 tsp ground coriander 2 tbs tamarind sauce 1 tsp turmeric 10 curry leaves or 1 tbs curry powder stem of lemon grass, 10 cm long 4 cups coconut milk Directions Remove fat from steak, cut into cubes or slices, place in a dutch oven.  In a food processor, combine onion, garlic, ginger, chilies and water, blend until smooth.  Add the mixture to the steak and mix.  Add coriander, tamarind sauce, turmeric, curry and lemon grass, stir until combined.  Stir in coconut milk.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to very low, simmer for 30 more minutes, stirring...